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What is an occupational therapist?
Occupation therapy, also commonly known as OT, is a field that treats a patient from head to foot. The primary goal is to help patients feel more independent in the activities of everyday living, whether it’s eating food, getting out of bed, or going to the shops.
Occupational therapists use a range of exercises and adaptions to help individuals practice self-care and complete basic life skills that they might find challenging or overwhelming due to disability, injury or illness. Occupational therapists sometimes work closely with speech pathologists, particularly when working with a client who has hearing loss.
Practice areas and expertise
Occupational therapists work with people who might be impacted by the below:
- Aging
- Injury or illness
- Autism
- Difficulties with fine and gross motor skills
- Developmental delay
- Intellectual disability
- Physical disability
Education and qualifications
In order to practice, occupational therapists must obtain the following qualifications:
- An undergraduate or master’s degree in occupational therapy
- Be recognised and meet the national regulation requirements set by the Occupational Therapy Board of Australia for the Australian Health Practitioners Regulation Agency
Benefits of occupational therapy
The main focus of occupational therapy is to support independence, safety and meaningful engagement in daily tasks. These tasks are inclusive of self-care, productivity and leisure activities. When working with children, the aim of occupational therapy is to get the child to be able to participate in their activities of daily living and play the same as their siblings and peers.
What is a speech pathologist?
Speech pathologists, also commonly known as speech therapists, assist people with speech and language challenges. Speech therapist’s overall goal is to help patients communicate more effectively.
Practice areas and expertise
Speech pathologists support people with:
- Articulation
- Speech motor planning
- Oral motor skills
- Swallowing
- Language development
- Developmental delays
- Learning disabilities
- Traumatic brain injury
Listening and Spoken Language Specialist certification
Hear and Say has many listening and spoken language specialist who have undergone specific training to work with people impacted by hearing loss. In addition to the above, they have completed the below to achieve the Listening and Spoken Language Specialist certification:
- 900 hours of professional experience
- 80 hours of professional development
- 20 hours of mentored sessions
- Pass the final exam
Speech therapy for children with hearing loss
For children with hearing loss who use hearing technology like hearing aids, learning to hear and speak takes a lot of work and additional support. At Hear and Say our speech pathologists specialise in working with children impacted by hearing loss. They work closely with paediatric audiologists and occupational therapists to help the child reach their language goals. Speech therapists tailor each lesson to the individual to give babies and children the critical skills they needed to hear and speak just like others around them. Lessons often involve lots of play-based learning, including games and reading.
Differences between occupational therapy and speech therapy
While both professions work in similar settings and some treatments may overlap, there are some main differences between occupational therapy and speech therapy including:
- A therapeutic focus: Speech pathology is primarily focused on issues and dyabilities surrounding communication. Whereas, Occupational therapy is focused on the big-picture perspective, analysing the individual’s problems as intertwining issues and developing relevant treatment to cater for that.
- Different required education and training: While the training for both occupational therapy and speech therapy is similar there is different education and training required.
The team at Hear and Say is here to help work out which option is best for you.
Get in touch
What are hearing aids?
Hearing aids are small wearable electronic devices that amplify sound to assist people with hearing impairment or hearing loss.
Hearing aids are a good option for people with mild, moderate or moderately severe hearing loss. These small external devices either sit behind the ear or in the ear. Using technology like hearing aids often improves quality of life as it allows the user to better socialise and connect with their friends and family.
Hearing aids are battery powered, they amplify sounds that are picked up using an inbuilt microphone, speaker and computer chip.
There are many different types of hearing aids, the best option will vary from person to person. An individual’s hearing loss or impairment, the advice of their hearing professional and personal style preferences will influence which hearing device is chosen.
How hearing aids work
All hearing aids generally work in a similar way, they make sounds louder, improving the hearing of the user and ultimately increasing quality of life.
Hearing aids have a small microphone which converts sounds into an electronic signal.
Depending on the level of hearing loss of the user, the signal is then processed and modified by the device.
