Ling 5 or 6 Sound Test
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The Ling Sound test was developed by Dr.Daniel Ling as a means to easily test hearing, the
child's hearing and the hearing aids across the speech spectrum. The test now uses six sounds, OO AH
EE SH MM SS. These sounds were selected for a number of highly technical reasons, location in the
clear zone or speech banana, proximity to other sounds, or remoteness. The Ling 6 Sound test is a
vital part of having a child who has a hearing problem, especially those hard of hearing children
who get along without hearing aids until their ears are bunged up and they must deal with a moderate
loss. The Ling 6 Sound test will indicate this to you as soon as it happens.
How to Use the Ling 6 Sound Test
Teach the child to clap or repeat the sound as they hear you say it, and make sure the child is
not lipreading.
1.
Say one sound OO, the child responds OO, or claps
2. Say the next sound AH, the child responds AH, or claps
3. Say EE, the child responds EE, or claps
4.
Say SH the child responds SH, or claps
5.
Say M, the child responds M, or claps
6.
Say SSS, the child responds SSS, or claps
7. Plus use a pass word which changes and sounds similar to another word of high frequency sounds.
Catspit, ketchup, cats, ship etc.
When you run the mouse over the audiogram, the Ling 6 Sounds are
highlighted in red.
An audiogram showing some speech sounds, some common sounds. (The "alarm clock" and the
"baby kying" were drawn by my children long ago. Reid's sibs told me this was a normal
picture of Reid) The speech sounds on the audiogram were in a graph in Mary Courtman-Davis's book Your
Deaf Child's Speech and Language published by the Bodley Head in the UK,1979,isbn
0-370-30149-8,p.44
When you run the mouse over the speech sounds, the Ling 6 Sounds will appear in red.
Guess whose voice is saying the Ling 6 Sounds (10 times) while you look at this page!
If you think you know, click on the
email link below and send your guess to me.
Earshot
Earshot applies to the Ling 6 Sound test just like any other information about hearing and
sounds.
A child with normal hearing should be able to hear all these sounds at twenty feet.
Your audiologist should tell you the exact distance to stand from your child to effectively use
the Ling 6 Sound Test based on your child's exact hearing loss and hearing aids if any.
Great Test for Conductive Hearing Problems
The Ling 6 Sound Test easily indicates when the child's ears may be filling with fluid by the
child not responding to the higher sounds to which the child normally responds. It is also a
very handy test for those children who have fluctuating losses. Normally it is not necessary to keep
a record of this test, but if the responses are different all the time, jot the failed sounds down
in your calendar, noting also if the child has or is getting a cold.
Vital Test for FM Equipment at School every day
The Ling 6 Sound test is also used to test the FM's at the beginning of the school day, and each
time the equipment is passed from one person to another.
Ling 5 Sound Test
The Ling 5 Sound test does not use the nasal M. It is quite adequate, at least it has worked fine
for our family for the past 12 years, but if you want to be really trendy, add in the nasal M.
Written by PAM Candlish Nov 2001
references.Foundations
of Spoken Language for Hearing-Impaired Children.Ling.1989
Your Deaf Child's Speech and Language,Davis.1979
