This paper describes a new "class" of auditory tests designed to evaluated the ability of young children to detect commonly encountered sounds; localize sound sources; and understand speech in noise. The tests appear to be sensitive to the effects of auditory pathology and to the normal development of auditory processing skills. (DB)

Because children who are deaf or hard of hearing are being identified at birth, fitted with advanced hearing technology, and enrolled in early intervention programs, families increasingly seek professionals who can provide services that support their choice of listening and spoken language. The increased demand for these services and shortages of…

This document is intended for classroom teachers, resource personnel, administrators and parents. It is one of a series of documents developed to facilitate programming for students in grades 1 to 12 who have special education needs. The six essential components listed in this document are contained in "Standards for Special Education,…

This article traces the development of speech audiometry in the United States and reports on the current status, focusing on the needs of a multilingual population in terms of measuring speech recognition threshold (SRT). It also discusses sociolinguistic considerations, alternative SRT stimuli for second language learners, and research on using…

This paper discusses the problem of feedback in hearing aids and offers examples based on a computer simulation of hearing aid behavior. The available technology for dealing with feedback is reviewed, and the new digital signal-processing approaches which may finally solve the feedback problem are described. (Author/DB)

Evidence-based practice (EBP), a framework that originated in clinical medicine, offers a principled means of addressing longstanding questions about clinical practice in communication disorders. However, in several respects EBP represents a radical departure from traditional thinking in speech-language pathology and audiology. In this paper, I…

The paper describes PAC (Psychology--Audiology Collaboration), a program which provides services and family support to the hearing impaired in a community setting. The program features a prevention component, treatment, educational and social support components, cross-discipline referrals, and interdepartmental training opportunities for graduate…

This article introduces the use of multilayered artificial neural networks in hearing aid noise recognition. It reviews basic principles of neural networks, and offers an example of an application in which a neural network is used to identify the presence or absence of noise in speech. The ability of neural networks to "learn" the…

This report examines how the teacher-practitioner model has been developed and is implemented at Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke's Medical Center (Chicago, Illinois) in the professional training of audiologists. Discussed are the model's attributes, integration of the clinical and academic programs, advantages of the model, demands of the model, and…

The purpose of this research was to evaluate the relation between self-reported cardiovascular disease (CVD) and cochlear function in older adults. The Epidemiology of Hearing Loss Study (EHLS) is an ongoing population-based study of hearing loss and its risk factors in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin. As part of the EHLS questionnaire, participants were…

Stickler syndrome is an autosomal dominant multisystem disease. The four most affected systems are craniofacial, skeletal, ocular, and auditory. The manifestations of Stickler syndrome vary considerably among affected individuals. Audiologists and speech-language pathologists should be familiar with the characteristics associated with Stickler…

A critical professional issue in speech-language pathology and audiology is the current shortage of researchers. In this context, the most effective methods for training graduate students in research must be identified and implemented. This article describes a problem-based approach to teaching research methods. In this approach, the instructor…

Two infant stimulation programs - for Down's Syndrome and hearing impaired children - in Montgomery County, Maryland, are described. Referral, initial assessment, development of individualized education program, and use of learning activities with the Down's infants are discussed along with intervention rationale, parent role, and child…

Describes alternative approaches to hearing aid fitting with infants and young children in light of recent technological developments. Both audiometric-based and electroacoustic-based procedures are described. Discusses the relative strengths and limitations of each approach to hearing aid fitting in terms of their clinical application with…

This paper summarizes research efforts of the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) and identifies research priorities. The NIDCD is responsible for research and research training related to both normal and disordered hearing, balance, smell, taste, voice, speech, and language. The paper notes that 59 percent of…