The approach used in Listen-Hear is based on Auditory-Verbal Therapy (AVT) methods used successfully for many years with many children. Making these methods available for computer-based use allows the child to develop these skills independently in school, the clinic, or at home.

Parents and therapists have reacted very positively to Listen-Hear and numerous case studies have now been completed to evaluate the effectiveness home-based use of Listen-Hear. These studies involved standardized tests of speech understanding and speech production before and after a structured period of Listen-Hear use in the home.

Results indicate that Listen-Hear is an effective tool for training speech perception and speech production as well as for improving general listening skills. Furthermore, the skills acquired through the program often generalize into daily activities. Studies also demonstrate that parents notice improvements in their children's speech perception and production abilities and are pleased with the results of Listen-Hear.

The results of three of the case studies reported below include pre-tests, mid-tests, post-tests, and follow-up tests. These tests include performance on certain Listen-Hear tasks and on standardized measures, as well as subjective speech production judgments by unbiased listeners. To view the full description, click on the case studies below.

Case Study A:

A 10-year-old boy with a severe to profound mixed hearing loss in the left ear and a profound hearing loss in the right ear. He wears a hearing aid in his left ear.

Case Study B:

A 5-year-old boy with a severe to profound bilateral sensorineural congenital hearing loss. He wears binaural hearing aids, which at times do not provide adequate speech audibility due to an abnormality in the peripheral auditory system.

Case Study C:

A 5-year-old boy with a moderately-severe sensorineural congenital hearing loss bilaterally with binaural hearing aids.

Case Study D:

A 4-year old boy with a moderately-severe sloping to profound bilateral sensorineural hearing loss. At the time of testing, he wore bilateral Unitron Icon AoHP behind-the-ear (BTE) hearing aids.

Case Study E:

A seven-year-old girl, with a severe to profound sensorineural hearing loss in the right ear, and no measurable hearing in the left ear.

To view a summary of all results, click here.