Outcomes of Children
SPEECH PERCEPTION
Children are often in everyday environments where they have to listen to speech in background noise. Some children with a hearing loss have great difficulty listening in noise, and this can be helped by appropriate settings in the hearing aids or by using FM systems.
LOCHI study audiologists assess children’s ability to listen to speech in the presence of background noise when they turn five. Speech perception is tested in the two situations depicted below.
The information we gather from both tests allows us to determine how well your child is able to integrate information from both ears to enable them to listen to speech in noisy situations.
The testing is carried out by a specialist research paediatric audiologist in a sound-proof booth specifically set up for this type of testing. This is why appointments for these assessments must be conducted at specific audiology centres. When you come for an assessment it is very important to ensure that your child is wearing his/her hearing aids and/or cochlear implant/s. If there is a problem with your child’s hearing aids or cochlear implant/s, please contact the research audiologist prior to the assessment.
The research audiologist may use either the NU-CHIPS (North Western University Children’s Perception of Speech) or the BEST (Beautifully Efficient Sentence Test) with your child.
Following the assessment you will receive a report in the mail explaining the results of the test. For more information please contact your research audiologist or the NAL office in your state.
www.outcomes.nal.gov.au