Aural habilitation and rehabilitation of patients with hearing loss
Normal hearing is the most important condition for speech development in children, because they learn by hearing the speech and imitating it. Severe or profound hearing loss can lead to serious consequences in child’s development. Habilitation is a process that is conducted in children with severe and profound hearing loss at their earliest age, and rehabilitation is a process that is conducted in those who already had some ability of hearing. In Hearing and Speech Center, aural re/habilitation is conducted by experienced hearing and speech therapists in order to diminish the consequences of hearing loss and to use patient’s maximal capacity. First, type and degree of hearing loss must be determined, secondly provide adequate amplification (with latest generation hearing aids) and finally start the aural re/habilitation. This process is individual and it depend on personal characteristics and abilities.