Hearing Assistive Technology (HAT)
What is HAT?
H.A.T. is an acronym for Hearing Assistive Technology, which encompasses the many different types of equipment that can be used in the classroom to provide students improved access to their teacher’s voice. Examples of HAT equipment include speaker towers, desktop speakers, ceiling speakers, remote microphones, and ear-level equipment that is paired with a FM/DM transmitter worn by the teacher.
Why May A Student Require HAT?
Students that require the use of HAT equipment in the classroom have a diagnosed hearing disorder that prevents them from having equal and appropriate access to their teacher’s voice. These diagnoses may include, but are not limited to, conductive hearing loss, sensorineural hearing loss, and auditory processing disorder. Depending on the students’ individual needs, they may have hearing assistive technology included in their 504 Plan or Individualized Education Plan (IEP).
It is important to note that HAT is not appropriate for all students with hearing loss or auditory processing disorder. This is why we perform classroom observations and sound level measurements of each students’ learning environment in order to best understand their needs.
Speak With An Expert To See What's Right For Your Child
Visit our new student referral process page or Keystone Classroom protocol page to see what our recommended timeline of student services is.