FM Trainer questions - kinds, brands etc (paging pattim as w

Submitted by an LD OnLine user on

Hi everybody:

Posting for my neice, (6+)in kindergarten with serious delays in a variety of areas. After a lots of iep hassle, it looks like they’ll do an FM trainer…IEP meeting Monday 1-14-02.

She has that sensory tactile integration thing going on as well, it seems. She told her mother they put headphones on her and she could hear the teacher talking. (Of course, no info to the mother.) She told her mother yesterday she didn’t want to wear the headphones. (Who knows what they’re using.)

Are there different kinds of FM trainers? Someone told my sister to avoid the “Cochlear” one. (?) Can someone recommend some choices that might be good to investigate?

Thanks.

Submitted by Anonymous on Thu, 01/03/2002 - 6:58 PM

Permalink

First of all, I’d have to ask why the FM system was recommended. Is it because of hearing loss, inattention, or auditory processing disorder? I personally favor a system that has speakers in the room so that the teacher’s voice is amplified for all children, unless the child is hearing impaired. Most children at some point are self-conscious about wearing something that makes them different.

Janis

Submitted by Anonymous on Thu, 01/03/2002 - 7:54 PM

Permalink

This sounds similiar to the amplifier (sp) the school tried on my daughter. It amplified all sounds, the teacher did not wear a microphone. This didn’t work because my daughter still could not discriminate teacher noise from background noise. All it did was make all noises louder.

Submitted by Anonymous on Thu, 01/03/2002 - 8:34 PM

Permalink

Usually the entire purpose of an FM system is for selective amplification…usually the teacher’s voice in order to raise it above the noise level in the classroom. Hearing aids amplify all sounds. That is why even hearing impaired children need FM systems at times when they need to hear instruction over other noise.

Submitted by Anonymous on Fri, 01/04/2002 - 5:09 AM

Permalink

Hi Osi,

I hate headphones and as I can’t stand the pressure of headphones…..but what I use is the sony ear buds in place of the headphones, I have the FM system in one ear and my hearing aid in the other ear. I like soundfield FM systems but from what I remember about your niece I think a personal FM system would be an appropriate choice due to the processing and attention issues that she has..If she can’t stand having both ears amplified just have the FM system plugged into one ear. Regarding brands, phonic ear makes the Easy Listener, williams Sound makes some inexpensive ones too. hope this helps… Also remember the website Demystifying assistive listening devices? I would check that out too. just type in demystifying assisitive listening devices into a search engine and it should come up.

P

Back to Top