Audiologist sign language issue

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My audiologist always uses her sign language at work for her customers.

Are you aware that many audiologists do not know the sign language. What is their problem? How they could communicate with deaf people who cannot understand it? My assume that it is pain the neck for them to write down on the paper.

Does your audiologist uses sign language?


When I was in the hospital after removing a tube on my neck and I was very tired. A speech therapist does not know the signs. Her job was to help me to practice my voice with a special device before removing the tube. I understood her 80 percent. I tried not to be crabby to her. I told her that she needs to learn the signs. She was blushing. No more excuse.
 
Most of my audiologists were hearing, and knew enough signs to help me understand what I needed to do, "sit here, put this on, raise your hand if you hear something." And they also showed me my hearing evaluation with a note explaining how much Hearing loss I had or whatever. I don't remember much of it now.
 
Many of my audiologists growing up knew ZERO sign language. ZERO. *shrugs* never bothered me.
 
Some audis deal mostly/only with patients who are oral deaf or HOH and don't sign themselves, so why bother? That said, several of the audiologists I worked with either signed, or used to sign until they moved to a practice that didn't have many clients who signed.
 
my audiologist and speech/verbal therpy know sign.. but they hire an interpreter anyways
 
I don't think mine does. If she does, not much. I always rely on speech when i'm there. but anyway, not much.
 
Most audiologists subscribe to the medical view of deafness--that it is dysfunctional and needs to be fixed. Their focus is on making the deaf person more hearing, on the pathology in the auditory system, and on what must be done to improve function. They see deafness in the same way that they see apraxia or aphasia. Since sign doesn't increase auditory function, they don't see it as a primary communication method. Not all, there are a few rare audiologists who are a bit more diverse in their approaches, but by and large audiology is grounded in the medical field.
 
Ohhh u gotta be F$^&*%$^* kidding me!!! As I type, I am sitting in my new audologist's waiting area. It is a pretty big one and this section serves selling hearing aides, audiology services, ear and throat issues...well u know how nurses come out and call patients that r ready to been seen? Hahaha u guys r gonna :jaw: cuz they announce the patients's names over the loudspeaker. They serve people with hearing losses and call out names over a loudspeaker???? I am not gonna tell the people that iam unable to understand what they r saying over the loudspeaker..let them call my name and see why I didn't respond. My appt was supposed to be at 2 and it is 225 and iam still waiting. This is just too messed up!!! Oh geez

Will bring this up when I am seen and will let u know what happened. Oh joy!
 
Ohhh u gotta be F$^&*%$^* kidding me!!! As I type, I am sitting in my new audologist's waiting area. It is a pretty big one and this section serves selling hearing aides, audiology services, ear and throat issues...well u know how nurses come out and call patients that r ready to been seen? Hahaha u guys r gonna :jaw: cuz they announce the patients's names over the loudspeaker. They serve people with hearing losses and call out names over a loudspeaker???? I am not gonna tell the people that iam unable to understand what they r saying over the loudspeaker..let them call my name and see why I didn't respond. My appt was supposed to be at 2 and it is 225 and iam still waiting. This is just too messed up!!! Oh geez

Will bring this up when I am seen and will let u know what happened. Oh joy!
 
shel90 said:
Ohhh u gotta be F$^&*%$^* kidding me!!! As I type, I am sitting in my new audologist's waiting area. It is a pretty big one and this section serves selling hearing aides, audiology services, ear and throat issues...well u know how nurses come out and call patients that r ready to been seen? Hahaha u guys r gonna :jaw: cuz they announce the patients's names over the loudspeaker. They serve people with hearing losses and call out names over a loudspeaker???? I am not gonna tell the people that iam unable to understand what they r saying over the loudspeaker..let them call my name and see why I didn't respond. My appt was supposed to be at 2 and it is 225 and iam still waiting. This is just too messed up!!! Oh geez

Will bring this up when I am seen and will let u know what happened. Oh joy!
Click to expand...

Yeah, duh! Looks like they could figure that one out, doesn't it? Ever heard of even something as simple as a flashing light, so you know to look up?
 
1 out of 7 different audiologist, I vist. They don't know sign language.
 
my audiologist has a hearing loss & wears an aid. But she only has minor loss. So she understands the process a little more. No sign language though.

I've encountered quite a few speech therapists through my job, but only a few know some basics like Abc's. However, since I worked at the hospital, there really isn't that many encounters with those who sign. Most with hearing loss are the elderly population, so they wouldn't know how to sign. Secondly, most speech therapist in a hospital settings are not generally there to help with your actual speech, but with the swallowing functions. I can't tell you how many times I've had to refer some patients to a speech therapist because their swallow was limited. Oral control was just an occassional thing that happened here & there. I imagine a speech therapist in a designed setting that supports deaf/HOH population, they should be a little bit more knowledgeable regarding to communicating via sign.
 
I'm a speech therapist, new to this site, and this topic caught my eye. It is true that many audiologists and speech therapists do not know how to sign. I can tell you that in our programs sign language courses are usually offered but not a requirement. We do learn about working with deaf and hoh clients but mainly in relation to working with oral deaf people and those with residual hearing and/or cochlear implants. The audiology program is basically set up to work with hearing individuals who have hearing loss, as well as provide aural rehabilitation. I agree with the idea of audiologists being able to sign, especially if they are working with deaf clients. I actually think it should be required for both speech and audiology, and it only makes communicating with our deaf and hoh clients harder when we are limited by not knowing sign language. But the majority of people in these fields work with hearing people and see no need to learn. I personally decided to head back to school last fall, and am enrolled in an ASL/English interpreter program. If an audiologist can't sign, then I think an interpreter should be available. It's an unfortunate situation.

Chagita
 
My audiologist used to know alittle ASL. She was my former ASL student years ago. She hadn't a time to practice or take a class due to work. I don't blame her for that. She tried to take Wed off for ASL class but her boss won't let her bec they needed her. So I saw her once a while. We had no plm with our communicate. She sometimes needs to get interpreter for CI reason. Other than that, we don't need an interpreter.

Speech Therapist knew sign language, she have alot of deaf clients who use ASL/ESL. I used to have her for hearing training for my CI.
 
One of my former audiologists from Southern California (I used to live there) knows some sign language. She has a Deaf neice and has worked with lots of d/Deaf clients. She is a good friend.
 
I think this is because the vast majority of audiologists' clients are senior citizens, hearing people losing their hearing during their golden years.

But I hope this entrenched trend changes....
 
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