want to improve my speech

[bayoumedic]

Hey guys and gals. I'm new here and need some advice. I was either born with hearing loss or lost it as a small child due to multiple ear infections. I've worn hearing aids to both ears when I was 5 yrs. old and had some speech therapy at the time. I have moderate to severe hearing loss, more to the severe side with high frequency sounds. I have a hard time understanding even with my aids all of the soft consonant sounds such as s, t, th, sh and so forth. I've never worn my aids much as a kid due to being extremely embarrassed of being different with my appearance. I'm wearing my aids more often especially while I'm working. I'm currently working as a paramedic on an ambulance and I get frustrated when I speak to people and I have a hard time pronouncing some words. I enjoy my job so much and my speech has always been a huge challenge for me.
<O:p</O:p
Is it possible at my age, "46" to benefit from speech therapy? I 'm at the point in my life to accept my hearing and speech deficit and want to move on. <O:p</O:p
<O:p</O:p
My audiogram<O:p></O:p>
Left and right ears are about the same. <O:p</O:p

[rweigle]

Hey guys and gals. I'm new here and need some advice. I was either born with hearing loss or lost it as a small child due to multiple ear infections. I've worn hearing aids to both ears when I was 5 yrs. old and had some speech therapy at the time. I have moderate to severe hearing loss, more to the severe side with high frequency sounds. I have a hard time understanding even with my aids all of the soft consonant sounds such as s, t, th, sh and so forth. I've never worn my aids much as a kid due to being extremely embarrassed of being different with my appearance. I'm wearing my aids more often especially while I'm working. I'm currently working as a paramedic on an ambulance and I get frustrated when I speak to people and I have a hard time pronouncing some words. I enjoy my job so much and my speech has always been a huge challenge for me.
<O:p</O:p
Is it possible at my age, "46" to benefit from speech therapy? I 'm at the point in my life to accept my hearing and speech deficit and want to move on. <O:p</O:p
<O:p</O:p
My audiogram<O:p></O:p>
Left and right ears are about the same. <O:p</O:p

Hi

I am 64 and have a speech impediment also. I did have speech therapy in my 30's and it helped a bit. Unfortunately, I probably regressed somewhat in the past 20 years but stall believe the initial therapy has helped. What has helped even more is my most recent aids which use sound compression for the higher frequencies that allow me to "hear" the syllibant sounds of speech allowing med to duplicate them more accurately when I speak.

I suggest you contact the local speech therapist in your area for a professional opinion. i received the therapy for a very reduced fee by going to a local university Medical Center where i live. This was the only way it would have worked without milking the bank,

Good luck.

[Hask12]

It's never too late to teach an old dog new tricks, or something like that. Give it a shot, what do you have to lose?

[laura]

I think it is certainly worth giving it a try, it definitely wont hurt and at least you can say you have given it a go :) x