INDO-SPRITT: DEVELOPMENT AND NORMS OF AN INDONESIAN SPEECH RECOGNITION THRESHOLD TEST FOR CHILDREN

Abstract

IntroductionWell-designed audiometric speech tests for Indonesian children are not currently available. This paper describes the development of the Indonesian Speech Recognition Threshold Test (INDO-SPRITT).Material and methodsA list of Indonesian words with response foils and pictures was developed. Presentation level was varied and the 50% recognition threshold was calculated as the average of the midpoints of each reversal. A normative reference was established using a sample of 118 normal hearing participants,16 children with severe to profound hearing loss, and 25 adults. The effects of age on speech reception thresholds and test reliability were also assessed.ResultsINDO-SPRITT material was found to be appropriate for children older than 4 years and 6 months. The speech reception threshold (SRT) improved on average from 18 dB HL for 4 to 5 year old children to 13 dB for children aged 10 to 13 years, providing a normative reference against which the SRT of children with unknown hearing status can be compared. Five reversals are enough to estimate the SRT.ConclusionsSuitable words, phonemic balance, and pictures have been created for Indonesian children. The reliability of different lengths of the test was similar, with 5 reversals being enough to estimate the SRT. The mean SRT decreased with age, but did not vary with the number of reversals.