Increasing Access to Aural Rehabilitation through Technology

Project Rationale: A grant to purchase iPads for CUMC’s speech department. The Apple iPad is a resourceful learning tool that can be beneficial to all learning styles and varying degrees of hearing loss. By integrating the use of an iPad into our Speech and Hearing Clinic, we will have the ability to not only provide children and families with the most recent and up-to-date information on the spot, but can do assessments and therapy activities as well.
With younger children, the iPad can be used for parent counseling and support. Information can be quickly accessed to show examples of at home therapy techniques. Additionally, the iPad can be used to record parent/child interactions and then reviewed immediately as a parent coaching technique.
With preschool and older children, the iPad has a variety of interactive apps specifically to work on aural rehabilitation skills. Patients can direct-connect through Bluetooth to the iPad and work on discrimination, comprehension, and identification skills. The parents of these children can be coached on how to effectively turn any tablet or phone game into a listening activity. By having an iPad in the therapy room, the therapist can instruct the parents on exact auditory verbal techniques to use while their child is playing a game.