What are Assistive Listening Devices (ALDs)?

Assistive Listening Devices (ALDs) are amplification instruments that are designed to be helpful in specific, but not all listening situations. For instance, there are ALDs that amplify the TV, the telephone, that amplify in theaters, in places of worship, and that amplify public speakers. Hearing aids, which also amplify sound, are instruments that can be used in all listening situations. But because a hearing aid is an all-purpose instrument, it may not be as successful in each and every specific application. How do ALDs differ from hearing aids? The construction of an ALD is different from a hearing aid in one important aspect. All of the components of a hearing aid, the microphone, the amplifier, and the loudspeaker are located within the body of the instrument that is placed on the user's ear. Therefore, the microphone of a hearing aid picks up both signal and noise. In contrast, the microphone of an ALD is separated from the body of the instrument and is placed at the sound sourc ... more

*ALDs are Amplification Insturments and should not be confused with Hearing Aids, or used in place of. *ALDs are designed to be helpful in specific listening situations. *ALDs may help the person who is not ready for a Hearing Aid and misses or dose not understand parts of what is being said. *ALDs can be a help to the person wearing a Hearing Aid by putting the speakers voice directly into the Hearing Aid. WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AN ALD AND A HEARING AID *All of the coomponents of the Hearing Aid, the Microphone, the Amplifier, the Loudspeaker are all within the boty of the instrument that is placed at the users ear. *The Hearing Aid picks up surrounding signal and noise. *In contrast the ALD microphone is placed at the source so it picks up the desired signal, reduceing the interference of background noise. *The signal is then transmitted to the receiver used by the listener. HOW DO ALDsTRANSMIT FROM THE SOURCE TO THE LISTENER? *"Hard Wired" is a wire from the receiver attache ... more

You may have certain communication needs that cannot be solved by the use of hearing aids alone. These situations may involve the use of the telephone, radio, television, and the inability to hear the door chime, telephone bell, and alarm clock. Special devices have been developed to solve these problems. Like hearing aids, assistive listening devices make sounds louder. Typically, a hearing aid makes all sounds in the environment louder. Assistive listening devices can increase the loudness of a desired sound (a radio or television, a public speaker, an actor, someone talking in a noisy place) without increasing the loudness of the background noises. This is because the microphone of the assistive listening device is placed close to the speaker, while the microphone of the hearing aid is always close to the listener. ... more

Assistive Listening Devices effectively reduce or cut out background noise enabling clearer hearing within a noisy environment. ALDs usually fall into two categories. Those which work with hearing aids using a telecoil in the hearing aid and those which do not require a hearing aid but can amplify sound and feed it through headphones. What do ALDs look like? Our ALDs are small handheld devices measuring only 155mm x 75mm x 25mm and weighing only 160g. They contain sockets for connecting such things as a small clip-on microphone or leads to the television and radio. When could I use an ALD? Sometimes it is difficult to hear in a noisy environment where sounds seem distorted and confusing to most people - even to those without hearing loss. Noisy environments such as in a crowded room are not pleasant for people wearing hearing aids. ALDs can provide clearer hearing by reducing the background noise during a personal conversation. ALDs are useful when watching television or listening to y ... more

You may have certain communication needs that cannot be solved by just using hearing aids. These situations may involve telephone, radio, television, or the inability to hear the door chime, telephone bell, and alarm clock. Special devices have been developed to solve these problems. Like hearing aids, assistive listening devices and alerting devices make sounds louder. Typically, a hearing aid makes all sounds in the environment louder. Assistive listening devices and alerting devices can increase the loudness of a desired sound, like a radio or television, a public speaker, or an alarm system, or may make an auditory alarm (such as a smoke signal) into a visual alarm (such as a strobe light). . (by sicologic. ... more

You may have certain communication needs that cannot be solved by the use of hearing aids alone. These situations may involve the use of the telephone, radio, television, and the inability to hear the door chime, telephone bell, and alarm clock. Special devices have been developed to solve these problems. Like hearing aids, assistive listening devices make sounds louder. Typically, a hearing aid makes all sounds in the environment louder. Assistive listening devices can increase the loudness of a desired sound (a radio or television, a public speaker, an actor, someone talking in a noisy place) without increasing the loudness of the background noises. This is because the microphone of the assistive listening device is placed close to the speaker, while the microphone of the hearing aid is always close to the listener. There are many assistive listening devices available today, from sophisticated systems used in theaters and auditoriums to small personal systems. Various kinds of assist ... more

You may have certain communication needs that cannot be solved by just using hearing aids. These situations may involve telephone, radio, television, or the inability to hear the door chime, telephone bell, and alarm clock. Special devices have been developed to solve these problems. Like hearing aids, assistive listening devices and alerting devices make sounds louder. Typically, a hearing aid makes all sounds in the environment louder. Assistive listening devices and alerting devices can increase the loudness of a desired sound, like a radio or television, a public speaker, or an alarm system, or may make an auditory alarm (such as a smoke signal) into a visual alarm (such as a strobe light). ... more