A comparison of hearing screening techniques for kindergarten and first-grade students

Hearing impairment has been documented as a significant factor in academic achievement and speech and language development. Hearing screening techniques have existed since the 1930s. This study examined the efficacy of nontraditional hearing screening methods to screen for the presence of significant hearing loss in school-age children. The review of literature included the incidence of hearing loss among school age children and the effects of such auditory deficits on speech and language development and academic performance. Traditional and nontraditional screenings techniques were performed on eighty-one kindergarten and first grade children. Paired t-tests were used to compare the pass/refer results of both techniques. A complimentary traditional screening method was implemented to identify and exclude subjects with middle ear pathology. The results indicated no statistically significant difference in the pass/refer results of nontraditional screening methods using the manufacturer\u27s criterion. However, when using ASHA\u27s guidelines for pure tone screening for the nontraditional instrumentation a statistically significant difference was observed when compared to the traditional technique, age and gender differences. Further study needs to be completed on the efficacy of the use of otoacoustic emissions for the detection of minimal hearing loss