In the Fall of 2017, SHLS created and began hosting the Southside Hearing Loss Support Group.
Each month, between 20 and 25 individuals attend the Support Group. Meetings are focused on educating individuals who have hearing loss, and their families, on hearing. Meetings are at SHLS from 1-2 p.m. on the third Friday of every month, August - April, and are free and open to everyone.
Two graduate students from the LU CSD graduate program, with the support of Dr. Mani Aguilar, the SHLS audiologist, and Dr. Lissa Power-deFur, the SHLS Program Director present on a topic chosen by the meeting participants.
A group of members met over the summer (2018) to plan the topics and the 2018-2019 schedule (August- April).
Previous topics have included:
“Strategies to Improve Communication with a Person Who Has Hearing Loss"
"Dementia and Hearing Loss"
“What to Expect from Your Hearing Aids”
“New Hearing Aid Technologies and Solutions”
“Cochlear Implants”
“Laws Related to Hearing Loss”
“Hearing Conservation”
Participants are invited to have quick hearing aid check conducted by Longwood’s Communication Sciences and Disorders (CSD) graduate students prior to the meetings.
Rachel Pegelow and Leah Horton, two graduate students leading the meetings during this past spring semester, had the following to say regarding their experience with the Group: "This has been a very positive experience for both of us. During the meetings the participants discuss strategies they use in their lives and the difficulties they have. It seems to be a great source of support for them."
For further information, please contact:
Longwood Speech, Hearing, and Learning Services
315 West Third Street
Farmville, VA 23901
434-395-2972
Email: SHLS@longwood.edu