Assistive Listening Devices & Hearing Assistive Technology Flashcards

Which type of assistive listening system uses electromagnetic induction to transmit audio signals directly to a telecoil in a hearing aid?

Answer: Induction loop system

Induction loop (hearing loop) systems create an electromagnetic field that is picked up by the telecoil (T-coil) in hearing aids and cochlear implant processors.

An FM assistive listening system operates by transmitting audio using which technology?

Answer: Radio frequency signals

FM systems transmit audio via radio frequency signals from a transmitter (worn by the speaker) to a receiver worn by the listener.

Which assistive listening device (ALD) is most susceptible to interference from other light sources such as fluorescent lighting?

Answer: Infrared system

Infrared systems transmit audio using invisible light waves and can be disrupted by other infrared sources, including fluorescent lighting and sunlight.

A patient with a severe-to-profound hearing loss reports difficulty using the telephone even with hearing aids. The MOST appropriate assistive technology to recommend first would be:

Answer: A captioned telephone (CapTel)

A captioned telephone displays real-time captions of spoken words, making telephone communication accessible regardless of residual hearing ability.

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires that places of public accommodation provide effective communication. Which assistive listening system is specifically mandated in many large assembly areas under ADA guidelines?

Answer: Hearing loop or FM system

ADA guidelines require assistive listening systems (such as hearing loops or FM systems) in assembly areas with audio amplification, ensuring access for people with hearing loss.

A personal sound amplification product (PSAP) differs from a hearing aid in that PSAPs:

Answer: Are designed for people without hearing loss in specific listening situations

PSAPs are consumer electronic devices intended for people with normal hearing who want to amplify sound in specific situations; they are not FDA-cleared hearing devices for hearing impairment.

Which feature of an alerting device would be MOST appropriate for a patient with profound hearing loss who needs to be notified of a doorbell?

Answer: A vibrotactile wristband alert

A vibrotactile wristband alert converts the doorbell signal into a physical vibration on the wrist, which is reliably perceivable even with profound hearing loss.

A patient with unilateral hearing loss asks about a CROS hearing aid system. Which statement BEST describes how a CROS system works?

Answer: It picks up sound from the impaired side and wirelessly transmits it to a hearing aid on the better ear

A CROS (Contralateral Routing of Signal) system uses a microphone on the poorer ear side and transmits the signal wirelessly to a receiver on the better hearing ear.

When counseling a patient about visual alert systems for a smoke alarm, which technology converts the auditory alarm into a visual signal?

Answer: Strobe light alerting system

Strobe light alerting systems flash bright lights when triggered by smoke alarms or other auditory alerts, providing a visual warning for individuals with hearing loss.

Under the Hearing Aid Compatibility (HAC) Act, mobile phones sold in the U.S. must meet minimum M-rating standards. What does the M-rating assess?

Answer: Compatibility with hearing aids operating in microphone mode

The M-rating (Microphone rating) measures the level of radio frequency interference a phone produces when used with hearing aids in microphone (M) mode.

A patient who is deaf and uses American Sign Language (ASL) needs to communicate with hearing family members. Which assistive technology would BEST facilitate real-time spoken communication between them?

Answer: Video Relay Service (VRS)

Video Relay Service (VRS) connects a deaf ASL user to a hearing person via a video interpreter who interprets ASL to spoken English and vice versa in real time.

Which signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) improvement is a remote microphone system typically expected to provide compared to a hearing aid used alone in a noisy classroom?

Answer: 15–25 dB improvement

Remote microphone systems typically provide 15–25 dB SNR improvement over hearing aids alone, as the microphone captures speech at the source before room noise degrades it.

A HIS fitting a BiCROS system should understand that unlike a standard CROS system, a BiCROS system is designed for patients who:

Answer: Have bilateral hearing loss of differing degrees

A BiCROS system combines a CROS microphone on the poorer side with amplification in the better-hearing ear, used when the better ear also has hearing loss requiring amplification.

Which organization administers the IIC (Invisible-in-Canal) and other hearing aid style classifications, and also provides credentialing standards relevant to hearing instrument specialists?

Answer: National Board for Certification in Hearing Instrument Sciences (NBC-HIS)

The National Board for Certification in Hearing Instrument Sciences (NBC-HIS) administers the Board Certification in Hearing Instrument Sciences (BC-HIS) credential and sets professional standards for hearing instrument specialists.