Wear the Mic! A Conversation with Erin Schafer, PhD

This week, I have the opportunity to sit down with Dr. Erin Schafer, who is a Professor and the Director of Graduate Studies in Audiology at the University of Northern Texas. Dr. Schafer has an extensive resume of teaching, research, publications, grants, and national and international podium presentations at conferences. She is the current editor of Audiology Today, past President and Journal Editor for the Educational Audiology Association, and board member for the Auditory Implant Initiative.  She has a vested interest in the areas of hearing technology including hearing aids, cochlear implants, and remote microphone technology. In today’s episode, Dr. Schafer shares about her work outlining the dramatic impact of personal microphone technology for children and adults with hearing loss.  Key take-away….wear the mic!  

To find out more about Dr. Schafer and her work visit:  

https://hps.unt.edu/erin-c-schafer-phd-ccc

For more information about Dr. Carrie Spangler- check out her LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/carrie-spangler/

For transcripts of this episode- visit the podcast website at: https://empowearaudiology.buzzsprout.com

Transcript

Welcome to episode 12 of empowEAR Audiology with Dr. Carrie Spangler.
[00:00:15] Hi, everyone. Welcome to the empowEAR audiology podcast. My name is Dr. Carrie Spangler, and I am your host. I am a passionate audiogist with a lifelong journey of living with hearing challenges and there's the vibrant hearing world. Thank you for listening, and I hope you will subscribe and buy others to listen and leave a positive review.
[00:00:38] I also want to invite all of you to visit a Facebook page and engage on the empowerEAR audiology page. Let's get started with today's episode of empowerEAR audiology. I'm really excited to have my friend and colleague Dr. Erin Schafer. Join me for a conversation about hearing a system technology.
[00:01:01] Sometimes we call it FM or DM systems. This is such an important topic to dig deeper into. As we discussed children and adults with hearing challenges, we live in a world that is dynamic and speech and sounds. Hearing aids, bone conduction devices and cochlear implants have come a long way and how they process this dynamic world.
[00:01:24] But there are times when more is needed. So before we dig deeper, I'm going to share a little bit about my guest, Dr. Erin Schafer. So Dr. Schafer, she joined the audiology and speech language pathology faculty at the university of Northern Texas in 2005, and is currently a professor and the director of graduate studies and audiology.
[00:01:49] She received her PhD in communication, sciences and disorders from the university of Texas in Dallas and her research programs and the assessment and rehab of adults and children with hearing loss and auditory disorders have produced over 60 peer reviewed publications, 4 textbooks, national and international podium presentations at conferences and external grants.
[00:02:15] Her current research project focuses on the use of remote microphone technology, and editorial training to improve auditory function and the individuals with hearing AIDS, cochlear implants. Also those who are diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder. And 2016, should we see the grant from the Texas higher education coordinating board to fund her work with children and young adults with autism spectrum disorder.
[00:02:43] She's the editor Audiology today, the past president and journal editor, editor of the educational audiology association and a board member for the auditory implant initiative. So Dr. Schafer was, uh, one of the 2017 U N T office of research and innovative teaching scholar avoid and the 2013 Cheryl DeConde Johnson award for outstanding achievement in educational and pediatric audiology
[00:03:14] So Dr. Schafer, welcome to the podcast. And thanks for being here. Thanks for having me Carrie. I'm really excited to talk to you today. Yes, I am excited to have you here today. So I was trying to remember how we first met. We met at an educational audiology conference many years ago. In, um, I think he was in Arizona.
[00:03:41] We might've been having a drink and it was very, very hot. I think you might be right. And then we've had the pleasure of before COVID to meet at many other different conferences and travel different places together. Yes. It's been great fun. Yeah, it has been. So hopefully at some point we'll be able to, to do that again so we can network in person.
[00:04:04] Right. I am really looking forward to that. I cannot wait to go to a professional conference again. Yes. So I was also wondering, cause I like to ask the people I interview, how did you get started in the field of audiology? Well, it all started way back in eighth grade and there was this really cute boy and he had hearing loss and he actually did not use spoken language.
