SLP - Speech-Language Pathology Hearing and Aural Rehabilitation Questions and Answers — Questions and Answers
Question 1: An audiogram for a 35-year-old male indicates that his air conduction thresholds are at 50 dB HL across all frequencies, while his bone conduction thresholds are at 10 dB HL across all frequencies. Which type of hearing loss and what related characteristic does this pattern represent?
- Sensorineural hearing loss with no air-bone gap
- Conductive hearing loss with a significant air-bone gap (Correct answer)
- Mixed hearing loss with a significant air-bone gap
- Auditory neuropathy spectrum disorder with variable thresholds
Correct answer: Conductive hearing loss with a significant air-bone gap
This audiogram shows normal bone conduction thresholds (10 dB HL) and moderately-severe air conduction thresholds (50 dB HL). The large difference (>15 dB) between air and bone conduction thresholds is called an air-bone gap. This pattern is characteristic of a conductive hearing loss, which indicates a problem in the outer or middle ear that impedes sound transmission to a normally functioning inner ear.
Question 2: A 72-year-old client with newly fitted hearing aids is frustrated, stating, "I hear things, but I can't understand what people are saying, especially in restaurants." As part of the aural rehabilitation plan, the SLP teaches the client to ask a speaker, "Could you please say that in a different way?" instead of just "What?" This technique is an example of which type of strategy?
- An anticipatory strategy
- A maladaptive strategy
- A specific communication repair strategy (Correct answer)
- An environmental modification strategy
Correct answer: A specific communication repair strategy
Communication repair strategies are used to rectify a communication breakdown after it has occurred. Asking a speaker to rephrase a message is a specific and effective repair strategy, as it prompts the speaker to provide the information in a new way rather than simply repeating the misunderstood utterance. Anticipatory strategies are used to prevent breakdowns, and environmental modification involves changing the physical setting.
Question 3: A cochlear implant is an effective intervention for many individuals with severe to profound sensorineural hearing loss because it bypasses the damaged structures of the inner ear. Which structure does the implant's electrode array directly stimulate to provide a sense of sound?
- The tympanic membrane
- The ossicles
- The auditory nerve (Correct answer)
- The hair cells within the cochlea
Correct answer: The auditory nerve
A cochlear implant works by converting sound into electrical signals. An electrode array, which is surgically inserted into the cochlea, delivers these electrical signals directly to the auditory (cochlear) nerve. This process bypasses the damaged hair cells, which are the sensory receptors for hearing that are non-functional in severe to profound sensorineural hearing loss.
Question 4: An SLP is conducting auditory training with an adult who has a recently acquired, moderate hearing loss. The SLP focuses on activities that require the client to understand the overall message of an utterance without explicitly drilling on individual phonemes, such as identifying the topic of a short paragraph read aloud. This approach is best described as:
- Analytic auditory training
- Pragmatic auditory training
- Eclectic auditory training
- Synthetic auditory training (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Synthetic auditory training
Synthetic auditory training focuses on a top-down approach, emphasizing the comprehension of the overall meaning of speech. Activities like understanding the gist of a conversation or a story, rather than focusing on discriminating individual speech sounds (analytic training), are hallmarks of the synthetic approach.
Question 5: According to ASHA and American Academy of Audiology (AAA) guidelines for pure-tone hearing screenings in a school setting, which of the following sets of parameters is most appropriate for screening children from kindergarten through 12th grade?
- 10 dB HL at 500, 1000, and 2000 Hz
- 25 dB HL at 1000, 2000, and 4000 Hz
- 20 dB HL at 1000, 2000, and 4000 Hz (Correct answer)
- 15 dB HL at 500, 1000, 2000, and 4000 Hz
Correct answer: 20 dB HL at 1000, 2000, and 4000 Hz
The generally accepted guidelines for school-age hearing screenings recommend presenting pure tones at 20 dB HL. The frequencies tested are 1000 Hz, 2000 Hz, and 4000 Hz. A failure to detect any one of these tones in either ear constitutes a failed screening and warrants a referral for a comprehensive audiological evaluation.
Question 6: Which of the following is the MOST comprehensive goal of aural rehabilitation for an adult who has recently been diagnosed with bilateral, progressive hearing loss?
- To select and fit the most appropriate hearing aids based on the audiogram.
- To train the client to discriminate between minimal pair words in quiet.
- To minimize the impact of hearing loss on communication and quality of life through training, counseling, and technology. (Correct answer)
- To teach the client's family members to use clear speech when talking to the client.
Correct answer: To minimize the impact of hearing loss on communication and quality of life through training, counseling, and technology.
Aural rehabilitation is a broad, person-centered process that aims to reduce the deficits in function, activity, and quality of life caused by hearing loss. While it includes fitting technology (A) and specific perceptual training (B), and involves family (D), the most comprehensive goal is the overarching aim to address all aspects of the disability through sensory management, instruction, counseling, and perceptual training.
SLP - Speech-Language Pathology Hearing and Aural Rehabilitation Questions and Answers
An audiogram for a 35-year-old male indicates that his air conduction thresholds are at 50 dB HL across all frequencies, while his bone conduction thresholds are at 10 dB HL across all frequencies.
Which type of hearing loss and what related characteristic does this pattern represent?