Radio aids – optimising listening opportunities: Guide

Case studies

Case studies

1. FM for teens booklet 2014 Ear Foundation

A study of 20 teenagers and their views of the Radio Aid systems they use both at school and beyond. It shows their usefulness but also some of the challenges encountered by the young people using them.

2. Our experiences of introducing FM systems in the early years.   Cate Statham and Hannah Cooper trial the use of fitting radio aids to babies and toddlers.

3. Does Noise Susceptibility Using Headworn Microphones Suggest Earlier Radio Aid Fitting?

Poster format from research at the University of Southampton Auditory Implant Service - showing  that when a child is using a headworn microphone, listening in background noise is more difficult and indicates the possible need for earlier ALD fitting than would normally be suggested.

4. Carrión, M. and G. Cardona (2011). "Goldenhar syndrome with moderate hearing loss: An FM system in a school environment." International Journal of Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology Extra 6(4): 178-181.

A young girl with Goldenhar syndrome and bilateral, unbalanced, fluctuating and progressive hearing loss successfully employed an FM system during classroom activities.  Teacher and student questionnaires revealed overall satisfaction with the FM system, as well as a significant progress in the academic performance.  Schoolchildren with mild hearing loss often reject the use of conventional hearing aids during school hours, when acoustic inadequacies and social stigma eclipse any perceived benefit.  FM systems such as EduLinkTM are a viable alternative in those situations and, in some instances, may predispose reluctant patients to accept a more conventional hearing solution. © 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd.

5. Nguyen, H. T. T. (2011). The Impact of Frequency Modulation (FM) System Use and Caregiver Training on Young Children with Hearing Impairment in a Noisy Listening Environment, ProQuest LLC.

The two objectives of this single-subject study were to assess how an FM system use impacts parent-child interaction in a noisy listening environment, and how a parent/caregiver training affect the interaction between parent/caregiver and child.  Two 5-year-old children with hearing loss and their parent/caregiver participated.  Experiment 1 was conducted using an alternating design measured three communication behaviors (eg child's vocalization, parent/caregiver's initiation, and parent/caregiver's response) across four listening conditions (e.g., HA+Quiet, HA+Noise, FM+Quiet, and FM+Noise).  Experiment 2 was conducted using a comparison within and between conditions to re-measure the communicative behaviors across the listening conditions after the parent/caregiver training.  Findings of this study point to three major conclusions.  First, FM system use (ie FM-only mode) facilitated FM01 child's ability to maintain same level of interaction in a noisy as good as in a quiet environment.  Second, parent/caregiver training enhanced the impact of FM system use for one child (FM01), although parent/caregiver initiation increased for both.  Third, it is important to verify the function of both FM system and HA microphones to ensure access to FM advantage.  [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/products-services/dissertations/ ]

Oticon Foundation Report

In the Oticon Foundation Report - Study of FM in Real World Settings(2012) Wendy McCracken and others investigate the ‘real world’ use of radio aids, with a mixture of scientific measurements and the views of teachers and pupils.