Head to Head w/Work... Help me!

[Savvi]

pretty bad, most places told me "oh we have applications online" or "oh you filled out online already? We will give you a call back." and it was hot as hell out, my face looked swollen from the heat lol but thank you for asking

So, I went to the local college today, talked to the financial aid office, asked them what I needed to do for that, planning on enrolling in the Spring for the ASL classes.

If all you need right now are ASL classes is it possible there are churches in your area that offer those classes? We have 2 that I know of here and the only charge is for the book. That way you would not have to wait until Spring and it would give you more time to decide on other college courses. Just a thought.

 

[ladysolitary85]

Well then, you got the college stuff taken care of! Depending on what financial aid offers you, you might decide not to just take ASL classes, but go ahead and use this opportunity to get a degree in a field you can turn into a career. Personally, I think if you are going to be there for the ASL classes, no reason not to take advantage of being there anyway and get some other classes under your belt. But I am an education junkie!

Well thats what I'm hoping for. Its a good thing I'm planning for the Spring because it'll make everything slip into place more smoothly then if I tried to squeeze into the class. (Apparently, theres a hugggge wait list) but I may take up a few more classes because honestly, this is a good opportunity for me. I kinda realize that theres only a few ways to land a great paying job. Either knowing people, experience or education.... I think education is going to be my best bet but I'm going to the junior college instead of a online, or other private college because its cheaper and who knows I might not have to even pay for much of anything without dealing with loans (which I will avoid at ALL cost, heard too many bad stories).

If all you need right now are ASL classes is it possible there are churches in your area that offer those classes? We have 2 that I know of here and the only charge is for the book. That way you would not have to wait until Spring and it would give you more time to decide on other college courses. Just a thought.

For now, I'm just taking up online learning, (lifeprint.com or signsavvy.com). What's funny is I was signing to the bus driver on my way home without realizing it asking for a transfer ticket for the next bus lol. I laughed inside thinking "silly, hes hearie!" I can look into churches, but to be honest...its not a place I want to be at just because my personal beliefs. Thanks for the advice though!

 

[Jane B.]

Well thats what I'm hoping for. Its a good thing I'm planning for the Spring because it'll make everything slip into place more smoothly then if I tried to squeeze into the class. (Apparently, theres a hugggge wait list) but I may take up a few more classes because honestly, this is a good opportunity for me. I kinda realize that theres only a few ways to land a great paying job. Either knowing people, experience or education.... I think education is going to be my best bet but I'm going to the junior college instead of a online, or other private college because its cheaper and who knows I might not have to even pay for much of anything without dealing with loans (which I will avoid at ALL cost, heard too many bad stories).

Just left on the quote about JC because that is what I want to comment on.

When deciding on their classes check for online ones through them. I know that the one that is local to me offers some which seems would be the best of both worlds given your current schedule.

 

[Jazzberry]

Hi Ladysolitary85

I just saw your audiogram in your "Allegeries? Fluid in Your Ear?" thread.

You might want to try using a portable telephone amplifier. There are two kinds.

If the business phone is not a cordless phone but a regular landline and has a separate handset from the base of the phone - you can try an in-line amplifier.

Set up is usually like this:
Hookup ampliier box to the telephone base where the curly cord of the phone usually hooks up to , hook up one end of the curly cord to the amplifier box and the other end end to the handset.

Example: [ame=http://www.amazon.com/Ameriphone-HA40-Telephone-Handset-Amplifier/dp/B00009WCBR/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1314666248&sr=8-2]Amazon.com: Ameriphone HA40 In-Line Telephone Handset Amplifier: Electronics[/ame]


This type of amplifier can help, but it won't make the telephone hearing aid compatible if its not already.


You can also try a portable handset that attaches to the ear piece of the phone's handset. This might be a better way to go because not all telephones are equally hearing aid compatible (even including landlines with built in volume control), but the second kind of portable telphone amplifier, because of its design and how its used, can help make the phone more hearing aid compatible.


Example: [ame=http://www.amazon.com/Serene-Portable-Phone-Amplifier-30dB/dp/B001JSV7Z4/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1314666248&sr=8-4]Amazon.com: Serene Portable Phone Amplifier 30dB: Health & Personal Care[/ame]


It depends on your word discrimination scores how much help this approach will be. If your word discrimintion scores are good or even fair, it will probably help. If it isn't -- you will still just get noise, just louder noise.

