A modification of the Tillman-Olsen method for obtaining the speech reception threshold

Validation of Male Talker Recordings of the Spanish Pediatric Speech Recognition Threshold Test and the Spanish Pediatric Picture Identification Test

PURPOSE

The purpose of this study was to validate recordings of the Spanish Pediatric Speech Recognition Threshold (SPSRT) test and Spanish Pediatric Picture Identification Test (SPPIT) for Spanish-speaking children using a native, bilingual Spanish-English male talker of Castilian peninsular dialect from Spain.

METHOD

Seventy native Spanish-speaking children from a variety of countries participated. Fifty-eight participants had normal hearing, and the remaining 12 had mild hearing loss in at least one ear. Male talker recordings of the SPSRT and SPPIT were administered to obtain baseline validation data. Participants listened to the stimuli and pointed to the appropriate item on the picture boards that represented the word they heard.

RESULTS

Mean SRTs were within 5 dB of mean pure-tone averages resulting in a positive correlation. Performance-intensity functions for the SPPIT showed minimal significant differences across the three test lists, and performance increased as the sensation level increased.

CONCLUSIONS

The male talker recordings of the SPSRT and SPPIT are valid speech perception picture-pointing assessments that can be used with Spanish-speaking children. The recordings present the Spanish target word while simultaneously presenting the English interpretation for ease of scoring.

Spanish Pediatric Speech Recognition Threshold Test

Purpose The purpose of this study was to construct a recorded speech recognition threshold (SRT) test for Spanish-speaking children utilizing a picture board and a picture-pointing task. Design The Spanish Pediatric Speech Recognition Threshold (SPSRT) test was developed and validated in this study. Test construction steps included (a) stimulus selection, (b) assessment of familiarity, (c) digital recording, (d) creation of pictures that accurately depicted the target word from the stimulus set, and (e) validation of the test and recordings. SRTs were obtained from 24 Spanish-speaking children whose 1st language was Spanish. Results Normative data are presented that validate the SPSRT and establish the baseline relationship between the pure-tone average and the SRT obtained with the SPSRT. Results indicated that the SPSRT obtained using this test should be within 2-12 dB of an individual's pure-tone average for Spanish-speaking children with normal hearing and minimal hearing loss. Conclusions The SPSRT was developed and validated as a picture-pointing Spanish SRT test to be used with Spanish-speaking children. The 2-channel recording contains an English translation track, making this test easy to administer and interpret for clinicians without knowledge of Spanish.