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What to Expect From Hearing Aids & Helpful Tips

Deaf woman takes a hearing testAre you curious about what to expect from hearing aids? Or, maybe you’re looking for helpful tips to help you maximize the use of yours?

In 2018, we spoke with Jacksonville Speech & Hearing Center patient Amy R. Here, she shares her experience with hearing loss diagnosis and what to expect from hearing aids. Amy also offers some helpful suggestions and insight for wearing your hearing aids.

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How to Find High Quality Hearing Aids in Jacksonville, FL

Did you know hearing aids are more sophisticated than simply making noise louder? Not only are there different types of hearing aids for specific types of hearing loss, there are also many styles to compliment lifestyle concerns. Learn how our Audiologists will help you to find high quality hearing aids.

How to Find High Quality Hearing Aids

Need Help? Talk to Our Audiologists

Our audiologists will work with you to select the best hearing aid for your needs. The audiologist will choose the most appropriate amplifier and circuitry for your particular hearing aid needs while keeping in mind any aesthetic and lifestyle concerns you may have.

Need Help with Your Hearing Aids?

In the past few years, advances in hearing aids have been making a significant difference in the lives of millions. The hearing aids of today are highly effective and sophisticated wearable electronics that help those with hearing loss stay actively connected.

Jacksonville Speech and Hearing Center conveniently offers many hearing aid services:

➤ Hearing Aid Evaluations
➤ Hearing Aid Sales & Service
➤ Hearing Aid Orientations
➤ Hearing Aid Checks
➤ Hearing Aid Repairs
➤ In/Out of Warranty Service & Repairs

If you have further questions about what type of hearing aids or services we offer, or to schedule an appointment with one of our audiologists, please reach out to us online or call (904) 355-3403‎.

autism therapy jacksonville

JSHC Earns Designation as Certified Autism Center

The Jacksonville Speech and Hearing Center (JSHC) has earned its certification of autism care from the International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards (IBCCES). This designation means that at least 80% of the JSHC staff has undergone a rigorous training process that will assist in providing speech pathology and audiology services for those who have autism. It is believed that the nonprofit is the first healthcare provider in North Florida to undergo this training for its staff.

“I’m extremely proud that our staff has stepped up to achieve this recognition,” said Mike Howland, President and CEO of Jacksonville Speech and Hearing Center.  “Communication is a critical challenge for many people with autism and that is where we can help.”

“I strongly believe that creating professional partnerships that help care for those with autism and other sensory processing disorders improves the quality of care,” said Michelle Killian, Director of IBCCES.  “Disparities in patient-provider communication lower patient self-efficacy and usage of preventive services. This training can help eliminate that.” IBCCES was formed in 2001 and is the leading credentialing organization for professionals in the field of autism.Certified Autism Center

A Certified Autism Center provides a patient-friendly environment that includes:

  • no sensory overload
  • patients ushered to quiet rooms
  • treatment that is minimally disruptive to the patient
  • communication with family members regarding diagnosis and treatment
  • a focus on “yes” or “no” questions to patient
  • allowing patients to see and touch materials
  • a health care professional manner that is direct and factual

autism therapy jacksonvilleAutism is a neurodevelopmental disorder with a wide range of symptoms and impairment levels.  According to a 2010 study conducted by the Center for Disease Control, one in 68 children in the US have the disorder.  It is five times more common among boys than girls.

The Jacksonville Speech and Hearing Center was founded in 1949 by the Junior League of Jacksonville. Today this nonprofit, located at 1128 N. Laura St., serves children, adults and seniors providing screenings, evaluations and treatments in the areas of speech pathology and audiology.  Most major insurances are accepted. For more information contact us online or call 904-355-3403 to make an appointment. Make sure to Like Jacksonville Speech and Hearing Center on Facebook!

hearing aids jacksonville

Growing Up With Hearing Loss: Trey’s Story

Trey, a Jacksonville Speech & Hearing Center patient for over 20 years, shares his experience of growing up with hearing loss and explains how digital hearing aids have improved his social life and education.

Q: Trey shares his experience as a JSHC patient for 20+ years

Trey: My name is Trey and I am a client of the Jacksonville Speech & Hearing Center. I’ve been going there since I was 2 years old and I’m 26 years old now. I’ve gone through their speech therapy, I’ve gotten hearing aids from them and they are all excellent. I enjoy going there. Dr. Mattson, my current audiologist at the Jacksonville Speech & Hearing Center, is excellent. She actually had given me my most current set of hearing aids. They work excellent, the hearing aids I have now. With this (Bluetooth) I can answer the phone through that.

Q: Trey explains how hearing aid technology helped him as a student.

Trey: The first set of hearing aids I had were analog, and now the ones I have are digital. The digital ones seem to be a little bit better. Now, with these hearing aids, they actually have Bluetooth I can connect to my cellphone or a microphone. With the microphone, if I’m in school, the teacher or the instructor can wear the microphone, and it helps me to hear the instructor better. There is a device that I can connect to the TV so I can hear the TV better. If anyone has that type of hearing loss, it’s very helpful.

Q: Trey explains how speech therapy and hearing aids have improved his life.

