Volume control

Chase

Chase

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I speak fairly well, so the usual surprises and disbelief that I'm totally deaf.

A terrible problem is I hear/feel/am aware of myself talking, but I have poor awareness of the volume . . . until someone tells me, or I see by facial expressions that I'm way too loud.

Less often, people say I'm speaking too softly or lean in to listen.

Sometimes I'm too self-conscious about it talk at all. Anyone else have the same problems, maybe some insights?
 
Chase said:
I speak fairly well, so the usual surprises and disbelief that I'm totally deaf.

A terrible problem is I hear/feel/am aware of myself talking, but I have poor awareness of the volume . . . until someone tells me, or I see by facial expressions that I'm way too loud.

Less often, people say I'm speaking too softly or lean in to listen.

Sometimes I'm too self-conscious about it talk at all. Anyone else have the same problems, maybe some insights?
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I've had some poeple tell me to talk quieter when I was younger. I noticed they don't anymore. Either I've learned to listen to my volume more or they don't tell me anymore since I'm older.. I think it's first one.
 
Secretblend said:
I've had some poeple tell me to talk quieter when I was younger. I noticed they don't anymore. Either I've learned to listen to my volume more or they don't tell me anymore since I'm older.. I think it's first one.
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My son is just the opposite. Its gotten better as he has gotten older, but I used to use the signs "Voice, too loud!" all the time when he was growing up.
 
I still have to ask friends family classmates ( and occasionally my interpreters) to help me monitor my voice level. If I'm in a quiet room I can do ok , but with background noise and the way my hearing is ... I just can't tell how loud/quiet I am
 
People tell me all the time I talk way too loud. But it is something that can`t be help.
 
Happens to me too.......................ALL the time. That's actually why I think even hoh kids should have the choice of Sign. I honestly don't think that many AGBaders understand how fucking embarssing it is to be yelled at in the library, or constantly embarssed by strangers etc b/c you're talking too loud. It's just another example of why oral only is NOT the utopia, that many AGBaders would have people believe.
 
deafdyke said:
Happens to me too.......................ALL the time. That's actually why I think even hoh kids should have the choice of Sign. I honestly don't think that many AGBaders understand how fucking embarssing it is to be yelled at in the library, or constantly embarssed by strangers etc b/c you're talking too loud. It's just another example of why oral only is NOT the utopia, that many AGBaders would have people believe.
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You have an excellent point I've never before considered, Deafdyke. I have a friend who signs okay but occasionally says, "Why do we sign when we both speak and you read lips?"

One of the reasons I prefer to sign more when we're around others, I've just realized, is I'm self-conscious about shaking the rafters with boom-box volume.
 
I get louder when I don't have my hearing aid on.. Perhaps so I can hear myself talk, I don't know.
 
Chase said:
I speak fairly well, so the usual surprises and disbelief that I'm totally deaf.

A terrible problem is I hear/feel/am aware of myself talking, but I have poor awareness of the volume . . . until someone tells me, or I see by facial expressions that I'm way too loud.

Less often, people say I'm speaking too softly or lean in to listen.

Sometimes I'm too self-conscious about it talk at all. Anyone else have the same problems, maybe some insights?
Click to expand...

(Yelling) YES, I HAVE THAT PROBLEM, TOO - WHAT? I'M YELLING...OH SORRY. (Lowering voice) I am very self-conscious about using my speech. My insight: People swear my speech is nearly perfect (just a touch of an accent, they would say) and the voice is clear - but seriously, that's like saying, "Oh! You throw pretty good for a girl!" I am aware that my speech is not at 100% and never, ever will be - and that I do not know how loud or soft I am. Many people complain that I speak too soft. My response? "Read my lips!" That's what people have been telling me to do all my life.

My ASL skills are perfect - so why strive to speak when it's not 100% perfect when I can sign 100% perfect? Why speak when it is awkward for me - so uncomfortable that I find myself shaking and face becoming red...when I can sign with ease and freedom. :confused:
 
Chase, a good solution to try is get a baby monitor, the kind that will have a loudness guage feature. Plug it in and whenever you're speaking, keeping an eye on the monitor every so often will register just how loudly you may be, seeing that, you can be encouraged to go lower, seeing the guage not going up like before...doing so, might set you up to start a habit of speaking more softly. This is only just a suggestion-- ;)

Now, unless you're in the can and there's no toilet tissue available....welllllll, that's a different story! :D :lol:





~RR
 
Terrific suggestion. I wondered if some high tech tools were available for monitoring speech. I'll start looking for just such a training device right away. Thanks. Ha ha ha at the pleading for a more TP. The louder, the better.
 
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