Sound Scouts Screening Guide : simplebooklet.com

Screening

Guide

Sound Scouts is supported by:

01 Why are hearing checks important for students?

01 Types of hearing loss

02 What you will need

03 Choosing the right headphones

04 Planning a screening session

05 Setting up the screening environment

06 Supervising a Sound Scouts Test

08 Script examples for supervisors

09 After the test

10 How is the Sound Scouts hearing test structured?

12 Understanding results

13 Failing the screening- next steps

14 Things to consider before testing with Sound Scouts

15 Recommendations for school screening programs

Table of Contents

Understanding Sound Scouts results (infographic)

Quiet Please, testing in progress (poster)

Speech in Noise Test- target items (printout)

Sound Scouts hearing checks at our school! (poster)

Support Material

Conductive hearing loss(middle ear) occurs when something interferes with sound

travelling to the inner ear. Usually temporary, it’s often caused by fluid from middle

ear infections but can also result from ear wax build-up or a foreign object lodged in

the ear canal.

It’s estimated that around four out of five children will experience a middle ear

infection at least once. Hearing loss can occur even after symptoms resolve because

fluid can remain in the ear.

Sensorineural hearing loss(inner ear) results from damage to the inner ear and is

permanent. It’s often present from birth but can also be acquired through exposure to

loud noise, some medicines, some viral infections, and head injuries. It exists on a

spectrum, ranging from mild to profound. Hearing aids, or for those with profound

loss, Cochlear implants, can reduce the impact of a hearing loss.

Difficulty Hearing in Noiseis a hearing issue that can occur despite a person

receiving normal results in an audiogram. While hearing in quiet may be normal,

hearing in noisy environments, such as the classroom or a restaurant, may be

extremely difficult.

Difficulty hearing in noise can be caused by a number of things including (but not

limited to): auditory processing disorder, a developmental delay, a language issue,

attention deficit and english as a second language (or bi-lingual/multilingual

capabilities).

Every child starting school should have

their hearing tested and ideally again in

Year 3 & Year 5 in line with NAPLAN.

Any child identified with learning or

behavioural problems should have their

hearing tested.

An estimated1 in 10 children suffer from

hearing losswhich left undetected can lead

to speech, learning and behavioural

problems.

The World Health Organisation recommends

that all children should have their hearing

screened around the time they start school.

Types of hearing loss

Why are hearing checks important for students?

What you will need

Screening Guide Good quality adult

headphones

Alcohol wipesParent permission note

Apple or Android tablet

loaded with the

Sound Scouts App

Internet access

WARNING:

Using suitable good quality adult headphones is

vital to ensuring that the Sound Scouts test

results are reliable.

Do not use gaming or

surround sound

headphones.

Use good quality adult

headphones.

We recommend Sennheiser HD 300s (over ear headphones) for screening

and offer these at a discount to schools using Sound Scouts.

Sennheiser HD 300- $90 plus postage

Email team@soundscouts.com.au to place an order or find out more.

Choosing the right headphones

Choosing the right headphones and using them in the correct way is an

important part of ensuring a reliable result when screening with Sound Scouts.

Do not use a splitter as they

can reduce the sound levels

heard by the person

being tested.

In the interests of hygiene do

not use earbuds when

screening in schools.

Planning a screening session

Eachtest takes 8 minutes.

Allowing for changeover

between students, each

supervising adult can screen

6-7 students per hour.

Parental permission is required to

screen children. You can use and

modify the permission note

template in our school resources

for this purpose.

Create a roster of staff and/ or

parent and community

volunteers to help supervise

screening.

Up to four students can be

screened at the same time with

a minimum of two adult

supervisors.

Obtain parental permission

Organise for staff and

volunteers to help

Estimate how much

time you will need

Students can be screened

in small groups

Ensure a quiet room is available

for screening.

Schedule screening

in a quiet room

Setting up the screening environment

Please read our guidance on

'Choosing the right headphones.'

Over ear headphones are best for

screening in schools. Ensure

headphones are plugged in

properly before getting started.

Test in a quiet indoor space

that's free from distractions.

Noisy air conditioners or

appliances may impact the

results.

Before starting the test make sure

children are well rested, have been

to the bathroom and have blown

their nose.

Ensure devices are fully charged,

have notifications switched off and

have the latest version of Sound

Scouts downloaded from the App

Store or Google Play.

Download Sound Scouts to an

Apple or Android tablet.

Use good quality adult

headphones.

Test in a quiet place

Ensure children are ready

to focus

If more than one student is being

screened in the same room, face

desks away from each other to avoid

distraction.

Use alcohol wipes to clean screens and

headphones between tests. Disposable

headphone protectors also help to stop

the spread of germs.

5 6

Set up the space to minimise

distraction

Keep screens and headphones

clean between tests

Supervising a Sound Scouts test

Set the volume to maximum Start a New Session

Supervisor setup

Player setup

Ask the child to select the five words

they know best

Explain to children how the

game works

Before starting each test set the

volume to maximum or to the

highest comfortable listening

level.

