TRYCHIN SELF-MANAGEMENT PROGRAM
FOR
LIVING WITH HEARING LOSS

Samuel Trychin PhD, Psychologist, Educator, Author

A life dedicated to educating people who are hard of hearing and their families and friends.

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Managing Communication Situations class

• Advantages of the Managing Communication Situations on-line class
• Course Description
• People who will benefit from taking this class
• Class Content

Advantages of the Managing Communication Situations on-line class

• You will have opportunity to benefit from Dr. Trychin's many years of experience working with people who have hearing loss and their family members.
• Small class size provides personal attention from the instructor.
• You can be at home and work at your own pace.
• You will have the experience of putting what you are learning into practice as you progress through the course.
• You can share experiences with other students in the class.
• You can share the information you are learning with your family members and friends and include them in your practice assignments.
• Your participation, information, and comments will be treated in a confidential manner.
• You will receive books and DVDs/videos valued at $160.00 that will be yours to keep after completing the class.
• Your total cost for the 8-week on-line program is only $200.00.

Course Description

This class is designed to provide information that will help people who experience hearing loss improve their management of communication situations by:

• Anticipating situations in which communication problems may arise due to environmental or communication behavior barriers,
• Preventing or Reducing communication problems by altering the situation to reduce communication barriers,
• Identifying the cause(s) of any unanticipated communication problems that may occur in the situation, and
• Learning to apply appropriate tactics and strategies that are effective in resolving communication difficulties when they occur.

APRIL is the month when people feel as though they are emerging from the dark, cold winter and sense they are regaining their vitality.

Participating in the APRIL program is a way to regain or improve one's sense of:

1. Being an accepted participant in a variety of family, work and other social situations,
2. Being competent in receiving, understanding, and complying with spoken information, and
3. Being comfortable and relaxed in social situations.

People who will benefit from taking this class

1. People who have some level of hearing loss.
2. Parents of children who have hearing loss.
3. Family members of a person who has hearing loss.
4. Professionals who provide services to people who have hearing loss.

1. People who have some level of hearing loss include those people who have been diagnosed as having hearing loss (and may or may not wear hearing aids) and those who have not been diagnosed, but may also experience some of the following:
   1. Being aware that their hearing is not what it once was and may be causing some problems.
   2. Having had family members or friends suggest a hearing evaluation.
   3. Having difficulty understanding voices on the telephone.
   4. Having difficulty hearing the ring of a telephone, doorbell or alarm clock, or having problems locating the source of police sirens or other alerting signals.
   5. Not going to movies or plays because of difficulty understanding what the actors are saying.
   6. Turning up the volume of the TV or radio to a level that is a problem for others.
   7. Experiencing difficulty at work or at school because of problems understanding what is said.
   8. Feeling that other people avoid including them in conversations.
   9. Ending the day feeling worn out from straining to attend to what has been said.
2. Parents of children who have hearing loss include parents of those are children who either have been diagnosed as having a hearing loss or those who have not had their hearing examined, but also show some of the following:
   1. Frequently not responding to parent's voice(s).
   2. Frequently not responding to environmental sounds.
   3. Having difficulty paying attention.
   4. Being easily distracted.
   5. Not complying with parent's requests.
   6. Having delayed language development.
   7. Having delayed social development.
   8. Functioning below their ability in school.
3. Family members of people who have or are suspected of having hearing loss are those people who experience some of the following:
   1. Having difficulty being understood by a loved one.
   2. Having difficulty getting the loved one's attention.
   3. Having to repeat what someone else is saying to the loved one.
   4. Experiencing frustration or irritation when communicating with the loved one.
   5. Being concerned that the loved one is increasingly isolating him or her self.
   6. Being concerned that the loved one is being left out of family conversations.
   7. Wanting to be helpful to the family member with hearing loss, but not knowing what to do.
4. Professionals who provide services to people who have hearing loss would benefit from:
   1. Knowing the variety of problems produced by hearing loss.
   2. Knowing the many causes of communication problems.
   3. Knowing the frequently reported reactions to communication problems that make situations increasingly difficult.
   4. Knowing the tactics and strategies that are effective in preventing or reducing communication problems. Using that information to help identify the presence of hearing loss in the people to whom they provide services.
   5. Using that information to improve their services for people who have hearing loss by offering solutions for communication difficulties.

Class Content

Week One:

Background information about the class

Problems reported by people who are hard of hearing and their families

Pinpointing communication problems at home, work, leisure activities

Recording communication problem situations this week (3X5 cards)

Week two:

Review of problems encountered

Recording problem situations and their causes this week (3X5 cards)

Pinpointing/recording the cause(s) of communication problems this week

Week three:

Reactions to communication problems

Pinpointing reactions to communication problems

Mental health risks associated with hearing loss

Week four:

Review of problems encountered and their causes, including reactions

Strategies for improving communication: What to do

Selecting three regularly occurring communication problem situations

Recording the frequency of their recurrence

Week five:

Review of frequency of the three problems encountered and their causes

The importance of anticipating problem situations and planning preventions/solutions

Expectations and goals for understanding

Week six:

Strategies for improving communication: How to do it-A.

Effects of rewards and punishment

Week seven:

Review of progress in preventing/reducing communication problems

Strategies for improving communication: How to do it-B: Other effective communication behaviors

Beware of escape and avoidance behavior

Week eight:

Review of progress in preventing/reducing communication problems

Negotiating for change in family situations

Week nine:

Review of progress in preventing/reducing communication problems

Troubleshoot difficulties encountered in problem solving

Strategies for changing behavior

Week ten:

Review of progress in preventing/reducing communication problems

Troubleshoot difficulties encountered in problem solvimg

Assessment of overall progress in preventing/reducing communication problems

Strategies for continuing improvement following the class

©2007 Samuel Trychin,PhD

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