The Impact & Importance of Hearing Screenings

Hearing Loss Can Happen at Any Age

Newborn hearing screening will not identify all hearing losses. Genetic causes, birth complications, chronic ear infections, noise exposure, infectious diseases and use of particular drugs can all result in hearing loss. Screening beyond the newborn period is critical to identify children with hearing needs.

Hearing Screenings Are Crucial to Minimize the Impact of Hearing Loss on a Child's Development and Educational Achievements

Early identification will impact a child's ability to develop language, communication and social skills. Unidentified hearing loss can cause increased rate of grade failure and greater need for educational assistance. Behaviors such as low attention, lack of motivation, poor attention in class, and reduced class participation may be a result of unidentified or poorly managed hearing loss.

Over Half of Instructional Activity in the Classroom Involves Listening

(ANSI S12.60-2002). Classroom teachers rely on screening information to ensure that children hear adequately to access instruction and progress academically. The ability to hear provides the foundations for development of spoken language, literacy and acquisition of phonemic skills.

Involvement of an Audiologist Is Critical

In order to provide an efficient, cost effective and successful screening program an audiologist should be involved in training and management. An audiologist has the unique knowledge needed to ensure a screening process will correctly identify all children with auditory disorders and provide appropriate referral, intervention, and management oversight.

Unaddressed Hearing Loss Is Expensive

Due to the potential for academic underperformance and subsequent lost wages as adults, unaddressed hearing loss costs an annual global cost of $750 billion. Ensuring that there are interventions to prevent, identify and address hearing loss is both cost-effective and beneficial to the population.

References

1. American National Standards Institute (2010). Acoustical Performance Criteria, Design Requirements, and Guidelines for Schools [ANSI s12.60-2010]. New York: Acoustical Society of America.
2. Johnson, C. D. (2018). Screening, Assessment and Management of Auditory Disorders in School-Aged Children in Madell et al Pediatric Audiology: Diagnosis, Management and Technology, Thieme, NY, 335-346.
3. Joint Committee on Infant Hearing (JCIH) (2013). Year 2007 Position Statement: Principles and Guidelines for Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Programs. Pediatrics. 120, 898-921.
4. Meinke, D.K. & Dice, N. (2007). Comparison of Audiometric Screening Criteria for the Identification of Noise-Induced Hearing Loss in Adolescents, The American Journal of Audiology 16, 190-202.
5. Supplement of the JCIH 2007 Position Statement: Principles and Guidelines for Early Intervention After Confirmation That a Child Is Deaf or Hard of Hearing. Pediatrics. 2013;131;e1324.