Assistive Listening Devices (ALDs) - radio aids and proprietary remote microphone systems - optimising listening opportunities

Revised version: Contributions by members of the ALTWG (Stuart Whyte, Brian Copsey, James Mander) including Educational Audiologists from the professional associations; British Association of Educational Audiologists (BAEA) (Claire Bateson, Anne Bailey) and BATOD (Teresa Quail). | View as single page | Feedback/Impact

Listening in noise

The aim is to ensure that all CYP and especially those who may have a temporary or permanent deafness and those with auditory processing/listening in noise challenges can listen and learn effectively in their educational setting.  How intelligible speech is to a CYP will depend on how background noise can be reduced or eliminated and the acoustic quality of the educational setting, ie how much sound reverberates (or echoes) around the room.  The greater the reverberation, the less the CYP will be able to hear the person speaking.  Speech intelligibility will also depend how teaching styles are changed to the listening requirements of CYP.

It is important that the listening environment is as good acoustically as is possible.  The evidence column of the Acoustics: listening and learning MESHGuide gives further information and research on the importance of good acoustics within classrooms.

Soundfield systems can be used in the classroom, as a benefit to all children listening in noisy situations.  Radio aids can be connected to a Soundfield system to further enhance speech intelligibility of the deaf CYP.

Anne Bailey explored ‘A Comparison Between Two Different Speech in Noise Test Setups’ in her Masters study.