Lecture 5.1

Question 1

What are the parts of a hearing aid orientation session?

Answer 1

hearing aid parts orientation
battery
care and maintenance
adjustment/listening
follow-up

Question 2

How do hearing aid batteries differ?

Answer 2

different sizes
fit different types
have different lifespans
rechargeable vs. disposable

Question 3

How are hearing aids cleaned?

Answer 3

avoid moisture, extreme temperatures, trauma/dropping

clean them using various aids (tissues, tools, air blower

Question 4

How can smart phones assist with selecting programs on hearing aids?

Answer 4

apps control hearing aid

can manually select specific program or select automatic which will sample acoustics of the area and select appropriate program

Question 5

How do we counsel on performance expectations for a new hearing aid user?

Answer 5

realistic expectations
- improved but not perfect communication
- more benefit in quiet than in noise
- some degree of visibility

adjustment period/acclimatization
- usually use digital processor to self-adjust over time - start at lower setting for newer users and automatically increase gain over time for a more ideal fit

usually 1, 2, and 3 month follow ups

Question 6

How do we troubleshoot feedback?

Answer 6

check if HA is in the ear properly
- accurate ear mold impression
- proper orientation of receiver in canal

damage/cleaning issues
- no cerumen in canal or on receiver
- no cracks in tubing
- appropriate vent size

proper audiological fitting
- ex. too loud

Question 7

How do we troubleshoot no sound?

Answer 7

dead battery?

ear mold plugged with wax or water?

Question 8

How do we trouble shoot intermittently functioning hearing aid?

Answer 8

tubing collapse? may need to replace tubing

Question 9

What is the SLP role in a hearing aid check?

Answer 9

check is HA is working
check if HA is worn properly
check quality of HA
change batteries
remove wax

Question 10

What is a cochlear implant?

Answer 10

surgically implanted medical device that bypasses the damaged part of inner ear to electrically stimulate remaining neural fibers of auditory nerve

electrodes lay along length of cochlea, can access sound when no hair cells present

vs. hearing aids that amplify sound and rely on integrity of hair cells in inner ear
- don’t work for severe-profound loss that don’t have enough working hair cells

Question 11

What are the characteristics of adults who are candidates for CI?

Answer 11

18+

moderate to profound bilateral sensorineural hearing loss

limited benefit from amplification
- <50% sentence recognition in ear to be implanted and <60% in opposite ear (or binaurally)

Question 12

What are the characteristics of children who are candidates for CI?

Answer 12

12-23 months
- profound bilateral sensorineural hearing loss
- limited benefit from binaural amplification

2-17 years
- severe to profound bilateral sensorineural hearing loss
- limited benefit from binaural amplification
- MLNT or LNT scores <30%

Question 13

What are the components of a CI?

Answer 13

external device
- sound processor, microphone, coil with magnet
- sits behind ear, picks up sound and analyzes, converts into electrical signal that is sent to the internal device located under the skin

internal device
- electrode array

Question 14

How does a CI work?

Answer 14

sound processor captures sound, converts it to digital code, and sends through coil to implant

implant converts to electrical impulse and sends along electrode array in cochlea

electrodes stimulate auditory nerve, sends impulses to brain to be interpreted as sound

Question 15

Who is amongst the team involved in CI provision/care?

Answer 15

ENT
CI surgeon
audiologist
SLP
educator
child psychologist
social worker

Question 16

What are some of the SLP roles in CI?

Answer 16

pre-CI:
- speech/language/communication
- auditory and functional listening skills
- literacy
- metacognition and executive functions

post-CI:
- modes/approaches/strategies for communication
- QOL/self-assessment tools
- education
- prognosis for speech/language/communication
- treatment options

Question 17

What is the process from identification of HL to CI?

Answer 17

diagnosis/identification
hearing aid trial
audiologic candidacy evaluation
medical candidacy evaluation
other evaluation (SLP, psych, etc.)
surgery
initial stimulation (few weeks post-op)
ongoing CI programming
verification of performance

Question 18

What are some common features of a CI?

Answer 18

power switch
battery
program control
volume control

Question 19

Where does aural rehab come into CI process?

Answer 19

after implantation

learn how to listen, discriminate, and understand range of sounds

individualized treatment plans

Question 20

What are some factors impacting performance of CI?

Answer 20

duration of deafness
age of onset of deafness
age of implantation
duration of CI use
other (electrode placement, aural rehab, etc.)

Question 21

What are ALDs?

Answer 21

assistive listening devices

don’t replace hearing aids - improve ability to hear in challenging listening situations

amplified telephones, notification systems, TV streamers, personal amplifiers

Question 22

What are amplified telephones?

Answer 22

help those who struggle to hear when talking on phone

extra loud ringer volume and tone control to help hear conversations more clearly

for mild to severe loss, work best with use of hearing aids

Question 23

What are some notification systems?

Answer 23

amplified alarm clocks - extra loud alarm, pillow shaker

alert systems - flash a light when things like alarm clock, door bell, smoke detector, or telephone is going off

Question 24

What is a pocket talker?

Answer 24

microphone attached to headphones

speaker holds microphone and listener wears headphones

suitable for moderate-severe hearing loss with or without hearing aid

Question 25

What is a remote microphone?

Answer 25

speaker wears a microphone and speech is sent directly to hearing aid

allows hearing of speaker louder than any background noise
- overcomes effect of talker distance, ambient noise, reverberation

wireless, direct audio input

Question 26

What is an induction loop system?

Answer 26

loop systems in churches, auditoriums, or theatres that send sound from a microphone directly to hearing aids

telecoil pre-installed in hearing aids/CIs connect to loop system

Question 27

What is an infrared system?

Answer 27

uses light waves to send sounds across a room

system changes sounds into light and sends them to receiver, then receiver turns light waves back into sounds

receiver can be worn alone or within hearing aid

used in larger places like theatres, can also be used at home with TV
- allow you to hear TV at louder volume while others hear at a comfortable volume for them

Question 28

What is an FM system?

Answer 28

frequency modulation

wireless transmission method used to transmit sound

main advantage: resilient to noise and interference, helps preserve quality and clarity of sound transmitted

traditionally consists of radio transmitter which captures sound via microphone or direct connection to sound source and transmits to radio receiver

Question 29

What are some issues with loop systems compare to FM/IR?

Answer 29

more expensive and inconvenient
requires wires to be installed
potential interference/reduced security