Lastly, the hearing aid contains a miniature loudspeaker called a receiver which sends the processed sound through the earfitting.
Benefits of hearing aids include:
- When worn consistently, hearing aids can help to reduce further hearing loss by keeping the brain’s auditory pathways stimulated
- Hearing aid style options including the receiver in canal, in the ear, completely in the canal, and invisible in the canal, offer improved customisation in terms of the fit in the ear, size of the device and how discretely they can be worn
- In comparison, the behind the ear models are larger in size, making them easier to handle – a good option for people with arthritis or vision impairment
- Behind the ear models can also last longer as the active components are sitting behind the ear which protects them from potential damage or harm from ear wax, etc. in the ear canal
- Many hearing aids can be equipped with rechargeable batteries
Some hearing aids can automatically adjust to the environment the user is in, while others can be adjusted via remote control or smart phone app to the specifications and at the convenience of the wearer.
Perceived Hearing aid cons include:
- Battery life on some devices can be challenging
- The visibility of the external device
- Challenges associated with fitting them in the ear for individuals with arthritis or impaired movement
- Risk of misplacing the device
- Risk of incurring technical difficulties in operating the device and settings
Please note that a lot of these downfalls can be overcome by talking to an audiologist who can tailor the device to your needs, should something go wrong Hear and Say is here to help.
How cochlear implants work
Cochlear implants generate signals that are sent through the auditory nerve, directly to the brain, which then recognises the signal as sound.
The component of a cochlear implant which is surgically implanted consists of:
- A receiver stimulator to receive signals from the speech processor (which sits behind the hear) to convert them into electric impulses, and
- An electrode array which collects the electric impulses from the receiver/stimulator and sends them to different parts of the auditory nerve
It takes time to learn to hear with a cochlear implant as the brain has to learn or relearn how to identify sounds through this new device.
Some considerations and cons of cochlear implants include:
- They require a surgical procedure and extensive speech therapy to actively learn or relearn how to hear using the devices.
- Needing to remove the external component while bathing or swimming (however there are accessories that can be worn to make these devices waterproof)
- Recharging or changing batteries frequently
- Risk of accidental damage to the implant
- As a cochlear implant provides the ability to hear through stimulating the auditory nerve, a cochlear implant recipient may lose any residual hearing as a result of the surgery to receive the implant.
Despite some challenges, cochlear implants truly are an incredible device that allow someone who is deaf to hear. Always remember that the team at Hear and Say is here to help should you have any concerns or challenges.
Differences between hearing aids and cochlear implants
Differences between cochlear implants and hearing aids include:
- Hearing aids make sounds louder
- Cochlear implants use electrodes to transmit sound signals which are converted into electrical impulses that can be interpreted by the brain
- Hearing aids are worn inside or behind the ear and are not surgically implanted like cochlear implants are
- Hearing aids are ideal for individuals with mild and moderate hearing loss. Cochlear implants are a good option for individuals with severe hearing loss.
The team at Hear and Say is here to help work out which option is best for you.
Get in touch
“We were really surprised when Elias was diagnosed, we had no idea he wasn’t hearing properly. He’d turn to our voices and respond when we talked to him, so it didn’t occur to us that his hearing was compromised.”
At three months old Elias got his first pair of hearing aids and at five months he started to come to Hear and Say.
“Initially we were seeing specialised speech therapist each fortnight, these appointments became monthly as he got a bit older. We also attended the infant and parent group, Listen Little Stars and progressed to the LEAP playgroup when Elias was nearing two,” said Rachel.
“We also saw an occupational therapist at Hear and Say when Elias was two years old to check that his balance and motor skills were developing as expected.”
These services have made a difference to Elias and his whole family.
“We’re so grateful for the services and support offered through Hear and Say, it has made an enormous difference for Elias and our family,” said Rachel.
“He doesn’t know many local children who have hearing loss and attending Hear and Say normalises wearing hearing aids, he plays with other kids that have hearing loss and wear hearing aids or implants,” she said.
