Recommended morning and end of school day routine for using a radio aid, tips for when wearing the microphone.
The radio aid is made up of two main parts:
- the receiver
- the transmitter
A member of staff needs to be responsible for checking the system every day. If the student cannot hear properly through the system, their access to learning is going to be disadvantaged.
Report any issues to the sensory support team.
Morning routine
At the start of the day:
- attach the audio shoe and receiver to the hearing device
- turn on the touchscreen
- once the screen is displayed, hold the touchscreen next to the receiver and press the connect button: you should then see visual confirmation on the screen ‘ A Roger ….. is connected’
- if the student has two hearing devices, connect the second receiver
- at a distance, preferably from outside the room if practical, turn away from the student and say a short statement that they have to repeat, for example today my favourite colour is green
It’s recommended to remove the receivers from the hearing devices before lunch or break time, to reduce any risk of loss.
Wearing the microphone
When you’re wearing the microphone:
- make sure the lanyard is adjusted so that the microphone is a pens length from your mouth: if it is too far away, it will not pick up speech effectively
- remove lanyards and scarves, so that they do not rub against the microphone: this creates background noise, making it harder for the student to understand speech
- use the mute button when not talking directly to the student: the mute button will flash red when muted, press this again to unmute
The SENCO should regularly monitor correct usage.
Group work
For group work of maximum 5 people, you can use the touch screen as a conference microphone. It will automatically change into this mode when you place it flat on a table.
Placing the transmitter on top off a cloth can improve the sound quality in this mode.
Transmit audio directly to the student’s hearing device
- To transmit the audio used in class directly to the students’ hearing devices: plug an audio lead into the jack at the bottom of the touchscreen microphone
- connect it to a computer or tablet
End of school day routine
If it’s agreed between home and school that the system will stay in school, it’s the school’s responsibility to make sure receivers are:
- removed at the end of the school day
- kept in a safe place
At the end of the school day turn the transmitter off and gently plug the charging lead into the charging port. The transmitter should always be turned off for charging.
It’s ok to leave the transmitter charging overnight or over a half term.