Aural rehabilitation
Aural rehabilitation (AR) is a broad term for any intervention aimed at helping a person with hearing loss communicate more effectively and participate more fully in daily life. It goes beyond the hearing aid or implant device itself to address the behavioral, communication, and psychosocial consequences of hearing loss.
Aural rehabilitation programs may include hearing aid orientation (teaching a new user how to operate, maintain, and care for their device), communication strategies (techniques for managing difficult listening situations and reducing communication breakdowns), speechreading training, auditory training (listening exercises that help the brain make better use of the auditory information a device provides), and group support programs. For cochlear implant users, intensive post-implantation auditory rehabilitation is a critical part of outcomes.
In Canada, aural rehabilitation is provided by audiologists and may be delivered individually or in group settings. It is especially important for adults who have had long-standing hearing loss, older adults adjusting to new amplification, and new cochlear implant users learning to interpret electrical hearing. Family members and communication partners are frequently included in the process, as hearing loss affects the entire communication dynamic in a household or workplace.
