Experience of using vibrotactile aids with the profoundly deafened.
This is a summary of clinical experience and research findings gathered from using vibrotactile aids over 7 years. This interest grew from a research project to evaluate four wrist-worn vibrotactile aids for the rehabilitation of the profoundly deaf. To facilitate this, a training programme was developed to help patients get the most from the aid. Having found that the RNID/Summit Tam vibrotactile aid was the most appropriate, this has been fitted to over 50 patients. The results of the comparative trial, an evaluation of our methods and a discussion of our clinical experience using vibrotactile aids with profoundly deafened patients are presented.
MRC Institute of Hearing Research, Royal South Hants Hospital, Southampton, UK.
A J
AJ
Phillips
A R
AR
Thornton
S
S
Worsfold
A
A
Downie
J
J
Milligan
D003638:Deafness / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D006801:Humans; D008085:Lipreading; D013067:Speech Perception; D014110:Touch; D014732:Vibration