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Audiology Research
Special Issues
Breaking Down Listening Barriers for Students with Hearing Difficulties
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Breaking Down Listening Barriers for Students with Hearing Difficulties

A special issue of Audiology Research (ISSN 2039-4349).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 April 2025) | Viewed by 1694

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Giacinto Asprella Libonati

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Vestibology & ENT Unit, Giovanni Paolo II Hospital, 07026 Policoro, Italy
Interests: tumors; neurotology; ear; otology; human balance; hearing
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Giuseppe Chiarella

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Unit of Audiology, Regional Centre of Cochlear Implants and ENT Diseases, Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Magna Graecia University, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy
Interests: audiology; dizziness; ear; hearing loss and vertigo
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Sandro Burdo

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
NPO Associazione Italiana Liberi di Sentire, Varese, Italy
Interests: auditory electrophysiology; surgery of the ear; cochlear implants; hearing aids

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Hearing problems can affect academic performance among adolescents and college students. If not addressed comprehensively and promptly, hearing loss and other barriers to listening in classrooms can slow academic progress, increase the risk of dropping out of school, and reduce the likelihood of students applying for higher education.

These are some aspects that have been addressed within the A.BA.CO project (Abbattimento delle BArriere COmunicative; breaking down communication barriers), conceived and coordinated by the Audiology Department at the Burlo Garofolo Institute of Trieste, Italy, with support and funding from the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region in Italy and the Disability Office of the Italian Presidency of the Council of Ministers. The working group included the Otolaryngology department of University of Perugia, the F.I.A.D.D.A. Umbria Onlus (Association for the rights of deaf people and families of the Umbria region, Italy) and the National Deaf Organization of Friuli Venezia Giulia, Italy.

The A.BA.CO. project was developed based on the belief that it was essential to guarantee accessibility to public services for all hearing-impaired people, but also, above all, that it was critical to promote and support the communicative autonomy of students and individuals with hearing impairments. This objective could be achieved through the implementation of technological adaptations together with actions that guaranteed complete access to communication and information at school, respecting the choices, hearing needs, and characteristics of each individual from a "universal design for hearing" perspective.

This Special Issue will include strategic analyses, reviews, and proposals for the implementation of the good practices and technological solutions that were conceived and designed within the A.BA.CO project, but we also welcome other contributions on this topic.

Dr. Giacinto Asprella Libonati
Dr. Giuseppe Chiarella
Prof. Dr. Sandro Burdo
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Audiology Research is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • hearing loss
  • listening barriers
  • classroom acoustics
  • hearing aids
  • cochlear implants
  • lipreading
  • subtitles

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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18 pages, 4559 KiB  
Article
Evaluating Auditory Localization Capabilities in Young Patients with Single-Side Deafness
by Alessandro Aruffo, Giovanni Nicoli, Marta Fantoni, Raffaella Marchi, Edoardo Carini and Eva Orzan
Audiol. Res. 2025, 15(4), 85; https://doi.org/10.3390/audiolres15040085 - 9 Jul 2025
Viewed by 250
Abstract
Background/Objectives: Unilateral hearing loss (UHL), particularly single-sided deafness (SSD), disrupts spatial hearing in children, leading to academic and social challenges. This study aimed to (1) compare azimuthal sound-localization accuracy and compensatory strategies between children with single-sided deafness (SSD) and their normal-hearing (NH) peers [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: Unilateral hearing loss (UHL), particularly single-sided deafness (SSD), disrupts spatial hearing in children, leading to academic and social challenges. This study aimed to (1) compare azimuthal sound-localization accuracy and compensatory strategies between children with single-sided deafness (SSD) and their normal-hearing (NH) peers within a virtual reality environment, and (2) investigate sound-localization performance across various azimuths by contrasting left-SSD (L-SSD) and right-SSD (R-SSD) groups. Methods: A cohort of 44 participants (20 NH, 24 SSD) performed sound localization tasks in a 3D virtual environment. Unsigned azimuth error (UAE), unsigned elevation error (UEE), and head movement distance were analyzed across six azimuthal angles (−75° to 75°) at 0°elevation. Non-parametric statistics (Mann–Whitney U tests, Holm–Bonferroni correction) compared performance between NH and SSD groups and within SSD subgroups (L-SSD vs. R-SSD). Results: The SSD group exhibited significantly higher UAE (mean: 22.4° vs. 3.69°, p < 0.0001), UEE (mean: 5.95° vs. 3.77°, p < 0.0001) and head movement distance (mean: 0.35° vs. 0.12°, p < 0.0001) compared with NH peers, indicating persistent localization deficits and compensatory effort. Within the SSD group, elevation performance was superior to azimuthal accuracy (mean UEE: 3.77° vs. mean UAE: 22.4°). Participants with R-SSD exhibited greater azimuthal errors at rightward angles (45°and 75°) and at −15°, as well as increased elevation errors at 75°. Hemifield-specific advantages were strongest at extreme lateral angles (75°). Conclusions: Children with SSD rely on insufficient compensatory head movements to resolve monaural spatial ambiguity in order to localize sounds. Localization deficits and the effort associated with localization task call for action in addressing these issues in dynamic environments such as the classroom. L-SSD subjects outperformed R-SSD peers, highlighting hemispheric specialization in spatial hearing and the need to study its neural basis to develop targeted rehabilitation and classroom support. The hemifield advantages described in this study call for further data collection and research on the topic. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Breaking Down Listening Barriers for Students with Hearing Difficulties)
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11 pages, 230 KiB  
Article
Hearing and Listening Difficulties in High Schools and Universities: The Results of an Exploratory Survey of a Large Number of Students and Teachers in the Friuli-Venezia Giulia and Umbria Regions, Italy
by Valeria Gambacorta, Davide Stivalini, Niccolò Granieri, Raffaella Marchi, Alessia Fabbri, Pasquale Viola, Alessia Astorina, Ambra Fastelli, Giampietro Ricci and Eva Orzan
Audiol. Res. 2025, 15(3), 66; https://doi.org/10.3390/audiolres15030066 - 6 Jun 2025
Viewed by 547
Abstract
Background/Objectives: with the aim of describing how students and their teachers perceive and define their hearing and auditory experience in the classroom, we present the results of a questionnaire that examined the listening challenges faced by students and teachers at the University of [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: with the aim of describing how students and their teachers perceive and define their hearing and auditory experience in the classroom, we present the results of a questionnaire that examined the listening challenges faced by students and teachers at the University of Perugia and in four secondary schools in Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Italy. Methods: A survey was developed as part of the A.Ba.Co. project (Overcoming Communication Barriers). Closed or open-ended questions were used to analyze the responses of students and teachers regarding diagnosed or only perceived hearing difficulties in daily life and the quality of listening in school classes. Results: Hearing difficulties, either clinically diagnosed or only perceived, were reported by 8–9% of students. Between teachers, the reported hearing difficulties were 27.1% in high school and 12% at university (p < 0.001). The most frequent reason for less-than-optimal ease of listening in class differed between the two educational levels; 45.8% of high school students blamed it on the noise in the room compared to 18.2% of university students (p < 0.001). Inversely, 40.9% of university students connected listening difficulty with their place in class compared to 9.5% (101/1065) of high school students (p < 0.001). Conclusions: Although the minimum acoustic requirements for educational facilities have been established by the UNI 11532-2 standard, it is speculated that the majority of high school and university classrooms in Italy do not meet optimal listening conditions. Furthermore, the reasons for students’ poor listening quality appear to not be fully understood, neither by students nor by teachers. In addition to the need for greater attention to physical learning spaces (advocating the universal design principles), effective change will also need to involve a greater awareness of what the barriers to listening are and how much they influence both teaching and learning quality and effectiveness. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Breaking Down Listening Barriers for Students with Hearing Difficulties)

