BEHAVIORAL-COUNSELING FOR SUBJECTS WITH ACQUIRED HEARING-LOSS - A NEWAPPROACH TO HEARING TACTICS

Effects of behavioural counselling of subjects with an acquired hearin g loss were evaluated in an experimental design. The study included a group of 20 hearing-impaired subjects who were assessed and randomly a llocated to a treatment or control group. Behavioural counselling, ind ividualized according to the results of functional analysis, was then given to 10 subjects and included the teaching of 'hearing tactics'. T he groups were measured three times, pre-counselling and post-counsell ing and at a 15-month follow-up, after which treatment results were an alysed. Significant (time x treatment) interactions were followed by p ost-hoc testing revealing that the treated group had improved in sever al areas of functioning while controls had not. These results were in agreement with interview data. The findings indicate that a behavioura l counselling approach to hearing tactics is beneficial in the underst anding and rehabilitation of hearing loss, especially over time.