Dafydd Stephens – författare

The field of generic hearing impairment is one where rapid advances are taking place, and it can often be difficult for Audiologists to keep track of the broader picture. In this important new text the authors take a synoptic approach and summarize the causes and basis of hearing impairments, the impact on the individual and the therapies available

The field of generic hearing impairment is one where rapid advances are taking place, and it can often be difficult for Audiologists to keep track of the broader picture. In this important new text the authors take a synoptic approach and summarize the causes and basis of hearing impairments, the impact on the individual and the therapies available, and the benefits and potential benefits of current developments.

Living with Hearing Difficulties is a source-book for professionals who encounter and support individuals with hearing difficulties. It will also be of interest to people with hearing difficulties themselves and those close to them. The book highlights the concept of audiological enablement as being an interactive process requiring the active involvement of both clinician and patient. The thirteen chapters encompass four sections which broadly follow the categories of the World Health Organization's ICF (2001): Section 1 addresses types of hearing disorders, the impairments they cause and also the process of help seeking.Section 2 deals with the effects of hearing impairment on communication and psychosocial functioning.Section 3 considers the individual in their environment; their family, work, and leisure. Section 4 elaborates on the process of enablement in a non-prescriptive manner.The authors approach the problems and needs from the standpoint of what the patient/client is seeking. Enablement is seen as a team effort between the professionals, the patient and their family in an ever-changing environment. This entails using any relevant techniques to ensure the well-being of the individual with hearing impairment; that end remains very much their goal.The book also has a companion website www.wiley.com/go/stephens which hosts additional downloadable documents as well as a demonstration of the concept of the signal-to-noise ratio.

There has been an explosion of studies in the field of genetic hearing impairment in the past decade, associated with major advances in our understanding of the mechanisms and conditions involved. However, a recent review has highlighted the very limited number of studies on the effects of such hearing impairment on the individuals and families of those concerned.

In The Effects of Genetic Hearing Impairment in the Family, under the aegis of the European Union GENDEAF programme, the editors have taken the first steps to address this deficit in our knowledge and understanding of this topic. The book addresses the problem by secondary analyses of existing large scale population studies, by prospective investigation of individuals with a family history of hearing impairment and by specific studies on patients with otosclerosis and neurofibromatosis 2 and their families.

In addition several chapters look at the specific impact of deaf culture, ethnicity and religion on reactions to deafness and the specific needs in genetic counselling.

This book represents an important first step in this field and should be an invaluable resource for all professionals involved with people with hearing impairments.

Living with Hearing Difficulties is a source-book for professionals who encounter and support individuals with hearing difficulties. It will also be of interest to people with hearing difficulties themselves and those close to them. The book highlights the concept of audiological enablement as being an interactive process requiring the active involvement of both clinician and patient.

The thirteen chapters encompass four sections which broadly follow the categories of the World Health Organization''s ICF (2001):

Section 1 addresses types of hearing disorders, the impairments they cause and also the process of help seeking. Section 2 deals with the effects of hearing impairment on communication and psychosocial functioning. Section 3 considers the individual in their environment; their family, work, and leisure. Section 4 elaborates on the process of enablement in a non-prescriptive manner.

The authors approach the problems and needs from the standpoint of what the patient/client is seeking. Enablement is seen as a team effort between the professionals, the patient and their family in an ever-changing environment. This entails using any relevant techniques to ensure the well-being of the individual with hearing impairment; that end remains very much their goal.

The book also has a companion website www.wiley.com/go/stephens which hosts additional downloadable documents as well as a demonstration of the concept of the signal-to-noise ratio.

The field of generic hearing impairment is one where rapid advances are taking place, and it can often be difficult for Audiologists to keep track of the broader picture. In this important new text the authors take a synoptic approach and summarize the causes and basis of hearing impairments, the impact on the individual and the therapies available

This book comprises the first volume of a series which reports the outcomes of the European Union Concerted Action Programme on Genetic Hearing Impairment. The aim is to bring together clinical geneticists and audiologists, as well as basic scientists and other clinicians with a general interest in this field, to standardise the audiological and terminological approaches and publish state of the art interdisciplinary studies.

This book addresses the impact of genetic deafness/hearing impairment on people' s lives and those around them. It includes the perspectives of those who are deaf or hard of hearing as well as those working in the field. Professional topics include genetic counselling, social science, psychology, social work and - within medicine - audiological and ENT medical and audiological paediatrics. These practitioners are both hearing and hearing impaired. The impact of deafness on children, those of working age and elderly people is discussed highlighting the specific effect of genetic factors. In particular there are chapters on deafblindness and otosclerosis and NF2 (a potentially lethal condition). The Who definitions and ICF are used as a framework for considering the effect on people' s lives of impairment and their participation in society.This provides a bridge between the medical and social models of disability. Contributors write from both their professional and personal experience in order to try and address some of the issues raised by the real impact of genetic deafness on everyday life and how these can best be tackled by those working in the field.