LiSN–S Test Conditions
LiSN-S assesses a child’s hearing comprehension in four different conditions. In all four conditions the target speech comes directly from the front.
The noise of the competing speech is presented at a constant level of 55 dB SPL. The target sentences are initially presented at a level of 62 dB SPL. The presentation level is adjusted adaptively, depending on the child’s response to a sentence. After 22 to 30 sentences the child’s ‘speech reception threshold’ is calculated.
Condition 1: High Cue SRT
In the first test, the competing noise is composed of different voices than that of the target speaker, and these noises come from the left and right sides. This gives the child several aural cues to help him or her filter out and identify the target speech. The result of this test is called the child’s ‘high cue speech reception threshold’, or ‘high cue SRT’.
Condition 2
Here the competing noise is composed of the same voice as the target speech, and again comes from the left and right.
Condition 3
In condition three the competing noise is composed of different voices than the target speech and comes from the front – the same direction as the target speech.
Condition 4: Low Cue SRT
In condition four, the competing noise uses the same voice as the target speech and comes from in front of the child – the same direction as the target speech. This fourth condition is the most difficult of the four conditions as there are no spatial cues available and the target speech and competing noises are very similar. The result of this test is referred to as the child’s low cue speech reception threshold or ‘low cue SRT’.
