A comparison of two methods of hearing screening in the preschool population.

UNLABELLED: The outcome of hearing screening using conventional pure tone behavioral testing was compared with the outcome employing measures of transient otoacoustic emissions (TEOAEs) in a preschool population under conditions typical of educational settings. Two hundred children ranging in age from 2 years 1 month to 5 years 10 months were screened. Nearly equal numbers of children were referred from the two types of screening activities. The majority of referrals from the pure tone screening were due to an inability to condition the children to respond. Only 10% of the children referred from the TEOAE screening received a referral due to an inability to cooperate. Approximately 44% of the children referred from the pure tone screening also failed the immittance screening, whereas 62% of those who referred from the TEOAE screening also failed immittance screening. LEARNING OUTCOMES: As a result of completing this activity, the learner will obtain information about vocabulary development in children with hearing loss, referral rates from preschool hearing screening programs and the influence of middle ear status on referrals.