Characterisation of the processing of acoustic cues and speech processing in noise in normal-hearing and hearing-impaired children with mild to moderate sensorineural hearing loss – SPINTAE

In this large-scale study, we are seeking to evaluate the processing abilities of different acoustic cues (temporal and frequency variations) between the ages of 5 and 10 in children with no hearing problems. To do this, we are going into Paris schools to meet a large number of children and offer them a battery of auditory and perceptual games. We are also evaluating the effect of different types of noise on the perception of syllables and words. We offer children interactive games on a tablet where characters produce sounds. We measure the detection thresholds of the different acoustic cues and the level of noise in which the children can correctly identify speech. The different noises will either mask the speech frequency cues or the temporal cues (one noise sounds like wind and another like 2 women talking at the same time). Our aim is to gain a better understanding of the link between the development of hearing and the perception of speech. We are also seeking to understand the effect of mild to moderate deafness on these processes. To do this, we are going to ask children with mild to moderate sensorineural hearing loss to complete the same games as normal-hearing children. In this way, we hope to gain a better understanding of their difficulties.