The number of children with hearing loss doubles during early childhood--from approximately 3 in 1000 at birth to 6 in 1000 by school age. Providing hearing screening during the early language-learning years is critical for helping more children receive the benefits of early identification and intervention.
Hearing Screening Program Development
Access Tools
& Gain Skills
- 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.
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The Early Childhood Hearing Outreach (ECHO) Initiative is focused on extending the benefits of periodic hearing screening to young children in a variety of health and education settings. Our goals are to ensure that early childhood education and health care providers have access to:
- Instructional videos and resources for screening children 0 – 3 years of age (OAE is the recommended method). Watch a 1-minute video demonstration or read a brief description [PDF].
- Instructional videos and resources for screening children 3 - 5 years of age (considerations in choosing [PDF] the OAE or Pure Tone method).
New! Expand Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) services [PDF] for children 0-3