[00:04:35] He used sign language. And so I thought to myself, I think I'm going to learn sign language so I can talk to this cute boy. And so I did, and we ended up dating quote, unquote, dating as you do in eighth grade. And, um, what I learned is this, the struggles that he had, uh, communicating with others, and many times I would communicate, um, on his behalf.
[00:05:02] And I came to learn that he really did not benefit from hearing aids because his hearing loss was so severe. And at that point I decided I wanted to be a deaf education teacher. So my undergraduate degree actually is in Deaf education. But during my studies, I realized how much I loved the technology.
[00:05:23] So I had a, this was many moons ago, but I had a little girl with a cochlear implant and I had several kids with hearing aids as well. Um, when I first started out in deaf education, And, um, I really only was in the classroom for less than a year. Uh, when I decided I wanted to go back to school and study audiology because the technology is that we have to work with is amazing.
[00:05:49] And seeing this little girl with her implant grow, um, she was in preschool grow from limited language to being able to say a few words was really, um, cool, amazing and heartwarming. And I just knew, and I love the technology aspect, learning about. Um, the ins and outs of the technology. So that was kind of a long story, but that's how I got here.
[00:06:10] And, um, during my graduate studies, I worked with Linda Thibodeau at UT Dallas, and she also has a love for technology and helping kids and adults, adults too. And so, um, she showed me the world of research and how that can. Um, really opened the doors for many people all over when you publish findings of how different technologies can help people.
[00:06:38] Wow. That's, that's a great, I don't think I knew that about you, um, with the deaf ed experience, but what a valuable experience to bring to the field of audiology. Because we know that kids, um, don't spend their time in the booth and they spend a lot of time at school. So for you to have that one year of experience of working in the schools and then bring it to the clinic and research setting, I'm sure is powerful.
[00:07:06] Yes. It's been really, really helpful. And also to understand that these kids, um, their worlds are big and they're served by all these other people. Um, in the schools and then they're also have the context of their families. And so it really they're little people, you know, they have these whole lives and you have to kind of look at the whole picture to really determine their, you know, the needs that they have.
[00:07:33] Right. So you talked about going back and finding your way into audiology and then into the world of research. So what has been the area of research that you enjoy the most or get excited about? Probably, um, two areas. Really the first one would be cochlear implants. Because, you know, people with severe to profound hearing loss, or either even moderate to severe often find at some point hearing aids just aren't enough speech, especially in challenging listening situations, which I'm sure happened to you, you over time.
[00:08:12] Right. And yeah. And, um, the cochlear implants take work and they take time to adjust, but they are such a dramatic impact. And again, I just think that's amazing technology. And when you can really connect with people and help them to grow with their technology, that is an amazing thing to be a part of.
[00:08:35] And the second area that I really love, um, and it dates back to my educational experiences is remote microphone technology, where the primary talker where's the microphone. And the listener either listens through loudspeakers or even better, whereas something on their ear that, um, is a standalone device or can connect to a cochlear implant or hearing aid.
[00:09:00] And the true benefit of that is that it takes that primary speech signal directly to their ears. Which alleviates all the problems with listening and noise, listening from a far distance and even reverberation in an environment or echoes in an environment. So that too has a very dramatic effect on listening.
[00:09:21] So I think I like dramatic effects on listening, I guess, because, you know, for example, people with hearing aids and cochlear implants, if I have them repeat back sentences to me, Maybe they'll score about 60% wear their hearing aids or cochlear implants alone, but can score up to like 90, a hundred percent when they're using this remote microphone technology, because it really does place that signal right in their ears.
[00:09:48] And of course that's after some use of the hearing aids and implants, but it again, is it dramatically improves performance. It's not perfect of course, because. It helps with one talker and in the real world, of course, there's many times where we're listening to multiple talkers. So it's not a perfect technology, but it certainly does help kind of in, in direct instruction for one-on-one conversations in a noisy restaurant or something like that.
