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.

Featured image for “The Sounds of Silence”

The Sounds of Silence

While there had been experiments with steam powered road vehicles since the 1700s, they did not succeed commercially as they were cumbersome. While the steam powered vehicles made their way into locomotives, it was not until electric road vehicles were invented in the 1830s that powered road vehicles became practical. These first electric cars were powered by non rechargeable primary cells and were

Featured image for “Clinical Burnout in Audiology: Part II”

Clinical Burnout in Audiology: Part II

Last week we discussed the issue of burnout among clinicians who provide clinical services to patients each day. While there are not a lot of studies that specifically reflect audiology, there is one that was reported in New Zealand. In the International Audiology Journal, Stevens, Searchfield and Huggard (2012) of The Goodfellow Unit of the Department of General Practice and Primary Health

Featured image for “Clinical Burnout in Audiology: Part 1”

Clinical Burnout in Audiology: Part 1

It is tough becoming a clinical audiologist. These days in the US there are the eight years of school, practicum, and politics required to obtain the credentials to work with hearing impaired patients. After such a rigorous process, the motivation to find a position and begin a practice to interact with patients each day is seemingly insurmountable. Audiologists often feel like a “kid in

Featured image for “Musician’s Hearing Loss over the Centuries”

Musician’s Hearing Loss over the Centuries

As we work through the clinic day, we may find ourselves jealous of our patients with those high frequency hearing losses due to concert their attendance. Often these were the lucky ones with the premier tickets, close to the stage, the musicians, and the speakers as well. As audiologists we now know that those that had the good tickets and those

Featured image for “New Research on Tinnitus Treatment”

New Research on Tinnitus Treatment

Tinnitus has long been an issue for many individuals. In the US and around the world audiologists are treating tinnitus with a myriad of techniques and with variable successes and failures. In the past, tinnitus was thought to be primarily involved in the cochlea and/or the auditory regions of the brain prompting otolaryngologists (ENT Physicians) to tell their tinnitus suffers to “just live with it”

Featured image for “On Vacation this Week (But Here’s an Oldie-but-Goodie!)”

On Vacation this Week (But Here’s an Oldie-but-Goodie!)

This week I am on vacation, please enjoy one of my favorite recent posts that deals with the Stapedius of Muscle Cars! See you next week! Bob The Stapedius of Muscle Cars

Featured image for “Causative Gene for Sensori-Neural Hearing Loss”

Causative Gene for Sensori-Neural Hearing Loss

What if we could find out what really causes sensori- neural hearing loss? The more we know of its origin, the more information we can digest as to how to cure it. Better Hearing Institute (BHI) (2016) summarizes the prevalence of sensori-neural hearing loss in the US: 3 in 10 people over age 60 have hearing loss; 1 in 6 baby

Featured image for “Autism Spectrum Disorder: New Research in Early Diagnosis”

Autism Spectrum Disorder: New Research in Early Diagnosis

According to the National Institute on Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) (2016), Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) refers to a group of complex neurodevelopment disorders characterized by repetitive and characteristic patterns of behavior and difficulties with social communication and interaction. A diagnosis of ASD now includes several conditions that use to be diagnosed separately: Autistic Disorder, Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise

Featured image for “New Research in Single Sided Deafness”

New Research in Single Sided Deafness

Audiologists realize that the loss of hearing in one ear, single sided deafness (SSD), is more common and more troublesome than most people realize. SSD can be caused by a number of things, from viral infections or thrombi to brain tumors and is currently incurable and difficult to treat. While the resulting hearing symptoms of SSD vary from one patient to another,

Featured image for “The Art of Jurassic Love Songs”

The Art of Jurassic Love Songs

If you have been to Denmark and paused for a walk through the jewelry stores along the Strøget in Copenhagen or elsewhere in Scandinavia, you will find amber. So what is Baltic Amber? Amber is the fossilized resin of 150-million-year-old conifer trees, usually pines. The most sought-after amber comes from the Baltic region and is a translucent golden color. Less common is white “bone