Glossary

For hearing loss, refers to less than average ability to hear and understand sounds due to one or more parts of the hearing system not working properly.

Glossary

For hearing loss, refers to problems hearing in both ears, not just one.

Glossary

For hearing loss, refers to problems hearing in one, but not both ears

Glossary

People with mild hearing loss have some difficulty following speech, mainly in noisy situations; quietest sounds they can hear in their better ear average between 25 and 39 decibels (a standard measure of sound)

Glossary

People with moderate hearing loss have difficulty following speech without a hearing aid; quietest sounds they can hear in their better ear average between 40 and 69 decibels (a standard measure of sound).

Glossary

People with severe hearing loss get help from powerful hearing aids, but often rely on lip-reading even when using an aid; quietest sounds they can hear in their better ear average between 70 and 95 decibels (a standard measure of sound).

Glossary

People with profound hearing loss mostly rely on lip-reading and/or sign language; the quietest sounds heard in their better ear average from 95 decibels or louder (a standard measure of sound).

Glossary

A disease in which bone grows abnormally in the middle ear preventing structures within the ear from working properly and causing hearing loss.

Glossary

Part of the ear that contains both the organ of hearing (the cochlea) and the organ of balance (the labyrinth).

Glossary

A high-pitched, sometime painful, whistling sound that occurs when a microphone picks up sound from a nearby speaker and replays it again and again (commonly occurs when a poorly fitting hearing aid earmold allows sound to “leak” from the speaker back into the microphone).

Glossary

Electronic devices or accessories for hearing aids that provide extra help in specific listening situations (telephone, noisy backgrounds, small or large group settings, etc.).

Glossary

Hearing loss due to failure of the auditory nerve, also called nerve deafness.

Glossary

A portion of the lower skull bone that contains the inner ear.

Glossary

For individuals who previously experienced hearing and get a cochlear implant, the comprehensive training program that “re-teaches” them how to hear and interpret sounds, to recover any lost speech skills, and to properly use the cochlear implant speech processor and controls.

Glossary

For individuals who had not previously experience hearing and get a cochlear implant, the comprehensive training program that teaches them to hear and interpret sounds, to develop or improve speech skills, and to properly use the cochlear implant speech processor and controls.

Glossary

For health insurance, coverage involves making sure a health plan or policy pays for the cochlear implant device and related professional services (for example, physician and audiology services). Usually, you go through a preauthorization process. This means getting a guarantee from the health insurance plan that they will pay for the implant and services before getting treatment.

Glossary

For health insurance, billing involves the process by which health care providers charge, code, and submit their bills (in the form of a claim) to the health insurance company or plan.

Glossary

For health insurance, payment involves getting the full amount allowed for services given a health plan’s limitations, allowables, deductibles, and co-payments.

 
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The ASL sign for "hear."

Manual Language

You scratch your head, shrug your shoulders, raise your eyebrows, and “shush” someone with a finger to your lips.  You are communicating—but, you are not using “language.”

Sign language is an organized system of signals—in the form of hand, facial, and body gestures—that convey thoughts, feelings, and observations. Signing is not a “translation” of spoken language. It has its own distinct grammar and rules for combining elements to create complete thoughts.

In the U.S., perhaps the best known form of manual language is American Sign Language (ASL). ASL is not English translated into gestures, nor is it a universal language understood by deaf people around the world.  For example, Auslan, the sign language of the Australian Deaf Community, is not the same as ASL.

ASL is a complex and sophisticated form of manual language. It can be used to express subtle emotions, abstract ideas, scientific concepts, humor, facts, faith, and fantasies. Similar to other modern languages, new terms (new gestures) are constantly created in response to social, cultural, and technological changes.

Many people in the Deaf community consider sign language their “native tongue.” They feel it is a crucial part of their social and cultural heritage.  Others worry that individuals, particularly children, who learn sign language (without learning lip reading or other strategies for coping with spoken language) will face limitations in education, jobs, or social functioning.

You can learn more about Deaf culture and issues in this community at: http://www.pbs.org/wnet/soundandfury/



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