Meeting Monday, April 12th, 2010

LACE - Listening and Communication Enhancement - Presented by Dr. Carrie Scarff

The biggest complaint of hard of hearing people is that background noise interferes with their ability to hear what is being said. Good listeners can focus on what they want to hear and ignore the rest. Hard of hearing people, especially those who waited a long time before getting a hearing aid(s) have not been receiving the sounds needed to stimulate the brain to focus on important sound information.

Neuroscience research shows that we can "tune up" our brain's ability to listen - improve how we focus our hearing - through practice.

LACE has proven to increase listening skills up to 40%.

LACE does not improve a person's ability to hear, rather it is an auditory training program. Just as physical therapy can help rebuild one's body, LACE helps train the brain to develop listening skills that will make the most of one's hearing ability.

Dr. Scarff is a Doctor of Audiology and an Auditory Researcher. She completed her Audiology training at Dalhousie University where she researched the early effects of noise exposure on hearing. She also completed a PhD at The University of Calgary under the guidance of Dr. Jos Eggermont, where she investigated Tinnitus and auditory plasticity following hearing loss. Dr. Scarff interned at Georgetown University Medical Hospital in Washington DC and the IWK Grace Hospital in Halifax. She conducts research in the hearing aid industry and is the first clinician in Southern Alberta to offer LACE auditory listening rehabilitation in her practice. Dr. Scarff has been a member of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Society Board of Directors since 2008. She can be contacted at 403.252.4722 at her clinic, Audiology Innovations.

 

For more information about CHHA-Calgary Meetings and the location, please visit About CHHA.

To read about previous guest speakers, please choose one of the links below:

• March 2010 - Dacy Zacharias shared her family's personal "CI Journey" and discussed how Nucleus Cochlear Implants can help children with hearing loss socially interact successfully in today's world as well as how Assistive Listening Devices can enhance the listening experience of Nucleus Cochlear Implant recipients by directly or indirectly connecting to the input of their sound processors.
• February 2010 - Michael Brown shared his story of discovery and joy in receiving a Bone Anchored Hearing Aid and a new ear, and how others can benefit from technological advancements.
• November 2009 - Sylvia Bird, currently the part-time Tinnitus Coordinator at Deaf & Hard of Hearing Society (DHHS) in Calgary, Alberta, spoke about tinnitus and some of the treatments available to help in managing this condition.
• September 2009 - Recap of the 2009 St. John's Conference from members who attended.
• June 2009 - Representatives from Phonak shared information about current technologies that help improve hearing for hard of hearing individuals in the presence of background noise and to connect to modern communication devices such as cell phones.
• April 2009 - Dave Evans, the Medical Base Manager and Flight Paramedic for STARS explained how knowing what to expect in an emergency situation requiring transportation by STARS will reduce the stress of a traumatic experience.
• February 2009 - Pauline Mathezer, a trained volunteer for the Canada Revenue Agency and member of CHHA-Calgary, spoke about completing income tax returns.
• November 2008 - Stacie Tidlund, graduate of the Disability Studies program at Mount Royal College, spoke about her CHHA-Calgary sponsored practicum in Malaysia working with people with hearing loss.
• October 2008 - Stephen McKibbon, SeniorConnect Coordinator and services provided by Calgary Senior's Resource Society
• September 2008 - CHHA-Calgary members who attended the Canadian Hard of Hearing / International Federation of Hard of Hearing Congress held in Vancouver this summer presented information from the workshops they attended. The Congress attracted speakers and delegates from around the world and focused on hearing loss management in other countries.
• May 2008 - Pacific Assistance Dogs
• April 2008 - James Zackowski - Executive Director of Calgary Rotary Challenger Park
• March 2008 - Michael Lepitre - financial and tax education
• February 2008 - Dr. Carrie Scarff - researcher and private practice Doctor of Audiology
• January 2008 - No Meeting
• December 2007 - Christmas Party
• November 2007 - Pacific Assistance Dogs
• October 2007 - Marianne Flanagan, Speech/Language Pathologist