As hearing loss among youth becomes more common, a compelling body of research which indicates that the thirteen years of school, from grades kindergarten to twelve, may be contributing to the problem. A literature review examines current research in the areas of child hearing loss and noise in schools. A site-based study was conducted using a Sound Level Meter to sample noise on two school campuses. The results of the study were analyzed and reflect a noise level which exceeds ideal learning conditions and potentially endangers hearing. Based on these findings and those of other researchers, a rudimentary research proposal to develop a fuzzy-logic model of auditory risk is proposed.
American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. (1995). Position statement and guidelines for acoustics in educational settings. American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, 37 (Suppl. 14), 15.
3.
American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. (2005). Guidelines for Addressing Acoustics in Educational Settings:ASHA working group on classroom acoustics. Retrieved online November 5, 2010 from http://www.asha.org/docs/html/GL2005-00023.html.
4.
AyresP.SwellerJ. (2005). The split-attention principle. In MayerR. (Ed.), Cambridge Handbook of Multimedia Learning (pp 135-146). New York: Cambridge University Press.
BessF. H.Dodd-MurphyJ.ParkerR. A. (1998). Children with minimal sensorineural hearing loss. Ear and Hearing, 19(5), 339–354.
7.
BlairJ. C.HardegreeD.BensonP. V. (1996). Necessity and effectiveness of a hearing conservation program for elementary students. Journal of Educational Audiology, 4, 12–16.
8.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (n.d.). Retrieved November 4, 2010, from the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Division of Adolescent and School Health: http://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/noise/.
9.
ChermakG. D.Peters-McCarthyE. (1991). The effectiveness of an educational hearing conservation program for elementary school children. Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools, 22, 308–312.
10.
ChungJHDes RochesCMMeunierJEaveyRD.(2005). Evaluation of noise-induced hearing loss in young people using a Webbased survey technique. Pediatrics;115(4):861–867
11.
CrandellCMillsTLGauthierR. (2004) Knowledge, behaviors, and attitudes about hearing loss and hearing protection among racial/ethnically diverse young adults. J Natl Med Assoc. 96(2):176–186.
12.
ElliottL. L. (1979). Performance of children aged 9 to 17 years on a test of speech intelligibility in noise using sentence material with controlled word predictability. Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 66(3), 651–653.
13.
EsceracC.AlhoK.WinklerI.NäätänenR. (1998). Neural Mechanisms of Involuntary Attention to Acoustic Novelty and Change, Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience Vol. 10, No. 5: 590–604.
14.
FaustiSAWilmingtonDJHeltPVHeltWJKonrad-MartinD.(2005). Hearing health and care: the need for improved hearing loss prevention and hearing conservation practices. Journal of Rehabilitation Research Development. 42(4 suppl 2):45–62.
15.
GelnettD.SumidaA.SoliS. D. (1994). The development of the Hearing In Noise Test for Children (HINTC). Paper presented at the annual convention of the American Academy of Audiology, Richmond, VA.
16.
GravelJ. S.FauselN.LiskowC.ChobotJ. (1999). Children’s speech recognition in noise using omni-directional and dual-microphone hearing aid technology. Ear and Hearing, 20(1), 1–11.
17.
GriestS. E.BishopP. M. (1998). Tinnitus as an early indicator of permanent hearing loss: A 15 year longitudinal study of noise exposed workers. American Association of Occupational Health Nurses Journal, 46, 325–329.
18.
KlatteM.LachmannT.MeisM. (2010) Effects of noise and reverberation on speech perception and listening comprehension of children and adults in a classroom-like setting, Noise and Health, 12:49,270-82.
19.
KlatteM.HellbruckJ.SeidelJ.LeistnerP. (2010) Effects of Classroom Acoustics on Performance and Well-Being in Elementary School Children: A Field, StudyEnvironment and Behavior, 42:5, 659-692.
20.
KnechtH. A.NelsonP. B.WhitelawG. M.FethL. L. (2002).Background noise levels and reverberation times in unoccupied classrooms:Predictions and measurements. American Journal of Audiology, 11(2), 65-71.NelsonP.KohnertK.SaburS.ShawD. (2005). Classroom noise and children learning through a second language: Double jeopardy?Language, Speech, and Hearing Service s in Schools, 36, 219–229.
21.
KotusJ.KostekB. (1995). Investigation of Noise Threats and Their Impact on Hearing in Selected Schools, Journal of International Telemedicine Academy. Vol.2: 18-22.
22.
KotusJ.KostekB.CzyzewskiA.KochanekK.SkarzynskiH. (2008). The noise induced harmful effects assessment using psychoacoustical noise dosimeter, The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America. 123(5):3299.
23.
MeikleM.GriestS. E. (1989). Gender based differences in characteristics of tinnitus. Hearing Journal, 42(11), 68–76.
24.
National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders. (2007). Fact sheet on noise-induced hearing loss— April, 2007 (NIH Publication No. 97-4233). Bethesda, MD: NIDCD Information Clearinghouse.
25.
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. (nd). NIOSH Publication No. 2001-103: Work-related hearing loss. Retrieved November 3, 2010, from http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/2001-103/.
NelsonP.B.SoliS. (2000) Acoustical Barriers to Learning: Children at Risk in every classroom. Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools,. 31: 356–361
28.
NilssonM.SoliS. D.SullivanJ. (1994). Development of the Hearing In Noise Test for the measurement of speech reception thresholds in quiet and in noise, Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 95, 1085–1099.
29.
NilssonM. J.GellnetD.SullivanJ.SoliS. D. (1992). Norms for the Hearing In Noise Test: The influence of spatial separation, hearing loss, and English language experience on speech reception thresholds, Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 92, S2385.NiskarASKieszakSMHolmesAEEstebanERubinCBrodyDJ (2001). Estimated prevalence of noise-induced hearing threshold shifts among children 6 to 19 years of age: the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1988–1994, United States. Pediatrics. 108(1):40–43.
30.
NiskarA. S.KieszakS. M.HolmesA. E.EstebanE.RubinC.BrodyD. J. (2001). Estimated prevalence of noise-induced hearing threshold shifts among children 6 to 19 years of age: The Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1988–1994, United States. Pediatrics, 108, 40–43.
31.
ShieldBDockrellJE. (2003). The effects of noise on children at school: A review. Building Acoustics,10:97-116.
32.
SoliS. D.SullivanJ. A. (1997). Factors affecting children’s speech communication in classrooms. Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 101, S3070.
33.
StelmachowiczP. G.HooverB. M.LewisD. E.KortekaasR.PittmanA. L. (2000). The relation betwen stimulus context, speech audibility, and perception for normal-hearing and hearing-impaired children. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 43, 902–914.
van MerrienboerJ.J.G.SwellerJ. (2005) Cognitive load theory and complex learning: recent developments and future directions, Educational Psychology Review, 17(2), 147-177.
36.
WolfD.BixbyJ.GlennJ.GardnerH. (1991). To use their minds well: Investigating new forms of student assessment. Review of Research in Education, 17, 31–74.
37.
World Health Organization. (1997). Prevention of noise-induced hearing loss: Report of an informal consultation held at the World Health Organization, Geneva. Retrieved November 4, 2010, from www.who.int/pbd /deafness /en /noise.pdf.
