“I don’t think that you have to have hearing loss to be a good audiologist, but I know that these experiences have made me a better one because I get it. I’ve been, like you said, on that other side of the sound booth, just as much as I’ve been in the shoes of the professional. And I just connect with my patients in a way that school can’t teach you. I mean, it’s my truth. It’s what I live with every single day.” – Dr. Laura Pratesi
Read the full transcript here
In this episode, Dr. Laura Pratesi of Citrus Hearing Clinic shares her story about her experience living with EVA. Citrus Hearing Clinic is an audiology practice based in Clermont, Florida. Dr. Pratesi was born with a unilateral hearing loss in her left ear, but she did not figure out the root cause of her hearing till her university years. While there were years in which Dr. Pretasi’s mother was concerned about her condition, doctors did not take her condition seriously and even thought that the use of a hearing aid would distract Dr. Pretasi’ with unwanted or loud noises during the day. Though after years of overcompensating and a trampoline incident, Dr. Pretasi was finally diagnosed. Her life’s situation along with developing a love for audiology after taking Audiology 101, eventually led her to her current career. Tune in to learn Dr. Pretasi’ story and find out why seeking the root of one’s hearing loss will tremendously add meaning and comfort to one’s life.
1:50: Dr. Pretasi’s in-person practice was affected by COVID precautions and everything was super slow. Since so much about audiology practice needs to be completed in person, with all of the required equipment, COVID put a damper on her practice. Though, it gave her more comfortability as well as patience utilizing remote and telehealth practices.
4:15: Dr. Pretasi’ mom noticed her slower speech development, but pediatricians and ENT’s did not share her concerns. Dr. Pretasi’ failed her preschool hearing screening and it took time to convince doctors that her hearing loss was something to be concerned about. It was not until her mid 20’s that she finally got her first hearing aid. Even a mild hearing loss is a big deal and any difference in hearing levels affects a person and makes hearing more challenging.
8:30: Dr. Pretasi read books at lunch during the school day. The school thought this implicated that Dr. Pretasi had antisocial tendencies; rather Dr. Pretasi read in order to cope with mental overload that occurred during the school day, and the noisy cafeteira. A child’s behavior always means something and serves as messages to take into account.
12:00: Dr. Pretasi received limited accommodations during her school years. Accommodations are fair and acceptable. Accommodations also need to be updated regularly to reflect the current status of a student as well as for proper validity purposes.
18:00: It was not until Dr. Pretasi had bothersome tinnitus after jumping excessively on a trampoline during her university career, and she lost hearing in her right ear. This experience led her to find out what caused her hearing loss. Dr. Pretasi finds it crucial that individuals find out what one’s hearing loss consists of to know the scope of their condition.
26:00: As a parent, you can consider seeking information about your child’s hearing loss; education and information is so important. Discuss with your medical team if genetic testing and imaging studies are warranted. Your child should feel in control of their situation and accept their devices. This will allow them to have the successes you want them to have and will allow for t...
