A new vlog. Wow!

Basic Translation: Hey everyone, I figured it was time for an update since it's been so long since I vlogged. I've graduated from BSU with an associate's in general science so I don't have to take any more boring math or science classes at my new school. You don't have to if you've got an associates. I'm at ISU now, Idaho State University, for Audiology.

I found out my hearing was slowly decreasing as I age (as did my Dad's) so I decided interpreting wasn't the best choice for me. I'm not in any ASL classes this year and I miss it. I am in Clinical Phonetics (awful attempt at gesture), and Language Development. Language Development is really hard, because it's the professor's first year and she doesn't know how to best teach the material. So I'm trying! I'm reading the book, which is a first for me, but I guess I enjoy it overall. My FAVORITE class this year is Stars and Cosmology. The teacher is AWESOME.

I have three semesters left 'til I graduate and get my bachelor's in Pre-Audiology. I HOPE to go to New Zealand (University of Canterbury) for graduate school (2 years for Master's of Aud and 4 more for PhD). They have a great Audiology program tailored towards teaching and research, and I haven't decided which of the two I'll do yet. So to prepare (wow. my vocab is awful), I'm writing papers and reading lots of work from the professors who work at UC.

I'm living with my brother, Dustin, now. We weren't super-close growing up but he's a good brother. It's great because the rent is good and I don't have to deal with any other roommates.

Anyway, I think that's it. Have a good month, or year, or however long it is 'til I vlog again!

Category:

People & Blogs

Tags:

• ashley
• school
• idaho
• state
• university
• boise
• nampa
• audiology
• hearing
• clinical
• phonetics
• new
• zealand
• language
• development

[Rescue911Trooper]

Hey, Ashley! How are you doing? You looks awesome!

[mergfkt]

Word discrimination and recognition tests are different from pure-tone tests and often include background noise (+5 dB or so). These tests are very important but usually the pure-tone tests are good indicators of performance on the word discrimination/recognition tests.

[billmaghan]

Detection vs discrimination: Maybe the word recognintion test is lots better than the pure tone test. There is so much more to hearing than just knowing that a noise happened.

[bunzy11]

how about i add you to msn or yahoo or facebook and we talk on there :)

[mergfkt]

(Sorry for the triple reply! I guess I could have just emailed you. This would be a good topic to vlog about with voice... I think I'll do that!)

The test is different for children, and much less accurate. If they're responsive enough, the goal is to get them to throw a block in a bucket when they hear a sound. Unfortunately, children's attention spans are so short that you may get an incomplete or slightly-errored audiogram from it. I'll talk about this more in my next vlog. :)

[mergfkt]

I'm sure there's individual variation in how audiologists in different cities and states test, but the general idea for adults is sound is routed directly into the ear via in-ear headphones (kind of like the foam ear protectors) at different frequencies and different volumes. When you hear the sound, you're supposed to press the jeopardy-type clicker. The audiologist uses a symbol to mark the point at which you can detect each tone in each ear, and it's averaged to minimize error. :)

[mergfkt]

Yes, there are many causes of hearing loss. Genetic hearing loss is typically characterized by a 'cookie bite' shape in the audiogram, with loss at around 2000-3000Hz or much less commonly the opposite (loss everywhere else).

[bunzy11]

interesting, i guess some things are just genetic or passed down in some families. Last time i ever got my ears tested I was 9, so I forget how they even do the test or anything. how did they have u do the hearing test the first or second time u went?

[mergfkt]

Thank you for your comment! :) I'm flattered that I made enough of an impression that you'd remember me. I hope to vlog more in the future but I have been so busy I can't promise anything. ;)

[mergfkt]

My first audiogram (May 2008) showed borderline loss (25dB) in my left ear at 2000-3000Hz. I went for Auditory Processing Disorder testing at this time due to my comprehension struggles. Everything was normal although I do have speech-in-noise difficulties. The most recent audiogram (September 2009) showed that my right ear has joined my left and I now have bilateral borderline-loss. My loss is hereditary and my father got his HAs at 40. At this point, I refuse HAs but use an ALD for my classes.