SHS 430 1st EditionLecture 6OUTLINE OF LAST LECTUREI. Implications of hearing loss [continued]II. Behaviors that may indicate hearing lossIII. Speech bananaOUTLINE OF CURRENT LECTUREI. Review of assistive listening devicesII. Hearing Aid, etc. checksCURRENT LECTUREI. Review of Assistive listening devices-Most young children will have behind the ear hearing aids with conventional earmold or open fit.-A cochlear implant applies electrical stimulation of the auditory nerve, and has been approved for young children since the early 90’s.-FM systems help with the signal-noise ratio, and can help with auditory processing. -Office workers, teachers, or SLP’s check the hearing aids at school.-Audiologists perform electroacoustic checks.II. Hearing Aid, etc. checks-Hearing aids may be subject to a variety of electrical and electroacoustic problems. -Common problems can include the following: clogged ear molds for hearing aids, weak batteries, malfunction of controls or programs, cracked cases or tubing, broken cords or cables, moisture, distortion of signal, limited or poor frequency response. -Moisture is the number one reason for hearing aid distortion in kids.-For clogged ear molds, we should use something like a pipe cleaner to clear it.-For weak batteries, we should always have a battery test kit and a spare.-And the malfunction of controls or programs would need to be checked by the audiologists. They must work together in order for the hearing aids to work.-For moisture, we can use a bulb to dry it out.-And to check the distortion of signal, we can check it out our self.-It is imperative that an effective daily hearing aid checks system is in place. Ongoing monitoring and maintenance is essential to insure optimal benefit.-Components of a good hearing aid maintenance kit:1) Battery tester2) Hearing aid stethoscope 3) Air blower4) Wax pick or pipe cleaner5) Small soft brush6) Small lighted magnifying glass7) Extra batteries8) Dry aid kit-Visually inspect the hearing aid or implant and ear molds and tubing.-Make sure the correct battery size is used and the battery is correctly placed in the instrument.-Perform listening check. Use a recorded sample or the radio. Listening for interruptions in the signal as well as obvious distortions, etc. Use ling six sounds (oo, ah, ee, sh, s, m) to monitor frequency response of hearing aid.-Listen to acoustic feedback. Does the ear mold fit properly? Refer to