The Use of Tympanometry and Pneumatic Otoscopy for Predicting Middle Ear Disease

titis media is the most common condition diag-nosed by pediatricians and is estimated to affect approximately 70 % of the pediatric population (Parthasarathy, Bhat, & Malur, 2003). Gelfand (2001) describes otitis media as an inflammation of the middle ear that leads to a production of fluid. Presence of fluid can result in a slight tomoderate hearing loss. The impairment of hearing resulting from otitis media occurs during the years most crucial for speech and language development. Research has shown that hearing impairment during the critical language development years can be associated with deficits affecting auditory processing, language development, and cognitive an