Hearing Impairment
Some people are born with hearing impairment (congenital) while many others may lose their hearing later in life (acquired). There are many degrees of hearing impairment. e.g. partial to complete hearing loss; one or both ears may be affected with one side worse than the other; gradual or sudden hearing loss etc.
If you think you may have hearing problems, you should see your doctor/audiologist. Let your doctor/audiologist know if:
- You have difficulty listening when more than one person in the room is talking
- You have to concentrate quite hard to understand the other person when you are having conversation
- You often get confused about the direction a sound is coming from
- The voices of women and children seem harder to understand
- You can sometimes hear a hissing, rushing or ringing sound
- You feel that people mumble or that their speech is not clear, or you hear only parts of conversations when people are talking
- You often ask people to repeat what they said
- Friends or family tell you that you don’t seem to hear very well
- You need to ask others about the details of a class or meeting you attended
- People say that you play music or your TV too loudly
- You can’t hear the doorbell or telephone
You doctor will perform an ear exam and, if necessary, refer you to an audiologist. The audiologist will use various hearing tests to detect where the problem might be and how severe the problem is.
Cochlear Implant
Depending on the severity of the condition, we have several treatment options available including our cochlear implant programme targeted towards people with severe to profound hearing loss.
Visit our cochlear implant page to learn more about this solution.
Speech Problem
For many of us, normal speech might seem effortless, but speech is a complex process that requires precise timing, nerve and muscle control. When we speak, many muscles from various body parts and system need to coordinate. This includes the larynx, which contains the vocal cords, the teeth, lips, tongue, and mouth and the respiratory system.
A speech-language therapist is trained to observe people as they speak and identify their speech problems. Common speech problems include stuttering, cluttering, articulation disorders, and apraxia. People with hearing impairment may also have problems with speech. The speech-language therapist is able to conduct assessments to identify the area of problems and provide the required therapy.
Swallowing Problem
We generally view eating as a pleasure as well as a need for nourishment. Imagine that you have issues swallowing food and will be relying on tubes or other methods for your nutritional needs, your quality of life will definitely suffer. This is the reality for many patients post stroke, cancer or motor vehicle accident. A swallowing therapist is a speciality trained Speech Language Therapist that is able to assess swallowing difficulties and provide rehabilitation treatment to allow this patient to start tasting life again.
SunMed’s Speech & Hearing Centre offers complete screening, diagnostic and rehabilitation services in the areas of audiology and speech-language therapy. The centre is equipped with the latest technology and a team of audiologists, speech language-therapists, and ENT specialists.
- Hearing test for all ages
- Speech audiometry testing
- Impedance audiometry testing
- Auditory brainstem responses testing
- Otoacoustic emissions testing
- Auditory steady state evoked responses
- Hearing aids sales, fitting and evaluation
- Sales and fitting of assistive listening devices and hearing aid accessories
- Aural rehabilitation
- Cochlear implant programme
- Tinnitus management
- Assessment and management of auditory processing disorders
Speech-language therapy services available include assessment and treatment of children or adults with:
- learning difficulties, mental disability, developmental delay.
- disfluency or stuttering.
- cleft lip and/ or palate.
- voice problems (e.g., poor quality, inappropriate pitch, loss of voice).
- cancer of the mouth, tongue, head and neck.
- autistic spectrum disorders.
- hearing loss (e.g., hearing aid users, cochlear implant recipients).
- head and neck injury, surgery or stroke.
- any degree of feeding or swallowing difficulty
- laryngectomy (removal of larynx/‘voice box’).
Saravanan Selanduray
Manager, Senior Audiologist
Bachelor of Audiology (Hons) (Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia)
A member of the Malaysian Association of Speech-Language & Hearing (MASH)
Saravanan is the Manager of the Speech & Hearing Centre as well as the Head of the Audiology Unit. He joined Sunway Medical Centre as an Audiologist in 2004. Prior to that, he was a tutor at the Speech & Hearing Department at the National University of Malaysia.
At SunMed, he sees patients from all age ranges and diverse backgrounds. He is passionate about reducing the impact of hearing loss on the lives of patients and their family members. He is a member of the Cochlear Implant Programme Core Team which is a multidisciplinary team consisting of ENT Surgeons, Speech-Language Therapists and Audiologists.
He is actively involved in increasing awareness of hearing loss amongst public and healthcare professionals by contributing to media articles, awareness campaigns, screening programmes and professional talks.
His area of special interest is diagnostic audiology and aural (re)habilitation.
Ellin Fariza Selamat
Senior Audiologist
Bachelor of Audiology (Hons) (Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia)
A member of the Malaysian National Society of Audiologists (MANSA)
Ellin began her career in Audiology in 2007. She received her credentials from the National University of Malaysia. She worked in numerous government hospitals before she joined Sunway Medical Centre in 2012. In SunMed, she is a member of the Cochlear Implant Programme Core Team which is a multidisciplinary team consisting of ENT Surgeons, Speech-Language Therapists and Audiologists.
She has gained her clinical competence from working in different audiological settings and this has provided her with a broad range of experience with individuals of all ages with hearing and communication problems.
