Roles and Responsibilities of Audiologists

Professional roles and activities in audiology include clinical services; prevention and advocacy; and education, administration, and research. See ASHA’s Scope of Practice in Audiology (ASHA, 2018).

The following roles and responsibilities are appropriate for audiologists working in a classroom setting.

Education and Advocacy

• Maintain an understanding of the principles behind sound acoustical design and the impact of classroom acoustics on educational outcomes.
• Provide education to the public, parents/guardians, students, and/or other professionals regarding classroom acoustical concerns; the effects of acoustics on listening, learning, and well-being; and the need for the application of good acoustical design in the planning and building process.
• Develop and disseminate information concerning classroom acoustics to the public and policymakers.
• Advocate for the application of sound acoustical design in school planning and building processes at the local, state, and national levels.
• Conduct in-service training for educational staff on performing hearing technology checks and troubleshooting.

Screening and Assessment

• Use screening tools, such as classroom acoustics checklists, to identify the need for further assessment.
• Survey classroom acoustical conditions, including measuring background noise in dBA, measuring or estimating reverberation time, and measuring or estimating signal-to-noise ratio and then comparing these measurements to American National Standards Institute (ANSI)/Acoustical Society of America (ASA) standards (i.e., ANSI/ASA S12.60 series).

Intervention and Support

• Act as a resource for teachers, parents/guardians, speech-language pathologists (SLPs), principals, and administrators.
• Develop and implement strategies to target excessive noise and reverberation in classrooms and other learning spaces.
• Recommend acoustical treatments to existing physical spaces.
• Assess the effectiveness of classroom acoustic improvements (e.g., observing student listening, gathering teacher feedback, measuring background noise levels and reverberation time).
• Recommend strategic seating for children who require more favorable acoustics.
• Recommend and implement hearing-assistive technologies, including classroom systems to improve the classroom listening environment and personal remote microphone hearing assistive technology (RM-HAT) for students, as needed.
• Provide aural (re)habilitation, including instruction in self-advocacy and communication strategies, to minimize listening and learning barriers in the classroom.
• Monitor and document the effectiveness of amplification and/or hearing assistive technologies.
• Manage personal hearing technology (i.e., hearing aids, cochlear implants, bone conduction hearing aids), RM-HAT, and other applicable technology.
• Assist families in improving the listening environment in the home.

As indicated in the ASHA Code of Ethics (ASHA, 2023), audiologists who work in this capacity should be specifically educated and appropriately trained to do so.

Roles and Responsibilities of Speech-Language Pathologists

Professional roles and activities in speech-language pathology include clinical services; prevention and advocacy; and education, administration, and research. See ASHA’s Scope of Practice in Speech-Language Pathology (ASHA, 2016).

The following roles and responsibilities are appropriate for SLPs.

Education and Advocacy

• Maintain an understanding of the principles behind sound acoustical design and the impact of classroom acoustics on educational outcomes.
• Promote efficient and effective education outcomes for students.
• Advocate for good acoustical design in school planning and building processes at the local, state, and national levels.

Screening and Assessment

• Use screening tools, such as classroom acoustics checklists, to identify the need for further assessment.
• Request the involvement of an audiologist or acoustical consultant to evaluate educational spaces and make specific recommendations to accomplish suitable acoustical conditions.

Intervention and Support

• Develop and implement strategies to target excessive noise and reverberation in classrooms and other learning spaces.
• Collaborate with the educational team to improve the classroom listening environment and to implement strategies in the classroom to enhance the listening skills of all students.
• Provide aural (re)habilitation, including instruction in self-advocacy and communication strategies, to minimize listening and learning barriers in the classroom.
• Complete supportive checks of hearing aids and hearing assistive technologies, as needed.
• Support teachers in avoiding vocal abuse and overuse.

As indicated in the ASHA Code of Ethics (ASHA, 2023), SLPs who work in this capacity should be specifically educated and appropriately trained to do so.