[00:10:20] which I think brings me to a point. From an educational audiologist perspective and working in the schools and trying to advocate for the need of remote technology, a DM or FM system. And. Of course, we need that research that you do, because that is going to give us something to advocate on behalf of the school buying the equipment.
[00:10:51] But another thing that I typically hear from teachers. Is, you know, I talk loud enough. I don't need to wear that microphone, you know, so, and so the student hears me just fine and he's following all of the directions in the classroom. I really don't need to use that. So what can you tell us? So what is your reaction when you hear someone say, I talk loud enough or I don't need to use that microphone.
[00:11:22] I think most of the time. Most teachers don't have ill intentions towards their students. And they honestly believe that when they say it out loud. And so the main thing for me to do is to try and I worked as an educational audiologist for several years and my district was pretty strict about me.
[00:11:42] Having evidence of these kids having trouble, because of course this technology does cost money. So I think trying to look at the kid as a whole, like I mentioned, as a whole piece is really important to not only help the teachers better understand, but also the administrators who, um, hold the purse strings or control the purse strings.
[00:12:06] Um, so I think really taking a look at the environment in which the child is Asked to learn the multiple environments. In some cases, certainly their grades are one aspect, maybe how, um, the teacher teaches in the classroom. So observing that may be actually measuring how that child hears in background noise, that would be typical in a classroom.
[00:12:33] Um, looking at their speech language goals, because many times these kids are working on hearing High-frequency consonants like S F TH, which are very difficult to hear in background noise. So looking at those types of reports, looking at their hearing in general and what they can hear and not hear with their hearing aids or cochlear implants.
[00:12:57] And let's see maybe some questionnaires with the teacher, with the parent, with the actual student, if the student is able to self-report listening difficulties. And, um, again, just trying to gather it, gather information from all angles, other reports outside reports. And then you come down and try to make all of that understandable for the teacher.
[00:13:24] And so what I do is I try to pull from all those sources and then create a summary that says, these are the areas in which this child is really struggling and in his or her educational plan or IEP or their plan. Um, there are these goals and this is how I think I can help meet these goals. And so I don't mean to go over the teacher's head, so to speak, but when I can document a technology can improve specific areas in their educational plan.
[00:13:56] I think the teacher and certainly the child's case manager, um, will be more likely to. Use it or consider it. Do you have any like tricks or tools that you like to use with teachers that is kind of an aha moment for the teacher? Who's like, Oh, that's what they're hearing. Well, definitely. Um, a long time ago, Linda Thibodeau recorded some.
[00:14:23] Some speech and noise. It actually was my friend, Paul Dybala doing the speech, and he's also an audiologist in the field and he read out a passage with, and without remote microphone technology, and he even recorded the passage, you know, close by and then from a distance. And, um, you can really tell a difference.
[00:14:44] And I think it's just such a simple thing. You can even play it from your phone or your laptop during an educational meeting. For an IEP meeting and just show not only the teachers, but the parents, even, um, how much of a difference this technology can make. It's just a simple demo even. And then another thing that I've done is actually let the parents try it out themselves with a system that's more appropriate for individuals with normal hearing.
[00:15:11] So just let them put it on. And I walk around and talk and then sometimes I'll have everyone else in the room start chit-chatting and then, you know, I turn around and walk around, you know, a demo and they really can see again in their own ears, why it might be easier to listen. With remote microphone versus without, yeah.
[00:15:33] Yeah. That makes sense. Because not only do you want the teacher on board, you want the student and the parents on board too. So everyone's sending the same message. Absolutely. It can definitely get tough with some of our older students as I'm sure, you know. Yes. But I think if we, we try to keep the others on board, maybe they can gently encourage their.
[00:15:56] Teens to continue to use the technology that we know will help them. Right. Which kind of brings me to another question that I think is important for our listeners to understand. So a lot of classrooms might have, um, a newer building and all of their classrooms might have a classroom amplification system or a sound field system, or classroom audio distribution system.
