1. Functional Listening Evaluations:
How to complete them and how to use the Data
Presented by: Samantha Rogers, Au.D., CCC-A
District Audiologist for Fayette County Schools

2. Present Level Areas Health, Vision, Hearing, and Motor Abilities
Section is taken from the Guidance Document For IEP Development.

3. Functional Hearing and Listening
Functional Hearing, Listening Assessment and Functional Communication Assessment are completed for a student who is deaf or hard of hearing. The Present Levels summarize the status of the student in these areas.
The purpose of the Functional Hearing/Listening and Communication Assessment section is to:
provide information about how a student is able to understand and process linguistic information through hearing as well as how a student uses his/her hearing in the educational environment.
This may include how well a student is able to access verbal instruction and to what degree visual input, distance and noise affect performance.

4. Some of the Guiding Questions
Does the child require visual supports and/or speech reading?
To what degree does the distance from the speaker and or background noise affect the student’s ability to understand auditory information?
What noise reducing supports or accommodations are needed to enhance access to auditory information?
Does the student need an enhanced signal to noise ratio??
How does the student's hearing loss impact auditory function in the school/classroom setting?
-Taken from the Guidance Document For IEP Development P. 26 and 27

5. How are we going to answer some of these questions….?
That’s where Functional Listening Evaluations come into play.

6. Purpose of a FLE?
Determine how listening abilities are affected by noise, distance, and visual input in the student’s natural listening environment
Demonstrated abilities in the real world as opposed to measurements made in a sound booth

7. The results may … Show the need for amplification
Demonstrate need for sign support
Justify amplification is not necessary
Provide evidence to teachers, students, and parents regarding the impact of the hearing loss
Help justify accommodations needed
Provide information to include in the Functional Hearing Section on the IEP

8. FLE Protocol It is Free and online Protocol with word lists
al.html

9. Materials Needed CD Play/Computer Sound Level Meter
Multi Talker Noise CD/ audio file
Test stimuli (I.e. words/phrases/sentence lists)
Tape Measure
Speech hoop

10. Testing environment
Student’s Natural listening environment (IE classroom)
Use while empty
A room that closely approximates size, ambient noise level and acoustic surfaces of the child’s classroom.

11. Physical Set-up of Testing Environment
Close Condition: Noise source and examiner 3 feet in front of student
Student
Noise Source Examiner

12. Distant Condition Student Noise Source
Far Condition: Noise source stays at 3 feet in front of the student and examiner moves feet away from the student.
Student
Noise Source

13. Types of Evaluation Materials
Word Level
PB-K
NU-6
W-22
Phrases/Sentences
Common Children’s Phrases
Common Children’s Non-Sense Phrases
BLAIR Sentences
SPIN Sentences
HINT-C

14. Considerations for picking materials
Students age
Language Abilities/Vocabulary
Memory Skills
Speech intelligibility
The sentence material should remain the same through the evaluation. The only variables that should be manipulated are distance, noise level, and visual inputs.

15. Presentation Levels
Protocol is set up to approximate +5 decibel signal to noise ration with close condition and -5 dB with distant condition
Examiner’s voice: 71 dBA at 18” from mouth
Noise: 60 dBA at student’s ear
*Use sound level meter to determine the loudness of the stimuli. Then adjust as necessary.

16. Sound Level Meter
Measures decibels (dB) of noise typically in Sound Pressure Level (SPL) You want to use the A weighting scale (dBA).

17. Presentation Protocol
Use the child’s typical hearing mode
If the child usually wears amplification it should be worn during the evaluation
When Used as a validation tool to demonstrate improvement in listening ability with FM or other hearing assistance technology, the examiner should repeat the far conditions to demonstrate the benefits of the technology.

18. Testing Conditions Auditory Visual Close Quiet 2. Auditory Close Quiet
3. Auditory Visual Close noise
4. Auditory Close noise
5. Auditory Visual Far Noise
6. Auditory Far Noise
7. Auditory Far Quiet
8. Auditory Visual Far Quiet
*** Modifications can be made to test protocol as needed. In this order it balances the difficulty across conditions.

19. Scoring -

20. Step 1: Record results on scoring sheet while administering the evaluation

21. Step 2
Transfer percentages to Scorebox and Interpretation Matrix

22. Step 3
Calculate Averages

23. Step 4
Summarize results
Interpret Data
Make Recommendations

24. I have all the data.. Now what?
Data can show need for accommodations
FM System
Sign Support
Preferential seating
Data can be used as a counseling tool
Show need for amplification
Show need for FM system
Information can be added to IEP to demonstrate Functional Hearing abilities

25. Case Studies

26. Who do you expect to perform better?
Student 1
Student 2
11 y/o female
Born with profound hearing loss in 1 ear, normal hearing other ear
Not using amplification
English is used to communicate
9 y/o female
Born with profound hearing loss in 1 ear, normal hearing in the other ear
Not using amplification
English/Spanish are used to communicate at home.

27. FLE Results
Student 1
Student 2

28. Student 3
14 year old female, Diagnosed with a unilateral hearing loss at birth
Has worn amplification consistently for about 8 months
Right Side: Borderline Normal hearing
Left: mild sloping to severe sensorineural hearing loss
Reason for referral: To assess the need for FM or other assistive technology

29. Student 3 Test Results- Auditory Only
Amplification
Stimulus
% correct 3’ quiet
% correct 3’ noise
% correct 12’ quiet
% correct 12’ noise
Hearing aids
Common Children’s Phrases
100%
95%
Hearing Aids Plus FM
DNT

30. Student 4 Age: 15 Amplification: Cochlear Nucleus 5 Activated at age 3
Bilateral Profound Sensorinerual hearing loss
Reason for Evaluation: Student stopped wearing FM

31. Student 4 Results– Auditory Only
Amplification
Stimulus
% Correct at 3’ quiet
%correct at 3’ noise
% correct at 12’ quiet
% correct at 12’ noise
Cochlear Implant no visual cues
Common children’s phrases
80%
50% 0%
Cochlear Implant with Visual cues
DNT

32. Student 5 5 year old male Fit with hearing aids 3 months ago
Mild to moderate sensorineural hearing loss bilaterally
Reason for referral: Eligibility for HI services, new special education referral

33. Student 5 Results Amplification Stimulus 3’ quiet No visual cues
With visual cues
12’ quiet
NO visual cues
Hearing Aids
PB-K Words
20%
80%
Hearing Aids Plus FM
85%
* Did not Test

35. Contact Information
Samantha Rogers
Audiologist
Fayette County Public Schools
Phone: