Patent ID: 6584440
Filing Date: 2003-06-24
Classification: A61B,G10L

Abstract:
A method for testing speech intelligibility of a child, comprising:providing a set of target words for presenting to the child from an auditory target located in front of and at a distance from the child; providing a set of picture representations of each of said target words for visually presenting to the child; providing a set of competing sounds of an at least one type selected from the group consisting of speech, speech-shaped noise, time-reversed speech and temporally modulated speech-shaped noise; selecting an at least one type of competing sound from the set provided to use in testing; specifying a sound level at which a target word is presented so as to ensure hearing by the child in the absence of any of the competing sounds; presenting one of the target words to the child at the sound level; presenting a subset of the picture representations to the child of which one matches the presented target word, the child then responding to the presentation by choosing which of the subset of pictures matches the target word, and recording the child's response; repeating the presenting the target word step while furthermore simultaneously presenting one of the at least one selected type(s) of the competing sounds at a location proximate the target and repeating the presenting the picture representations step, over all of the at least one type of competing sounds selected; and, repeating the presenting the target word step while furthermore simultaneously presenting one of the at least one selected type(s) of competing sounds at a location at a distance away from both the target and the child and repeating the presenting the picture representations step, over all of the at least one type of competing sounds selected; whereby the child's responses are recorded to use in measuring an interference and masking effect of the competing sound by its type and location on an ability of the child to hear the target and to spatially segregate sounds using binaural hearing, that is, the degree to which masking and spatial release from masking can occur given characteristics of the type of competing sound and its location relative to the child and to the target, the measurements informing treatment options to improve the child's speech intelligibility in realistic complex environments.