Transcript Assistive Technology Hearing (deaf or hard of hearing)

Assistive Listening Systems:
Personal Frequency Modulation (FM) Systems
Becky Chopp
Assistive Technology for individuals
who are deaf or hard of hearing
 Many individuals who are hard of hearing use devices such as hearing
aids (an assistive technology) to help them hear.
 In addition, many individuals who are deaf may have gotten cochlear
implants (an assistive technology) to help them hear.
 However, there are many other types of assistive technology to help
these individuals hear (such as assistive listening systems) OR there
are other devices such as picture symbols or pictures schedules
(another type of assistive technology)to help them understand what is
going on around them.
Why FM Systems?
 I chose to research the FM systems because although
some individuals may use hearing aids or cochlear
implants to hear they are not always effective in a loud
environment such as a classroom.
 An FM system helps the student hear the teachers
voice instead of all the background noise, room echo
and distance noise.
FM Systems
 FM system is a type of assistive listening system
 It is a wireless, portable, battery-operated device
that uses radio transmission to send auditory
signals.
 The instructor wears a microphone connected to a
transmitter that is attached to their body.
FM Systems
 The student either wears the receiver clipped to
their clothing or connected to their hearing aid via
an induction loop system or audio input cable.
 This will help the student hear clear sound over
distances, eliminates echoes, and reduces other
surrounding noises.
How to use FM systems
 Each individual type of personal FM system will come with
its own instructional manual to follow.
 Different brands or styles of FM systems will have different
directions to follow on how they need to be used.
 Here is a general article and tutorial on how to use personal
FM systems …
http://content.widexpro.com/images/researchArticles/DAR4
6.pdf
 An audiologist may also be a good reference when trying to
use an FM system with individual students.
Availability of FM systems
Below is a list of the personal FM system product name the vendor it comes from and the
website that vendor and product can be found at.
Personal FM systems can start at $600.00 (being about the cheapest) to any where in the
thousands range.
Product
Vendor
Website
Personal ALD
Comtek
www.comteck.com
Personal ALD
William Sound
Corporation
www.williamssound.com
Phonak
Phonak Hearing Systems
www.phonak.com
Phonic Ear
Phonic Ear
www.phonicear.com
Examples of FM systems
Use in the Future
 This system would be very helpful for me as a teacher
in the future to help individuals who are hard of
hearing.
 In addition, FM systems don’t have to be for personal
use only but can be for the whole classroom.
 To be used for the whole class an FM system would
work the same. The teacher wears the transmitter
closely to her mouth and the receiving end would be
speakers around the classroom to give a surround
sound to the classroom.
Works Cited
http://www.asha.org/public/hearing/FM-Systems/
http://www.comtek.com/products.html#assistivelistening
http://www.williamssound.com/education.aspx#111
http://content.widexpro.com/images/researchArticles/DAR46
.pdf