To begin go toNew Session.Read

and carefully follow the instructions

on each page.

Supervising adults must complete a

short game-based activity which can

be done before the children arrive

for testing. This activity helps to

calibrate the sound levels.

Select Create Player. Enter a Player ID and

email address. We suggest using a

designated school email for all Reports.

Monitor this email for Sound Scouts

correspondence.

Tell the child that the sounds will get

quieter, and sometimes they may not be

able to hear anything and that this is OK.

Advise them to wait and only tap the

screen when they hear the sounds.

When selecting the words for the first activity

we recommend the child says each word out

loud. The Supervisor should guide them to

choose the five items with which they are most

familiar.

Trial Run

Headphones

Intervene if the child is not interacting

Use the Trial Run to ensure that the

children understand how to interact

with the three test activities. Do not

test children who cannot complete

the trial activities.

The children should be using the

same headphones as those used by

the Supervising adult. Ensure the

headphones are sitting correctly on

or over the ears.

During the test supervisors should

watch for on screen alerts. They should

also watch to ensure the child isn't

tapping repeatedly when no sounds are

presented. Supervisors can prompt

players to only tap when they hear a

sound.

Supervisors should supervise

If the child is not responding you can listen in, or ask

them what they hear, and tap or slide the matching

object for them. Demonstrating once or twice should

be enough to prompt play. If further assistance is

required, exit the test and use the Trial Run with the

headphones out to deliver further explanation.

If anything happens during the test that may impact

the results (e.g. persistent loud noise or child

unwilling to complete), you can either exit the game

by tapping on the top right corner of the screen 3

times OR terminate the App by using the method

appropriate to the device (i.e. Apple vs Android).

To end a test session

Script examples for supervisors

After the test

Results are delivered

immediately

Clean the device and

headphones

If you don't receive results...

Stored results can be accessed

through 'Past Sessions'

Read the report carefully and

follow the next steps

Incomplete session

You can view the results on the

device and they will also be

automatically emailed to the

address entered at the beginning.

Wipe down screens and headsets

and replace headphone protectors

if applicable.

If the device is not connected to a

Wi-Fi network the test data will be

stored and can be processed when

a connection becomes available.

You will not receive results until

you connect to Wi-Fi. Phone hot

spots can be used.

To retrieve a session go to 'Past

Sessions,' select the session and if

a connection is available the

results will be processed.

Results won't be processed if the

player does not complete all three

activities.

If a child receives a fail or borderline result

please RETEST after 24 hours. Follow the

recommendations in the report unless

advised otherwise by the Sound Scouts team.

Adult with good hearing completes a short

game based activity to help establish sound

levels for the test.

The speech in quiet activity uses two syllable

words (e.g. popcorn, rainbow, ice cream,

football).

Supervising adult guides the child to select 5

items they recognise visually and verbally

(adult can ask the child to say each word out

loud). Child can select from 10 items.

Child to complete the same test for one ear

and a similar test for the second ear (using the

selected words).

Child can tap or slide the spoken 'target' item

into the scene .

Items become progressively harder to hear

until the child reaches their threshold ie. the

lowest volume at which they can hear.

Volume adapts automatically based on the

child’s responses so the child should only miss

every second item once they reach their

threshold (provided they are responding

reliably).

The Sound Scouts hearing test is an interactive game for mobile devices built around these

three tests, with the calibration task providing one of the test metrics as well as being used to

set the level of the targets (stimuli)for the following two test activities.

Each Player's results are compared with the results of players of the same age with normal

hearing.

Speech-in-Quiet (Calibration)

Tone-in-Noise

Speech-in-Noise

How is the Sound Scouts hearing test structured?

Part One: Speech-in-Quiet (Calibration)

Sound Scouts incorporates three separate test activities in the same 8 minute game:

When the child finishes the game the test results

are immediately returned to the supervising adult

on the device and via email.

The child’s results are assessed against normal

results for children of the same age.

Please RETEST all children who receive a 'Fail' or

'Borderline' result before taking further action.

Children are asked to listen for the beep from

a ’helicopter’s sound tracker’ and to press the

red button when they hear the sound.

The children are visually rewarded when they

correctly identify the sound.

The test ends when the child reaches their

threshold and maintains consistent responses

for a period of time OR after the set maximum

number of presentations is made.

Children are asked to listen to the spoken words

and then drag the corresponding target item into

the scene.

The items can be placed anywhere in the scene

and will adapt in size depending on where they

are placed.

There is background dialogue throughout this

section. The player must focus on the target

items, which become increasingly difficult to hear

against the background noise.

Part Three: Speech-in-Noise

Results

This test assesses the players ability to hear in noise. Some children may be able to hear in

quiet but due to language, concentration or processing issues, they may struggle to hear

in noise.

Part Two: Tone-in-Noise

Understanding results

When the hearing check is complete a report is automatically generated. The report

is viewable on the device and is also sent via email (when an address is provided).

