DRAFT Guidelines for Health Screenings: Vision, Hearing and Scoliosis
Connecticut State Department of Education. (2018).
Hartford (CT): Connecticut State Department of Education, 29.
This is a guideline from the Connecticut State Department of Education providing recommendations for health screenings of students in the school setting. Recommendations for hearing screening are summarized.
Connecticut State Department of Education
Before conducting hearing screenings of students in schools, the following preparations should be made:
<ul>
<li>the screening environment should be quiet, well-lit, and have minimal distractions;</li>
<li>audiometry equipment should meet American National Standards Institute (ANSI) specifications, be calibrated at least annually, and should be checked for proper functioning before every screen;</li>
<li>students should be informed of the purpose and procedures of the hearing screening;</li>
<li>initial screenings should be completed by December 1 of the school year; and </li>
<li>prior screening records should be reviewed and maintained to identify children who were absent, children who have other medical considerations, or children who already have a diagnosed hearing impairment.</li>
</ul>
For school hearing screenings of students, school staff should be informed about
<ul>
<li>screening requirements;</li>
<li>students who do not pass the screening</li>
<li>type and status of follow-up referrals; and</li>
<li>available hearing support personnel within the school system such as audiologists and speech-language pathologists.</li>
</ul>
Parents and guardians should be informed about the purpose, date, and procedures of school hearing screenings. They should receive notification of any recommended referrals to healthcare providers.
For school hearing screenings, students with diagnosed hearing loss or other disabilities impacting the student's ability to participate in screening procedures (e.g., diagnosis of pervasive developmental delay, emotional disturbance) should have scheduled hearing screening follow-ups included in their Individualized Education Plans or Section 504 plans as appropriate. Additional medical follow-up may also be recommended.
When conducting school hearing screenings of students,
<ul>
<li>students' ears should be observed externally and internally for any physical abnormalities (e.g., inflammation, deformities, eardrum integrity) or the presence of impacted cerumen or foreign bodies;</li>
<li>pure tone audiometry should use stimuli of 20 dB hearing level (HL) at 1000 Hz and 2000 Hz and 25 dB HL at 4000 Hz in both ears; and</li>
<li>results of the screening should be included in the student's health record.</li>
</ul>
For hearing screenings of students in the educational setting, "school nurses, registered nurses, speech pathologists, audiologists, trained aides to school nurses, licensed practical nurses, and trained volunteers may perform audiometric screening. All persons who conduct audiometric screening shall have completed training in this area including practice supervised by a properly trained school nurse, speech pathologist or audiologist. Specific training and experience in screening is needed when screening students with special heath needs" (p. 15).
Students who do not pass their initial school pure tone hearing screening and their re-screening should be referred for audiological evaluation promptly after their screening date. "Children who fail two or more pure tone frequencies in one or both ears should be immediately referred for audiological evaluation" (p. 19). Parents and guardians should be provided notice of screening results and information on re-screening prior to initiating referrals. Teachers responsible for the student should be notified of screening results and any referrals.