She believes that those who suffer from hearing impairment can improve their quality of life by early identification, thorough management, good rehabilitative programmes and also commitment from all parties.
Ang Ai Lee
Senior Audiologist
Bachelor of Audiology (Hons) (Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia)
A member of the Malaysian Association of Speech-Language & Hearing (MASH)
Ai Lee embarked her career as an Audiologist at Sunway Medical Centre in 2010. In SunMed, she is a member of the Cochlear Implant Programme Core Team which is a multidisciplinary team consisting of ENT Surgeons, Speech-Language Therapists and Audiologists.
She serves a wide range of clients (from infants to the elderly) with diverse backgrounds. She advocates the importance of early identification and management for infant/children with hearing difficulties. She emphasizes the importance of aural (re)habilitation following hearing management, especially in infant/children with hearing aids/cochlear implantation.
She works closely with a multidisciplinary team consisting of ENT Surgeons, Speech-Language Therapists, Psychologists/ Developmental Pediatricians and Pediatricians. She shows marked enthusiasm to improve the listening skills and reduce the impact of hearing difficulties in the life of the patients.
Since 2013, Ai Lee has expanded her interest and obtained her training in conducting Auditory Processing Disorder Assessments (APD) for school-aged children at the Speech & Hearing Centre.
Nurul Aisyah Marzuki
Audiologist
Bachelor of Health Science (Hons) Audiology (USM)
A member of the Malaysian Association of Speech-Language & Hearing (MASH)
Aisyah joined Sunway Medical Centre in 2017 as an Audiologist. She received her credentials in Audiology from Universiti Sains Malaysia.
She sees patients from all walks of life for hearing awareness, prevention, screening, diagnostic assessments and (re)habilitation.
She is a member of the Cochlear Implant Programme Core Team which is a multidisciplinary team consisting of ENT Surgeons, Speech-Language Therapists and Audiologists.
She is also actively involved in increasing awareness on hearing loss amongst the public and healthcare professionals via awareness campaigns, screening programmes and talks.
She advocates for early identification, early intervention and evidence-based practice to improve the quality of life of her patients.
Jessica Tharmapal-Dass
Assistant Manager
Senior Speech-Language Therapist
Master of Speech Pathology (La Trobe University, Australia)
Bachelor of Languages & Linguistics (English) (University of Malaya).
A member of the Malaysian Association of Speech-Language & Hearing (MASH).
Jessica is the Assistant Manager of the Speech & Hearing Centre as well as the Head of Unit for Speech-Language Therapy. She received her credentials in Speech Pathology in Australia. Jessica began her career as a Speech-Language Therapist in 2008 at Sunway Medical Centre. She sees children in the inpatient/outpatient clinic for Speech-Language, Communication, Fluency, Feeding & Apraxia of Speech intervention/management. Jessica also assesses and provides treatment for adults who stutter.
She is trained in PROMPT (PROMPTs for Restructuring Oral Muscular Phonetic Targets) Introduction Level to provide intervention for patients with motor-speech difficulties.
Jessica’s passion lies in guiding and empowering patients/parents/carers to be involved in the therapy sessions in the clinic as well as at home/in their daily lives.
Her special interest is in Stuttering.
Nawal Mohd Shafie
Speech-Language Therapist
Bachelor of Health Science (Hons) Speech Pathology (Universiti Sains Malaysia)
A member of the Malaysian Association of Speech-Language & Hearing (MASH)
Nawal joined Sunway Medical Centre’s Speech and Hearing Centre in October 2014. She graduated in Speech Language Pathology from Universiti Sains Malaysia. She is a member of the Cochlear Implant Programme Core Team which is a multidisciplinary team consisting of ENT Surgeons, Speech-Language Therapists and Audiologists. She also runs social group therapy sessions for children with social-communication difficulties.
Her focus of interest is language. In fostering language development, she strongly believes that the caregivers need to partake in all the language developing activities with their children. With full participation from their caregivers, children will become highly motivated in enhancing their language skills.
Christine Yu Lee Mei
Senior Speech-Language Therapist
Masters in Speech & Language Therapy (University of Reading, UK)
Bachelor of Psychology (Hons) (Sunway University in affiliation with University of Lancaster, UK)
A member of the Malaysian Association of Speech-Language & Hearing (MASH)
Christine started practicing as a Speech-Language Therapist in 2013. She has had the opportunity to work with children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Down Syndrome, Learning difficulties, Verbal dyspraxia, Cerebral Palsy and feeding difficulties in various settings including community clinics, mainstream and special needs schools, hospitals, and rehabilitation centres. She is Hanen certified in ‘It Takes Two to Talk’ , ‘More than Words’ and is trained in the basic Malaysian Sign Language (MySL).
She is a member of the Cochlear Implant Programme Core Team which is a multidisciplinary team consisting of ENT Surgeons, Speech-Language Therapists and Audiologists. She also runs social group therapy sessions for children with social-communication difficulties.
She enjoys educating families and caregivers on ways they can help children with their communication by being effective communication partners at home.