Collaboration With Other Professionals

There are several stakeholders with interest, knowledge, and/or skills in classroom (and other learning space) acoustics. These stakeholders include classroom teachers, teachers of the Deaf and hard of hearing, school administrators, and acoustical consultants. See ASHA’s resource on Interprofessional Education/ Interprofessional Practice (IPE/IPP).

Classroom Teachers and Administrators

Classroom teachers are instrumental in identifying students who may be experiencing hearing loss or other types of listening problems and in referring those students to the appropriate professionals for further assessment. For students with identified hearing loss and/or listening problems, the classroom teacher may need to implement accommodations and strategies within the general education environment(s). Building administrators can be instrumental in providing resources and collaborating with teachers to improve classroom acoustics and students' listening environments.

Accommodations for children with hearing loss and/or listening difficulties will be individualized to their specific needs and may include

• providing strategic seating (individualized for each student) away from extraneous noise, within the acoustic critical distance, and in a position where the student's speech perception is maximized;
• minimizing visual and auditory distractions in the classroom;
• using visual supplements (e.g., handouts, notes) especially during instructional periods with high academic content;
• gaining students’ attention prior to delivering information;
• ensuring access to visual cues when delivering auditory information;
• using review strategies to identify key points;
• frequently checking in to ensure student understanding;
• encouraging students to practice active listening habits; and
• involving students in managing the noise level in the classroom.

Acoustical Consultants

Acoustical consultants have a variety of educational backgrounds, including engineering and physics, and can have specific areas of expertise (e.g., school design). Consultants use knowledge of room acoustics, noise control, acoustical isolation, and audio systems to ensure the efficient distribution of desirable sound as well as the suppression of undesirable sound in and around classrooms and other structures.

Examples of contributions made by acoustical consultants include

• providing consulting services for new construction, including evaluating the design for interior room acoustics, interior and exterior acoustical isolation, mechanical system noise control, and performance sound reinforcement system design;
• evaluating existing conditions in classrooms, including performing acoustical testing to determine the exact acoustical parameters of the room and comparing these to ANSI/ASA standards; and
• making recommendations for corrective measures to meet acceptable criteria to the extent possible.

Behavior of Sound In Rooms

Sound waves radiate in all directions from a source until they come to an obstacle (e.g., a wall) or dissipate with distance. The intensity of a sound wave is a measurement of perceived loudness. The frequency of a sound wave is a measurement of perceived pitch.

Both the intensity and the frequency of the sound wave will affect the sound–surface interaction. When sound waves strike a surface, one or more of the following can occur (Seep et al., 2000):

Absorption—The surface absorbs the sound. The degree of absorption is described by its noise reduction coefficient (NRC).

Diffusion—The sound strikes the surface and is scattered in many directions.

Reflection—The sound strikes and bounces off the surface. Reflections can even result in echoes. Echo types include

• discrete echoes, such as when the teacher’s voice is continually bouncing off the back wall of a classroom, and
• flutter echoes, such as when a sound bounces rapidly between two flat, hard surfaces, such as two walls or a floor and a ceiling.

Transmission—Sound passes through the surface material and into the space beyond it. The degree of transmission is provided by its sound transmission class. 

Measuring Sound In Rooms

Several types of measurements may be considered when assessing a room's acoustical environment. Measurements can be taken in occupied or unoccupied rooms. Noise level measurements taken in unoccupied classrooms can be compared to ANSI/ASA standards.

Critical distance is the point in a room where the direct sound signal (e.g., directly from a speaker’s voice) and the reflected sound signal are of equal strength. If a listener is close to the speaker, most of the speech they hear is a direct sound signal. The direct signal becomes weaker with distance. Beyond the critical distance, much of what a listener hears are reflections of the speaker’s voice, which can make listening more challenging.

Noise criterion is a measurement of relative loudness in a room with a range of frequencies. This can be used to rate indoor noise (e.g., equipment noise).

Noise reduction coefficient (NRC) is a measurement of the ability of a material to absorb sound.

Reverberation time (RT) is a measurement of how quickly sound decays in a room, which is influenced by the physical volume of the room, the shape of the room, and the sound-absorptive characteristics of surface materials in the room. The RT60 of a room is the time in seconds it takes for a sound that ends abruptly to decay by 60 dB.

Signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) is a comparison of a desired signal (sound) to the level of background noise. This measurement can be used to determine the level of speech intelligibility within a room (and in specific parts of a room). A positive SNR indicates that the signal of interest is louder than the background noise. In general, the more positive the SNR, the better the speech intelligibility.

Sound transmission class, one type of noise reduction measurement, is a rating of how well a surface—such as a wall or a ceiling—prevents sound from passing through it.

Poor classroom acoustics can affect speech intelligibility (percentage of recognizable speech or speech sounds) within a given learning space.

Surveying Classroom Acoustical Conditions

Educational audiologists and/or acoustical consultants are responsible for assessing classroom acoustics. They are uniquely positioned to take acoustical measurements in the classroom and compare them to ANSI/ASA or other standards or to building codes.

Acoustical assessments of classrooms may include

• formal noise and reverberation measurements,
• informal monitoring of noise levels using mobile applications,
• a comparison of current acoustical conditions and performance measurements with acceptable standards, and
• a determination of the adequacy of the classroom for listening and learning.

Both audiologists and SLPs may be involved in gathering behavioral performance measurements, assessing changes in student performance within the classroom, and making recommendations regarding improving the listening environment.

Assessments of the impact of classroom acoustics on student performance within their learning environment may include behavioral performance measurements, such as

• speech recognition scores,
• teacher or student report forms,
• changes in student behavior, and
• changes in achievement scores.

Modifications to Improve Existing Acoustical Conditions

A classroom acoustics survey can help determine whether corrective action is needed and guide recommendations that will meet acceptable criteria to the extent practical. Background noise is addressed first. Excessive noise will continue to impact the learning environment no matter how well reverberation is controlled. Strategies for improving acoustical conditions in the classroom may also include

• modifying the physical characteristics of the room,
• using evidence-based techniques to ensure appropriately fit hearing technologies for students,
• using classroom audio distribution system (CADS), and/or
• implementing habilitation and rehabilitation interventions (e.g., listening training, phonological awareness training, visual communication training, auditory–verbal training, monitoring classroom noise management).

Members of the school staff and the district's facilities department may collaborate to improve acoustics. Measurements taken before the recommendations are implemented can be repeated after changes have been made to determine and document the effectiveness of the changes and improvements over time. If classrooms cannot be modified sufficiently, relocating to another room or setting with better acoustic conditions may be necessary.

Classroom Audio Distribution Systems

CADS are “a system for which the primary design goal is to electroacoustically distribute the audio portion of curricular content throughout a learning space” (ANSI/ASA, 2010, p. 4). CADS may benefit all students, including younger children, who, even with normal hearing, often have greater difficulty understanding speech in noisy environments compared to adults (Wolfe et al., 2013). CADS have been shown to improve children’s listening and learning (Mealings, 2022d). When CADS are considered, it is important to carefully assess classroom acoustics and follow a systematic process to determine the most appropriate solution for a given classroom. CADS are not a substitute for suitable classroom acoustics. Use of CADS in a classroom with long RTs can decrease students’ speech perception (Trinite & Astolfi, 2021), which underscores the importance of involving an educational audiologist when considering, choosing, and installing CADS as well as when training is provided.  

CADS often do not provide sufficient benefit for those with hearing loss, especially in classrooms with poor acoustics (Iglehart, 2004). Many children with hearing loss will require personal RM-HAT. In classrooms where multiple technologies are used, the expertise of an educational audiologist is crucial to ensure that these technologies work together to enhance speech understanding rather than interfere with it (Wolfe et al., 2013).

Interior Modifications

Modifications to the physical characteristics of a room or other learning space can improve acoustical quality, which, in turn, can improve students’ speech perception, attention, reading, and well-being (Mealings, 2023a).

It is important to consider the sound absorption qualities of various absorptive materials for ceilings, walls, and floors. An absorption coefficient and an NRC are used to measure the ability of a material to absorb sound (Seep et al., 2000).

