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Neither hearing aids or
cochlear implant
microphone technology is advanced enough
to know to listen to the teacher
standing at the front of the class.
These microphones typically
amplify what is closest
and what is loudest, which could
very well be the pencil sharpener,
the hallway noise,
the student wearing a nylon jacket,
or the aquarium pump.
If you have not yet heard the audio clip
of a student listening with hearing aids alone,
please take a moment to do so now.
As you might have heard us mention,
all students demonstrate positive learning
outcomes when they have access
to the teacher's speech
and a quiet listening environment.
For the student with a hearing loss,
proximity to the speaker
and good acoustics
is absolutely essential.
If you had the opportunity to view the classroom
audio distribution video, you may recall
that CADS can reduce
the back row effect
and reduce the negative impact of background noise.
However,
it is important to understand
that CADS are not
adequate for a student
who makes use of hearing aids or cochlear implants.
The only way to provide a student with
hearing loss adequate access
is through a personal FM system.
Now let's listen to a student
with hearing aids and a personal FM system
in a classroom setting.
Here is another clip
comparing a hearing aid only condition
to a hearing aid plus personal FM condition.
Note that they
occur quickly, one after another,
in the same recording.
The first is listening at 3 feet
from the speaker.
Now, listen to the same recording
at 12 feet from the speaker.
As you can clearly hear,
the personal FM system
brings a teacher's voice
in front of, or above, the background
noise level. And it does so
as effectively at 3 feet
or at 12 feet.
I invite you now
to take a moment to view the following video.
For a student with a hearing loss,
a personal FM system
is not merely assistive technology.
Rather, it is
essential technology
that provides them their access
to the curriculum.
There are primarily two personal FM manufacturers
present in Alberta schools:
Oticon and
Phonak.
Both Oticon and Phonak are also
hearing aid manufacturers and
personal FM systems are typically
chosen based on the type of hearing aids
that the student uses.
If you are unsure
of the type or parts of your
student's amplification device,
please refer to the glossary for more information.
For manufacturer-specific information,
please refer to the
Phonak and Oticon videos.