Digital signal processing hearing aids, personal FM systems, and interference: is there a problem?

Objectives: To determine whether digital signal processing (DSP) hearing aids produce conducted radio frequency interference that can affect the use of personal FM systems, to quantify the nature of any such interference, and to discuss practical remedies.

Design: Sixteen DSP hearing aids were used. Measurements were made of the spectral characteristics of any conducted radio frequency interference produced by each aid with FM shoe and 40 cm direct audio input (DAI) lead when the DAI facility was enabled.

The GMC project: some linguistic and cognitive characteristics of a population of hearing-impaired children.

In this paper, some developmental characteristics of a population of hearing-impaired children are described. The 79 children described are all those born in Greater Manchester in the years 1977-1980 with a mean bilateral sensorineural hearing loss of 25 dB HL or more in the better ear and without additional handicaps or bilingualism in the home. The subjects attended clinics in which comprehensive monitoring of their development was carried out by means of audiological, psychological and linguistic testing and video-recordings of mother-child interaction.

Speech addressed to hearing-impaired children by their mothers.

In this cross-sectional study, some characteristics of the maternal language of a large group of hearing-impaired children are described (n = 74). The children had mean bilateral sensori-neural hearing loss of 25-123 dB HL in the better ear; they were monolingual, suffered no additional handicaps, and at the time of the study were aged 3-7 years old. The language data reported here were obtained by transcribing video-recorded play sessions.

The GMC project: a current investigation of the development of a large population of hearing-impaired children.

This report of work in progress describes the GMC project, an investigation of the language and development of hearing-impaired children born within the Greater Manchester area in the years 1977-1980 inclusive. The aim of the language section of the project is to describe the acquisition and development of spoken language by a complete population of children with sensori-neural hearing loss. Comprehensive audiological, aetiological and sociological background information is kept as well as the results of standardized psychological and language tests and videotaped samples of spontaneous language.

Practical considerations in the fabrication of earmoulds for young babies.

The practicalities of fabricating earmoulds for young babies (under the age of 3 months) have been investigated. The results indicate that earmoulds can be satisfactorily fabricated provided there are changes in approach in the fabrication procedure. This applies in both the ear impression taking and in the format of the final earmould.