AUDIOGRAM PACKAGE
CSD 301
Fall, 2009
Due December 4th in class

1. Hearing Evaluation in Audiology Applied Lab: Schedule a time to have your hearing evaluated by one of the doctoral students in the sound booth. This will demonstrate what a routine audiometric evaluation consists of, help you to appreciate what your subjects from part 2 of this assignment have to go through, and you receive a complete audiometric evaluation and we won't even charge you the $100 it might cost you! You MUST make yourself available at one of the time slots that the doctoral students provide! Likewise, you MUST show up for your appointment. Failure to show up for your appointment (without an outstanding excuse given at least 24 hours ahead) will cost you 20% of your grade on the entire audiogram package. You will be allowed to reschedule once. A second failure to show will cost you 50% of your grade on the package and a third appointment will NOT be scheduled. If you find you cannot make your appointment, contact Sara at least 24 hours ahead.

2. Four audiograms on live listeners: Test the hearing of four "subjects." You may use family, roommates, friends, etc. Try to find at least two who have existing hearing loss.

Obtain pure-tone air-conduction thresholds from both ears for each listener. Two of the four listeners must have some degree of hearing impairment. If you cannot find two, you may simulate a hearing loss in two listeners. This can be done by inserting a foam earplug into the ear which, in essence, creates a conductive hearing loss. Do not use paper or cotton to plug the ear, as this creates almost no hearing loss. Buy some foam plugs! For one of these two listeners insert the plug in one ear (unilateral hearing loss); for the other insert a plug in both ears (bilateral hearing loss). Plot the results on the audiograms provided (located in the cabinet with the audiometers), and make sure to complete ALL information at the top of the audiogram. Please use a red and blue pen/pencil for recording results. Yes, neatness counts! After completing each test, calculate the PTA for each ear and record it and then briefly describe the listener's hearing at the bottom under "results". Be sure to include degree, type, and configuration for each ear) in your description (if hearing is normal, just enter "hearing within normal limits").

You will need to check out an audiometer from room 1101 in the Speech-Language Applied Lab. Please be quiet and courteous in this area, as clients of the clinic are usually there. If you can perform the testing during the daytime, you can take an audiometer into a treatment room; check with Mrs. Babbitt (1113) regarding room availability. You may also check out the audiometer overnight, but don't take it until late afternoon (after 1:00pm but before 3:30pm on Monday through Thursday and after 11:00am on Friday) and make sure to return it early the next morning (between 8:30-10:00am). Fridays are the one day that you probably do not want to wait until late afternoon to pick up the audiometer as the applied lab frequently closes early on Fridays. There are seven portable audiometers (numbered #1 through #7;). NO-ONE should have an audiometer checked out for longer than overnight except for weekends and holidays, and try to get all of your testing done at one time. Remember that there are a bunch of people in our class plus graduate students and faculty that need access to these audiometers!

The audiometers are stored in a cabinet inside room 1101 (second cabinet on the left, just inside the door closest to the Applied Lab office). There is a white 3-ring binder inside the cabinet with some green papers in it. These sheets are to be used to reserve an audiometer for overnight checkout. ALWAYS CHECK THE RESERVE SHEETS BEFORE TAKING AN AUDIOMETER OUT OF THE BUILDING (someone might have it reserved. However, if they haven't picked it up by 4:00pm, it's yours!). There are green sheets that are also used for checking out the audiometers.  There is a green sheet for EACH audiometer, with the number at the top. When you take the audiometer, sign and date the green sheet. Also, make sure you date this sheet when you return the audiometer.

Please use extreme care with these audiometers. A few years ago we had one of the portables stolen. Frequently there are audiometers in need of some repair.  Careful carrying them also.  Some of the latches don't hold well, especially on the old grey Beltones (note the bungee cords!).

PROCEDURE:

• Check reservation sheet to see if audiometer is reserved.
• Sign and date green check-out sheet.
• Take audiometer and return it promptly.
• Sign green check-out sheet again (that it has been returned)

THOSE CAUGHT NOT FOLLOWING THIS PROCEDURE WILL BE PENALIZED ANYWHERE FROM ONE GRADE TO "NO CREDIT" ON THIS PACKAGE