[00:16:23] However you want to call it. Exactly but. And then I've had different schools say, well, you know, we have classroom system, so we we're. We're good. So can you just explain a little bit about the difference of between a classroom system and maybe a more individualized system for students with hearing loss? Yes.
[00:16:47] Well, first of all, I think those classroom systems were really designed for normal hearing listeners. So they really only helped to Improve the signal to noise ratio by about five to eight decibels max. Closer to five in general. And so that's really not enough to help kids with hearing loss that really need to hear at a signal to noise ratio of like plus 15 plus 20 decibels where the speech is 20 decibels louder than the background noise.
[00:17:15] So they really were never designed for kids with hearing loss. And I would honestly never recommend a sound field system over a personal system. For kids with hearing loss because those personal systems will connect directly to their hearing aids and their cochlear implants. Again, taking that signal directly to the ear rather than having to travel through the air, um, through a classroom system.
[00:17:41] So it's just not as a direct of a signal. And at one point, even the acoustical society of America. Was not in favor of sound field systems, because while they do increase the signal to noise ratio, that only happens if the background noise level stays the same. But what they were reporting is if you make the signal louder we'll then the kids just get louder.
[00:18:06] So it raises the noise floor, so to speak, um, and ends up not doing as much good as you had hoped because. Um, because the kids, the noise can just get a little bit louder cause the signal did. And so that's another thing and, and certainly two other issues with sound field systems come up when the kids move from classroom to classroom.
[00:18:29] So you would have to have this good system in every class, including speech, language therapy, including PE. So they do need to hear in these other places to music and. All of the different rooms that kids will travel to throughout the day. And of course our middle school and high school students could travel to seven classes a day.
[00:18:50] So it's very, it's better and more individually fit. If we just use personal systems for kids, with hearing loss and even kids with autism spectrum disorder, too, they're going to do better. Even with that system, that sound right to their ear. Over a system that's in the classroom through speakers. Yeah.
[00:19:12] And then the other point, I think that has been brought up with the situation of COVID right now is a lot of hybrid learning where kids need to directly input into a computer. So that gives that option as well. Yes into that situation. So, uh, one other question, um, that I, I do have is you mentioned, briefly mentioned, like, as they get to teenage year, they may not be able or wanting to do, um, Um, or you know, a more individualized microphone at that point.
[00:19:56] Do you have a good assessment tool or anything like that that you like to look at beyond the hearing loss, um, to determine whether or not maybe a different technology might be more appropriate or no remote technology would be appropriate? I think once kids get older, we really. Want to be seen as an ally if possible.
[00:20:21] Um, so there have been cases where I did end up removing the remote microphone technology because the child, we made a deal and the student really came through on the grades and studied hard and was able to, to really do well, honestly, but listening had to have been harder. So it kind of broke my heart a little because I thought, why would you.
[00:20:45] Want to do that, but then again, I'm not a teenage boy, so I don't always understand what's going on. So I think I'm keeping on top of how they're doing, if you have to take it out. And then certainly there are counseling tools that we can use from the Ida Institute that can kind of see where the child's coming from.
[00:21:06] Or is there something else going on that we need to be aware of and share with teachers or parents? Try to most importantly, I try to step back and use empathy and understanding that because it's just such a crazy time in their lives. And so most of the time, I definitely want to try to keep the, the system in their educational plan and daily use and can kind of prove its benefit through speech and noise testing or other questionnaires proving.
[00:21:37] It's not really the problem. It's. Whether or not they choose to use it. So I think to, to get that to happen again, try it to be an ally, um, help trying to help the students see that their future goals even may depend on these grades and maybe using some more counseling techniques would be, would be what I would consider.
[00:22:01] Yeah. And I think your point of just keep talking to them and keep that door open and. Keep introducing them to, Oh, look what just came out. Would you like to try this and kind of planting the seed that way? I have found that with the mask and social distancing, physical distancing, some of my teens have been more willing to try the technology again, because they feel like it's, you know, hearing is impacting them more
[00:22:33] Yes. And definitely the type of classrooms. So I think. The masks have been hard for everyone, but even harder, certainly for people with hearing loss. It's just, um, I'll have to admit that I do have a hearing loss and that masks have really caused me to reevaluate whether it's a rising loss. So it's kind of a hard fit.
