New Developments in FM Systems for Infants and Children

… sound solutions. PROCEEDINGS FOR THE FIRST …, 2004

The successful trend of identifying hearing loss in the first few weeks of life has resulted in many new challenges for audiologists. For the approximately 2 of every 1000 infants born who are identified with bilateral hearing loss (Mehl and Thomson, 1998), the use of ...

Thesis Manchester Uk the University of Manchester 2011, 2011

No portion of the work referred to in the thesis has been submitted in support of an application for another degree or qualification of this or any other university or other institute of learning.

Revista CEFAC, 2018

Objective: to analyze the facilitators and barriers to the use of the FM System in school-age children with hearing loss. Methods: a cross-sectional, observational and documentary study. Data from the children's charts and responses of their 30 teachers to a questionnaire were used in the descriptive and inferential statistical analysis. The questions were related to the use of the FM System by the child and the preparation of the teachers to use the resource. Results: out of the 30 children whose teachers answered the survey, only nine used the FM System in the classroom. Factors such as age, parents' schooling and their participation in speech therapy, as well as the teacher's knowledge about the FM System and their experience with hard of hearing children were shown to be facilitators for the use of the device as well as the consistent use of the hearing devices (hearing aids and/or cochlear implant). Conclusion: the main facilitator for the use of the FM System was t...

International Journal of Audiology, 2009

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Journal of Speech Language and Hearing Research, 1992

This study examined the attenuation characteristics of five FM system sound delivery options for a group of 10 adults and 15 children (5–13 years). Sound delivery options included a tube-fitting, lightweight headphones, a CROS earmold with tubing, a CROS earmold with a snap-ring, and a standard snap-ring earmold with a vent. Attenuation was defined as the difference between probe-tube microphone measures of the ear canal resonance and the SPL in the ear canal with each sound delivery option in place. A statistically significant but clinically inconsequential difference in attenuation for the CROS earmold with tubing was noted between adults and children. No significant differences in attenuation for any of the other sound delivery options were noted between adults and children. An investigation of the relationship between magnitude of attenuation and percentage of the ear canal occluded suggests that degree of occlusion is a major factor in determining degree of attenuation provided...