Trey: When I first started going there I was going through speech therapy. It has really helped me out. Now I can hear better, I can speak better, and with the hearing aids they gave me, I can hear better. As the years went on, I can speak better. That really helped me out quite a bit.

Q: A father shares his thoughts on parenting a child with hearing loss.

Trey’s Father: Trey has been going to the Jacksonville Speech & Hearing Center since he was 2 years old. A lot of you may be asking why we decided to take him to speech and hearing. We noticed in pre-kindergarten and kindergarten, there was not a lot of attentiveness. He wasn’t paying attention and even though we would speak to him, he wouldn’t respond. We decided to go on and have his hearing tested.

Obviously as a parent what you need to do is watch your child, make sure that when you are speaking to them they are actually responding to you, and they are responding not only with their eyes, but with their ears. They are turning and those kinds of things.

It is not a stigmatism to take your child to get hearing aids, it’s no different than taking them to get glasses. You need to pay attention to your child at an early age to make sure they get the attention and the help they need early on because it not only affects their hearing, it affects their speech. Their speech, obviously, is everything to them, especially when they get older, With Trey, we just noticed it early on and as a parent, you need to stay focused on your child.

Q: How having hearing tests and services on-site under one building provides convenience.

Trey: That is very helpful to me because that way I don’t have to drive to multiple places to get the testing done. They have their own closed booth for hearing tests and that is very helpful to me because I don’t like having to go all over town just to get that done.

Q: What digital hearing aid technology is important.

Trey: With digital technology, they can take the hearing aid and connect them to the computer to fine tune the hearing aids to match someone’s hearing loss a lot better than the analog ones. The analog ones take a lot of work to fine tune them but with the digital ones, it is a lot faster, better, and more accurate.

Q: Young people and hearing aids.

Trey: If someone has hearing aids, it is good to always be positive and not let other people bother you. Having hearing aids is just like having glasses. People wear glasses, some wear hearing aids, and there is nothing wrong with that.

Q: Having your ear mold and technicians on-site at JSHC provides convenience.

Trey: It is always good to have a technician right there at the Jacksonville Speech & Hearing Center because then you don’t have to go all over town to have it done. You don’t necessarily need to see your audiologist for your ear mold, but since there is always a technician available at the Jacksonville Speech & Hearing Center, if there is something wrong with the ear mold or the tubing, you can just have them fix it, sometimes in just 15 minutes.

If you have further questions about our audiologists, services, events or volunteer opportunities, please reach out to us online or call (904) 355-3403‎. If you would like to WATCH Trey’s interview, visit our YouTube channel.
JSHC Hearing Aid

Why Buy Hearing Aids from Jacksonville Speech & Hearing Center?

If you or your loved one is in the market for hearing aids, rest assured the Jacksonville Speech & Hearing Center is your best resource for hearing aids in North Florida. Today’s hearing aids are highly programmable with customized settings for your individual hearing needs. We have licensed doctoral level audiologists to assist you, a wide variety of hearing aid types and styles and we offer ongoing support and assistance since getting hearing aids is just the first step in the process of improved hearing. Read on to learn the many other reasons why to buy Hearing Aids from Jacksonville Speech & Hearing Center.

Why Buy Hearing Aids from Jacksonville Speech & Hearing Center?

We offer a broad range of hearing aids including a variety of both In-The-Ear and Behind-The-Ear styles.

JSHC has qualified and experienced audiologists on staff. Our audiologists will select the best style of hearing aid for the specific hearing loss you have, keeping in mind any cosmetic and lifestyle concerns you may have.

We treat our patients with care, and not just as customers. At the Jacksonville Speech & Hearing Center, we put you and your family first. We know that treatment for speech, language or hearing disorders is not just about the individual; it is about enabling families to connect, communicate and care for one another.

We accept all major insurance plans. 

We offer many hearing aid services such as adjustments and repairs.

All hearing aids have a 30-day trial period.

Want to learn more? Check out our latest patient testimonial on YouTube: Amy R. shares insight into being diagnosed with hearing loss, her experience getting hearing aids and helpful tips for living with hearing aids. CLICK HERE TO VIEW.

prevent hearing loss with earplugs

Audiology Awareness to Prevent Hearing Loss

October is National Audiology Awareness Month

Hearing loss is an increasing health concern that is often preventable. Noise exposure is the most common cause of hearing loss and can result in difficulty sleeping and high blood pressure. Noise induced hearing loss occurs gradually and without pain. Experts agree that regular exposure to sounds of 85 decibels or louder are detrimental to hearing.

The good news is that noise-induced hearing loss is preventable!

Here are 3 key steps you can take to prevent hearing loss:

1. Make sure to take proper precautions with your hearing should you find yourself in a situation with large amounts of noise.

2. Use ear protection whenever possible, particularly when working with loud machinery such as lawnmowers, leaf blowers, and jackhammers.

3. If you plan on attending a concert or sporting event, make sure to protect your ears! Recent statistics suggest a trend of noise induced hearing loss occurring at younger ages. Ear plugs and earmuffs for noise protection can be purchased at your local drug, hardware, or sporting goods store.

Our doctoral level licensed audiologists can assess your hearing. Earplugs are also available for purchase!

For more information on healthy hearing, check out the link below from the American Academy of Audiology.

http://www.audiology.org/publications-resources/consumer-information/october