TAF Test of Auditory Functioning — Professional Auditory Assessment for Children Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing

The Test of Auditory Functioning (TAF) is a comprehensive, criterion-based auditory assessment tool developed by Donald M. Goldberg, PhD, CCC-SLP/A, LSLS Cert. AVT — one of the leading authorities in auditory-verbal therapy and listening and spoken language development.

Designed for annual administration, the TAF tracks a child's auditory skill development from year to year — not by comparing them to other children, but by measuring their own progress against a fixed set of standards. This makes it an essential tool for IEP and 504 documentation, cochlear implant program monitoring, and annual auditory progress reporting.

Who Is the TAF For? The TAF was developed specifically for professionals working with children who are deaf or hard of hearing, including:

• Educational audiologists
• Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) working with children with hearing loss
• Listening and Spoken Language Specialists (LSLS)
• Teachers of the deaf and educators of the deaf
• Special education teachers working with children with hearing loss
• Cochlear implant team members

Target Population: Children from approximately 2 years of age through middle school who use hearing aids, cochlear implants, bimodal devices (1 HA + 1 CI), bone-anchored hearing systems, or other assistive listening devices.

What Is Included:

• 172-page illustrated easel with colorful, original BIPOC-inclusive illustrations
• 19 subtests ranging from suprasegmental discrimination through listening comprehension with competing noise
• QR codes linking to all required audio clips — no USB drive needed
• Free downloadable score sheets (updated September 2025)
• Free downloadable administration manual with complete scripting for every test item
• Color-coded and numbered subtests for ease of administration
• Guidance on selecting appropriate starting subtests and ceiling recommendations

The 19 Subtests Cover: Duration discrimination, suprasegmental discrimination, phoneme detection, word identification, sentence comprehension, sequencing, and listening comprehension with competing noise and messages — based on the auditory hierarchy and landmark work of Norman Erber.

Field Tested and Peer Reviewed: The TAF was field tested on 125 children who are deaf or hard of hearing across the USA, Israel, England, and Australia — demonstrating its appropriateness for toddlers through early adolescence across diverse populations and listening device types.

Reviewed by Carol Flexer, PhD: "Those of us in the auditory brain development business have been waiting for this test. The TAF is a criterion-based assessment tool that looks at an individual child's auditory functioning from one year to the next."

Key Features:

• Annual administration format ideal for IEP and 504 documentation
• Criterion-based — tracks individual progress, not peer comparison
• Compatible with all major hearing technologies including cochlear implants
• Appropriate for toddlers through early adolescence
• Free score sheets and manual — no recurring costs
• BIPOC-inclusive illustrations
• Field tested internationally

TEST OF AUDITORY FUNCTIONING is for mainstreamed student who 

is deaf or hard of hearing . Target Population:  Approximately 2-year-olds to middle school children with hearing loss using Hearing Aid/s, Cochlear Implant/s, 1 HA & 1 CI (bimodal),  "bone-anchored" systems, and/or other Assistive Listening Devices. A criterion-based assessment of listening abilities for Annual Administration for documentation of your IEP/504-based

intervention plan effectiveness. Beautifully illustrated 172 page easel (including BIPOC illustrations), Scan the QR code to download ALL required Audio clips. Free downloadable Score Sheets! and Free downloadable Manual/Administration Instructions!

For Educational Audiologists

SLPs working with children who are deaf or hard of hearing

Teachers of the Deaf/Educators of the Deaf

Special Education Teachers working with children who are deaf or hard of hearing

Includes 19 Subtests From Duration Discrimination to Listening Comprehension (0 SNR)

Target Population:  Approximately 2-year-olds to middle school children with hearing loss using Hearing Aid/s, Cochlear Implant/s

Test of Auditory Functioning (TAF) by Donald M. Goldberg

Reviewed by Carol Flexer

Those of us in the auditory brain development business, such as listening and Spoken Language Specialists (LSLS), educational audiologists, speech/language pathologists, members of cochlear implant teams, and teachers of the deaf, have been waiting for this test! Developed by Donald M. Goldberg, PhD, CCC-SLP/A, LSLS Cert. AVT, the Test of Auditory Functioning (TAF) is a criterion-based assessment tool for children from approximately two years of age through middle school.

The TAF is designed for annual administration to children who are deaf or hard of hearing for the purpose of identifying their current level of auditory functioning and cataloging their yearly progress.

To explain, criterion-based tests measure performance against a fixed set of standards. So, the TAF looks at an individual child’s auditory functioning/skill attainment from one year to the next. The child’s auditory skills are not compared to other children, like in a norm-referenced test. Rather, the child’s auditory skills are compared only to the child him/herself over the years.

The TAF includes 19 subtests, ranging from suprasegmental discrimination through listening comprehension with competing noise/messages, and is based on the auditory hierarchy and landmark work of Norman Erber.

Here’s what I like about the TAF: (I love the whole test; here are some specific features.)

· The TAF was field tested on 125 children who are deaf or hard of hearing in the USA, Israel, England, and Australia. This extensive field testing showed the test’s appropriateness for toddlers through early adolescence.

· Even though the target population is children, many of the subtests are also appropriate for adults.

· The TAF comes with a 172-page easel and a small USB drive with all required audio clips, calibration tone, score sheets, manual, and detailed administration instructions.

· The Manual is excellent and includes guidance on selecting the appropriate subtest to begin administration of the TAF, and ceiling recommendations.

· There is a complete script for each test item.

· The 19 subtests have an excellent progression, beginning with suprasegmentals and continuing through sequencing and then listening comprehension (using original stories) with competing noise/messages.

· The subtests are numbered and color-coded on the easel for ease of use.

· The illustrations on the172-page easel are original, colorful, clever, and fun.

· The score sheets are free and downloadable.

Tips:

· First, check the child’s technology. We want the best possible signal/auditory information to reach the child’s brain. If the child’s technology is faulty, the TAF results will be worthless.

· Download a calibration app for your phone or iPad or purchase an inexpensive SLM because the test material coming from your computer needs to be calibrated, often several times during test administration. Because the test is performed in a typical (hopefully quiet) room, it’s important to verify consistency of the calibration; 76 dBA at the position of the child’s head. 

· Read the instruction Manual thoroughly. It’s excellent!

· Even if you are an experienced test administrator, have at least one practice session to become comfortable with the easel, score sheets, and your presentation of the audio clips.

· The score sheet will be much easier to read if it is downloaded using a color printer.

· Don’t confirm or deny the accuracy of the child’s response. The TAF will likely be given once a year for a number of years to evaluate the child’s progress, and we don’t want to unintentionally teach the correct response to an item.

· The TAF can be ordered from Blue Tree Publishing, Inc