Directional Effects on Infants and Young Children in Real Life: Implications for Amplification

Autor/inn/en	Ching, Teresa Y. C.; O'Brien, Anna; Dillon, Harvey; Chalupper, Josef; Hartley, Lisa; Hartley, David; Raicevich, George; Hain, Jens
Titel	Directional Effects on Infants and Young Children in Real Life: Implications for Amplification
Quelle	In: Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 52 (2009) 5, S.1241-1254 (14 Seiten) PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	1092-4388
DOI	10.1044/1092-4388(2009/08-0261)
Schlagwörter	Infants; Young Children; Human Body; Orientation; Context Effect; Acoustics; Hearing Impairments; Assistive Technology; Caregivers; Naturalistic Observation + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Infant; Toddler; Toddlers; Kleinkind; Frühe Kindheit; Menschlicher Körper; Orientierung; Akustik; Hearing impairment; Hörbehinderung; Caregiver; Carer; Betreuungsperson; Pfleger; Naturbeobachtung
Abstract	Purpose: This study examined the head orientation of young children in naturalistic settings and the acoustics of their everyday environments for quantifying the potential effects of directionality. Method: Twenty-seven children (11 with normal hearing, 16 with impaired hearing) between 11 and 78 months of age were video recorded in naturalistic settings for analyses of head orientation. Reports on daily activities were obtained from caregivers. The effect of directionality in different environments was quantified by measuring the Speech Transmission Index (STI; H. J. M. Steeneken & T. Houtgast, 1980). Results: Averaged across 4 scenarios, children looked in the direction of a talker for 40% of the time when speech was present. Head orientation was not affected by age or hearing status. The STI measurements revealed a directional advantage of 3 dB when a child looked at a talker but a deficit of 2.8 dB when the talker was sideways or behind the child. The overall directional effect in real life was between -0.4 and 0.2 dB. Conclusions: The findings suggest that directional microphones in personal hearing devices for young children are not detrimental and have much potential for benefits in real life. The benefits may be enhanced by fitting directionality early and by counseling caregivers on ways to maximize benefits in everyday situations. (As Provided).
Anmerkungen	American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA). 10801 Rockville Pike, Rockville, MD 20852. Tel: 800-638-8255; Fax: 301-571-0457; e-mail: subscribe@asha.org; Web site: http://jslhr.asha.org
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2017/4/10