 Tactaid products are small, battery-powered instruments that can help a deaf person understand sounds by allowing the user to feel the unique pattern of vibrations present in every sound. They can be used alone or in conjunction with hearing aids or auditory trainers. Tactaid products receive sound via a built-in microphone, process the information electronically and send a signal containing important features of that sound to the vibrators, which vibrate against the user's skin. The user gains sound information by feeling the rhythm, duration, intensity, and pattern of the vibrations. Tactaid products are of help to a wide range of deaf persons. Any severely to profoundly deaf person who receives little or no help from hearing aids could likely benefit. It is a good alternative for individuals who are too young, unable, or unwilling to undergo surgery in order to be fitted with a cochlear implant. Tactaid products can help increase the user's awareness of environmental sounds, voice and music. These products let the user experience the rhythm of music, monitor ones own voice for loudness and pitch, and can increase speech recognition when used with speechreading. Tactaid products are also used in speech therapy for teaching speech production Most profoundly deaf and some severe/profoundly deaf individuals can benefit from a tactile aid. These include: Auditory/verbal adults Post-lingually deafened children Pre-lingually deafened children Deaf individuals whose primary language is Sign Children or adults, who receive some, but inadequate help from hearing aids The section Which Device to Get? describes the possible uses and benefits for each of these groups. Many people in the above groups also have available to them cochlear implants. Because of the wide success of these implants for deaf individuals, we will address our understanding as to where vibrotactile aids are applicable: Tactile Aids and Cochlear Implants . Deciding on the best course of treatment involves input from many sources: the deaf person, parents, teachers, friends, hearing healthcare professionals, etc. Also, many other factors, including educational, work, and home environments; importance of signing; existing auditory ability; and speechreading ability must be considered. To be a candidate for trying a tactile aid, one need only have the desire to supplement the sources of sound information by using tactile input, substituting patterns of vibrations for patterns of sound. |
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| Tactaid and Cochlear Implants | |
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Phone: 617-628-1435 |