FY 2008 Annual Report of Achievements - Gallaudet University

Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center on Hearing Enhancement (RERC-HE)
Status: Completed Begin date: October 1, 2003 End date: September 30, 2008
Principal Investigator(s):
Bakke, Matthew H. – Hearing, Speech, and
Language Sciences
Neuman, Arlene C. – New York University
A-58
Other Investigator(s):
Long, Glenis – City University of New York,
Graduate Center
Levitt, Harry – Advanced Hearing Concepts, Inc.
Kozma-Spytek, Linda – Communication Studies
Harkins, Judith – Communication Studies
Gravel, Judith – Children’s Hospital of
Philadelphia and NYU
Compton-Conley, Cynthia – Hearing, Speech,
and Language Sciences
Boothroyd, Arthur (retired) – CUNY
Bickley, Corine – Hearing, Speech, and Language
Sciences
Bally, Scott – Hearing, Speech, and Language
Sciences
Barac-Cikoja, Dragana – Gallaudet Research
Institute
Description:
The Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center on Hearing Enhancement (RERC-HE)
consists of five components:
• Component A will develop and evaluate new methods for field evaluation and fitting of
hearing aids; will develop and evaluate techniques to enhance auditory self-monitoring;
and will develop methods for predicting the speech-to-interference ratio and
intelligibility of speech for a hearing aid when used with a wireless telephone.
• Component B will conduct a needs assessment survey of people who use hearing
technologies and will evaluate the use of Bluetooth technology as a means of improving
and expanding wireless connection to a hearing aid.
• Component C will investigate environmental factors affecting children’s speech
recognition abilities in classroom settings.
• Component D will investigate the use of distortion product otoacoustic emission and
reflectance for diagnosis of hearing loss and tinnitus and will create and standardize sets
of synthesized nonsense syllables for use in hearing aid research.
• Component E will develop a new, innovative model for the delivery of aural
rehabilitation services to adults with hearing loss.
In addition, the RERC will conduct a program of training and dissemination that will reach a
diverse audience of people, both consumers and professionals.
Funding source: U.S. Department of Education, NIDRR
FY 2007-2008 product(s):
Bakke, M. (2008). Devices for people with hearing loss. In A. Helal, M. Mokhtari, & B. Abdulrazak (Eds.), The engineering
handbook of smart technology for aging, disability, and independence (pp. 191-202). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.