Noise Reduction Preferences in Teenagers and Pre-teens

Noise reduction preferences and blue tooth access to hearing aid streaming features will be evaluated in experienced hearing aid users age 10-17.

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the preferences for hearing aid noise reduction settings in users age 10 -17, as well as to evaluate preferences for accessing the hearing aid Bluetooth streaming programs for this population. Subjective preferences will be obtained by having the participants listen to a noisy scene with different levels of noise reduction, to which they are blinded, and rate their preference. Blinded objective speech performance testing will be completed by a) finding the signal-to-noise ratio at which participant can correctly repeat back 50% of the target words, and b) measuring the percent of words correctly repeated during a noisy listening task. These tasks will be done using different levels of noise reduction. Subjective preferences for accessing Bluetooth streaming will also be obtained by asking participants which method they prefer (phone, hearing aid, or touch control). .

All participants will be fit with hearing aids with the same noise reduction feature. This feature has distinct, discrete levels of noise reduction which will be evaluated by the participants.

Participants will be blinded during objective testing and subjective preference rating for noise reduction settings.

percent correct of monosyllabic words presented in noise at different levels of noise reduction, while also performing a visual task

length of time it takes participant to respond verbally to monosyllabic words presented in noise at different levels of noise reduction, while also performing a visual task

participant will rate perceived listening effort during a speech in noise task with different levels of noise reduction. Participants will rate how long the task seemed to take using a sliding scale with 100 increments between two verbal anchors: "it felt fast" to "it took forever". Higher scores indicate higher perceived listening effort.

signal to noise ratio in which participant can correctly repeat 50% of key words at different levels of noise reduction

subjective questionnaire about streaming access preferences. Participants will indicate which method (Hearing aid push button, phone control, or tap control on hearing aid) for answering phone calls and listening to audio streaming on phone.

blinded paired comparison between two different settings of noise reduction, while listening to a story presented in noise. Participants will indicate whether they prefer listening to setting "A" or setting "B". Investigator will switch the settings so that participant is not aware of what the settings are.

Inclusion Criteria: mild, moderate, or moderate-severe bilateral sensorineural hearing loss native English speakers with ability to communicate verbally able to read and follow directions access to smartphone and willing to download a hearing aid app experienced hearing aid user (6+ months) Exclusion Criteria: unable to follow verbal directions unable to communicate verbally unable to wear study devices for required home trials active middle ear infection unable to attend lab visits required for study