Speech recognition assessment in Italian pediatric schools using close-set speech tests: A case of study

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the speech intelligibility of pediatric classrooms using close-set speech tests. The tests used were the Word Intelligibility by Picture Identification test (WIPI) and the Diagnostic Rhyme test (DRT). The WIPI test was revised and was adapted to the Italian language, using the same theory of the original WIPI test. The DRT test was built choosing the words among receptive vocabulary of the young students. All participants were native Italian speakers, and none had hearing problems reported by their parents. Half of the participants received a hearing evaluation in an audiology test room. The results of the close-set speech tests were then compared to the acoustic results obtained by in site measurements of the speech intelligibility index.