Hearing Screening Program Development
Get Started
& Implement
- Screening Methods
- Otoacoustic Emissions (OAE) Screening is recommended for all children 0 – 3 years of age. It is also appropriate for many children over 3 who are unable to follow instructions and complete tasks required for Pure Tone Audiometric Screening. Pure Tone Screening has traditionally been recommended for children over 3 years of age who can follow instructions and complete screening tasks. Talk with your local pediatric audiologist about which method, or methods, are optimal for the population you serve.
The Early Childhood Hearing Outreach (ECHO) Initiative is part of the National Center for Hearing Assessment and Management at Utah State University. The ECHO Initiative focuses on extending the benefits of periodic hearing screening to young children in a variety of health and education settings. We also serve Early Head Start programs as the National Resource Center on Early Hearing Detection and Intervention.
Our goals are to ensure early childhood education and health care providers have:
- Up-to-date information about recommended hearing screening practices for children 0–3 and 3–5 years of age;
- Otoacoustic Emissions (OAE) Screening is recommended for all children 0 – 3 years of age. It is also appropriate for many children over 3 who are unable to follow instructions and complete tasks required for Pure Tone Audiometric Screening. Pure Tone Screening has traditionally been recommended for children over 3 years of age who can follow instructions and complete screening tasks. Talk with your local pediatric audiologist about which method, or methods, are optimal for the population you serve.
- Tools to effectively implement hearing screening so that children with hearing-health needs are identified as early as possible and provided with appropriate follow-up services and support; and
- Strategies for using hearing screening as an opportunity to promote language development in all children as an integral part of school readiness.
Read a brief description about OAE screening [PDF]
Watch a one-minute video demonstrating OAE screening
Watch a five-minute video explaining how OAE screening relates to Head Start Performance Standards
Consider whether your setting is appropriate for OAE Screening [PDF]
Learn more about the ECHO Initiative
Meet the ECHO Initiative Team
Read published articles