Spatial Hearing in Noise of Young Children with Cochlear Implants and Hearing Aids

The primary goals of this investigation were (1) to determine the sensitivity of the Phrases in Noise Test (PINT) for identifying children with hearing loss who were at risk for educational difficulties in the classroom, (2) to examine the effects of spatial location of the speech and noise sources on the speech recognition in noise of participants using bilateral cochlear implants (CIs), bilateral hearing aids, or a CI on one ear and hearing aid on the non-implant ear (bimodal stimulation), and (3) to determine the relationship between teacher ratings of educational risk and speech recognition in noise. Twenty-nine children using bilateral CIs, bilateral hearing aids, or bimodal stimulation were tested with the PINT in conditions with speech and noise from the same location or from separate locations in a small room. Teachers of the participants were asked to complete the Preschool Screening Instrument for Targeting Educational Risk (S.I.F.T.E.R.). Average results from the three groups of children suggest significant spatial release from masking, where the spatial separation of speech and noise sources resulted in improved speech-in-noise thresholds. Several medium and strong negative correlations were calculated, where poorer speech-in-noise thresholds on the PINT were related significantly to at-risk Preschool S.I.F.T.E.R. ratings from teachers. In comparison to PINT performance in age-matched children with normal-hearing sensitivity from a previous study, 93% of children in the present study have significantly poorer PINT thresholds. A combination of the PINT and the Preschool S.I.F.T.E.R. may be used by educational audiologists to identify young children with hearing loss who have educational need for classroom accommodations and hearing assistance technology. Introduction