What is it?
Personal assistive listening systems send a speaker's voice more directly to an individual listener, reducing the effects of distance, background noise, and room acoustics. Systems may use wireless technologies to transmit sound from a teacher's microphone to a student's hearing aids, cochlear implants, headphones, or personal receiver. Remote microphone systems are a common example used in educational settings.
How to use it?
The primary speaker wears or uses a microphone that transmits their voice to the learner's personal listening device. Position the microphone appropriately and use it consistently during instruction, transitions, group activities, and other situations in which auditory access is important. Plan for access to peer comments and small-group conversations as well as teacher instruction. Audiologists, teachers of students who are Deaf or hard of hearing, and other specialists can help select, configure, and monitor individualized systems.
Why use it?
Hearing technology alone does not eliminate the effects of classroom noise and distance. Personal assistive listening systems improve the signal-to-noise ratio by bringing the speaker's voice more directly to the listener. This can improve access to spoken instruction and conversation while reducing listening effort, particularly in busy classrooms and other challenging acoustic environments.
