Re: Personal FM Systems vs. Soundfield FM Systems

February 14, 2001

> I'm getting ready for our next big step in life...kindergarten. I'm

> wondering what type of assistive listening devices would best suit daughter

> for next year. She uses a cochlear implant.

You've gotten good input on one of the other lists (difficulty in monitoring),

but I'd

like to add just a bit to that. With some cords used to hook the personal FM to

the

implant, there can be too much static. It's for this reason that his school

almost never

uses personal FMs with their implant kids. I said " almost never " because I

talked them

into letting JD use one. The school his mainstream placement was in had way too

much noise

in the classrooms to start with - linoleum floors, painted brick walls, hard

ceilings, and

in the window AC units (in Texas), street noise, and kid noise. I just didn't

see how

using a soundfield to add more noise to the noise already bouncing around in the

classrooms was going to help. They had a special cord made so he can hook the

personal FM

to both the implant and his hearing aid. JD's old enough he could give us good

feedback

about whether he was getting static or if the sound was distorted. He really

liked that

setup and preferred to use it, but recently he's been wearing the BTE to school

instead of

the body unit, and he now doesn't like the dual cords because the hook-up

doesn't occur

discretely in his pouch, but at mid-chest level and he can't stand wearing the

cords under

his shirt. But, he does use the regular cord to hook the FM to just his implant.

JD's seen the soundfield system another girl at his school uses, and I've asked

him if he

wants to try one, but he has no interest in it. He likes what he's using and

knows he does

well with it.

His system, as the system mentioned on the other list, is a Solaris and we've

never had

any problems with it. We've had it 3 years and the only time it's been in for

repairs is

when he put regular batteries in it one day after the rechargables died, and he

forgot at

the end of the day and put it in the charger. The batteries leaked so we had to

send the

unit in.

Hugs,

Kay

February 14, 2001

We just had an educational audiologist speak to our parents group last night

and this was asked.

According to her...

Each child has his/her own needs. Th child needs to be observed in the

classroom setting by an educational audiologist so that she/he may make the

most appropriate recommendation. Now I know this is living in 'we wish' land

but, if you can have it happen, it is for the best. Generally, however, if

you or the board can afford it, a personal FM is better for a child with a

coclear implant. The sound quality is clearer and is directly inputed into

the processer that the child wears. This is what is being done with CI kids

in both the public and seperate school boards here in Mississauga. In fact,

the majority of hearing impaired kids have a personal FM that travels with

them throughout their school career. These are funded by a special equipment

grant from the provincial government so the funding does not come from the

special ed programming funding. I'm unaware of how school board fund these

in the states. However, I am aware that soundfields are used by more boards

as they tend to be cheaper than personal FM's and they help the teacher

teach the whole class (wonderful research has been done on soundfields and

the benefits to all students).

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February 16, 2001

Randy,

We used a personal FM system when Jake was small and used hearing aids. This

was before the Microlink was available. From everything I have heard they

would be good choice. The good thing is if you have them at home too you can

use them at all times and get great benefit. That was a benefit of the Free

Ear system, he had an FM at all times.

On another depressing note.....I took my sons extra hearing aid in to the

audi today to have it checked and calibrated for his unimplanted ear (it was

for the now implanted ear) because the case is falling apart on the aid he

wears They told me it is beyond repair, besides it is 5 years old and we had

trouble with it the entire first two and a half years. You parents with

Phonic Ear Free Ear aids know what I mean!

So now, I will be in the market for a good aid for a severe to profound range

cookie bite audiogram starting at 70dB down to 100dB and back up to 80dB in

the highest frequency. Sigh, I may have to go back to work.

Elaine

Cueing Mom to Jake/Auditory Neuropathy/Clarion S-Series 2-99

February 16, 2001

I'm trying to decide what will help my daughter at school too. The df and

hh program at school was suggesting a microlink fm system (my daughter wears

Phonaks and has mild to mod loss). I had never heard of the soundfield

system until Listen-Up. Any suggestions? From reading it was suggested I

buy my own fm system so we can use it several places. Someone I know just

bought an fm system for the car so she could hear her kids.

Randie

I'm getting ready for our next big step in life...kindergarten. I'm

wondering what type of assistive listening devices would best suit daughter

for next year. She uses a cochlear implant.

Supposable the drawback with the soundfield system, for the child with

hearing loss, the sound is not as clear or as loud as it would be with a

personal FM. I'm unfamiliar with the personal FM systems, as we used the

soundfield for pre school because it was recommended by the school's

educational audiologist. I just want to make sure we're making the right

decision.

I'd love to hear other's thoughts/experiences with this.

many thanks!

Angie

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February 16, 2001

Randie,

My son has a mild-moderate loss and wears Phonak HAs. We do have the

Microlink FM and it has changed our life. HUGE improvements in communication

and happiness across the board in every situation for him and for us. He has

one that the school dept bought at school and we have another at home that

my father bought for him (THANKS DAD!!!). Though I know folks who have been

happy with soundfield systems in a classroom I can't imagine giving up the

individual benefits (e.g. much better sound quality without interference

from other environmental noise, portability) of the personal system. Though

some people have suggested to us a totable soundfield system I cannot

imagine any young child doing that (and what about gym?).

If you have the ability to get a personal system (esp. a wireless system

like the Microlink) DO.

-Daphne

mom to (4 1/2, HI) Leo (2 1/2, can hear but can't breathe, darn it!)

> Re: Personal FM Systems vs. Soundfield FM Systems

>

> I'm trying to decide what will help my daughter at school too.

> The df and

> hh program at school was suggesting a microlink fm system (my

> daughter wears

> Phonaks and has mild to mod loss). I had never heard of the soundfield

> system until Listen-Up. Any suggestions? From reading it was

> suggested I

> buy my own fm system so we can use it several places. Someone I

> know just

> bought an fm system for the car so she could hear her kids.

> Randie

>

> I'm getting ready for our next big step in life...kindergarten. I'm

> wondering what type of assistive listening devices would best

> suit daughter

> for next year. She uses a cochlear implant.

>

> Supposable the drawback with the soundfield system, for the child with

> hearing loss, the sound is not as clear or as loud as it would be with a

> personal FM. I'm unfamiliar with the personal FM systems, as we used the

> soundfield for pre school because it was recommended by the school's

> educational audiologist. I just want to make sure we're making the right

> decision.

>

> I'd love to hear other's thoughts/experiences with this.

>

> many thanks!

>

> Angie

>

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>

February 16, 2001

Hi, thanks Daphne, for the quick response! About how much money is a

microlink and what maintanence is involved? Would your dad be interested in

buying us one? (Nice Dad!)

Randie

Reply-To: Listen-Up

To: <Listen-Up >

Subject: RE: Personal FM Systems vs. Soundfield FM Systems

Date: Fri, 16 Feb 2001 23:37:18 -0500