Subject: Re: Yet again on hearing aids - The Marriage of System and Desire From: Harriet B Jacobster <Hjacobster(at)AOL.COM> Date: Mon, 29 Mar 2004 09:45:19 EST-------------------------------1080571519 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit In a message dated 3/29/2004 9:06:33 AM Eastern Standard Time, auditory(at)AUGMENTICS.COM writes: <<I wonder which one the audiologist should fit????>> Not at all a trivial point, but the bottom-line subject of this debate. My reply...we are lucky enough in this day and age to have the option of changing the hearing aid programming. Auditory behavior is learned and adaptive (for the most part). Fitting a hearing aid is an essential part of aural rehabilitation, i.e., retraining the auditory system to hear as close to acceptable norms as possible. Hopefully, by the time we get the patient, the system is plastic enough so we can gradually retrain it from "comfortable" without optimal performance to "comfortable" with optimal performance. Even in those patients with reduced plasticity, there is still the possibility of adaptive behavior and function. Anyone who has been in any type of physical therapy knows this routine. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Harriet Jacobster, Au.D., CCC-A, FAAA Board Certified in Audiology -------------------------------1080571519 Content-Type: text/html; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <HTML><HEAD> <META charset=3DUS-ASCII http-equiv=3DContent-Type content=3D"text/html; cha= rset=3DUS-ASCII"> <META content=3D"MSHTML 6.00.2800.1400" name=3DGENERATOR></HEAD> <BODY style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> <DIV>In a message dated 3/29/2004 9:06:33 AM Eastern Standard Time, auditory= (at)AUGMENTICS.COM writes:</DIV> <DIV><BR><<I wonder which one the audiologist should fit????>></= DIV> <DIV><BR>Not at all a trivial point, but the bottom-line subject of this deb= ate. My reply...we are lucky enough in this day and age to have the op= tion of changing the hearing aid programming. Auditory behavior is lea= rned and adaptive (for the most part). Fitting a hearing aid is an ess= ential part of aural rehabilitation, i.e., retraining the auditory system to= hear as close to acceptable norms as possible. Hopefully, by the time= we get the patient, the system is plastic enough so we can gradually retrai= n it from "comfortable" without optimal performance to "comfortable" with op= timal performance. Even in those patients with reduced plasticity, the= re is still the possibility of adaptive behavior and function. <BR><BR= >Anyone who has been in any type of physical therapy knows this routine.&nbs= p; <BR><BR>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<BR>Harriet Jacobste= r, Au.D., CCC-A, FAAA<BR>Board Certified in Audiology</DIV> <DIV> </DIV></BODY></HTML> -------------------------------1080571519--