A student in elementary school with moderate hearing loss and difficulty listening in class or group settings
This case study is based on a student who is in the classroom where learning occurs by listening to teacher lectures and participating in group work and group discussions. The student’s participation is marginal, and the teacher would like to see the student benefit from more classroom participation. The student’s challenges are hearing the teacher over the other classroom noise and hearing the other students as group discussions take place. The student wears hearing aids but still needs assistance with decreasing noise to sound ratio and hearing discussions well and clearly.
Possible Recommendations:
An AT solution would be a sound amplification device that accommodates wide area listening. The transmitter and receiver are two separate units: 1) The speaker wears a microphone/transmitter which sends a signal through FM, digital, infrared, or induction loop to the receiver. 2) The listener wears a receiver that captures the signal through earbuds, headphones, or a neck loop that couples with the telecoil of the hearing aid/cochlear implant. Wide area listening systems reduce the impact of background noise, poor acoustics, and distance. Consider also the environment: noise, room acoustics, distance, visual access, and lighting, along with AT.
Devices to try:
Goals and Outcomes:
The student will show increased participation in classroom discussions by using the personal amplification system. Some suggested goals to track outcomes are to track the percentage of questions answered appropriately / on topic; track the increase in social interaction with peers during group work with verbal exchange; track the student’s initiative to ask for the pass around mic or independently request that peers repeat statements.
See the attached SETT Framework for feature-matching solutions based on the Student, Environment, Task, and Tools.
Case Study Forms – SETT Framework
If you are interested in these recommended devices, please visit our Device Loan Program webpage to apply for a short-term loan.