Classroom sound reflections can influence how speech is perceived. A voice reaches a listener’s ear in two main ways: directly from the talker, known as the direct signal, and indirectly through reflections off of hard surfaces (e.g., walls, ceilings, furniture), known as reflections or reverberation. The timing and strength of these reflections determine whether they help or hinder speech perception. Reflections of speech that arrive at the listener very shortly after the speech sound arrives directly from the talker are essential in the perception of speech. Reflected sounds arriving later begin to smear or blur the original speech, making it more difficult to understand, particularly for children with auditory-related issues. Appropriately designed shorter RTs in a classroom can often help preserve these early reflections and limit later detrimental ones.

Examples of classroom modifications are listed below. Additional and more specific details can be found in classroom acoustical resources and guides (Canning et al., 2015; National Deaf Children’s Society, 2016; New Zealand Ministry of Education, 2016; Phinney & Woolworth, 2015; Seep et al., 2000).

• Ceilings—Acoustical panels on the ceiling may help improve the listening environment in the classroom, especially if there is a high ceiling. Any acoustical ceiling tile that is used should have a sound absorption coefficient rating sufficient to achieve the desired noise and/or reverberation reduction. This rating should be available from the installer or manufacturer. Acoustical panels that have been painted may have lost much of their beneficial sound-absorptive qualities.
• Floors—Where practical, installing carpet over a pad to absorb sound and dampen noise from students and from movement of classroom furniture is beneficial.
• Furniture—Classroom furniture and movable screens can be used and manipulated to provide acoustical separation and break up sound reflections. Using felt or rubber caps on chair and table legs may help reduce noise as well, particularly if floors are not carpeted.
• Lighting—Some fluorescent lighting systems emit a constant noise. Regular maintenance—and, when possible, the use of high-frequency lighting—can reduce and/or eliminate flickering and buzzing.
• Mechanical Equipment Noise—High ambient noise from mechanical equipment—such as noisy HVAC systems—can be mitigated by adding custom-built enclosures around mechanical units, adding sound-lined ductwork to the unit, and addressing the location of the HVAC systems in relation to the learning spaces. Types of equipment such as air filtration systems, computers, projection units, and aquarium pumps add to mechanical equipment noise.
• Walls—Strategies for mitigating noise and excessive reverberation through modifications to existing walls include adding materials such as fabric-faced glass fiber wall panels, carpet, sound-absorbing panels, or acoustical ceiling tiles to the walls.
• Windows and Doors—Strategies for mitigating noise through modifications to windows and doors include adding double-pane or storm windows, tight-fitting solid core doors, and window draperies/shades.

Exterior Modifications

Exterior noise also contributes to the background sound in a classroom. Modifications to reduce exterior noise include using exterior barriers and landscaping to deflect or absorb unwanted sounds and ensuring that building walls are free of cracks and receive regular maintenance.

New Construction

Acoustical design begins at the outset of the building planning, design, and construction processes. It is likely easier and less expensive to incorporate appropriate acoustical materials at the beginning of the entire process rather than retrofit materials later. A new school building's architectural team may employ acoustical consultants to evaluate aspects of the design, such as interior room acoustics, acoustical isolation, and mechanical system noise control.

Acoustical consultants may advise on the following:

• Background sound levels—performing various types of design calculations—supported, whenever necessary, with noise measurements—to determine if the ANSI-specified background noise level design goal can be met.
• Exterior noise—measuring the sound levels at the potential site of a new school, making recommendations for building placement on the site to limit environmental sound exposure, noise isolation or performance of exterior windows and wall sections, and sound insulation design (e.g., external walls, roof assembly).
• Interior room acoustics—correct selection of ceiling acoustic materials and, if additional sound absorption is necessary to meet ANSI standards, sound-absorptive wall materials.
• Mechanical noise—calculating sound levels in a classroom using the design documents provided by mechanical engineers and, if needed, recommending sound attenuation devices to meet the design goals.
• Partition design—ensuring that partitions between the classroom and adjacent areas are designed or upgraded to meet ANSI standards.

