The Benefits of Remote Microphone Use For Autistic Individuals

By Dr. Dawn Aerts, AuD

THE JOURNEY TO FIND SUPPORT AND UNDERSTANDING WHEN PARENTS ARE CONCERNED THEIR CHILD MAY NOT BE RESPONDING APPROPRIATELY TO SPEECH AND SOUND CAN BE DAUNTING. THEY MAY REPORT THEIR CHILD IS NOT RESPONDING TO THEIR NAME, HAS TROUBLE FOLLOWING SPOKEN DIRECTIONS, IS HIGHLY DISTRACTABLE OR HAS TROUBLE FOCUSING IN NOISY ENVIRONMENTS, MISINTERPRETS WHAT THEY HEARD, OR SEEMS LIKE THEY DO NOT HEAR AT ALL.

ypically, the first step is for the parents to consult their pediatrician if they suspect their child is not consistently responding to auditory input or delayed speech. Commonly, the pediatrician will refer the child to see an audiologist. The audiologist will perform a full diagnostic hearing evaluation that can consist of an audiogram to determine what the child’s hearing sensitivity is to pure tone stimuli. It might include speech testing to determine how they are responding to speech by repeating back the words or pointing to pictures. Often, this testing will result in normal hearing. While this result may be reassuring to some parents, the underlying concern about the child’s listening behavior and lack of response was not addressed.

In some cases, while the individual’s hearing sensitivity is functioning well, the difference may be a result of how the child’s brain is processing auditory information. These listening challenges can occur secondary to autism, auditory processing disorder (APD), or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), among others.

For autism specifically, there are research studies that show most autistic individuals have some degree of difficulty processing auditory information.1 There are parts of the brain that could be neurologically immature, such as the hippocampus (Bauman & Kemper, 1994)2.

Supporting improved listening

A specific intervention that has extensive evidence-based research for over 10 years is the use of remote microphone (RM) technology to support improved listening, attention, social interaction, and less physiological stress for autistic individuals3,4

A remote microphone system consists of a microphone and a receiver. The microphone is worn by a parent, caregiver, teacher, therapist, coach, or friend.

The receiver is a small earpiece that is worn in the ear(s) or headphones.

The goal of a remote microphone system is to overcome distance and background noise by delivering the speech or sound directly into the person’s ear. A RM system previously was referred to as an FM system and has been most commonly used for children with hearing loss in the classroom.

Individuals using the RM system have easier access to speech, especially in a noisy environment (e.g., playing outside, a busy amusement park, or in a noisy airport/hospital). For example, a parent can warn their child from across the yard that a car is coming or to stop when they get close to the road, or a parent can remind their child to stay close while in a crowd. Having access to the parent’s/speaker’s voice in these scenarios can increase overall safety and reduce anxiety in challenging listening environments.

The RM system can be useful in many situations, such as therapy, classroom activities, sports, and family outings.

Alicia, a mother of a 12-year-old boy with autism, reported while her son uses the remote microphone system, “He has been able to exhibit increased independence and obtain goals he has not previously been able to achieve. The system allows him increased ability to retain what he is learning by providing a clear auditory signal allowing his brain the ability to process what he is hearing. Using the remote microphone system has been a game changer in every aspect of his daily living.”

Trial periods are available to determine if this intervention may be appropriate, as it may not be effective for every child, depending on their specific needs. Consult an audiologist that is familiar with technology and its use. While most of the research has been conducted on children, further research is underway with autistic adults and gathering their unique experiences and feedback.

Conclusion

When there are concerns about a child’s lack of response to auditory information, it may not have anything to do with hearing, but instead how the brain is able to process what it hears. Ask to learn more about auditory processing and what strategies can be used, like remote microphone technology, to support a child’s opportunity to be successful, especially in challenging listening environments. Resource Helpful Hearing www.helpful-hearing.com

References

1. Ocak E, et al. Central Auditory Processing Disorders in Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders. Balkan Med J. 2018 Sep 21;35(5):367372.

2. Bauman, M.L., & Kemper, T.L. (1994). Neuroanatomic observations of the brain in autism. In M.L. Bauman & T.L. Kemper (Eds.), The Neurobiology of Autism. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins UP.

3. Schafer, E., Dunn, A., Lavi, A., DeConde Johnson, C. (2021-2022). Listening Issues in Autistic Students: Are We Doing Enough? Journal of Educational, Pediatric & (Re)Habilitative Audiology Vol. 25, 2021-2022

4. Rance, G., Saunders, K., Carew, P., Johansson, M., & Tan, J. (2014). The use of listening devices to ameliorate auditory deficit in children with autism. Journal of Pediatrics, 164(2), 352–357.

Dr. Dawn Aerts, AuD, is an audiologist and Founder of Helpful Hearing. She is an expert in pediatric hearing technology and recognized the need to increase awareness and access to remote microphone technology outside the populations of individuals with hearing loss. Dr. Aerts received her Doctorate of Audiology in 2007 from Salus University and draws on almost 20 years of clinical and hearing aid industry experience as a pediatric audiologist. She cultivated a passion for educating parents and professionals on the benefits of remote microphone technology, and her goal is to educate and support these families to help their children succeed.