CI Rehab Eval
Yesterday’s rehab eval was fun! We talked about how it’s been going for me so far, and I gave the therapist a copy of all that I’ve written here, for her to read later. She was pleased that I’ve been using my accessory microphone, and that I’d at least TRIED using my telephone adapter once – even though it was a disaster! I’d THOUGHT that when I attached the accessory mic, I was receiving sound from both it AND the mic on my headpiece – but she told me that, no, the headpiece mic turns off when I connect the other one! Since I like it so well already, she’s going to have Jennifer change it so that when I connect the accessory mic, I get either 50% sound from it and 50% sound from the headpiece mic or 60% accessory/40% headpiece. She also gave me some hints about how to use it and where/when – and some hints about how to use the telephone with my implant. I’m the most afraid of using the telephone, but she assured me that THAT’s true for most of her clients. She’s given me a handout with some activities I can try ... I will definitely have to find someone who would be willing to help me do the practice exercises – both on the phone and in person! She also gave me a handout with activities and practice exercises to do with someone face to face (without me reading their lips). Maybe I will ask at church tomorrow.
Then we did the evaluation. First she went through a list of sounds: Mmm, Shh, Rrr, Th, the sounds of a few more consonants and vowels – and I was able to differentiate ALL of them, although I could see her lips at the time! Then she hid her face behind this needlepoint ring that has the material they use on the front of stereo speakers instead of fabric, so the sound goes right through, but you can’t see through it (I’ll call it the ring, for short). She repeated the sounds, but they all sounded distorted and funny – like buzzes and knocks and taps and hisses – like she was doing crazy sound effects – I couldn’t tell WHICH letters she was saying! :O) ... She explained to me that different letters have different projectory effects. For example: the letters L,M,N,R,V,W, and Z have a vibrating effect; the letters B,C,D,G,K,P,Q, and T have a popping effect; and the letters C,Ch,F,H,S,Sh, and Th have a hissing effect. That’s what I was hearing – the projectory effects of the letters!
Next, the therapist gave me a worksheet to look at. The first test was distinguishing word lengths. There were several lines with 3 columns of words: 1st, 1-syllable words; 2nd, 2-syllable words, and 3rd, 3-syllable words. From behind the ring, she randomly read me one of the words from each line – and I was to tell her if it was the word in column 1, 2 or 3. I got them all right! :O) ... The next test was distinguishing sentence length. Each line had 2 sentences, one short and one longer – and I was to tell her which one she read. Again, I got them all right! :O) ... The 3rd test was listening for differences in words. There were a list of sentences with 2 words that sound similar separated by a slash (i.e.: "What a night/sight that was!") – either word making perfect sense in the sentence. From behind the ring, she read the sentence, randomly choosing one of the words on either side of the slash, and I was to tell her which word she said. I got THEM all right, too! :O)
Then she read me a short paragraph from behind the ring that I couldn’t read along with. I was to listen and then she asked me questions at the end (still hidden by the ring) – either about what the paragraph said or about myself. I understood maybe 90-95% of the words in the paragraph and answered all of her questions right! :O)
The final test was the most difficult one. The therapist spoke a list of one-syllable words, one at a time, from behind the ring – each end of the words had one or more of the different consonants/sound combinations from the very first test (that I’d had difficulty distinguishing), plus a vowel/vowel sound combination in the middle of the word (i.e.: meat, bit, roll, seem). I didn’t do as well this time – I got a few right, but most she had to repeat several times and even give me a hint as to a couple of letters it MIGHT be! She told me I did really good, though, in that the words/letters I guessed were always among the letters/sounds in the same projectory group as the word she was actually saying – I was guessing words that had very similar sounds to the one she was speaking! :O)
Other handouts I received were about clear speech communication tips for family members, tips for listening to music, and audio books recommended by adult CI recipients. The therapist feels I am doing really well for my first month since activation, and that I will also benefit a lot from an auditory training program. She’s going to get me set up with one of the auditory therapists there to come in for an hour each week, starting as soon as she can get me scheduled! :O) ... So, I’m excited about that ... and I’ll see if I can find someone from church or somewhere to help me practice on the days I don’t go there. :O)
Then we did the evaluation. First she went through a list of sounds: Mmm, Shh, Rrr, Th, the sounds of a few more consonants and vowels – and I was able to differentiate ALL of them, although I could see her lips at the time! Then she hid her face behind this needlepoint ring that has the material they use on the front of stereo speakers instead of fabric, so the sound goes right through, but you can’t see through it (I’ll call it the ring, for short). She repeated the sounds, but they all sounded distorted and funny – like buzzes and knocks and taps and hisses – like she was doing crazy sound effects – I couldn’t tell WHICH letters she was saying! :O) ... She explained to me that different letters have different projectory effects. For example: the letters L,M,N,R,V,W, and Z have a vibrating effect; the letters B,C,D,G,K,P,Q, and T have a popping effect; and the letters C,Ch,F,H,S,Sh, and Th have a hissing effect. That’s what I was hearing – the projectory effects of the letters!
Next, the therapist gave me a worksheet to look at. The first test was distinguishing word lengths. There were several lines with 3 columns of words: 1st, 1-syllable words; 2nd, 2-syllable words, and 3rd, 3-syllable words. From behind the ring, she randomly read me one of the words from each line – and I was to tell her if it was the word in column 1, 2 or 3. I got them all right! :O) ... The next test was distinguishing sentence length. Each line had 2 sentences, one short and one longer – and I was to tell her which one she read. Again, I got them all right! :O) ... The 3rd test was listening for differences in words. There were a list of sentences with 2 words that sound similar separated by a slash (i.e.: "What a night/sight that was!") – either word making perfect sense in the sentence. From behind the ring, she read the sentence, randomly choosing one of the words on either side of the slash, and I was to tell her which word she said. I got THEM all right, too! :O)
Then she read me a short paragraph from behind the ring that I couldn’t read along with. I was to listen and then she asked me questions at the end (still hidden by the ring) – either about what the paragraph said or about myself. I understood maybe 90-95% of the words in the paragraph and answered all of her questions right! :O)
The final test was the most difficult one. The therapist spoke a list of one-syllable words, one at a time, from behind the ring – each end of the words had one or more of the different consonants/sound combinations from the very first test (that I’d had difficulty distinguishing), plus a vowel/vowel sound combination in the middle of the word (i.e.: meat, bit, roll, seem). I didn’t do as well this time – I got a few right, but most she had to repeat several times and even give me a hint as to a couple of letters it MIGHT be! She told me I did really good, though, in that the words/letters I guessed were always among the letters/sounds in the same projectory group as the word she was actually saying – I was guessing words that had very similar sounds to the one she was speaking! :O)
Other handouts I received were about clear speech communication tips for family members, tips for listening to music, and audio books recommended by adult CI recipients. The therapist feels I am doing really well for my first month since activation, and that I will also benefit a lot from an auditory training program. She’s going to get me set up with one of the auditory therapists there to come in for an hour each week, starting as soon as she can get me scheduled! :O) ... So, I’m excited about that ... and I’ll see if I can find someone from church or somewhere to help me practice on the days I don’t go there. :O)
posted by Shel @ 5:15 PM
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