clinician

Clinician Case Studies

Adult Disorders

Excerpts from clinician letters illustrating the effectiveness of the Hearit/ Voice-it.

Adult Communication Disorders

3/12/97

Parkinson's

We used the device on a woman with Parkinson's for a month. Her daughter clearly prefers it to the speech amplifier she tried a couple of months earlier. [She] emphasized Hearit/Voice-it trainer performs best in noisy environments. The instrument is particularly helpful in the car when [she] is driving or walking on the sidewalk [with her mother].

We purchased the instrument that you sent us and more orders will come soon. Our clinicians have shown interest following a short in-service and they will be prescribing the Hearit/Voice-it for their patients.

Inga Svanfeldt, Director, Rehab Center, Uppsala, SWE

9/25/97

Dyslexia

Lisa Curtis has been examined in my clinic. She was diagnosed with dyslexia with auditory processing and perception problems. She also has a sensoneural hearing loss in the left ear.

Ms. Curtis has used a Hearit for a 30 day trial period and it has significantly increased her comprehension and discrimination for all auditory input. Not only did the patient notice improvement, but so did her family, co-workers, and the student she teaches.

It is my recommendation that she purchase the Hearit for improvement of her auditory processing and perception problems.

Dr. Jim Hodges, Hattiesburg Clinic, Hattiesburg, MS

1/11/96

Hearing Impairment

In our Clinic, we use Hearit when testing and talking to elderly patients with severe hearing problems. When using Hearit, we can talk in a gentle voice and establish communication very easily.

In addition, I have found that some elderly people are mistakenly considered demented because they cannot hear. They make awkward, even "stupid" replies, only because they can't understand my questions. However, when I let them use Hearit and start talking to them, their faces are beaming with the joy of hearing.

For those elderly people with hearing impairment, I think easy-to-use Hearit is a bit of a miracle.

Jane Cars, Chief Psychologist, Rosenlund Geriatric Clinic, Stockholm, Sweden

Thank you for providing me the opportunity to test the Hearit in my professional activities. In my role as teacher and researcher, I have experienced difficulty in using a standard hearing aid in seminars, classroom teaching, and in committee meetings.

In these situations, the Hearit has aided me in picking up the voices of people speaking softly in different areas of the room, especially in the presence of background noise. Based on my experience, I would recommend the Hearit to anyone who has difficulty in hearing in such situations.

I believe that the Hearit can be quite helpful to active people such as myself who have a significant hearing loss.

Paul C. Johnson, Ph.D., Chairman, Department of Physiology, University of Arizona Medical School, Tucson, Arizona

10/2/97

Autism

The State of Arizona approved a "Hearit" device for my client's use based on his high school speech therapist's recommendation and the case we built for need. The young adult user is moderately mentally retarded with autistic type behaviors, a seizure disorder, and very major medical issues (high pain index). His mother is researching Landau-Kleffner Syndrome, as she believes it describes her son.

The device was delivered last month and I did a home visit this month. What glowing good news!! The Hearit allows Paul to sort sounds so he can converse beyond one-word responses.

This is pretty dramatically positive! Thank you for forging a new way into a very dense forest.

Cyndi Keller, Support Coordinator, Arizona Department of Economic Security, Phoenix, Arizona

8/21/96

Aphasia Case Report

Remedial, Complex, Auditory Malfunction in Aphasic

Patient Indicated by Dichotic Test Results

The present report describes a young woman, with aphasia caused by traumatic brain damage, whose receptive, communicative competence was improved dramatically with a special kind of hearing apparatus.

A 26 year old, single female, financial lawyer was involved in a traffic accident, and suffered multiple intracerebral haematomas that pushed the cerebral meridian to the right due to a left sided fronto-temporal, impression fracture.

The communicative competence was determined formally, for the first time, 12 days after the accident. At that time, she suffered from severe sensory aphasia with fluent, paraphasic speech and anomia. She had reduced auditory comprehension. She had intermediate dyslexia and dysgraphia and mild dyscalculia. She was anosognosic.

During the visits to the speech-clinic, the patient always complained about hearing problems. She could not appreciate a lecture, even after having regained good auditory comprehension. She could not go by tram, because of inability to suppress the clattering noises. She found situations with several people speaking simultaneously insufferable. She was unable to listen to the wireless or watch TV if somebody else was speaking in the room. Notably, she had problems holding the telephone to the left ear.

The findings from the dichotic test had indicated a tendency to suppress the left ear in complex hearing situations.The finding was presented to an audiologist, who recommended a special type of hearing aid. This apparatus (VOICE-IT) consists of a hand-held microphone with restricted (90) receptive angle. The microphone is connected to two parallel earphones, one for each ear. By means of this device, the patient became able to manage hearing in a more normal fashion. She could manage in assemblies, go to lectures, and to the cinema. Her quality of life improved dramatically thanks to the device, which she uses constantly. She has now been able to go through the extra training that is necessary to become a tax-lawyer, and together with a sister, she has launched a law-firm specializing in taxation problems.

Solweig Ramsing, SLP, Dept. Clinical Neuroscience, Sahlgren's Hospital, Goteberg, Sweden; as presented at 7th International Aphasia Rehabilitation Conference, August 21-23, 1996, Boston, MA

4/8/97

Cochlear Implant

Ms. Pratt received a Nucleus 22 cochlear implant on 9/28/95 at NYU Medical Center. Although Ms. Pratt has benefitted from the cochlear implant, she finds she is still limited in many listening situations.

Recently, Ms. Pratt has tried the Hearit Original with her cochlear implant. Since then, her performance has improved dramatically and she can now function significantly better in many listening environments.

Betsy Bromberg, M.A./CCC-A, NYU Medical Center, NY, NY

* Patient received Medicaid, New York State funding on 5/12/98.

