Effects of Remote Microphone Hearing Aids on Children With Auditory Processing Disorder

Auditory Processing Disorder (APD) is a disorder where the functions of the ear are normal, but the person has difficulty identifying or discriminating sounds and experiences listening difficulties in noise. Remote Microphone Hearing Aids (RMHAs) are wireless listening devices that pick up the speaker's voice and transmit it to a receiver in the listener's ear. In this way, the negative effects of ambient noise, distance from speaker and reverberation are reduced. The research questions are whether RMHAs improve classroom listening, listening in noise performance, listening in spatialised noise and auditory attention, in children with APD. We hypothesize that RMHA use will lead to improved classroom listening and improved speech-in-noise skills after 6 months of RMHA use. Additionally, we hypothesise that listening in spatialised noise and attention skills will remain unchanged following the intervention period. Twenty-six (26) children aged 7-12 with a diagnosis of an APD from the Great Ormond Street Hospital Audiology clinic were included in the study.