For nearly four years, Tara Barr has been a vital member of The Hearing House team, helping ensure that kiritaki/clients, clinicians and communities receive the support they need behind the scenes. As Clinical Administration Team Lead, Tara combines organisation, problem-solving and a passion for helping others to keep a wide range of services running smoothly. Tara was drawn to The Hearing House because of the opportunity to work for a not-for-profit organisation that makes

A special piece of Aotearoa New Zealand was recently shared on the global stage at the 7th International Conference on Family-Centred Early Intervention (FCEI) in Austria. A breakout session titled “Bringing Sign Language Out of the Shadows: Collaborative Pathways to Inclusive Early Intervention in Aotearoa” highlighted how services here are evolving to better support Deaf and hard of hearing children and their whānau. Historically, families have often been presented with a b

When Faye Ketu looks back on the past two years, she describes it as an "unexpected journey". It’s been one filled with challenges she never saw coming, but also incredible opportunities she never imagined possible. For more than 25 years, Faye managed her hearing differences with hearing aids. As a nurse, she spent years working on contracts across Outback Australia, adapting as her hearing changed and expecting that she would simply continue upgrading her hearing aids when

Q: Can you tell us a bit about your background (e.g. what and where you studied) and what led you to become an audiologist? Bri: I completed my Bachelor of Science and Master of Audiology at The University of Auckland. I was drawn to audiology because it combines healthcare, technology, and working closely with people and their whānau. I was particularly interested in the impact early intervention has on communication, education, and overall quality of life. This includes acc

“My name is Catherine Wolicki. I am 69 years old, a retired registered nurse, originally from England and now living in New Zealand. I emigrated here in 1998 and am married to Ross. Between us we have a blended family of four daughters – but most of my family is in the UK. I’m going back there for my 70th birthday with my own daughter, Katie, in November and I can’t wait. “I was born deaf and have worn hearing aids since I was five years old. Growing up in England with hearin

Congenital cytomegalovirus (CMV) is the most common non-genetic cause of hearing differences in children, and it can also be linked to developmental challenges. Research shows that approximately 1 in every 200 babies are born with CMV after the virus is passed from parent to baby during pregnancy, and yet public awareness remains very low. Screening and access to care can vary widely depending on where in the world a baby is born. This month is CMV Awareness Month and as a pa

The mahi of The Hearing House was showcased at the NZ Audiological Society annual conference in Christchurch today. Bri Williams and Latasi Koro delivered an address on Strengthening Tamariki-Centred Audiology Care: Collaboration between The Hearing House and Ko Taku Reo, focusing on audiology educational care, while Nathan Lowe presented Empowering Cochlear Implant Journeys: The Audiologist’s Role in Counselling.​ Nicole Zhao’s poster on public cochlear implant referrals was

Q: Can you tell us a bit about your background and what led you to become a Speech Language Therapist? Rachel: I knew that I wanted to work with children from a young age and I was tossing up between medical careers and education careers. Speech therapy was the perfect middle ground for me. Q: Where did you study? Rachel: I have a Bachelor of Speech and Language Therapy from Massey University in Auckland. I really enjoyed the programme and learned so many valuable lessons fro

Seventy-four-year-old Jan Trim loves riding pillion passenger on her husband’s Moto Guzzi motorbike, going to exercise class and making online photo books. She has had hearing differences for the past 30 years and after a long period of wearing hearing aids, received a cochlear implant in April this year. The great grandmother from Taupō says she can now have a conversation with her husband in the car, which never would have been possible previously. “It’s too good an oppo