Chatterbox Keeping you informed and reminding you why you love your job!

“The only way of finding the limits of the possible is by going beyond them into the impossible.”

Arthur C. Clarke

JUNE 2012 NEWSLETTER #8

Let’s Talk about HIV & TB

Communication Week 4 – 8 June

Let your voice be heard: Participate with other STA’s to create awareness of our role:

Arrange a workshop / training session with

HIV counselors to educate them about the

role of the STA

Arrange a workshop / training session with

other allied health professionals

Have a march on 8 June with other

professionals, e.g. allieds, nurses, etc.

Theme: “Let’s Talk About HIV & TB”

Make a banner with the theme

Print the slogans and give to

participants to carry during the

march

Tape the participants of the march’s

mouths shut

Everybody should wear RED

Anything else that you want to do!

Send your photos and stories to chatterboxnewsletter@gmail.com

Please visit the SASLHA website for information on some of the hospitals and

clinics in Gauteng. http://www.saslha.co.za/C_ComService.asp

JUNE 2012 NEWSLETTER #8

AURAL REHABILITATION WORKGROUP:

TIP-OF-THE-MONTH

Remember to use an appropriate method of sound equalization for verification for ‘open’ hearing aid fittings. Methods of equalisation:

Stored equalisation (SE). I.e. patient sits in front of speaker. Sound field equalisation done prior to real ear

measure & ‘stored’.

Concurrent equalisation (CE): measures & modifies the sound-field during real ear measurement.

Mueller & Ricketts (2006)

Use SE for open-ear fittings

CE is inappropriate as: May seem gain is ‘under’ prescription targets and less gain is provided than in reality.

Therefore may over amplify if increase gain.

WHY?? With CE- sound leaks out of the ear in OC fittings, into reference microphone (RM) on real ear

probe. If RM= close to ear canal, then intensity of sound leakage may exceed signal delivered from the loudspeaker & cause control loop of system to reduce the input, which will reduce measured output.

TIP-OF-THE-MONTH APRIL 2012 Remember to refer children found to have

a permanent hearing loss for visual assessment. This is important as many children with permanent

congenital hearing loss have ophthalmic conditions (40%) (NHSP, 2009).

Challenges Solution

At the higher stimulus levels, stimulus artifact

from the oscillator can interfere with the

visualization of the ABR response especially

for tone burst stimuli.

Stimulus artifact can be minimized by placing

the oscillator high on the temporal bone and by

using an earlobe, ear canal, mastoid or nape of

neck location for the inverting electrode.

The use of alternating phase stimuli will also

minimize stimulus artifact. This may broaden

the ABR response, especially in the low

frequency.

The maximum output of the BC vibrator is

only 45-55 dB nHL. This limits the ability to

distinguish between mixed and sensori-neural

losses when AC thresholds are elevated

beyond the moderate loss range.

No Solution

Bone Conductor ABR

JUNE 2012 NEWSLETTER #8

Testimonials

On 1/10/2011, a little boy, named BD, was born at 32 weeks gestational age. His mother, who already had a daughter with a bilateral profound hearing loss due to Waardenburg syndrome, brought him straight to the Audiology Department at Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital for a hearing screening as soon as he was stable for screening, noting that his eyes had turned blue, just like his sisters’.

BD referred the AABR screening done at this point, as well as the repeat AABR a week later. He then underwent diagnostic ABR testing on 30/11/2011, at the corrected age of <1 week old. Results of this testing indicated a profound bilateral sensori-neural hearing loss. Earmould impressions were immediately taken and BD received his first hearing aids on 8th December 2011, at the age of 2 months (corrected age <1 month), and has been in weekly speech therapy, where his mother receives parent guidance, online coaching and mentoring within an auditory verbal approach. At the age of 4 months (corrected age 2 months), he is already responding to voices, startling to sounds if he falls asleep with his hearing aids on, and has reached all early attachment and interaction milestones on time. He has also been referred to HI HOPES, to benefit from weekly home-based early intervention. If he does not show sufficient benefit from these hearing aids between 9 and 12 months of age, he will be referred for a cochlear implant in order to provide him with full access to the speech spectrum.

‘The journey was very tough. The only thing is a have to be very strong, because it take a lot of time. I really appreciate the support that the [Speech Therapy and Audiology] department gives to me, and the love. Because if it is not for this department, I am not going to cope. With [BD] I am very happy…. Especially because I found out very early, while he was still young. He even got his hearing aid at 1 month, and now he is 3 months and we can see the response. And so the way he is doing, he gives me hope’. – JD, 31/01/2012

Dani Schlesinger and Leanne Teixeira

Seeing my child eating with a pipe made me very unhappy. I was asking myself that when will I breastfeed my child just like other mothers. It was really sad until I meet the speech therapy. They helped us a lot, me and my baby. He can now suck my breast very good and perfect. And I can now breastfeed him just like the other mothers. All thanks to them.

Yvonne Hlongwane

JUNE 2012 NEWSLETTER #8

Nurses Day 2012

Nurses Day 2012 was a huge success! The nurses were spoiled with gift packs, sweets and thank you notes.

Some hospitals also held talks and handed out pamphlets to explain the role of the STA. A crossword

puzzle relating to the presentation was handed out and the nurses could enter a draw to win prizes.

Tambo Memorial Speech Therapy

Department, wearing their ribbons

and blue, supporting Autism

Awareness Day!

Metsweding Clinics during their ECI Campaign

Tshwane

Metsweding

Contact Helena 012-521 3371/5916

(DGMH)

Central JHB

Metro

Contact Tilly 011-488 4293 (CMJAH)

(for everyone attending CMJAH CPD program)

West Rand Contact Paula 011-411 3526/3737

(Leratong)

Contact Asiya 011-898 8196 (TMH),

Ekhuruleni Kuthi 011-389 0710/0812

(Natalspruit)

South &

Sebideng

Contact Sadna 011-933 9263/4/5/9

(CHBH)

Marketing Contact Helena 012-521 3371/5916

(DGMH)

Aural Rehab

Contact Leanne 011-933 9263/4/5/9

(CHBH)

ENT Contact Azra 011-933 9263/4/5/9

(CHBH)

ABR Contact Karen 011-933 9263/4/5/9

(CHBH) abrworkgroup@gmail.com

EDHI Contact Dani 011-933 9263/4/5/9

(CHBH)

AAC Contact Kathryn 011-933 9263/5

(CHBH) gp.aacworkshop@gmail.com

JUNE 2012 NEWSLETTER #8

The Marketing Team Editor: Zinette Cronjé (012) 521-3371/5917

chatterboxnewsletter@gmail.com

The overarching objective of Mandela Day is to

inspire individuals to take action to help change

the world for the better, and in doing so build a

global movement for good. Ultimately it seeks to

empower communities everywhere. “Take Action;

Inspire Change; Make Every Day a Mandela Day.”

Mandela Day 18 July 2012

We encourage everyone to take 67 minutes to reach out and get involved!

Interesting Resources LibGuide on Resources for Blind and Visually Impaired Persons – http://libguides.wits.ac.za/Resources_for_Blind_and_Visually-Impaired LibGuide on Resources for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Persons – http://libguides.wits.ac.za/deaf_and_hardofhearing

Electronic Stats If you still haven’t received the new format for the electronic stats, please contact danischles@yahoo.com.