Fitting FM Systems with Advanced Digital Signal Processing Hearing Aids

Setting up FM systems in the UK has traditionally been the role of the Teacher of the Deaf (ToD) or Educational Audiologist. Most FM systems are purchased by Education services and are considered to be an “educational aid”, an essential piece of equipment to facilitate the inclusion of hearing impaired children into mainstream education. Personal hearing aids are provided by the National Health Service (NHS) and usually fitted in a hospital Audiology clinic. In areas where there has traditionally been close co-operation between Health and Education the separation of the provision of these two parts of the child’s “amplification package” has not been a problem. A third agency, Social Services, may also be involved in relation to the provision of Assistive Listening Devices such as loops, telephone amplifiers, alarm systems etc. The cost of FM systems and financial constraints within Services for Hearing Impaired children means that most Education services draw up a policy on candidacy locally. There are areas where most hearing aid wearers will be considered for provision of an FM system and the systems may be fitted as early as 12 months, when the child becomes more mobile, and their use in all appropriate listening situations will be encouraged, including home use. In contrast, some areas only introduce FM systems when children start full time education, and their use is restricted to school. In some areas the more severely and profoundly deaf children get priority for having an FM system. There is thus considerable variation in provision