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Average Hearing Level

Average hearing levels are calculated for each baseline audiogram and each annual audiogram. A “three frequency average” threshold level is computed, from (2000, 3000, and 4000 Hz) frequency ranges, for each ear and assigns the average hearing level code according to the following classifications:

Threshold Average (db HL)	Average Hearing Level	Comments
0 - 25		Hearing is within normal limits.
26 - 40	MI - Mild	Some difficulty with faint or distant speech.
41 - 55	MO - Moderate	May not understand conversational speech if speaker is more than five feet away.
56 - 70	MS - Moderately Severe	May understand loud conversation only. Group or classroom discussions are impossible to follow. Most consonants are not heard.
71 - 90	SE - Severe	Can hear a loud voice from one foot away and may identify some environmental sounds. Consonants are not heard.
Above 90	PR - Profound	May hear only a few very loud environmental sounds. May "feel" very loud, low frequency sounds.

The comments for each average hearing level are general in nature. Pure tone threshold alone is not sufficient to accurately measure the degree of handicap caused by a hearing impairment.