Ear to Ear Hamilton County Head Start Hearing Screenings​

Abstract

Record ID: 242

Type: Poster Presentation (in-person)

Advisor: Katherine Russel

Abstract: Hearing loss in young children can affect many developmental milestones including communication, language, and social skills.Individual States along with national professional organizations have published and recommended hearing screening requirements/recommendations and criteria for school-aged children. These criteria may differ depending on who the individual is, what age/grade they are in, how the testing will be completed, when the testing is completed, and how follow up plans will be achieved. Children can complete hearing screenings with different response methods depending on their age and development. In the Fall of 2022, University of Cincinnati Speech and Hearing Clinic Doctor of Audiology (AuD) students and a licensed supervisor screened the hearing of students in eight Hamilton County Head Start schools. Screening results were analyzed to determine what percentage of children screened were found to have hearing loss and at what average age children could participate using a behavioral response method or required the use of a non-participator method. Results from 194 preschoolers ages 36-65 months (mean age of 49 months) were analyzed and found that 171 (88%) students passed the screening while 23 (18%) students failed the initial screening. The number of Head Start preschoolers who completed pure-tone behavioral testing was 165 (85%) and the number of students requiring DPOAE testing was 29 (15%). The average age of Head Start preschoolers who completed pure-tone audiometry was 50 months old and the average age who completed DPOAE testing was 43 months old at testing date. Findings from our study reveal that a higher number of students within the Hamilton County Head Start program who were screened by UC Audiology students did not pass their hearing screening when compared to published ODH data. The ODH data specific to Hamilton County shows that 3.4% of children did not pass in 2020-2021. ODH data has not been published for the 2022-2023 school year. Additionally, preschool students in Head Start required a use of a non-participatory test method to complete screening at older ages than anticipated.