Background Noise: Classroom, Background Noise: Classroom, Clinic and (Research) LabClinic and (Research) Lab

Jill Raney, Ph.D.April 11, 2014

University of Connecticut

OverviewOverviewPresence of background noise in

classrooms

Standards for Classroom Acoustics

Measuring impact of background noise

Interventions

What is current research telling us.

Distance (Speaker to the listener ) –Double the distance, decrease signal by 6 dB

Reverberation – Persistence of the reflected sounds after the original sound is produced. Longer time greater the difficulty.

Noise –Greater the background noise the poorer the Signal/Noise ratio (S/N)

Classroom Acoustic StandardsClassroom Acoustic Standards2002 - American National Standards Institute (ANSI) created the, Acoustical Performance Criteria, Design Requirements and Guidelines for Schools standard (ANSI S12.60-2002). Standard developed in a effort to create a classroom environment that optimizes speech understanding.

2004 - American Speech-Language-Hearing Association's (ASHA) endorsed the ANSI standard and recommended the following criteria for classroom acoustics:

• Unoccupied classroom levels must not exceed 35 dBA

• The signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) should be at least +15 dB at the child's ears.

• Unoccupied classroom reverberation not longer than 0.6 seconds in smaller classrooms or 0.7 seconds in larger rooms

ClinicClinicAuditory Skill Development: Speech understanding in background noise

Children are not “little adults”.

Elliot, L. (1979). Performance of

children aged 9 to 17 years on a test of

speech intelligibility in noise using

sentence material with controlled word

predictability. Journal of the Acoustical

Society of America, 66, 651-653.

Which children have difficulty Which children have difficulty understanding speech in understanding speech in background noise? Most!background noise? Most!

• Normal hearing• Hearing loss • Sensorineural• Conductive• Unilateral

• Central Auditory Processing Disorder (CAPD)• Aspergers

Some of the Available SIN TestsSome of the Available SIN Tests• Words-in-Noise Test (WIN) (Wilson, 2003;

Wilson & McArdle, 2007)

• Quick Speech-in-Noise Test (QuickSIN) (Killion et al., 2004)

• Hearing in Noise Test (HINT) (Nilsson et al., 1994)

• BKB-Speech in Noise Test (BKB-SIN) (Etymotic Research, 2005)

• Listening in Spatialized Noise - Sentences Test (LiSN-S) (NAL – National Acoustic Laboratories)

Speech-In-Noise (SIN) Testing: Speech-In-Noise (SIN) Testing: Quantify the amount of difficulty. Quantify the amount of difficulty.

Stimuli: Digits Words

Sentences Noise: Speech-spectrum Cafeteria Multi-talker babble

Presentation: Modified Live-Voice (MLV) Recorded

What can we do?What can we do?

Improve the S/NImprove the S/N

•Decrease the level of the noise (N)

• Increase the level of the signal (S)

FM - PhonakFM - Phonak

iSense

Inspiro

Practice Practice

Auditory Training ProgramsAuditory Training Programs

LACE - Listening And Communication Enhancement (Neurotone)

(LiSN-S)- Listening in Spatialized Noise – Sentences Test (National Acoustics Lab)

Lab - Lab - Why is noise detrimental to speech Why is noise detrimental to speech understanding?understanding?

Dr. Nina Kraus’ WorkDr. Nina Kraus’ Work

Audiology Online – From20Q with Gus Mueller (7/13)

Marion Downs Lecture in Pediatric Marion Downs Lecture in Pediatric Audiology (AAA, 2014)Audiology (AAA, 2014)

“Biological Assessment in Audiology: “Biological Assessment in Audiology: Spotlight on Auditory Processing and Spotlight on Auditory Processing and Hearing in Noise.”Hearing in Noise.”

Presented by Dr. Nina KrausPresented by Dr. Nina Kraus

Does FM Use and Training Work?Does FM Use and Training Work?

SummarySummaryPresence of background noise in

classrooms

Standards for Classroom Acoustics

Measuring impact of background noise

Interventions

What is current research telling us.

As Helen Keller said,

“Blindness separates us from things but deafness separates us from people."

Thank you…