Ohio State University. Department of Speech and Hearing Science
Abstract
Hearing screenings are an important tool to determine when an individual is at a higher risk of having hearing loss. It is especially important to identify at risk individuals in the pediatric population, due to the significant impact that undetected hearing loss may have on language and educational development. Currently, methods exist to effectively screen most typically developing children. However, there is a lack of screening methods for children who are difficult to test, such as those with developmental disabilities. The current study compared referral rates from hearing screenings of preschool and school-aged children in a program that used traditional behavioral methods alone, with one using the Vivosonic Integrity™ ABR device in conjunction with behavioral methods. The study demonstrated that use of the Vivosonic Integrity™ ABR device as a hearing screener for difficult-to-test children results in significantly fewer referrals for comprehensive audiologic evaluation. The availability of a valid screening device for this population has the potential to save resources and provide valuable information on a child’s hearing status that may otherwise be unavailable. Further research is indicated to assess the reliability and validity of the Vivosonic Integrity™ as a hearing screener for difficult-to-test children