1/8/98

Comprehension, Auditory Processing

Thank you for allowing me and my associates to experience the Voice-it on a trial basis.

Both Speech Pathologists in my department used the Voice-it with several of their [patients] and, initially noted increased attention, awareness, and alertness. They anticipated immediate improvement in memory and comprehension with the use of the device.

We are pleased to inform you that we will be purchasing units in the near future.

Patricia Hendrickson, M.A., CCC/SLP, Assistant Clinic Director, Monticello, New York

HEARIT Company

Call Toll Free: 1-800-298-7184

E-mail: hearitllc@hearitllc.com

	We used the device on a woman with Parkinson's for a month. Her daughter clearly prefers it to the speech amplifier she tried a couple of months earlier. [She] emphasized Hearit/Voice-it trainer performs best in noisy environments. The instrument is particularly helpful in the car when [she] is driving or walking on the sidewalk [with her mother].
	We purchased the instrument that you sent us and more orders will come soon. Our clinicians have shown interest following a short in-service and they will be prescribing the Hearit/Voice-it for their patients.

	Lisa Curtis has been examined in my clinic. She was diagnosed with dyslexia with auditory processing and perception problems. She also has a sensoneural hearing loss in the left ear.
	Ms. Curtis has used a Hearit for a 30 day trial period and it has significantly increased her comprehension and discrimination for all auditory input. Not only did the patient notice improvement, but so did her family, co-workers, and the student she teaches.
	It is my recommendation that she purchase the Hearit for improvement of her auditory processing and perception problems.

	In our Clinic, we use Hearit when testing and talking to elderly patients with severe hearing problems. When using Hearit, we can talk in a gentle voice and establish communication very easily.
	In addition, I have found that some elderly people are mistakenly considered demented because they cannot hear. They make awkward, even "stupid" replies, only because they can't understand my questions. However, when I let them use Hearit and start talking to them, their faces are beaming with the joy of hearing.
	For those elderly people with hearing impairment, I think easy-to-use Hearit is a bit of a miracle.

	Thank you for providing me the opportunity to test the Hearit in my professional activities. In my role as teacher and researcher, I have experienced difficulty in using a standard hearing aid in seminars, classroom teaching, and in committee meetings.
	In these situations, the Hearit has aided me in picking up the voices of people speaking softly in different areas of the room, especially in the presence of background noise. Based on my experience, I would recommend the Hearit to anyone who has difficulty in hearing in such situations.
	I believe that the Hearit can be quite helpful to active people such as myself who have a significant hearing loss.
	Paul C. Johnson, Ph.D., Chairman, Department of Physiology, University of Arizona Medical School, Tucson, Arizona

	The State of Arizona approved a "Hearit" device for my client's use based on his high school speech therapist's recommendation and the case we built for need. The young adult user is moderately mentally retarded with autistic type behaviors, a seizure disorder, and very major medical issues (high pain index). His mother is researching Landau-Kleffner Syndrome, as she believes it describes her son.
	The device was delivered last month and I did a home visit this month. What glowing good news!! The Hearit allows Paul to sort sounds so he can converse beyond one-word responses.
	This is pretty dramatically positive! Thank you for forging a new way into a very dense forest.

	Remedial, Complex, Auditory Malfunction in Aphasic
	Patient Indicated by Dichotic Test Results

	The present report describes a young woman, with aphasia caused by traumatic brain damage, whose receptive, communicative competence was improved dramatically with a special kind of hearing apparatus.
	A 26 year old, single female, financial lawyer was involved in a traffic accident, and suffered multiple intracerebral haematomas that pushed the cerebral meridian to the right due to a left sided fronto-temporal, impression fracture.
	The communicative competence was determined formally, for the first time, 12 days after the accident. At that time, she suffered from severe sensory aphasia with fluent, paraphasic speech and anomia. She had reduced auditory comprehension. She had intermediate dyslexia and dysgraphia and mild dyscalculia. She was anosognosic.
	During the visits to the speech-clinic, the patient always complained about hearing problems. She could not appreciate a lecture, even after having regained good auditory comprehension. She could not go by tram, because of inability to suppress the clattering noises. She found situations with several people speaking simultaneously insufferable. She was unable to listen to the wireless or watch TV if somebody else was speaking in the room. Notably, she had problems holding the telephone to the left ear.
	The findings from the dichotic test had indicated a tendency to suppress the left ear in complex hearing situations.The finding was presented to an audiologist, who recommended a special type of hearing aid. This apparatus (VOICE-IT) consists of a hand-held microphone with restricted (90) receptive angle. The microphone is connected to two parallel earphones, one for each ear. By means of this device, the patient became able to manage hearing in a more normal fashion. She could manage in assemblies, go to lectures, and to the cinema. Her quality of life improved dramatically thanks to the device, which she uses constantly. She has now been able to go through the extra training that is necessary to become a tax-lawyer, and together with a sister, she has launched a law-firm specializing in taxation problems.

	Ms. Pratt received a Nucleus 22 cochlear implant on 9/28/95 at NYU Medical Center. Although Ms. Pratt has benefitted from the cochlear implant, she finds she is still limited in many listening situations.
	Recently, Ms. Pratt has tried the Hearit Original with her cochlear implant. Since then, her performance has improved dramatically and she can now function significantly better in many listening environments.

	Betsy Bromberg, M.A./CCC-A, NYU Medical Center, NY, NY
	* Patient received Medicaid, New York State funding on 5/12/98.

	Thank you for allowing me and my associates to experience the Voice-it on a trial basis.
	Both Speech Pathologists in my department used the Voice-it with several of their [patients] and, initially noted increased attention, awareness, and alertness. They anticipated immediate improvement in memory and comprehension with the use of the device.
	We are pleased to inform you that we will be purchasing units in the near future.