Classroom Acoustics Standards and Legislation

ANSI Standards

The ANSI/ASA series of standards for classroom acoustics includes the following:

• ANSI/ASA S12.60-2010/Part 1 (R2020): Acoustical Performance Criteria, Design Requirements, and Guidelines for Schools, Part 1: Permanent Schools
• ANSI/ASA S12.60-2009/Part 2 (R2020): Acoustical Performance Criteria, Design Requirements, and Guidelines for Schools, Part 2: Relocatable Classroom Factors
• ASA/ANSI S12.60-2019/Part 4 (R2024): Acoustical Performance Criteria, Design Requirements, and Guidelines for Schools, Part 4: Acoustic Standards for Physical Education Teaching Environments

These standards, based on the best scientific evidence available at the time of publication, “help school planners and designers provide good acoustical characteristics for classrooms and other learning spaces in which speech communication is an important part of the learning process” (ANSI/ASA, 2010, p. 2).

Standards include guidance on:

• CADS,
• compliance/conformance testing,
• noise isolation design requirements,
• performance criteria for background noise levels, and
• RT standards—one for classrooms serving children with typical hearing and a stricter standard for classrooms that include children with hearing loss.

The ANSI standards are revised periodically based on new research and practical use.

Building Codes

Guidelines and requirements for classroom construction and applicable facilities are determined at state and local levels. International and national model codes are developed by the International Code Council and may be adopted by states or localities at their discretion. In some states, guidelines are uniform; however, many states use guidelines as a basic blueprint. State requirements regarding standardized classroom size, materials, construction requirements, lighting, and similar factors may be found in the information regarding capital construction and/or building requirements available from the state's department of education.

ASHA Resources

• Advocating for Change [PDF]
• Hearing-Related Topics: Terminology Guidance
• Interprofessional Education/Interprofessional Practice (IPE/IPP)

Other Resources

This list of resources is not exhaustive, and the inclusion of any specific resource does not imply endorsement from ASHA.

• Acoustical Society of America (ASA)
• Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing
• ANSI/ASA S12.60-2010/Part 1 American National Standard Acoustical Performance Criteria, Design Requirements, and Guidelines for Schools, Part 1: Permanent Schools [PDF]
• ANSI/ASA S12.60-2009/Part 2 American National Standard Acoustical Performance Criteria, Design Requirements, and Guidelines for Schools, Part 2: Relocatable Classroom Factors [PDF]
• Classroom Acoustical Screening Survey Worksheet [PDF]
• Classroom Acoustics I: A Resource for Creating Learning Environments With Desirable Listening Conditions [PDF]
• Classroom Acoustics II: Acoustical Barriers to Learning [PDF]
• Educational Audiology Association (EAA)
• Listening Inventory For Education – Revised (L.I.F.E.-R.) [PDF]
• Supporting Success For Children with Hearing Loss

Acoustical Society of America/American National Standards Institute. (2019). S12.60-2019/Part 4: American National Standard acoustical performance criteria, design requirements, and guidelines for schools, Part 4: Acoustic standards for physical education teaching environments (Rev. ed.; ANSI Standard No. S12.60-2019). Acoustical Society of America. https://webstore.ansi.org/standards/asa/asaansis12602019partr2024?source=blog&_gl=1*1x2tinc*_gcl_au*MzA3NjkwMDI4LjE3NDUyMjYxOTE

American National Standards Institute/Acoustical Society of America. (2009). S12.60-2009/Part 2: American National Standard acoustical performance criteria, design requirements, and guidelines for schools, Part 2: Relocatable classroom factors (Rev. ed.; ANSI Standard No. S12.60-2009). Acoustical Society of America. https://webstore.ansi.org/search/find?in=1&st=S12.60-2009

American National Standards Institute/Acoustical Society of America. (2010). S12.60-2010/Part 1: American National Standard acoustical performance criteria, design requirements, and guidelines for schools, Part 1: Permanent schools (Rev. ed.; ANSI Standard No. S12.60-2010). Acoustical Society of America. https://webstore.ansi.org/search/find?in=1&st=S12.60-2010

American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. (2016). Scope of practice in speech-language pathology [Scope of practice]. https://www.asha.org/policy/

American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. (2018). Scope of practice in audiology [Scope of practice]. https://www.asha.org/policy/

American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. (2023). Code of ethics [Ethics]. https://www.asha.org/policy/

Canning, D., Cogger, N., Greenland, E., Harvie-Clark, J., James, A., Oeters, D., Orlowski, R., Parkin, A., Richardson, R., & Shield, B. (2015). Acoustics of schools: A design guide. Institute of Acoustics; Association of Noise Consultants.

