Section 682.300  Established Test Procedures

These established tests and instrumentations shall be employed in the selection of hearing instruments, except for children or persons with developmental disabilities or physical disabilities.  The test results and instrumentation used in the selection of hearing instruments shall be recorded for all persons.  The ambient noise conditions within the room under which these tests results are obtained shall be described, i.e., any noise source that will influence the test results.

a)         Air and bone conduction test results shall be obtained for each client in the manner specified in the ANSI Methods for Pure Tone Threshold Audiometry (see Section 682.105(a)(2)).

b)         Masking shall be applied to the non-test ear whenever the test stimulus, which is delivered to the test ear, arrives at and/or is likely to be perceived in the non-test ear.

c)         Speech reception threshold shall be accomplished with a speech audiometer as defined in and calibrated to the ANSI Specifications for Audiometers (see Section 682.105(a)(1)).  The spondaic words shall be presented by recording or live voice.  The results from either recorded or live voice testing shall be in decibels hearing level (dBHL).

d)         Speech discrimination/identification tests shall be administered using a speech audiometer as defined in and calibrated to the ANSI Specifications for Audiometers (see Section 682.105(a)(1)).  The results shall be recorded as the percentage of the total number of words correctly identified at a specified presentation level.

e)         "Most Comfortable Loudness" shall be obtained using sound or speech via recorded or live voice presentation and shall be measured and recorded in dBHL.

f)         "Uncomfortable loudness level" shall be obtained using sound or speech via recorded or live voice presentation and shall be measured and recorded in dBHL.

(Source:  Amended at 35 Ill. Reg. 10312, effective June 17, 2011)