For a patient/client with a precipitously elevated high frequency thresholds, the __________ might provide a more realistic estimate for the degree of the hearing loss.

The rationale for selecting High Frequency PTA (Pure Tone Average) is based on its focus on the specific range of hearing loss that is of concern in this scenario. When a patient presents with significantly elevated thresholds in the high-frequency range, the High Frequency PTA specifically averages the thresholds at those higher frequencies (often from 2000 Hz to 8000 Hz) that are directly affected by the hearing impairment.

This measure is particularly valuable because high-frequency hearing loss is often associated with certain types of hearing loss, such as presbycusis or noise-induced hearing damage, which predominantly affect the higher frequencies. By evaluating just these frequencies, High Frequency PTA gives a clearer and more specific picture of the patient's hearing ability where it is most impacted, rather than diluting the information with lower frequencies that may be relatively unaffected.

In contrast, the other options may not adequately reflect the severity of the hearing loss in high frequencies. The Three-Frequency PTA typically includes mid-range frequencies which might mask the impact of high-frequency loss, and the Two-Frequency PTA would focus on too narrow a range, potentially ignoring significant shifts in higher frequencies. The Word Recognition Score is a measure of speech understanding rather than pure tone sensitivity, and while it can provide important information about functional hearing ability