Quality Standards for the Use of Personal Radio Aids: Promoting Easier Listening for Deaf Children
National Deaf Children's Society. (2017).
London (United Kingdom): National Deaf Children's Society, 1-32.
This guideline provides recommendations for practitioners who work with children with hearing loss on the timely and appropriate provision of personal frequency modulation (FM) systems.
National Deaf Children's Society (United Kingdom); UK Children's FM Working Group
When determining candidacy for frequency modulation (FM) devices, "every deaf child should be considered as a potential candidate for provision with a personal radio aid as part of their amplification package, at first hearing aid fitting" (p. 11). "Subjective and objective evaluation of a personal radio aid system to determine its benefit must be carried out" (p. 19).
For children with hearing loss who use frequency modulation (FM) systems, "a programme for developing best use and management of personal radio aids should be agreed, recorded and reviewed at least annually" (p. 16). "Subjective checks of personal radio aids must take place regularly" (p. 17). "Electroacoustic checks must be performed regularly and whenever a part of the system is changed" (p. 17).
When providing frequency modulation (FM) systems to children with hearing loss, "the personal radio aid must be set up with the child’s individual hearing aids or implants to ensure that the radio signal provides the desired advantage" (p. 13). "The child’s listening response must be checked with the complete system in place" (p. 13)."Where soundfield systems are used in conjunction with personal radio aids, equipment must be selected and set up to ensure that the performance of the personal radio aid system is not compromised" (p. 23).
When providing counseling and education to families, caregivers, and educators of children with hearing loss who use frequency modulation (FM) system devices, "the information you give to families must be unbiased, comprehensive, clear, accessible and accurate. Parents must receive all information in their preferred language and in accessible formats, and they should also be able to ask questions" (p. 9). "Training and written information about the personal radio aid system, its settings and its appropriate use must be agreed and shared with the child, parents, teachers and all those involved in supporting the child" (p. 14).
Providers working with children with hearing loss and coordinating the provision of frequency modulation (FM) system devices should:
<ul>
<li>"have access to the necessary test equipment;</li>
<li>have up-to-date knowledge and skills so that they are able to follow the procedures described in this resource; </li>
<li>follow published guidelines where appropriate; [and]</li>
<li>understand the legislative requirements relating to services and provision" (p. 8).</li>
</ul>
"Clear identification of roles and responsibilities regarding the management and use of equipment should be in place" (p. 18). "There must be close liaison between health and education teams, including the exchange of written information relating to the use of the child’s personal radio aid system" (p. 20).