Reflecting, Rachel says that their decision to make sure Elias could hear felt like the right option to do for her family.
“Since Elias is the only person in our family with hearing loss (besides older relatives), and because his loss is sloping, it was natural to connect him with the world of sound through specialised speech therapy and audiology services.
“We also knew that developing listening and speaking skills would offer him the greatest number of opportunities to play with friends, take part in sports, and school activities, as well as jobs and hobbies when he’s older,” said Rachel.
It’s no mean feat to support a child with hearing loss as they learn to hear and speak, it takes professional support and most importantly these outcomes rely on families and parents like Rachel as their child’s primary teacher.
The diagnosis came as a surprise to parents Kerryn and Sam, as they had no family history of hearing loss and no troubles during pregnancy.
“Sam and I were in denial for the first couple of weeks, thinking maybe the machine wasn’t working properly or her ears were just blocked,” said Kerryn.
“It wasn’t until we travelled to Brisbane when she was about three weeks old and spoke to an audiologist at the hospital that it actually sunk in,” she said.
“For two new parents from the bush to travel 1,200km away from our home and family to seek answers was very daunting.
“I can still remember those first couple of months so clearly – it was a whirlwind of appointments with many different specialists and so much information to absorb.”
“Her speech and language blows us away every day. Her reading and writing is immaculate and she loves to learn,” said Kerryn.
“It’s been a long road, but we are so proud of how far Emily has come and we are confident she has an amazing future ahead of her,” she said.
“Living in a rural area has certainly been a huge challenge with the distance we need to travel, and the cost involved with that. The feeling of isolation, especially in the early years was very hard, however we got through the other side by sticking together.
“One of the hardest things was travelling away by myself as Sam had to stay at home to keep working and, as our family grew, he needed to stay at home to care for our other kids.”
Kerryn, Sam and their family are grateful for Hear and Say’s support and are some of our most enthusiastic Loud Shirt Day supporters – jumping back on board to fundraise for the fifth year in a row!
“We’re very excited for this year’s Loud Shirt Day, there will be lots of activities happening,” said Kerryn.
“For the first time in 2022, all gate entry fees from the three-day Ballyneety Rodeo were donated towards Aramac’s Loudest Town campaign, we had new custom-designed loud caps, and our Let’s get loud for Emmy fishing shirts. We’ll also hosted our annual BBQ breakfast on the main street of Aramac that featured another raffle,” she said.
“Loud Shirt Day is all about repaying the kindness we’ve experienced at Hear and Say by raising as much as we can. We hope that Aramac’s contribution can make the lives of other families affected by hearing loss that little bit easier.
“To anyone that is even considering getting involved in Loud Shirt Day – please just do it! It’s something that you would never regret. It’s not something that you have to do on your own either. Hear and Say are there every step of the way.”
Sienna
“Sienna was diagnosed with mild to moderate hearing loss at birth which was picked up via the newborn screening test done at the hospital,” said Hayley, the twins’ mum.
“She was initially fitted with hearing aids however her hearing gradually deteriorated over the years,” she said.
“In June 2020, Sienna received her first cochlear implant in her left ear. She was so excited for her switch on, I remember her saying she couldn’t wait to be able to hear what the other kids hear.
“It was honestly a surreal moment, from Sienna growing up with hearing loss, and then for her natural hearing to slowly deteriorate as she got older to reaching the point of a cochlear.
“I remember feeling sad we had reached this point but also so happy that she’d have the opportunity to be able to hear.
Marley
“Marley was diagnosed at nine years old with severe to profound sensorineural hearing loss in her left ear and a moderate rising to normal hearing loss in her right ear.
“In fact, Marley’s testing on her left ear was inconclusive for a period of time. She completed two Auditory Brainstem Response (ABR) testing sessions to diagnose her hearing loss in her left ear.
The double switch on
“Recently, Sienna received her second cochlear (in her right ear) and Marley was fitted with her first cochlear implant on her left ear and she wears a hearing aid on her right.”