[00:22:58] And so I haven't really been a good hearing aid user, but I'm going to have to think about that now because it's been really hard to hear with no, um, with the masks muffling and the no visual cues, right. You realize how much you rely on people's facial expressions or all of that, that the mask a really masking at this point in time, let alone the acoustics that goes with.
[00:23:26] Masking too. So I just have to share just a little personal story about kind of my teenage years and beyond as far as FM technology goes. And this goes back to a long time ago. Um, when, um, FM technology was a neck loop, Um, that went about, and you use the t-coil on your hearing aids in order to get that type of a signal.
[00:23:50] So, um, I did not use any type of FM technology going through my school or elementary and high school. And when I got into graduate school, One of my professors was Dr. Carol Flexer. And so she said to me, if you plan on working with kids and audiology, you must wear an FM system. And so I, at that point in time, it was, you checked it out at the library at the university.
[00:24:24] So I came back and it was a Comtex. I bought them neckloop and it had a little box and I think I had to send my hearing aid back cause they wasn't even like the right MT, or T coil, um, what we had. So we had a lot of work to do, but, um, I will have to say personally, I thought I had got, I obviously got through, um, and.
[00:24:52] Had good enough grades to get into college and that kind of thing. But when I used it for the first time, I didn't realize how much I was missing because I had never heard that way before. And so when I used the FM for the first time, it was almost like. I had a whole weight lifted off of me. I could sit with it in the classroom.
[00:25:18] I could actually go to the bathroom during a lecture and still get what was going on, um, during that class. And. That was the first time in my college career that I got a 4.0 was when I first semester that I started using an FM system, because I didn't realize how much I was missing and concentrating, um, not using one.
[00:25:44] And then having that introduction, it was, it was life-changing for me. And the other aspect, which is hard to measure. And I think hard to report is the fatigue. And I realized at that point in time, how much I was concentrating and how tired I was. And when I started using it, I had all this energy left at the end of the day to do other things that I was missing out on.
[00:26:11] So I think that. Experienced for myself has been a reason why I, from my more personal perspective, I always been an advocate for, um, remote technology or improved signal to noise ratio in certain situations. But do you have any stories like that? Like success stories about any students who, um, have used a system and it's been like a aha moment for them?
[00:26:43] I, when I worked in the schools, they really, a lot of them never had a problem using it or did not want to use it, or, but I think one of the more recent things that happened to me, um, it's not that recent, but you know, when I started doing research in autism spectrum disorder, I was honestly a little bit nervous because I thought I'm never going to get these kids to use this technology.
[00:27:10] But, um, they do. And they will, if you, many of them will, if you work with them. And these are kids with normal hearing, but they have this processing problem because of their autism spectrum disorder. So it was actually a little girl who didn't speak that much at all, but, um, she would talk to her mom some in short words, And I, she was doing a study with me.
[00:27:36] And so they were using a remote mic technology. That's appropriate for kids with normal hearing. And she wore the devices on both her ears. So they were personal, a personal device and they went to, um, They went to Target. And the mom said, this is the first time they've ever been in a store. And the little girl stayed on task and actually helped put things in the cart.
[00:28:02] And she said for the first time in my parenthood, this was an amazing shopping experience. And it sounds so, you know, crazy, but, and then another similar parent, uh, in the same study said that. It was the first time she ever had a conversation with her daughter and they talked about the cocoa, they were drinking the hot chocolate and she's like, she's never had a back and forth conversation with me.
[00:28:27] And this little girl was eight years old. Wow. And she said, um, and because of that, I am just so thankful and excited. And so I think. You know, that's why I love remote mic. Because again, for whatever reason, whether it's the hearing loss or a processing problem, particularly in background noise or even attention problems, we've seen these remote microphones are really helpful when you're in a one-on-one communication situation or in a direct instruction.
