Auditory response behavior of severely and profoundly multiply handicapped children

Severely and profoundly involved multiply handicapped children present special problems for the audiologist. Although a substantial amount of data is available on the behavioral responses of normal babies, there is a surprising dearth of similar information concerning handicapped children. In the present study, the responses of 31 severely and profoundly involved multiply handicapped children were studied by behavioral observation audiometry. Children's chronological age ranged from 7 to 153 months, while developmental age was estimated as 0 to 24 months. An experienced judge rated each of 9 specific behaviors either absent, strong, or weak on each trial. The stimulus types were a broadband noise, narrowband noises centered at .5 and at 2 kc/s, and speech either unfiltered or high-pass filtered at 1.2 kc/s, presented to S by a loudspeaker at 45 degrees azimuth, at 20, 40, 60, and 80 db re normal HTL. The interrelationships between stimulus variables, types of responses, and developmental level of the children were evaluated. Overall, the children responded differentially to the 5 stimulus types. Furthermore, the higher-functioning children responded much differently to the sounds than did the lower-functioning children. It was recommended that any behavioral technique be used together with objective tests in this most difficult population, and that testing be repeated over an extended period of time.