With no family history of hearing loss Hayley was saddened when Sienna was born with hearing loss, and when they found out about Marley’s diagnosis later on.
“We were utterly shocked – it took us completely by surprise,” said Jess.
“We were told about Hear and Say at the hospital after Will was referred on his newborn hearing screen and we first visited the organisation for his audiology assessment to confirm his diagnosis,” she said.
Will underwent cochlear implant surgery at 11 months old and comes to Hear and Say for regular speech therapy and audiology appointments.
“Hear and Say has made a world of difference for us. Our son has had access to early intervention which has allowed him to listen, talk, learn about his world and interact with his community,” said Jess.
“It’s been a rollercoaster of emotions but so incredible – Will amazes my husband and I everyday with the things he hears and can say,” she said.
“She has been diligently wearing her hearing aids and we have been going to speech therapy to work on early listening skills and social skills.
“She is doing really well – we love hearing her babble!”
Jess and Nick are back on board for their third Loud Shirt Day fundraising event this year, and said it’s all pretty simple to get started.
“2020 was our first year being involved, and it was very easy to get set up. We started by creating a Loud Shirt Day fundraising page online, and then sent the link out to our friends and family through social media,” said Jess.
“Loud shirt day is a fabulous campaign for a great cause that’s very close to my family’s heart,” she said.
“We feel touched when our friends and family support Hear and Say as we know first-hand where the funds go and the impact it can have on a child’s life. We are forever grateful for the support of Hear and Say.”
Willow was born with cytomegalovirus (CMV) which meant her hearing loss declined throughout her first few months and at around seven months she was diagnosed with a profound loss.
“We felt extremely overwhelmed with so many different emotions, and we were just in overall shock. We had no history in our families of hearing loss, so we both felt a bit lost in a way,” said Ami.
During this whirlwind time, thanks to the power of social media and the kindness of their networks Ami and Jesse found out about Hear and Say.
“We were lucky enough to have a beautiful family reach out to us over Facebook, they told us all about Hear and Say. Their daughter received services there and they highly recommended we get in touch with their lovely staff,” said Ami.
Willow started to come along to Hear and Say, having speech therapy lessons and then at 10 months old, she got a cochlear implant.
“With help from Hear and Say and our amazing speech therapist Greer, we have learnt so many great ways to engage Willow to wear her cochlear implants and do therapy in fun ways at home,” she said.
Teaching a child with hearing loss to learn to hear and speak really is a journey that involves the whole family and Ami is excited to watch her daughter grow, learn and have unlimited opportunities.
“Willow is really loving the process with learning to listen, hear and speak and she has made such incredible progress,” said Ami.
“Early in her cochlear implant journey, Willow couldn’t focus on environmental sounds like birds, aeroplanes and cars. Now when she hears a plane fly over, she points and pretends to be one.
“We want to give Willow as many opportunities in life as we can and being able to hear and speak will benefit her in so many ways.”
“I was actually quite shocked to hear Will had a hearing loss and I cried for about two weeks. I was sad for Will, worried about what his future would hold and how much his hearing loss would affect his daily life. I was also worried about how it would affect us as a family in terms of the services and support we’d need to access to help him.
“I was concerned he would be judged and teased and just didn’t want this for my little boy.”
Will was fitted with hearing aids in 2012 and the family met Hear and Say’s team in Townsville, starting telehealth speech therapy in 2013.
“It was difficult at first as we felt alone and isolated, living in Townsville away from family and not knowing anyone with a child with hearing loss. We didn’t really know what lay ahead,” said Rosie.
“Once we started regular lessons with Hear and Say, we had the opportunity to meet with Will’s speech therapist in-person, as well as other families, when we visited the Brisbane centre a couple of times a year.
In 2017 Will started school in Warwick, who were supported in ensuring that Will didn’t miss out on anything his hearing peers could hear.
“This was one of my early fears so I was so grateful they were on board from the start. Will’s hearing loss has been part of his school journey and the kids in his class have always been accepting of it. They even used to remind the teacher that the Roger FM was on mute!” said Rosie.
