Zanin Julien, Tomlin Dani, Rance Gary
Department of Audiology and Speech Pathology, The University of Melbourne, 550 Swanston St Carlton, Melbourne, VIC 3053, Australia.
J Clin Med. 2024 Aug 14;13(16):4786. doi: 10.3390/jcm13164786.
: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a lifelong neurodevelopmental condition characterised by impairments in social communication, sensory abnormalities, and attentional deficits. Children with ASD often face significant challenges with speech perception and auditory attention, particularly in noisy environments. This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of noise cancelling Bluetooth earbuds (Nuheara IQbuds Boost) in improving speech perception and auditory attention in children with ASD. Thirteen children aged 6-13 years diagnosed with ASD participated. Pure tone audiometry confirmed normal hearing levels. Speech perception in noise was measured using the Consonant-Nucleus-Consonant-Word test, and auditory/visual attention was evaluated via the Integrated Visual and Auditory Continuous Performance Task. Participants completed these assessments both with and without the IQbuds in situ. A two-week device trial evaluated classroom listening and communication improvements using the Listening Inventory for Education-Revised (teacher version) questionnaire. Speech perception in noise was significantly poorer for the ASD group compared to typically developing peers and did not change with the IQbuds. Auditory attention, however, significantly improved when the children were using the earbuds. Additionally, classroom listening and communication improved significantly after the two-week device trial. While the noise cancelling earbuds did not enhance speech perception in noise for children with ASD, they significantly improved auditory attention and classroom listening behaviours. These findings suggest that Bluetooth earbuds could be a viable alternative to remote microphone systems for enhancing auditory attention in children with ASD, offering benefits in classroom settings and potentially minimising the stigma associated with traditional assistive listening devices.
自闭症谱系障碍（ASD）是一种终身性神经发育疾病，其特征为社交沟通障碍、感觉异常和注意力缺陷。患有ASD的儿童在言语感知和听觉注意力方面常常面临重大挑战，尤其是在嘈杂环境中。本研究旨在评估降噪蓝牙耳塞（Nuheara IQbuds Boost）对改善ASD儿童言语感知和听觉注意力的效果。13名年龄在6至13岁、被诊断患有ASD的儿童参与了研究。纯音听力测试证实听力水平正常。使用辅音-元音-辅音-单词测试测量噪声中的言语感知，并通过综合视觉和听觉持续性操作任务评估听觉/视觉注意力。参与者在佩戴和不佩戴IQbuds的情况下完成了这些评估。一项为期两周的设备试用，使用修订后的教育听力量表（教师版）问卷评估了课堂听力和沟通方面的改善情况。与发育正常的同龄人相比，ASD组在噪声中的言语感知明显较差，且使用IQbuds后没有变化。然而，当孩子们使用耳塞时，听觉注意力有显著改善。此外，在为期两周的设备试用后，课堂听力和沟通有显著改善。虽然降噪耳塞并未增强ASD儿童在噪声中的言语感知，但它们显著改善了听觉注意力和课堂听力行为。这些发现表明，蓝牙耳塞可能是远程麦克风系统的一种可行替代方案，用于增强ASD儿童的听觉注意力，在课堂环境中具有优势，并可能最大限度地减少与传统辅助听力设备相关的污名。
