Updating Hearing Screening Practices in Early Childhood Settings

Abstract

Sich day In tin-life of ;i young child with an undetected hearing Ids-, is ;i day without lull access to language. When hearing loss goes undetected, the remitting language deficits can become overwhelming obstacles to literacy, educational achievement, socialization, and school readiness Several programs, such a.-Head Stan, Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnosis and Treatment, and Pan C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, are responsible for providing hearing screening to many young children nationwide. These programs have typically bad to rely on subjec tive hearing screening methods. Otoacousilc emissions technology, used widely in hospital-based newborn screening programs, is beginning to be recognized as a more practical and effective al ternative when screening children from birth to^years of agi-. Successful otoacoustic emissions screening in early childhood settings Is dependent on consultation from an experienced pedlatrk audlologlst, selcctfon ofappropriate equipment, adherence to an appropriate screening and followup protocol, ami access to training and follow-up technical assistance. When these elements are prcsi-nt. children with a wide ranj:c of hearing health conditions tan be identified in a timely manner.

Timeliness of Service Delivery for Children With Later-Identified Mild-to-Severe Hearing Loss

“…Not surprisingly, the NHS group attained all benchmark outcomes (age at first evaluation, HL confirmation, HA fitting, and entry into early intervention) at significantly younger ages than the later-identified group, which is consistent with results of previous studies (Sininger et al, 2009). These findings are further evidence of the effectiveness of the NHS identification process, and provide support for modifications in the hearing screening model currently in place across the United States to include ongoing hearing monitoring programs after the neonatal period (Dedhia et al, 2013; Eiserman, Hartel, et al, 2008; Eiserman, Shisler, et al, 2008). Such screening protocols, at a minimum, include two groups of children.…”

Using otoacoustic emissions to screen for hearing loss in early childhood care settings

“…Children with no follow-up data after 6 months were categorized as exiting the study. Key components of the protocol included a visual inspection of the ear and up to three OAE screenings over a 2-4-week period [18]. This protocol was designed to significantly limit false positive findings by specifying that children not passing the initial OAE screening be screened up to two more times before receiving an evaluation.…”

Cohort Profile: The Barwon Infant Study

“…Otoacoustic Emissions (OAEs) have been suggested as an alternative to PT in this age group 2, 3 . OAE screening is used in Newborn hearing screening; it is quick, objective and independent of a child's developmental abilities 4,5 .…”