Now 11 years old, Will loves to spend time outdoors riding motorbikes, camping, going to the beach and hanging out with his friends. Will also loves to play hockey, cricket, touch football and athletics at school. He loves listening to music and watching the football as a mad North Queensland Cowboys supporter.
“I love that he can communicate verbally (even though he’s a little shy!) and that he has an interest in music,” said Rosie.
“My parents often tell this story as one of the most important and life-changing memories they’ve had,” said Ruby.
“When I was six months old they came into my bedroom, I was sitting up in my cot facing away from them. They came in all excited to see me but when I didn’t turn around to their calls they knew something wasn’t right,” she said.
“My parents went to multiple specialists and GPs and it was when Dr Dimity Dornan AO called that our lives changed forever. Dimity told them that it was possible for me to hear and to learn to listen and speak. My parents met with Dimity later and never turned back.”
By the time Ruby was one year old she was learning to listen through her cochlear implant on her right side. At this time babies with hearing loss on both sides only received one cochlear implant. As further research came out about the benefits of hearing through both ears, this process changed. When Ruby was four years old she got a cochlear implant on her left side too.
“Hear and Say also had the most amazing opportunities to attend workshops for all ages in the school holidays. I cannot recommend these workshops enough, they have helped me grow as a person, meet new people, and build tighter bonds with the friends I made through these workshops.
Looking back on her school experience Ruby says it wasn’t always easy but is thankful for the people who helped her along the way.
“Despite having bilateral cochlear implants, I still struggled at school. It was huge, doing six hours a day of non-stop listening, concentrating, socialising, and trying to ensure I didn’t miss anything,” said Ruby.
“I struggled with friends and feeling like I didn’t totally fit in, it was hard to keep up with conversations in a busy playground or in a noisy classroom with lots of people talking at once,” she said.
After reflecting on her journey so far there are many things that continue to amaze Ruby, like her ability to pop on her cochlear implant processer and hear the world, or the fact that all those years ago her parents received a life-changing phone call.
“I don’t know where I would be today if Dimity hadn’t called my parents or created such an incredible foundation for kids to have every opportunity they deserve,” she said.
Looking ahead, Ruby shares her advice to parents who have just found out their baby has a hearing loss.
“This new chapter is a tough and scary beginning but there are so many opportunities you can create for your child. They do have the ability to learn to listen and speak, go to their local school, make friends and be a kid,” said Ruby
“They can be anyone they want to be.”
While pregnant with Elspeth and on holiday in Melbourne, Amy and Alastair were suddenly faced with the emergency caesarean birth of their baby girl.
Delighted to meet their beautiful baby girl, it was also a difficult start for the young family. Elspeth was born with two rare conditions known as microtia and atresia, which affect the formation of her ear and ear canal as well as hearing.
“When Elspeth was born, it was immediately obvious that something was wrong with her ear.
At the time we didn’t know exactly what this would mean for her and our family, but we knew about the incredible outcomes possible for children with hearing loss as both Amy and I work in medical professions,” said Alastair.
After finding out about their daughter’s hearing loss, Amy and Alastair were determined to do everything to give Elspeth the support she needed to help her learn to hear and speak. Upon returning to Queensland they turned to Hear and Say in Toowoomba, where they were living at the time.
“Hear and Say has made a huge difference for us, from teaching us as parents how to communicate well with Elspeth, to providing language and listening strategies for her,” said Alastair.
After the family made a sea change, Elspeth started going to fortnightly sessions at Hear and Say on the Gold Coast to continue to develop her listening and speaking skills and early literacy.
Her school has also installed a Roger sound system in her classroom to ensure she has access to sound to enhance her education.
“Elspeth is smashing her speech and language goals and her confidence is soaring,” said Amy.
Thanks to hearing technology and specialised speech therapy Elspeth’s ability to hear and speak means she can have a special relationship with Amy’s parents who live interstate, they regularly talk on Skype.
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