[00:29:03] So I think, um, they really have such amazing potential. We've talked a lot about kids, but also in adults. And I really wish they would be, um, standard fit along with a hearing aid because like you, you didn't, I you'd used hearing aids for a long time, but had no idea how beneficial they could be because you just hadn't done it.
[00:29:28] And if we, you know, kind of made it standard practice and said hearing aids for everyday use. Remote Mike for these situations and just explained it that way to patients. I think we'd even have a lot more successful users who will get their hearing aids. Out of the drawer and actually wear them. So, because we know that hearing aids and cochlear implants don't help.
[00:29:52] And I mean, they help always, but they don't always help in the most adverse environments. And that's why people put them away because we don't live in a quiet world. Right? Yes. That's why I put mine away. It's hard. Cause it, it really. Someday, maybe some amazing engineers will be able to figure out algorithms to completely separate the speech and noise.
[00:30:15] But I doubt it because sometimes the noise is speech, so right. It's speech, speech from others, you know, in the background. So, you know, yeah. Hearing aids and implants are so amazing, but they just don't do a good job. but separating speech from background noise. Yeah, maybe you need to get a remote microphone with you as well.
[00:30:40] And maybe that won't be in the drawer. I haven't tried, um, in a few years, but I'll get back to that, but you're right. I should just get the remote mic with it and then I'll be happy. We'll have a little counseling session here. Motivation session. Yes, but I guess I have one other question kind of getting back to your success story with the eight-year-old who, uh, did have our autism spectrum.
[00:31:10] How long did it take for that student to kind of accept the technology? Well the study, most of the studies that I've been doing are with more high functioning kiddos, but I have had some kids that are non-verbal, who will also accept it. Sometimes they don't want to do it when they first come see me in the clinic or for the study.
[00:31:31] But what I do is I try to have loaner devices so that I can explain them to the parents. And let the parents try to put on the receivers at home, which is a much less threatening environment because kids with autism spectrum disorder do not like change. They do not like their routines messed up and they do not like new.
[00:31:53] So if I let them take it home and let them work on it over time. And I've done that as a school audiologist, too. If you're able to loan it to them, to work on, then even the kids, you would never expect to accept it. They will. But other than that, that more high functioning kids that I can explain what this is and what it does.
[00:32:15] And then I like to play a game with them where everyone tries to guess what I said, but I say it right in the microphone for them. So they'll hear it better than anyone else. Um, in a room full of, you know, maybe a graduate student and their parents, um, then they'll win the game. And, um, you know, that works for younger kids and for older kids, even, they, um, are often struggling at school and are willing to try.
[00:32:41] This, this type of technology pretty right off the bat. And especially when I tell them that secret service agents use it. Yeah. That's probably a huge thing where they can be part of the secret service, everything that their teachers are saying. So, um, a couple, uh, just the other question that I was thinking about, uh, we've talked a little bit earlier and right now about.
[00:33:08] The standard, you wish the standard of, um, hearing aids and cochlear implants would include like the remote microphone technology, but it typically doesn't. And like you said, there's always a price tag that goes along with it. Do you have any like advice that you would give parents as, you know, using at home or advocating that way?
[00:33:33] Um, I think one of the ways to do it, at least for children is certainly to let them know that they have the right to request that technology at school and through their educational plan or IEP. And really even if they have to look for educational need it's it should be there. The audiologist is. Yeah, asking the right questions and looking at the right data.
[00:33:59] So I think educating them, letting them know that they need to make that a part of their educational plan, um, is really important. And in many cases, schools will even let the kids take it home for purposes, where they might really need it and they would get, be getting language development and, um, For adults, certainly.
[00:34:21] Um, they can just add another expense. So that is tough. However, with some of the new, um, device specific remote Mics, they're really only a few hundred dollars. So I think that's a good option for an adult. And with many of those devices, they can even connect it. With their phones and things like that that make communication easier and other situations as well.