CoDAS, 2014

Studies with adults have demonstrated the potential benefi ts of an FM system, particularly in a laboratory setting. Jerger et al (1996) reported that adults obtained the highest scores on the speech perception in noise (SPIN) test either using an FM system alone or in combination with a hearing aid compared to use of a hearing aid alone. These fi ndings support the measurable improvement of an FM system in a simulated noisy environment. Despite these results, and the fact that many individuals reported a preference for the sound quality of the FM system, nearly all participants indicated they would routinely use only hearing aids. This decision appeared to be associated with individuals' perceptions of the inconveniences of using an FM system, which at the time of the study, involved relatively large transmitting/receiver components and wired connections. Boothroyd (2004) documented signifi cant benefi ts from an FM system for 12 adult hearing-aid users fi tted with behind-the-ear aids that included a built-in receiver. Performance on phoneme recognition in noise with an FM system was comparable to that obtained with hearing aids in quiet. This study also assessed users' perceived benefi ts of the FM system in everyday situations. Through a questionnaire , participants rated that the FM system offered 'some help' or 'a lot of help' in most of the everyday situations assessed. The FM system was judged to be most useful in listening situations that involved one person speaking at a distance in quiet or noise. The Remote microphone listening devices, such as the frequency modulated (FM) system, are one of several types of hearing assistive technology available for adults and children with hearing impairment. Both sound fi eld and personal systems have been widely used in educational settings to enhance the signal-to-noise ratio for children who use hearing aids or cochlear implants (Flexer, 2004; Ander-son et al, 2005). The personal FM system consists of a transmitter/ microphone positioned near the sound source and a receiver, worn by the listener. The FM system converts the acoustic signal from the microphone into an electrical signal which is transmitted to the receiver (Chisholm et al, 2007). The benefi ts of FM systems are well documented and include: (1) eliminating the negative effects of noise and reverberation on speech perception, and (2) maintaining constant speech input regardless of the distance between the speaker and listener (Boothroyd, 2004; Chisholm et al, 2007). Although FM systems are routinely recommended for children with hearing loss in educational environments , their use in adults with hearing loss is less common. This may be partly due to the limited information available for audiologists regarding the use and benefi ts of remote microphone technology for adults (Schafer & Thibodeau, 2004). Anecdotal clinical reports suggest that there is uncertainty regarding the best practices for FM recommendations for adults. Abstract This study explored: (1) the benefi ts of an FM system in real-world environments from the perspective of adults with coch-lear implants, and (2) the factors and barriers to using an FM system with a cochlear implant. Using a qualitative research design, 14 adults with unilateral cochlear implants recorded their experiences during a two-month trial period with a personal FM system and responded to a questionnaire at the end of the trial. A detailed analysis of 169 journal entries (230 hours of FM use) permitted a description of the benefi ts and negative aspects associated with FM use in everyday listening environments. The primary benefi ts were related to improved access to and quality of sound, improved distance listening, ease of listening, and better social integration. Negative perceptions were associated with the equipment both with regard to physical aspects and adjustments. In addition, technical, individual, social, and environmental factors were identifi ed that can infl u-ence the user's decision to use the FM device. Questionnaire responses indicated that the majority of individuals rated the FM system as somewhat or very helpful. The fi ndings suggest that FM systems can improve communication in everyday listening environments for some adults with cochlear implants. Sumario Este estudio exploró: (1) los benefi cios de un sistema FM en ambientes de la vida real desde la perspectiva de adultos con implante coclear, y (2) los factores y barreras del uso de un sistema FM con un implante coclear. Durante un periodo de 2 meses y mediante un diseño de investigación cualitativo, 14 adultos con implantes cocleares unilaterales registraron sus experiencias con un sistema personal de FM y respondieron a un cuestionario al fi nal del ensayo. Un análisis detallado de 169 de anotaciones en el diario (230 horas de uso del FM) permitieron una descripción de los benefi cios y los aspectos negativos asoci-ados con el uso del FM en ambientes de escucha cotidianos. Los benefi cios primarios estuvieron relacionados con mejor acceso y mejor calidad de sonido, mejoría en la audición a distancia, facilidad para escuchar y mejor integración social. Las percep-ciones negativas se asociaron con el equipo, tanto en relación con sus aspectos físicos, como con los ajustes. Además, se iden-tifi caron factores técnicos, individuales, sociales y ambientales que pueden infl uir en la decisión del usuario de utilizar un dis-positivo de FM. Las respuestas del cuestionario indicaron que la mayoría de los individuos califi caron el sistema de FM como un tanto útil o muy útil. Los hallazgos sugieren que los sistemas FM pueden mejorar la comunicación en los ambientes cotidianos de escucha para algunos adultos con implante coclear.

Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools, 2004

Children typically learn in classroom environments that have background noise and reverberation that interfere with accurate speech perception. Amplification technology can enhance the speech perception of students who are hard of hearing. Purpose: This study used a single-subject alternating treatments design to compare the speech recognition abilities of children who are hard of hearing when they were using hearing aids with each of three frequency modulated (FM) or infrared devices. Method: Eight 9–12-year-olds with mild to severe hearing loss repeated Hearing in Noise Test (HINT) sentence lists under controlled conditions in a typical kindergarten classroom with a background noise level of +10 dB signal-to-noise (S/N) ratio and 1.1 s reverberation time. Participants listened to HINT lists using hearing aids alone and hearing aids in combination with three types of S/N-enhancing devices that are currently used in mainstream classrooms: (a) FM systems linked to personal hearing ai...

Infancy, 2007

It has been suggested that infants respond preferentially to infant-directed speech because their auditory sensitivity to sounds with extensive frequency modulation (FM) is better than their sensitivity to less modulated sounds. In this experiment, auditory thresholds for FM tones and for unmodulated, or pure, tones in a background of noise were measured for 4-month-old infants using a conditioned response procedure. The FM tones swept from 150 to 275 Hz or from 150 to 550 Hz. The frequency of the pure tone was either 275 or 550 Hz. The results showed that infants were slightly, but significantly, more sensitive to the sounds that included 550 Hz than they were to the lower frequency sounds, whether or not the sound was frequency modulated. It appears that infants could be somewhat more sensitive to infant-directed than to adult-directed speech, not because of FM per se, but because the fundamental frequency excursions in infant-directed speech extend into a higher frequency range than those in adult-directed speech.