Most of us were never taught to listen. We were taught to wait.
My work focuses on bridging the gap between what we know from research and what actually happens in school classrooms, boardrooms, open-plan home living, and virtual connections. The people who struggle most in meetings often have perfectly normal hearing.
Why?
Because they may have had a hearing test and was told that they do not have a hearing loss and that they have ‘selective hearing’ and to come back for another test in a few years time.
As an audiologist with a love of anatomy, acoustics and learning about the psychology of how we communicate and connect, I am privy to how listening difficulties can quietly undermine confidence, collaboration, and career momentum. I am passionate about increasing awareness of auditory processing disorders and listening skills and helping people improve their situation….
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Recycled Sound Reimagined Hearing Aid Bank needs help for refugees and asylum seekers
Read MoreImproving Communication for Older Adults with Hearing Loss: Contribute to Hearing Health Research and Make a Difference for You and Your Community!
Arches Audiology is teaming up with The University of Queensland to deliver an important new program designed to support older adults with hearing loss — and the people who share their daily lives. Sign up now in time for Hearing Awareness Week 2026! Program starts early March. Contact us for more information.
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Arches Audiology Founder/Director/Clinical Audiologist, Seray Lim, has featured in the latest Hearing Practitioner News Magazine.
Seray’s passion of helping people achieve their goals and reaching their fullest potential extends beyond the audiogram - beyond working out the softest level that one can hear at different pure tones - it extends to one’s ability to follow speech in background noise and to have meaningful conversations and exchanges in complex listening environments. In Australia and overseas, starting with Cambodia, followed by Vietnam…
The auditory system: the hearing pathway, the listening pathway, the auditory memory pathway, it is a complex system; and that is why you see complex patients. And unfortunately, for some people, the hearing aid alone approach does not cut it. That is why as an APD Specialist, Seray feels great responsibility to increase awareness of auditory processing skills and auditory processing disorder. She offers APD evaluations and therapy (based on Jack Katz ‘The Buffalo Model’ approach to APD) as well as hearing aids, remote mic solutions and workplace/classroom solutions.
The volunteer work she does as a member of the Rotary Club of Springvale City and now as part of Rotary’s Recycled Sound Program, is not because she doesn’t value her worth or time, it is because she believes that YOU CAN BE THE CHANGE YOU WANT TO SEE IN THE WORLD.
She sees a world where people are tolerant, kind, accepting, accessible/friendly, and that all environments are ‘user-friendly’/low barriers (UX is another area of interest she has, alongside Bikram Yoga and Triathlons).
Click on the link here to find out about her recent trip to Cambodia and what her hopes are for Recycled Sound Program.
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It is World Hearing Awareness Day 2025 (3/3 of every year) and it happens to coincide with our new video - check out the video here!
Today, on World Hearing Awareness Day (3/3 of every year) we would like you to think about your ears and your auditory system including your hearing and balance.
To read more about why this day is so important to our Founder, Seray Lim, and other audiologists, please visit Audiology Australia's website here: Why is World Hearing Day so important?
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Full Interview: AudA Audiologist Seray Lim on World Hearing Day
Mar 1, 2024
Joining us to talk about this World Hearing Day (WHD) 2024 and drawing on her extensive experience working in adult aural rehabilitation, including with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander clients, is Seray Lim. Seray is the director of Arches Audiology, an independent audiology clinic based in Melbourne’s south-eastern suburbs.
Here is our full interview:
What does this year’s WHD ‘Changing Mindsets: Let’s make ear and hearing care a reality for all’ mean to you?
Changing mindsets is one of the hardest things to do. The theme of ‘Changing Mindsets: Let’s make ear and hearing care a reality for all’ implies that the current mindset is actually that it isn’t important nor a priority. Which to me as an audiologist, who has worked in rural and remote communities and in Cambodia, and as a mother of a school age child who has hearing loss, is unsettling. So, what I love about World Hearing Day is that it encourages all stakeholders around the world to raise awareness on ear and hearing care and understand the cost of unaddressed hearing loss to individuals’, communities, and societies. It is an opportunity to come together to innovate and create.
According to the WHO 80% of ear and hearing care needs remain unmet globally. In Australia this is particularly true for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders and those living in regional and remote communities. What do you see as some of the barriers to access to hearing care?
Before I answer this question, I would like you to consider the statements below, taken from the Hear Us: Inquiry into Hearing Health in Australia: ‘Indigenous children in Australia experience an average of 32 weeks of middle ear infections between the ages of two and 20 years, compared to just two weeks for non-Indigenous children,’ (Chapter 8.13, page 124), and ‘As noted above, Indigenous children, especially those from remote areas, suffer very high rates of ear disease and hearing impairment. The committee heard a considerable amount of evidence which strongly suggests a link between hearing impairment among Indigenous school children and poor educational outcomes. This link has been made in the past, though the problem appears to be still widely in evidence today. (Chapter 8.25, page 128).
