Tethered to the Teacher: Why Low-Gain Hearing Aids Offer Freedom That Standalone FM Systems Can’t

Dear Parent Who Was Told That a Standalone FM System Is the Same as Low-Gain Hearing Aids,

I want to clarify this because it’s a really common misunderstanding—and it’s easy to see why. Sometimes things just aren’t explained clearly. A system like the Roger Focus can definitely be helpful, but it’s certainly not the same thing as low gain hearing aids.

The Roger Focus is a standalone FM system, which means it can’t be combined with anything else. It’s made as an over-the-counter option that can easily be taken from one student and handed to another without any major adjustments—other than simple sanitary changes like swapping out the domes or tubing. Because of that, it’s not designed to be personalized. Even if it looks like there are “settings,” they aren’t tailored to a specific child’s hearing or processing needs. It’s a one-size-fits-all tool, and while that makes it simple to use in schools, it also means it’s limited in what it can do for kids who need something more individualized.

It’s also important to mention that even though the earpieces of the Roger Focus look just like hearing aids, they aren’t. One major difference is how the sound gets into the ear. Roger Focus uses slim tubing to send sound down into the ear canal. Tubing is cheap and easy to maintain—you can replace it quickly if it gets clogged, which is practical when devices are passed between students.

But the sound quality is just not the same. Very few hearing aids use this kind of slim tubing anymore because it doesn’t deliver the same clarity. Most people now prefer receiver-in-canal (RIC) hearing aids, where sound is sent through a wire to a tiny speaker that sits near the eardrum. That gives a much cleaner, crisper sound. Think of it like this: tubing is a bit like listening through a garden hose, while RIC hearing aids are like having a speaker right next to your ear. The difference in clarity is huge.

RIC hearing aids might not be more expensive to purchase upfront, but they can be a bit more expensive to maintain because the speaker near the eardrum is electronic, and replacing it costs more than simple tubing. That said, most pediatric hearing aids come with warranties that last 3 to 5 years, and these usually cover the cost of replacing receivers and other key parts. That’s why keeping them under warranty is so worthwhile—it gives families peace of mind if repairs or replacements are ever needed.

Some people worry about kids being rough with the electronics, but honestly, in my experience, most kids do just fine. And when I’m working with a child who has auditory processing challenges, I want to be able to do everything possible to make the sound as clear as it can be. I’m looking for excellent noise reduction, strong speech enhancement, the ability to compress frequencies for better clarity and comfort, and the option to use a semi-closed dome that blocks out more background noise while still letting speech come through cleanly.

The Roger Focus simply doesn’t offer that level of support. It’s almost always fit with an open dome, which doesn’t block any background noise at all. A lot of people think it reduces noise, but what it actually does is make the teacher’s voice louder than the noise around the child. That’s very different from true noise reduction, where the device is actively working to suppress unwanted sounds and enhance speech at the same time.

Another major difference is spatial awareness. Kids often describe the Roger Focus as making the teacher’s voice just appear in the middle of their head, with no sense of where it’s coming from. The system bypasses natural listening cues, so kids don’t develop the ability to figure out where sounds are coming from. Low-gain hearing aids keep both ears working together, which is critical for building spatial listening skills and staying oriented in noisy environments.

And this isn’t just about convenience—it’s about comfort and emotional security, too. Spatial hearing allows children to localize where sounds are coming from and to understand how their own body is positioned relative to the sounds around them. When that ability is disrupted, it can feel really disorienting and anxiety-provoking—especially for neurodivergent kids who already may struggle with sensory regulation. Feeling ungrounded because they can’t place sounds in space can heighten anxiety, make environments feel overwhelming, and even lead to shutdowns or avoidance behaviors. That’s why supporting spatial hearing is so essential: it helps kids feel safe, oriented, and connected to the world around them.

I also want to be clear that I have nothing against using a microphone like the Roger system itself—in fact, I make sure that most of my patients have access to Roger microphones with their hearing aids. The key difference is that with hearing aids, the system is customized to their specific needs, and they have the power to turn the microphone input on and off themselves. That flexibility is what gives them real control, instead of locking them into listening whether they want to or not.

Something else I’ve noticed is that it’s very common for audiologists—especially pediatric audiologists—to underestimate how capable children really are when it comes to managing their own hearing. I’ve seen a three-year-old low-verbal autistic child who was able to turn on a pink noise program when she felt overwhelmed and adjust her own volume. Yet many providers won’t even fit children in a way that allows them to adjust their own volume control.

I keep a close eye on how my kids are using their devices by checking the data logging in their hearing aids. What I find is that when kids are given the tools, they use them wisely. They take control of their sensory environment, and they are noticeably happier and more regulated when they have that control. Of course, if a child isn’t using their controls in a helpful way, I can always turn those features off—but I firmly believe it’s worth giving them the chance to show what they can do.

This is exactly why I do not fit any standalone FM systems in my practice. I am not willing to take away a child’s agency and tether them to the teacher with no ability to opt out. Kids deserve the right to decide what they want to listen to—and what they don’t want to listen to. I wouldn’t want any child to feel like a horse in blinders, forced to look and listen in just one direction, with no way to shift their attention or tune things out when needed.

Hearing support should empower kids, not restrict them. That’s the standard I hold in my work—and it’s what I believe every child deserves.

Visual Description:

This black-and-white cartoon illustration shows two boys seated at school desks. The boy on the left, labeled “Roger Focus FM System,” looks visibly uncomfortable and disconnected. Behind him is a faint image of a horse wearing blinders—symbolizing the directional, teacher-focused nature of FM use. A speech bubble above him reads: “Roger Focus is often fit with an open dome which doesn’t block any background noise.”

This detail is key: while the FM system allows surrounding sounds to enter through the open dome, it doesn’t provide any support for processing that sound. The child hears the classroom chaos—but without help making sense of it.

The boy on the right, labeled “Low-gain hearing aids,” is smiling and engaged. Visual motion lines around his ears suggest sound is reaching him more comfortably. A woman in a lab coat—an audiologist—stands beside him, gesturing confidently. Her speech bubble reads: “The Roger Focus has no spatial awareness, but low-gain hearing aids do.”

Why I Chose This Picture:

This cartoon was selected to illustrate the critical nuance in my “Tethered to the Teacher” essay. FM systems don’t isolate children entirely—they allow ambient sound in through the open dome. But they offer no support for that sound. The child may still hear classmates talking, chairs scraping, papers rustling—but without the benefit of noise reduction, gain control, or spatial filtering. It’s like being thrown into a busy room with no tools to cope.

The horse’s blinders aren’t about physical deafness to the environment—they symbolize a lack of access to meaning beyond the teacher’s voice. The FM gives you that one connection—everything else you’re on your own.

In contrast, low-gain hearing aids amplify speech from multiple directions, manage noise, and preserve spatial cues—allowing the child to participate more fully and fluidly. Low-gain hearing aids can also incorporate the use of FM, when and where needed, and the sound from the FM microphone can be fully customized and controlled by the wearer.

This picture says what words sometimes can’t: same noise, different experience.