A Hearing Screening Pilot Study With Students With Significant Cognitive Disabilities.

Area of Science:

• Audiology
• Developmental Disabilities
• Pediatric Healthcare

Background:

• Children with severe intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) have a higher risk of hearing loss.
• Routine school hearing screenings often fail to include this vulnerable population.
• Early identification and intervention for hearing loss are crucial for this group.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the feasibility of using otoacoustic emissions (OAEs) for hearing screenings in students with significant cognitive disabilities.
• To document the results of OAE screenings in relation to student educational profiles.
• To highlight the need for improved hearing health services for children with IDD.

Main Methods:

• A total of 43 students with significant cognitive disabilities participated.
• Screenings included otoscopy, tympanometry, and distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs).
• A licensed audiologist and audiology doctoral students conducted the protocol.

Main Results:

• Distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAE) screening was successfully completed for 78.8% of eligible students.
• 4.6% of students were referred for potential sensorineural hearing loss.
• 23.3% of students presented with abnormal tympanograms.

Conclusions:

• OAEs are a feasible tool for school-based hearing screenings in children with significant disabilities.
• An interprofessional team approach involving audiologists, educators, and speech-language pathologists is recommended.
• Many students with disabilities may have undiagnosed and underserved hearing loss.