title: A comparison of NAL and DSL prescriptive methods for paediatric hearing-aid fitting: predicted speech intelligibility and loudness.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the impact of prescription on predicted speech intelligibility and loudness for children.
  
  
  METHODS
  A between-group comparison of speech intelligibility index (SII) and loudness, based on hearing aids fitted according to NAL-NL1, DSL v4.1, or DSL m[i/o] prescriptions. A within-group comparison of gains prescribed by DSL m[i/o] and NAL-NL2 for children in terms of SII and loudness.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants were 200 children, who were randomly assigned to first hearing-aid fitting with either NAL-NL1, DSL v4.1, or DSL m[i/o]. Audiometric data and hearing-aid data at 3 years of age were used.
  
  
  RESULTS
  On average, SII calculated on the basis of hearing-aid gains were higher for DSL than for NAL-NL1 at low input level, equivalent at medium input level, and higher for NAL-NL1 than DSL at high input level. Greater loudness was associated with DSL than with NAL-NL1, across a range of input levels. Comparing NAL-NL2 and DSL m[i/o] target gains revealed higher SII for the latter at low input level. SII was higher for NAL-NL2 than for DSL m[i/o] at medium- and high-input levels despite greater loudness for gains prescribed by DSL m[i/o] than by NAL-NL2.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The choice of prescription has minimal effects on speech intelligibility predictions but marked effects on loudness predictions.
authors.affiliation: * National Acoustic Laboratories of Australia , Chatswood, Sydney, New South Wales , Australia.
authors.forename: Teresa Y C
authors.initials: TY
authors.lastname: Ching
authors.forename: Earl E
authors.initials: EE
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: Sanna
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hou
authors.forename: Harvey
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Dillon
authors.forename: Vicky
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Lauren
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Burns
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: van Buynder
authors.forename: Angela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.forename: Christopher
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Flynn
mesh_terms: D002675:Child, Preschool; D006310:Hearing Aids; D034381:Hearing Loss / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008144:Loudness Perception; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D055656:Prescriptions; D013065:Speech Intelligibility; D013067:Speech Perception