News and Stories

From digital imagery of a baby’s brain “hearing” for the first time; to photos of Hear and Say children across the ages; to glittery craft creations of all shapes and sizes – the walls of our centres are a treasure trove of masterpieces. One particularly striking series of artworks on display at Hear and Say in Brisbane was painted in 2014 by 24-year-old Sarah Norton, a past graduate of Hear and Say’s Early Intervention program. Titled Outside Silence, Life of Cochlea and Sound’s Journey, Sarah said the triptych reflected different stages of her journey using two cochlear ...

Hearing loss can impact all aspects and stages of life, both for the person themselves as well as their loved ones. Social work is a profession that supports individuals, families, groups and communities to improve their wellbeing. At Hear and Say, our social work service helps to support individuals and families through a range of short and longer term situations – from parents struggling to deal with the news of their baby or child’s hearing loss diagnosis, or feelings of helplessness in their parenting or everyday life, or if they are experiencing domestic violence or ...

Whether it’s to listen to music or the TV, for a call at work or for study, headphones are a regular part of everyday life for many of us. However, for people who also use hearing devices such as cochlear implants or hearing aids, using headphones comes with some careful considerations. “You will get the best sound directly via your hearing aids or cochlear implants, depending on the hearing technology you have for your specific hearing loss,” said Hear and Say Audiologist, Lorna Parker. “The first step is checking with your audiologist if the hearing device has Bluetooth ...

Hint: it’s not just with the ear! Did you know that it’s actually our brains that “hear” sound? While the ear plays an important role in both hearing and balance, think of it like a funnel. It  helps capture sounds from the outside world and takes them to our brain for processing. There are three main parts to the ear: Outer ear: picks up the sound from our outside environment, which turns into sound waves that vibrate down the ear canal. Middle ear: this is where sound waves travel down to vibrate the ear drum, which is connected to three little bones that form what’s ...

A funding plan through the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) is valid for 12 months. Sometimes, you may unknowingly overspend or exhaust your funds. In other cases, your circumstances may change and impact the services you need. We caught up with Hear and Say’s Customer Experience and Operations Manager, Petra Grum who shared the below tips for preventing your NDIS funds from being used up too quickly, and what you can do if it happens. How to avoid running out of NDIS funding Always request a copy of the invoice from your provider. When you are nearing the end of ...

If you’re accessing the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) for yourself or your child for the first time, it can be confusing to know exactly where to begin. Check out the below tips from our team to help get you on the front foot with your NDIS journey. Hear and Say’s dedicated NDIS team can support you along the way. Getting started Your first step is to give the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) a call on 1800 800 110 and register to access the NDIS. If you’re applying on behalf of a child who is under seven years old, you will need to also contact your local ...

The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) provides funding to eligible people in Australia with a permanent and significant disability, to access supports and services based on their needs. It is administered by the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA). Early on in the NDIS planning journey, you’ll be asked to make a choice as to how you would like your NDIS plan managed. There are three ways you can manage your NDIS plan, as outlined below. Agency-managed Sometimes referred to as NDIA-managed, this option means your providers (such as Hear and Say) will claim directly ...

When someone experiences hearing loss in one ear and hearing in the standard range in the other, this is called unilateral hearing loss. Generally speaking, If unilateral hearing loss is severe-to-profound, it can also be known as single-sided deafness. The degree of unilateral hearing loss can range from mild to profound. Causes can include genetic mutations, viral infections, trauma or when a someone is born with specific ear abnormalities. In many cases, the reason for unilateral hearing loss unknown. What’s the impact? Left untreated, unilateral or single-sided deafness has the ...