Iglehart, F. (2004). Speech perception by students with cochlear implants using sound-field systems in classrooms. American Journal of Audiology, 13(1), 62–72. https://doi.org/10.1044/1059-0889(2004/009)

Iglehart, F. (2016). Speech perception in classroom acoustics by children with cochlear implants and with typical hearing. American Journal of Audiology, 25(2), 100–109. https://doi.org/10.1044/2016_AJA-15-0064

Kanakri, S. M., Shepley, M., Tassinary, L. G., Varni, J. W., & Fawaz, H. M. (2017). An observational study of classroom acoustical design and repetitive behaviors in children with autism. Environment and Behavior, 49(8), 847–873. https://doi.org/10.1177/0013916516669389

Klatte, M., Hellbrück, J., Seidel, J., & Leistner, P. (2010). Effects of classroom acoustics on performance and well-being in elementary school children: A field study. Environment and Behavior, 42(5), 659–692. https://doi.org/10.1177/0013916509336813

Klatte, M., Lachmann, T., & Meis, M. (2010). Effects of noise and reverberation on speech perception and listening comprehension of children and adults in a classroom-like setting. Noise & Health, 12(49), 270–282.

Kristiansen, J., Lund, S. P., Persson, R., Shibuya, H., Nielsen, P. M., & Scholz, M. (2014). A study of classroom acoustics and school teachers’ noise exposure, voice load and speaking time during teaching, and the effects on vocal and mental fatigue development. International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health, 87, 851–860. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00420-014-0927-8

Mealings, K. (2022a). Classroom acoustic conditions and primary school children’s behaviour: A scoping review. Building Acoustics, 29(4), 543–558. https://doi.org/10.1177/1351010X221126680

Mealings, K. (2022b). Classroom acoustics and cognition: A review of the effects of noise and reverberation on primary school children’s attention and memory. Building Acoustics, 29(3), 401–431. https://doi.org/10.1177/1351010X221104892

Mealings, K. (2022c). The effect of classroom acoustic conditions on literacy outcomes for children in primary school: A review. Building Acoustics, 29(1), 135–156. https://doi.org/10.1177/1351010X211057331

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Phinney, P., & Woolworth, D. (2015). Classroom acoustics for architects. Acoustical Society of America.

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Acknowledgments 

Content for ASHA's Practice Portal is developed through a comprehensive process that includes multiple rounds of subject matter expert input and review. ASHA extends its gratitude to the following subject matter experts who were involved in the development of the Classroom Acoustics page.

Primary Version

• Marcus Adrian, AIA
• Samantha Gustafson, AuD, PhD, CCC-A
• Sandra King, AuD, CCC-A
• Peggy Nelson, PhD, CCC-A
• Cynthia McCormick Richburg, PhD, CCC-A
• Kenneth Roy, PhD
• Joseph Smaldino, PhD, CCC-A
• Donna Smiley, PhD, CCC-A

Secondary Versions

• Susan Brannen, AuD, CCC-A (2019)
• Cheryl DeConde Johnson, EdD (2026)
• Frank Iglehart, PhD (2026)
• Kiri Mealings, PhD (2026)
• Elizabeth Walker, PhD, CCC-A/SLP (2019)

ASHA seeks input from subject matter experts representing differing perspectives and backgrounds. At times a subject matter expert may request to have their name removed from our acknowledgment. We continue to appreciate their work.

Citing Practice Portal Pages

The recommended citation for this Practice Portal page is:

American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. (n.d.). Classroom acoustics [Practice portal]. https://www.asha.org/Practice-Portal/Professional-Issues/Classroom-Acoustics/