Paediatric Audio Visual Test

Aim

This tool assesses the dependence a child may have on lip reading. The result will be useful for consideration of how a child is able to cope in a classroom setting; as testing is conducted with or without lip-reading, with an adaptive signal to noise ratio.

Content

The objective of this assessment test was to develop a paediatric audio-visual speech test in noise (PAVT) to be able to evaluate the benefit obtained from adding lip-reading information to an auditory signal. The aim was to obtain a test with a high face validity and high reliability which was quick to complete. It is suitable for children with low language levels.

The materials from the existing McCormick and English as a Second Language (E2L) toy tests were selected. The words were recorded from one boy and one girl, both 11 years old. Video editing was performed to add multi-talker babble noise to the video files. A display adaptor capable of driving two monitors simultaneously (“subject” screen allowing lip-reading and “clinician” control screen) was created and software prepared to drive it.

Words are randomly presented to the subject whose task is to indicate the corresponding picture or toy. Testing can be conducted with or without lip-reading, with an adaptive signal to noise ratio. A PAVT threshold is adaptively obtained after each list. Controls are available for scoring and automatic report generation indicating the PAVT threshold. The results are saved in an Access database.

Target Group

• Professionals working with hearing impaired school-age children, including those with low language levels.