Listening and Communication Enhancement (LACE)

Train That Brain!

Do You Experience Difficulty Hearing Speech in Noisy Environments?

I am often asked about whether there is a way to help improve one’s ability to hear speech when in the presence of background noise. I hear this from individuals with hearing loss, as well as from those with normal hearing, and it is probably the most common difficulty I hear about in my practice. With that in mind, although hearing aids can help a person detect softer sounds, they don’t necessarily improve listening skills. Even people with normal hearing can be poor listeners! In addition to wearing hearing aids (if you have hearing loss), good listening skills are one of the essential components for effective communication. Unfortunately, these listening skills can be damaged both by hearing loss and by the natural aging process.

We “Hear” With Our Ears, But We “Listen” With Our Brain!

One solution to improve listening skills is through Auditory Training. One such program is the Listening and Communication Enhancement (LACE) program which is a computerized training program developed by the University of California, San Diego. The program is very user-friendly and training is computed on a home computer.

LACE was developed to improve the skills necessary to communicate in difficult listening environments. Just as physical therapy can help strengthen muscles and adjust movements to compensate for physical weakness or injury, LACE can assist in developing listening and communication strategies that can help compensate for those situations when hearing speech is most difficult to understand.

By spending just 20 minutes per day for a few weeks, LACE can enable you to increase your ability to understand speech in noisy environments by up to 30-40%, as well as improve a host of other communication skills.

Computer-based “brain training” programs or apps, such as Brain HQ and Lumosity, have recently been advertised in the media. However, what sets LACE apart is that this training program focuses specifically on the auditory system. Furthermore, LACE integrates several Standardized Assessments that are built into the training in order to evaluate performance. Scores are tracked and then evaluated by the Audiologist so that you can see how you have progressed once training is completed. The cost of the program is $99 (which works out to a very reasonable $5/session).

How Can You Get Started?

The Halton Hearing Centre is an independently-owned and operated hearing clinic that has been serving Oakville and surrounding areas for almost 10 years. It is the only clinic in the area that offers this type of specialized rehabilitation. We strive to keep updated on new technologies and treatment options to best serve our client base, and we are excited to be able to provide this unique service!

Call the Halton Hearing Centre if you would like to purchase a registration code, or schedule a complementary personal one-on-one orientation session to get you started with the LACE Auditory Training Program – contact us today!