Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences, University of North Texas, Denton, Texas 76201, USA.
Ear Hear. 2012 Nov-Dec;33(6):e32-43. doi: 10.1097/AUD.0b013e318258c616.
Previous research suggests that young children have significant difficulty recognizing speech in the presence of background noise as compared with older children and adults. However, limited research exists that examines the developmental effects of speech recognition in noise in separate age groups of young children, especially in a classroom setting. The lack of research may relate to the limited number of tests with multiple, equally intelligible lists in noise that are also appropriate for young children. As a result, the goals of the present study include investigating (1) effects of age and (2) benefits of spatial separation of speech and noise sources on the speech recognition in noise performance of young children with normal-hearing sensitivity. A secondary goal of the study was to establish the validity and reliability of the Phrases in Noise Test (PINT) for assessing the 50% correct speech-in-noise threshold of young children.
The investigators used a two-way repeated measures design to examine the main effects of age and spatial separation. Sixty-eight children in separate groups of 3-, 4-, 5-, and 6-year-olds and 17 adults completed two speech-recognition conditions with (1) speech and noise from the same loudspeaker at 0-degree azimuth (S0/N0) and (2) speech and noise from separate loudspeakers at 0- and 180-degree azimuth (S0/N180). Recruiting sites included local preschools and school districts for children and a university for adults.
The results of this investigation suggest that younger children (<4 years of age) have significantly poorer speech-in-noise thresholds than older children and adults, and 4- and 5-year-old children also have significantly poorer performance than adults when speech and noise are presented from the same spatial location. All participants obtained significant spatial release from masking. On a parent and teacher screening questionnaire to assess educational risk, five of 12 children with at-risk behaviors had poor speech-in-noise thresholds relative to their peers. When two lists of the PINT are used, the test seems to be a valid and reliable measure for assessing young children's speech-in-noise thresholds.
Young children exhibit significantly poorer speech recognition than do older children and adults in a classroom, especially when speech and noise are presented from the same location. Given the poor acoustics of typical classrooms, and the earlier age at which many children are educated, special modifications to classrooms may be necessary to improve listening through acoustic modifications or classroom amplification. A combination of a parent or teacher questionnaire and the PINT may be helpful in identifying children who are at risk for educational delays and listening difficulties in classrooms with typically poor acoustics.
先前的研究表明，与年龄较大的儿童和成人相比，幼儿在存在背景噪声的情况下识别言语存在显著困难。然而，对于在幼儿的不同年龄组中分别检查言语识别在噪声中的发展影响的研究有限，尤其是在课堂环境中。研究的缺乏可能与具有多个同样可理解的噪声列表的测试数量有限有关，这些测试也适合幼儿。因此，本研究的目的包括研究（1）年龄的影响和（2）言语和噪声源的空间分离对具有正常听力敏感度的幼儿在噪声中言语识别性能的益处。该研究的次要目标是确定 Phrases in Noise Test（PINT）评估幼儿 50%正确语音噪声阈值的有效性和可靠性。
研究人员使用双向重复测量设计来检查年龄和空间分离的主要影响。68 名儿童分别为 3、4、5 和 6 岁的儿童和 17 名成人，完成了两种言语识别条件：（1）来自同一扬声器的言语和噪声，方位角为 0 度（S0/N0）和（2）来自两个扬声器的言语和噪声，方位角为 0 度和 180 度（S0/N180）。招募地点包括当地的幼儿园和学区，以及大学的成人。
本研究的结果表明，年龄较小的儿童（<4 岁）的语音噪声阈值明显低于年龄较大的儿童和成人，而 4 岁和 5 岁的儿童在言语和噪声来自同一空间位置时，表现也明显低于成人。所有参与者都获得了显著的空间掩蔽释放。在评估教育风险的家长和教师筛查问卷中，12 名有风险行为的儿童中有 5 名的语音噪声阈值相对较差。当使用 PINT 的两个列表时，该测试似乎是评估幼儿语音噪声阈值的有效和可靠的测量方法。
在课堂环境中，幼儿的言语识别能力明显低于年龄较大的儿童和成人，尤其是在言语和噪声来自同一位置时。鉴于典型教室的声学效果较差，以及许多儿童接受教育的年龄更早，可能需要对教室进行特殊修改，以通过声学修改或教室放大来改善听力。家长或教师问卷和 PINT 的组合可能有助于识别在典型声学条件差的教室中存在教育延迟和听力困难风险的儿童。