Pass

Borderline

Fail

If the child receives a Passthe Report will

state that the child has passed the Sound

Scouts hearing check. This means that

the child’s results are within the normal

range for children of the same age. If you

have ongoing concerns about the child’s

hearing we strongly recommend seeing

your GP or a hearing professional.

If the child receives aBorderlineresult,

hearing may be on the edge of normal.

When a Borderline result is received it is

recommended that the child is retested

after 24 hours. If the child receives a

similar result further investigation may be

necessary.

If the child receives a Fail result, we

recommend retesting after 24 hours. If

the child receives a second Fail result,

then further diagnostic assessment is

recommended.

NB: If there are reservations about the result i.e. the result is not in line with other

indicators, we recommend re-testing or seeking further diagnostic assessment.

Failing the Screening - Next Steps

Students who fail the hearing screening may be flagged as having an issue in

one of the following areas:

Middle ear (Conductive hearing loss)

If the child receives a fail result with an indication of a middle ear, or conductive

hearing loss Sound Scouts recommend that the carer follow up with a visit to their

doctor. A middle ear issue may be caused by things such as a build up of wax or fluid,

and in most cases, with the appropriate treatment, hearing will return to normal.

Inner ear (Sensorineural hearing loss)

If the child receives a fail result with an indication of an inner ear, or sensorineural

hearing loss, the report recommends follow up with Hearing Australia or an

audiologist for further evaluation.

Difficulty Hearing in Noise

If the child receives a fail result with an indication of difficulty hearing in noise, the

possible causes need to be considered. Difficulty hearing in noise can be caused by

poor attention, language disorders, English as a second language (ESL or EAL/D) and

Auditory Processing Disorders (APDs), which are related to the brain’s ability to

process sounds. Children who experience difficulty hearing in noise can typically hear

in quiet environments but struggle in noisy environments like the classroom or

playground. By determining the most likely possible cause, the child's care team can

determine who best to see for further assessment.

A Sound Scouts fail result indicating sensorineural loss or difficulty hearing in

noise is accepted as a referral for the purposes of obtaining an appointment with

Hearing Australia.

13

If English is not the child's primary language (ie ESL or EAL/D), to complete Sound

Scouts, theSupervisor must determine if the child can identify 5 words from the list of

10 spondee items. Provided they can identify 5 words (we suggest they say them out

loud) then they should be able to undertake the test. For these children please use

the Trial Run with the headphones OUT to ensure they understand each of the three

activities.You may need to repeat several times.

The second activity, the helicopter game, is largely language independent so

provided the children understand what to do ie tap the red button when they hear the

stimuli (target sound), they will be able to complete this activity.

If the children can do the first two activities it should be possible to determine if they

have a hearing loss.

It is likely children who speak English as a second language may get a borderline or

fail result due to the final listening in noise activity. This is a common outcome and is

due to the children having to process complex audio, bilingually. The child's Report

will note that the child has received a result 'outside the normal range due to

difficulty hearing in noise' which can be caused by the child speaking more than one

language.

For reference there is a list of the speech in noise target items attached which can be

used to assist ESL children in reviewing the items prior to testing. Be careful not to

over-expose children to the target words.

If the children CANNOT identify 5 words then it's best to wait until they can or seek

another type of hearing assessment.

In relation to children with cognitive issues, Supervisors should confirm that they are

able to successfully complete the Trial Run activities before undertaking a full test.

Those children who cannot independently complete the Trial Run activities should

NOT be tested with Sound Scouts.

Things to consider before testing with Sound Scouts

If a child passes the test on their first attempt this report can be sent to the parents/ caregiver

and no second test is required.

If a child fails or receives a borderline result on their first test they will need to be re-tested.

Do not send the report to their parents/caregivers at this stage.

If on a child's second test they pass, we suggest that you only send the parents the second

report (i.e. the pass result). In this instance the first test result was likely to be caused by

uncertainty or loss of attention when completing the test.

If a child fails or receives a borderline result on the second test, we suggest sending the

reports from both the first and second test to the parents/caregivers.

If a child requires a second test, this should not be completed on the same day as their first

test. We recommend at least a 24 hour window between first and second tests (although we

do appreciate this may not always be possible) .

When testing large cohorts, it is useful to set up a spreadsheet with headings similar to

below:

Sound Scouts recommends a couple of simple steps for schools to follow when it comes to

organising Sound Scouts Reports and ensuring the right information is sent to parents.

We suggest sending all Sound Scouts Reports to one school email address. When starting a

screening session the app will ask for an email address. Make sure everyone supervising the

hearing tests knows which email address to enter and that it is entered correctly. This email

should be monitored for correspondence from the Sound Scouts team during testing.

Recommendations for school screening programs

1300 424 122

team@soundscouts.com.au

Sound Scouts

@SoundScoutsGame

www.soundscouts.com.au

2020 Sound Scouts HQ Pty Ltd

Need more information?

'Sound Scouts levels the playing

field by enabling children with

hearing loss to be identified and

the risks associated with hearing

loss to be managed.'