[00:34:48] And I've seen that with some of my teens now who are getting hearing aids and a new technology, and they might have a device. A specific remote microphone and they're using it too. So I think that's exciting to see. Yes, definitely. So wrapping up, like I thought I would ask you about the future of technology.
[00:35:11] What would you love to see as a researcher, um, be developed, do it or come out with, well, we we've had this before, but I'd like to see it become more mainstream where the receivers for the remote mic are built in. Two hearing aids and cochlear implants so that all they're really having to buy as an inexpensive transmitter or microphone.
[00:35:35] Um, so I would love that to become standard practice and I think. That's a possibility, especially as we improve battery technology, which is another thing I would love to see more, um, rechargeable devices, cochlear implants have become pretty good about having rechargeable options, but it's still not super common in hearing aids.
[00:35:59] Um, particularly those that are power hearing aids. So I think continued improvements. This is kind of engineering 2 engineering requests, me to the engineers for batteries, uh, better, you know, rechargeable batteries for the environment too. And then more built in remote mic and then also continued improvements in signal processing.
[00:36:23] So we talked about that speech and background noise. So, again, this is an engineer request, but, um, that's some of the limitations we have, you know, in the technology and it's the signal processing that's, Developed that the companies develop and that researchers developed. So I think technologies to improve, um, speech and noise.
[00:36:46] And also I'd like continued improvements for music and cochlear implants, because there are a lot of musicians with cochlear implants or people who won't get a cochlear implant because they're a musician. So. That's another area I would love to see continued growth. So hopefully those things happen and that is the future of technology, but I really love how things have become seamless.
[00:37:14] So also just continued, um, improvements. I mean, some audiologists will scream about Bluetooth or a lot of them will. So I just hope the wireless technologies that we're connecting to hearing aids and cochlear implants improve the connectivity improves, and that it's kind of easier on the audiologist and the user so that, you know, we're not always pairing this and resetting this and redoing this and just making it easier, which will also encourage people to use it.
[00:37:49] Right. Yeah. I think that's a huge acceptance piece. So if it's a mainstream technology that everybody's using and I can just steam directly, then that's huge and acceptance of different technologies. So it makes it easier for everyone when you can do it that way. But, well, I just want to say thank you for coming on today's podcast.
[00:38:16] I think this is a great conversation about why hearing aids and cochlear implants. I would always enough and that a microphone is important. Um, in situations where they may be, uh, adverse, um, listening environments that are a little bit more difficult. And I hope our listeners gained a lot from that.
[00:38:36] And, um, Eriun, I can, link up any your information and, um, any maybe articles or, um, Your webpage, uh, to the show notes. So if anybody has questions or wants to get ahold of you, um, they will have a link to your information if that's okay as well. Of course, anyone's welcome to email me any time. And I've had such a great time talking about these things that I absolutely love.
[00:39:06] Well, good. Well, thank you again and thank you listeners for listening and, um, come back next time.
[00:39:18] Hey listeners, this is Dr. Carrie Spangler, your host. I hope you all enjoyed that great episode with Dr. Erin Schafer. We touched on so many important points about hearing technology, specifically, remote technology. And digital modulating systems. Children and adults with hearing loss need an improved signal to noise ratio of approximately 15 to 20 decibels, especially in compromised setting.
[00:39:50] When they compare to their typical hearing peers. I wanted to add a slightly different view as an educational audiologist, as it relates to classroom amplification and my own experience in the school settings wyen a room has reasonable room acoustics and a teacher sets, classroom listening expectation classroom amplification system have provided a positive signal to noise ratio to the classroom.
[00:40:18] For listeners with normal hearing, this enhances the learning and teachers report that they have less vocal fatigue. There are certainly rooms that I have visited that should not be amplified due to poor room acoustics to begin with. As Dr. Schafer noted hearing technology overall keeps providing opportunities to advance research and find the best solutions to use across a variety of settings, as well as for individuals with hearing challenges.
[00:40:52] Thanks everyone for listening to empowerEAR Audiology, and don't forget to wear the mic. This has been a production of the 3C Digital Media Network.