AFAICT, your audiogram didn't include word discrimination scores.

FWIW, I've used Ameriphone but haven't used Serene, and I've used both kinds of portable telephone amplifiers. I just linked to the brands that Amazon happened to be selling today.

Both type of amplifiers use batteries. People that hear well will probably be able to hear the other side of the phone call if they are nearby.

Hope this helps.

 

[jillio]

Well thats what I'm hoping for. Its a good thing I'm planning for the Spring because it'll make everything slip into place more smoothly then if I tried to squeeze into the class. (Apparently, theres a hugggge wait list) but I may take up a few more classes because honestly, this is a good opportunity for me. I kinda realize that theres only a few ways to land a great paying job. Either knowing people, experience or education.... I think education is going to be my best bet but I'm going to the junior college instead of a online, or other private college because its cheaper and who knows I might not have to even pay for much of anything without dealing with loans (which I will avoid at ALL cost, heard too many bad stories).



For now, I'm just taking up online learning, (lifeprint.com or signsavvy.com). What's funny is I was signing to the bus driver on my way home without realizing it asking for a transfer ticket for the next bus lol. I laughed inside thinking "silly, hes hearie!" I can look into churches, but to be honest...its not a place I want to be at just because my personal beliefs. Thanks for the advice though!

Go for it! We are all here to support you!

 

[jillio]

Hi Ladysolitary85

I just saw your audiogram in your "Allegeries? Fluid in Your Ear?" thread.

You might want to try using a portable telephone amplifier. There are two kinds.

If the business phone is not a cordless phone but a regular landline and has a separate handset from the base of the phone - you can try an in-line amplifier.

Set up is usually like this:
Hookup ampliier box to the telephone base where the curly cord of the phone usually hooks up to , hook up one end of the curly cord to the amplifier box and the other end end to the handset.

Example: Amazon.com: Ameriphone HA40 In-Line Telephone Handset Amplifier: Electronics


This type of amplifier can help, but it won't make the telephone hearing aid compatible if its not already.


You can also try a portable handset that attaches to the ear piece of the phone's handset. This might be a better way to go because not all telephones are equally hearing aid compatible (even including landlines with built in volume control), but the second kind of portable telphone amplifier, because of its design and how its used, can help make the phone more hearing aid compatible.


Example: Amazon.com: Serene Portable Phone Amplifier 30dB: Health & Personal Care


It depends on your word discrimination scores how much help this approach will be. If your word discrimintion scores are good or even fair, it will probably help. If it isn't -- you will still just get noise, just louder noise.

AFAICT, your audiogram didn't include word discrimination scores.

FWIW, I've used Ameriphone but haven't used Serene, and I've used both kinds of portable telephone amplifiers. I just linked to the brands that Amazon happened to be selling today.

Both type of amplifiers use batteries. People that hear well will probably be able to hear the other side of the phone call if they are nearby.

Hope this helps.

You tend to base everything on the numbers on an audiogram. You do realize, don't you, that those numbers don't tell you anything about actual functional ability?

 

[Jazzberry]

You tend to base everything on the numbers on an audiogram. You do realize, don't you, that those numbers don't tell you anything about actual functional ability?

It's an imperfect world but I do try to work with the info available. The way I see it, its true that even if the Word Discrimination Rate is good that doesn't necc. mean that the person tested will actually do well in real life situations. But if the WDR is bad -- then we can know, in advance, that its extremely likely that a telephone amplifier won't help.

I'm a fan of tools. I see the various tests as tools and I'd personally like to see better more informative tools developed. I believe this because I know a lot of people who are HH and the ones who can get more out of their hearing aids are invariably the ones with the better audiologists.

I often see or hear about audiologists with PhDs who don't even know how to use the tools that we currently have or, they know about them but still won't use them. That makes me angry. And as long as I'm engaging in a mini-rant -- it irks me that many audis won't use the various test in noise (e.g., HINT) That combined with the HA Kemar rating could be a really powerful HA prescription tool. Audis tend to go for the 45 min. appt. model and AFAICT, that often really isn't enough time.