Robert Traynor

Robert M. Traynor, Ed.D., is a hearing industry consultant, trainer, professor, conference speaker, practice manager and author. He is a founding member of HHTM and had previously written a regular weekly column for the site for many years. He has decades of experience teaching courses and training clinicians within the field of audiology with specific emphasis in hearing and tinnitus rehabilitation. He serves as Adjunct Faculty in Audiology at the University of Florida, University of Northern Colorado, University of Colorado and The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.

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“Who the Hell is Ken Dahlberg?”

President Richard M. Nixon asked this question to his Chief of Staff, H.R Haldeman on the “smoking gun tape” of the Watergate scandal , it was the Friday after the Watergate Burglary, June 23, 1972….and the beginning of the end. The Tapes Just prior to assuming office in January, 1969, President Nixon learned that his predecessor, Lyndon Johnson, had installed

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World Listening Day – July 18

Think of the favorite sounds of summer. The pulsing cadence of cicadas, creaking chorus of pond frogs, or clicking whirr of grasshoppers are common sounds heard in regions across the United States, but there are other favorite sounds from other places that make each place unique and summer wouldn’t be the same without them. The World Listening Project has announced

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Stapedectomy Wires and MRI

It is not often that good blogs come from family stories, but here is one that was irresistible to Hearing International this week. In the 1970s, most Audiology students were required to conduct a number of routine hearing evaluations in the development of clinical skills. In 1973, as part of that practical learning process, like many of my peers, I

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Can you Hear Plants Grow?

Corn is authentically American. A member of the grass family, it was first domesticated from a wild grain several thousand years ago by Aztec and Mayan Indians in Mexico and Central America. The first corn was a loose-podded variety that looked like the seed head at the top of wheat stalks. The kernels were small and each covered by a

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In Pursuit of Silence

According to Lentin (2014), three of the five noisiest cities in the world are in India, Mumbai (formerly Bombay), Kolkata (Calcutta), and Delhi. These are highly populated cities, with about 13 million, 14.3 million and 18 million people respectively. Known as the entertainment, commercial fashion and financial centers for India, they all have severe city traffic and overpopulation, leading to

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The Third International Audiology Conference

For 2,000 years, Qu Yuan’s patriotic spirit has influenced many people and he remains revered by Chinese people all over the world. His spirit is certainly the driving force that makes the Duanwu Festival a great and happy time. The annual Dragon Boat Festival (Duanwu), as it is known in the west is also known as the Double Fifth Festival

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International Sign Languages

Although most hearing impaired adults and children in the US, Europe and many other countries around the world are oral individuals obtaining great benefit from their hearing instruments for everyday communication. There are, however, a small percentage of individuals that use sign language daily for their communicative needs. Living within the United States it would seem that American Sign Language (ASL) is the main

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The Sign of Grace

The year 1823 marked the end of the Champlain Valley’s relative isolation from the outside world and its entry into the US national economy. The opening of the Champlain Canal fundamentally affected the economic development of the Champlain Valley in and around Lake Champlain, Burlington, VT. The Champlain Canal also provided residents of Vermont and northeastern New York with manufactured

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Talking Dogs?

There are all kinds of dogs in this world. Tired feet or “barking dogs”are a common complaint for many people, especially those who have to stand for long periods of time (such as cashiers and traffic cops) or walk long distances (such as restaurant servers and postal workers). Other dogs are man’s best friend, barking to be let outside, for food,

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Who Was the REAL Captain Marvel?

Butler and Kratz (2008) remind us that, by definition, superheroes are larger than life, courageous, powerful, and seemingly able to overcome any obstacle with great physical prowess while doing great deeds at the same time. Young children, facing the challenges of learning many new skills, may often feel small, helpless, fearful, unable to accomplish what they desire, or troubled—in other