Review

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18 pages, 697 KiB  
Review
Lip-Reading: Advances and Unresolved Questions in a Key Communication Skill
by Martina Battista, Francesca Collesei, Eva Orzan, Marta Fantoni and Davide Bottari
Audiol. Res. 2025, 15(4), 89; https://doi.org/10.3390/audiolres15040089 - 21 Jul 2025
Viewed by 344
Abstract
Lip-reading, i.e., the ability to recognize speech using only visual cues, plays a fundamental role in audio-visual speech processing, intelligibility, and comprehension. This capacity is integral to language development and functioning; it emerges in early development, and it slowly evolves. By linking psycholinguistics, [...] Read more.
Lip-reading, i.e., the ability to recognize speech using only visual cues, plays a fundamental role in audio-visual speech processing, intelligibility, and comprehension. This capacity is integral to language development and functioning; it emerges in early development, and it slowly evolves. By linking psycholinguistics, psychophysics, and neurophysiology, the present narrative review explores the development and significance of lip-reading across different stages of life, highlighting its role in human communication in both typical and atypical development, e.g., in the presence of hearing or language impairments. We examined how relying on lip-reading becomes crucial when communication occurs in noisy environments and, on the contrary, the impacts that visual barriers can have on speech perception. Finally, this review highlights individual differences and the role of cultural and social contexts for a better understanding of the visual counterpart of speech. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Breaking Down Listening Barriers for Students with Hearing Difficulties)
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Other

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12 pages, 205 KiB  
Project Report
The A.BA.CO. Project and Efforts to Optimize Access to the Sounds of Learning
by Eva Orzan, Valeria Gambacorta and Giampietro Ricci
Audiol. Res. 2025, 15(4), 92; https://doi.org/10.3390/audiolres15040092 - 25 Jul 2025
Viewed by 160
Abstract
Background/Objectives: Despite its significant impact on learning, classroom acoustics and students’ hearing difficulties are often overlooked compared with more visible issues like lighting. Hearing loss—frequently underestimated and invisible—affects both students and teachers, potentially leading to fatigue, reduced participation, and academic challenges. The [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: Despite its significant impact on learning, classroom acoustics and students’ hearing difficulties are often overlooked compared with more visible issues like lighting. Hearing loss—frequently underestimated and invisible—affects both students and teachers, potentially leading to fatigue, reduced participation, and academic challenges. The A.BA.CO. project in Italy was developed to address these issues by promoting improved classroom design, technological solutions, and better auditory communication accessibility in schools. Objective: This article presents the A.BA.CO. project, offering context and an overview of the preliminary analyses conducted by its multidisciplinary team. The goal is to share insights and propose organizational frameworks, technical solutions, and best practices concerning the hearing, communication, and auditory learning challenges experienced by students with hearing impairments. Results: The A.BA.CO. team’s analyses identified key barriers to inclusion for students with (or without) hearing impairments, such as poor classroom acoustics, excessive noise, and suboptimal seating arrangements. The project underscores the importance of improved acoustic environments and the integration of assistive technologies, including speech-to-text systems. The findings highlight the need for interdisciplinary collaboration to design accessible and inclusive educational settings for all learners. Conclusions: Embedding educational audiology within school systems—alongside enhancements in classroom acoustics and the use of assistive technologies and other technological solutions—is essential to ensure that all students, regardless of hearing ability, have equitable access to learning and full participation in educational life. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Breaking Down Listening Barriers for Students with Hearing Difficulties)
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