In 2020, Jack DeLacy, Tinashe Dune and John Macdonald conducted a systemic content review looking at the risk factors for otitis media in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children. They found there is a research bias towards biomedical approaches (vaccines and antibiotics, which are highly important) over addressing social determinants of health contributing to high rates of otitis media in Aboriginal children. The articles reviewed listed social determinants as housing-related factors, exposure to tobacco smoke, low socio-economic status, lack of access to services, low income and poverty, education of primary caregivers which contribute to high rates of otitis media in Aboriginal children.
However, despite the link there were no intervention studies and the authors note that a shift in approaches to manage otitis media is desperately needed as ‘intervention studies are crucial for policy development’.
In my opinion, current policies and research bias are the greatest barriers to improving ear and hearing health care to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders people. I agree with the authors that a ‘broader public health lens is required to address the underlying social factors reported to be driving the gap in OM rates between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal children.’ The way I see it is that until then, the status quo will remain. What we really need to see is a change in the current mindset of policy makers, research institutions, stakeholders etc towards investing in activities that fill the gaps in our current knowledge, commit more to research with a public health view lens.
I implore appropriate immediate action is taken in collaboration with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders people, at all levels of ear and hearing health care and by all stakeholders, governments, and communities. Changing mindsets can take some time so let’s get moving towards creating better policies and programs to achieve WHO’s World Hearing Day 2024 ‘Let’s make ear and hearing care a reality for all!’.
What information or engagement is needed to change public perception and understanding of hearing health and hearing loss?
Storytelling is a highly effective way in engaging people and so sharing personal stories can assist in changing public perception and understanding of hearing health and hearing loss. Holding information sessions or talks which includes patient journeys, knowledge sharing, evidence, as well as the real benefits to individuals, may be a way to encourage other health professionals such as GPs, Speech Pathologists, Maternal, Child and Health Nurses to think about a referral to an audiologist.
Looking into the future what changes do you hope to see?
There are a number of great programs that currently exist in different states but what I would like to see is a nationwide commitment to making ear and hearing care a reality for all by establishing a SunSmart-like campaign. To get to this point, I believe the broadening of views to include a public health lens and health promotion understanding must exist.
My hope for the future is that the current percentage of preventable hearing loss will be significantly reduced from The World Health Organization’s estimate of 49% in children and 37% in adults, globally. Given the causes of preventable hearing loss includes meningitis, rubella, ear infection, glue ear and noise-induced hearing loss, I hope there will be great investments into systems and infrastructure that empower people to take preventative action such as immunisations, practicing good hygiene and noise protection that enable the process of seeking early intervention and access to service providers and sustainable interventions.
Full Interview: AudA Audiologist Seray Lim on World Hearing Day - Audiology Australia
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APD evaluations and therapy are available for children as young as three and a half years upwards at Arches Audiology as we use evidence-based auditory skills assessment tools, the ASA developed by Donna Geffman Geffner, PhD and Ronald Goldman, PhD as part of our test battery.
More commonly, however, we see children aged five years and older. Primary aged children and high school aged children, who have previously had their hearing tested/screened and 'passed' have also been seen at Arches Audiology for APD services. For these children, they will also be assessed with the ASA, alongside Jack Katz’s Buffalo Model Central Test Battery and Acoustic Pioneer’s Feather Squadron. NAL’s Soundstorm may also be included.
If you have any concerns with your child’s listening abilities, it is recommended that you consult your GP and obtain a referral to an audiologist. At Arches Audiology, Medicare rebates are available for initial audiological assessments. Self-referrals are also accepted.
Adults who are concerned about their abilities to hear when in noisy situations despite a normal audiogram are welcome at our clinic - children with listening in noise problems become adults with listening in noise problems, without intervention.
You can start the APD evaluation process right here by completing the Buffalo Model Questionnaire - Revised. Please leave your details at the end if you would like to be contacted about the results.
Access to APD Questionnaire - Child form
Access to APD Questionnaire - Adult form
FEES and FUNDING OPTIONS:
For children and adults who have complex conditions, or are eligible for Medicare Team Care Arrangements/Chronic Disease Management plans, you may be able to access Medicare rebates on your audiological appointments including APD evaluations and therapies (*conditions apply). Please see your GP to check your eligibility.
For private health insurance rebates, please check with your provider.
See Medicare for more information on CDM Plans and Team Care Arrangements :
*Chronic disease GP Management Plans and Team Care Arrangements - Services Australia
Image: Canva
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