Her special interest lies in Hearing Impairment, Specific language impairment and Oral Motor. She believes that each child has the potential to communicate, given the opportunity and the support they need from their home, school and community.
Jane Lau Je-Ann
Speech-Language Therapist
Master of Speech Pathology (University of Melbourne, Australia)
Bachelor of Arts (Applied Linguistics and International Communication) (Australia).
A member of the Malaysian Association of Speech-Language & Hearing (MASH) and Speech Pathology Australia (SPA) Certified Practising Speech Pathologist (CPSP).
Jane received her master’s degree in Speech Pathology from the University of Melbourne. She joined SunMed as a Speech-Language Therapist in 2016. Jane has previously worked in a Special Needs school in Singapore where she gained experience in helping each child achieve their academic and functional life skills to their best potential.
Jane believes in patient and family-centered practice. Jane values family members’ or parents’ involvement throughout therapy as she strongly believes that this is paramount to enhance positive outcomes. She enjoys working closely with other allied health professionals as their expert knowledge in different areas allow her to better understand the holistic needs of a patient.
As a member of the Malaysian Association of Speech, Language and Hearing (MASH) and Speech Pathology Australia (SPA), Jane is also committed to keeping updated with current evidence-based practise and incorporating them into her therapy sessions.
Jane is passionate about raising awareness on how communication and swallowing difficulties may impact an individual’s daily life. She also hopes to promote the speech-language therapist profession and increase awareness of the role a Speech-Language Therapist plays in helping individuals with communication and swallowing difficulties.
Young Tze Wei (Abby)
Speech-Language Therapist
Bachelor of Speech Pathology (Hons) (University of Newcastle, Australia)
A member of the Malaysian Association of Speech-Language & Hearing (MASH)
Young Tze Wei also referred to as Abby joined Sunway Medical Centre’s Speech and Hearing Centre in 2018. She graduated from the University of Newcastle with a Bachelor of Speech Pathology (Honours). She has had the opportunity to work with children and young adults across various settings. She is Hanen certified in ‘It Takes Two to Talk’.
Abby’s passion for speech pathology stemmed from her desire to help others achieve their full potential. She believes that the ability to communicate is an innate human right. Abby takes a holistic approach to therapy and works collaboratively with parents and other key people in a child’s life in order to make the most significant impact. Abby strives to provide children with high quality and evidence-based practice intervention. She enjoys learning through professional development workshops and gaining knowledge from experiences and people she meets along the way.
Abby strongly believes in the importance of early intervention to ensure children receive services as early as possible to minimise the impact of their delay in the future.
Nurul Hidayah Dean Kamarudin
Senior Speech-Language & Swallowing Therapist
Master of Science in Speech Difficulties (University of Sheffield, UK)
Bachelor of Health Science (Hons) Speech Pathology (Universiti Sains Malaysia)
A member of the Malaysian Association of Speech-Language & Hearing (MASH)
Dean started practicing as a Speech-Language Therapist in 2009. Previously she worked as a lecturer and a Paediatric Speech-Language Therapist at the School of Health Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia for 4 years. Dean joined Sunway Medical Centre in 2015 as our Speech-Language and Swallowing Therapist. She sees adult patients who are struggling with speech, language, voice and swallowing disorders; as well as children with feeding disorders. She sees inpatients in the wards and outpatients at the Speech & Hearing Centre.
She is a member of the following multidisciplinary teams at Sunway Medical Centre: SunMed Neuro Rehab Services, Feeding Group Therapy, Head & Neck Cancer Support Group. Working in a multidisciplinary setting, she works closely with Doctors, Dietitians, Physiotherapists, Nurses and other Allied Health professionals. She aims to provide the best possible care for each patient through evidence-based practice. She believes in the importance of educating the family members and carers in order to ensure patients receive continuous care and monitoring at home.
Dean has a great interest in clinical research in the speech and language pathology field and is committed to improving the lives of individuals with communication and swallowing disorders.
Visakha Tan Shann Nee
Speech-Language & Swallowing Therapist
Bachelor of Speech Science (Hons) (Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia)
A member of the Malaysian Association of Speech-Language & Hearing (MASH)
Visakha is a practicing Speech-Language Therapist since 2012. Prior to joining Sunway Medical Centre in 2016, she was with a private hospital in Penang and worked primarily in the stroke unit where she provided clinical assessment and rehabilitative intervention to stroke survivors with speech-language and swallowing difficulties. She is also familiar with acquired speech and swallowing disorders following traumatic brain injury and neurological disorders such as Parkinson’s Disease.
Visakha enjoys working in a multidisciplinary team setting. She believes that the multidisciplinary model not only benefits the patient, but also the patient’s family members and all of the professionals involved as they learn from each other.
For more information or appointments, please call:
Tel: +603-7491 9191
DL: +603-7491 1280
Clinic HP: +6 012 7747 657
Fax: +603-7491 1406
Email: dsh@sunway.com.my
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Operation Hours:
Monday – Saturday: 8:30am – 5:30pm
Closed on Sunday and Public Holidays
Location:
The 2nd Floor, Tower B
