Center for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Education: Sound Advice: Audiology

Hearing Assistive Technology (HAT): The Method to the Madness

Why do we use HAT?
Children are less mature and less skillful listeners in background noise as compared to adults and cannot rely on the life and language experience that adults have. They require a quieter environment and greater speech signal clarity in order to hear, listen, and comprehend what is said in a classroom. How do we help children who are deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) hear in a noisy classroom setting? Enter Hearing Assistive Technology (HAT). HAT is intended to help minimize the adverse effects of listening in background noise and from a distance to improve the listener’s ability to understand speech. HAT can be used with almost any personal hearing devices, including hearing aids, cochlear implants and bone-anchored hearing aids; however, some specific models may not be compatible with certain devices. There are many different types of HAT and a seemingly endless list of different pieces of equipment that your child may be using at school. This is often difficult to digest and can be overwhelming, but understanding fundamental HAT components will help give parents/caregivers a clearer picture of their child’s needs and help them to best advocate for their children in the classroom.

Let’s break it down.
The following are descriptions of some of the most common types of HAT that children may use in the classroom:

Transmitter: The microphone worn by school staff to transmit their voices directly to the child’s personal hearing devices (i.e. hearing aids). It is important that school staff wearing a transmitter receive appropriate training on its use. The transmitter can also be used to help your child connect to external audio sources in the classroom (e.g., computer) in lieu of wearing headphones over their devices.

Receiver: Piece that attaches to your child’s personal hearing devices and receives the signal (i.e. teacher’s voice) from the transmitter. Receivers may be dedicated for specific devices and connect only to specific hearing aids or implants, or they may be universal and may be used with many different devices via an audioshoe or adapter.

Audio Input Shoe/Adapter: Used to help connect the receiver to a hearing aid (HA). The type of audioshoe required will depend on the type and manufacturer of HA technology and receiver your child is wearing. A special adapter is also commonly used to help connect receivers to CI processors. Your child’s managing audiologist and Teacher of the Deaf (TOD) can help determine the most appropriate equipment for your child.

Induction Loop: Universal neckloop receiver that can receive sound from a compatible transmitter and deliver it to any personal listening device with a T-coil. Can also be used in-lieu of an audioshoe by plugging an FM/DM receiver directly into the bottom of the induction loop device. The FM/DM receiver receives the sound from the transmitter and the sound is then transmitted via the induction loop to the child’s T-coils in their personal hearing devices when the setting is activated.

Remote Microphone: Microphone worn by the teacher that sends their voice to the child’s personal hearing device via a streamer worn around the child’s neck or a Bluetooth connection in the child’s personal device.

Streamer: Worn around the child’s neck and streams (transmits) audio/voice directly to their personal listening devices. Can be used with remote microphones, TV, phone or any other media with Bluetooth technology.

Putting it all together:
Hearing Aid with Audio Shoe and Universal Receiver