Speech Testing

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Speech Testing
Wave 4 EJB 17/05/04
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Speech tests

• To inform on quality of hearing aid fitting
• Tradition of neglect
• Falls between audiology and habilitation
• Particularly in Pre School HA User
• Used more by CI teams

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Areas of Interest

• Detection
• Discrimination
• Word recognition
• Speech understanding

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Sound Detection

• One example is the Ling 5 (or 6!!) sounds
• oo - ah - ee - (mm) - sh ss
• Gives information across the speech frequency
  range
• Auditory Speech Sound Evaluation (ASSE)

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Sound Discrimination

• These tests should provide information useful for
  hearing aid fitting and possibly fine tuning
• But no research to suggest exactly how fittings
  might be altered by speech test scores
• Examples (Closed set tests)
• McCormick Automated Toy Test
• CCT (Consonant Cluster Task)
• Maltby Speech Perception Test
• Manchester Picture Test
• FAAF

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Word Recognition

• Examples
• Open set word tests
• Manchester Junior words
• Cambridge junior words
• AB word lists

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Speech Understanding

• Examples
• Sentence Tests
• BKB sentence lists
• ?Familiarity

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First Wave Evaluation

• First wave evaluation study 3 (mild-moderate-sever
  e, age 7-15) used FAAF (Four Alternative Auditory
  Feature Test developed by Haggard and Foster
  1987)
• In study 7 (severe/profoundly deaf group) if
  child was unable to perform on FAAF at above
  chance levels, The CCT (Consonant Cluster Task
  further developed by Marriage) was used.
• Standardised test conditions through a
  calibrated system were important

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Difference between analogue and DSP pgt0.0001
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Speech Testing Issues

• Acclimatisation
• Familiarity of material
• Degree of Hearing Loss (esp Severe/Profound)
• Uses Counselling ?
• Uses - Fine tuning ?
• Uses Changes to HA Provision ?
• Further work required (esp Pre School)
• Calibration/Test Parameters
• First wave ambivalent

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Auditory Speech Sound Evaluation(ASSE) Test
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Auditory Speech Sound Evaluation

• Govaerts PJ, Belgium www.deoorgroep.net
• ASSE is a set of supraliminal auditory tests
• Test children with no or very limited speech
• Part of Paediatric Auditory Performance Test
• A speech and language independent test to measure
  the supraliminal auditory capacity
• All sounds that are used are balanced speech
  sounds common in many languages

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ASSE Detection Test

• Fifteen speech sounds that can be selected
• Selected speech sound presented 3 times
• Loudness can be set by the audiometer
• routine evaluation ca 70 dB SPL
• Patient is asked to tell whether sound heard
• Scoring is binary
• Correct() sound heard
• False (-) sound not heard

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Other ASSE Tests

• Discrimination
• Identification

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Consonant Cluster Task (CCT) Test(Demo)
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Consonant Cluster Task (CCT)

• Further developed by Marriage
• The test involves 4 alternative monosyllabic real
  words represented by pictures. They have the same
  vowel but different consonants e.g. hen, peg,
  bed, egg
• There are 9 blocks of 6 presentations
• The test can be given in quiet or competing noise
  conditions, and input level can be changed.
• There were no significant differences using this
  or FAAF in Study 7, the children did score better
  on the DSP hearing aids, but numbers were small
  so not significant.

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CCT Application

• Closed Set, 4 Alternative Picture Based Test
• Familiar Material from Reed Test
• Nonsense/Non Words excluded
• All 4 items have same vowel sound
• E.g. Owl, House, Cow, Mouse
• Easier contrasts than APT1
• CCT from ? age 3 years

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CCT Presentation

• Level should avoid floor (score lt 25) or ceiling
  (score gt 95) effects
• Performance/intensity function may be steep
• Useful to test at conversation (e.g. 65 dB) quiet
  (e.g. 50 dB) and loud (e.g. 80 dB) levels
• Pre-recorded better than live presentation for
  comparison (? not viable for young children)
• Can be presented in speech shaped noise at an
  appropriate speech/noise ratio

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CCT Test Procedure

• CD Player 2 Channel Audiometer Loudspeaker
• Speech Channel 1 Noise Channel 2
• Calibrate using Track 1
• Picture Card 1- familiarise with live voice
• Start CD
• Each Picture Card
• 6 presentation each picture card
• Score on confusion matrix score sheet

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CCT Interpretation

• Total number of correct responses
• Observation of errors in confusion matrix
• Assess difficulty child has discrimination

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APT1 Application

• Closed Set, 4 Alternative Picture Based Test
• All 4 items have same vowel sound
• E.g. Boat, Coat, Goat, Note
• More difficult contrasts than CCT
• 2 Sets Vowel 8 Consonant confusion contrast
• APT1 from ? age 5 years

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Four Alternative Auditory Feature (FAAF)
Test(Demo Practical)
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FAAF Test

• A speech in noise test to measure speech
  intelligibility, and benefit from a hearing aid.
• Different speech levels and speechnoise ratios
• The test is presented in a sound field room, from
  a loudspeaker 1.5m in front of the patient.
• The test can be carried out unaided in two
  interleaved conditions, and aided in four
  interleaved conditions.
• Responses can be via a touch screen

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FAAF Equipment

• FAAF Software (available from IHR)
• Laptop computer
• Compatible Sound Card (internal or USB)
• Suitable loudspeaker (and external amplifier)
• Child-friendly mouse or...
• Touch Screen hardware/software (e.g. KeyTech ca
  150)

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FAAF Parameters

• Parameters for test can be changed
• May reduce test time
• Exercise caution
• Effect of noise reduction systems on DSP aids

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FAAF Parameters

• Can edit .ini file in program directory

4 is default, 0 will mean no feedback for
incorrect answer (shorten test, less negative
for child)
Time (ms) that noise is on before speech (default
is 500)
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FAAF Calibration

• SLM on a tripod, mic 1.5m away from speaker
• Set the SLM to A weighting slow
• Click on File, then select Calibrate
• Check the output level bar is set to 50 dB
• Click on Play to play noise
• Adjust the volume so SLM reads 50 dBA (/- 1dB)
• Quit by clicking on File, then Exit

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FAAF Suggested Instructions

• Four words will appear on the screen
• You will hear Can you hear X clearly? where X
  is a simple word
• Touch / use the mouse to indicate the word you
  think you heard
• This will be repeated but with a different word
• If you are not sure, try and choose the word you
  think was said
• There will be noise in the background most of the
  time, try to ignore it
• Touch here to continue will appear after each
  set of 4 sentences
• When you see this, it means that the speech
  and/or noise will get quieter or louder so be
  prepared for this
• This isnt a test and it can be difficult even
  for someone with good hearing

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Typical FAAF Screen

• Grey item is childs response
• Green item is correct answer

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FAAF Aided Test

• This test contains 80 sentences
• 20 Sentences in each condition
• Condition 1 SN10 S60 N50
• Condition 2 SN5 S60 N55
• Condition 3 SN10 S70 N60
• Condition 4 SN5 S70 N65
• Note scores on test form / PMS

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FAAF Typical Data Log File

• Summarise test parameters (.ini file) used
• Records test items,levels,responses for each
  presentation