A discussion at Hard of Hearing Advocates has caught my eye. The topic is attention impairment. I like what this person says:
“…it has always explained a lot to me. Hearing loss is a sensory deprivation. For those who generally understand how computers function I would add that hearing loss is sensory input deprivation.
“How a person could retrain themselves afterwards by focusing or paying closer attention, seems more a matter of testing your tolerance based on how much information can still be heard. It seems the only retraining possible is to now incorporate sight when filling in auditory blanks. Yet it’s the brain’s lack of information/input that results in what is perceived as ‘not paying attention.’
“When actually there is not enough information received via hearing to keep the brain focused. Our not paying attention now is not due to lack of effort. I wear myself to a frazzle trying to focus by reading lips, paying attention, and straining my eyes as well as my ears. The problem is that audio information via hearing has no rival. Certainly none that do it as well or as fast as hearing. The brain simply can’t process video as quickly as it can audio. I try but it usually only strains the eyes.
“So I think it’s input that is impaired not our attention.”
Wow! Well said. I find myself having more and more trouble sitting still in a classroom, services, a lecture, a luncheon with a speaker, whathaveyou. This is on target and makes sense.
Another person writes, “When we are trying very hard to undertand what is being communicated, we are doing much more than is ordinary.”
I wish people would realize this about me. But I guess when I communicate with those I understand well, they think it’s easy and not a big deal. It is and it unfortunately affects more of my life than I want it. For instance, I suck at sales and it’s a big problem for trying to build up a freelance business.