Assistive Listening Devices (ALDs) - radio aids and proprietary remote microphone systems - optimising listening opportunities

Revised version: Contributions by members of the ALTWG (Stuart Whyte, Brian Copsey, James Mander) including Educational Audiologists from the professional associations; British Association of Educational Audiologists (BAEA) (Claire Bateson, Anne Bailey) and BATOD (Teresa Quail). | View as single page | Feedback/Impact

Cochlear implants

The fitting a radio aid with a cochlear implant user needs careful timing and planning.  It may seem unusual that an older child who has previously been using an assistive listening device, post CI surgery may need to wait before resuming the use of an assistive listening device.  This is because in the first six months post-implant, the CYP will have many tuning appointments at the Implant Centre.  If the CYP is unhappy with their listening experience after a tuning appointment it would be difficult to know if was due to changes to the mapping of the speech processor(s) or the addition of a radio aid, therefore a stable map is needed.  There may be the occasional exception where a CYP can report accurately on their listening experience.