Sample Letter Introducing OAE Screening to Physicians/Audiologists 

Dear __________________ 

I am writing to inform you of a new hearing screening process we are implementing for children, birth to three-years-old, who are served by our program.  It is important to us that you are aware of our screening activities as we will be referring children who do not pass our screening to you for a more thorough examination.  Our goal is to create a screening system that is as efficient and effective as possible.

To achieve that goal, we are conducting hearing screenings using otoacoustic emissions (or OAE) technology.  The highly reliable measurement of OAEs is one of the technological developments that has led to universal newborn hearing screening being legislatively mandated in more than 32 states.  During OAE screening, a small microphone is placed in the child’s ear emitting a series of soft clicks or tone bursts while a connected micro-computer measures the responding sound waves generated in the inner ear (cochlea). For us, this technique represents an opportunity to screen young children in our program in a much more effective and reliable manner than ever before.  

By implementing this type of hearing screening, we hope to: 

1.	Help identify middle ear conditions, such as the presence of chronic fluid or undetected ear infections, which can potentially affect a child’s hearing and language acquisition.  If a child does not pass the screening, we will be able to refer him or her to you promptly for appropriate medical evaluation.

2.	Help identify any cases of more permanent, sensorineural hearing loss.  Although hearing loss of this type is relatively rare in children, when it does exist, is it important to find as early as possible so that the child does not miss out on language-learning opportunities during the most critical period of development from birth to three years of age.   

As early childhood educators, we are very aware of the significance of conditions that can impair a child’s ability to hear.  Our goal is to work collaboratively with you and local audiologists so that children who do not pass our hearing screening receive subsequent medical and, if needed, audiological evaluations in the most timely manner possible.   Attached is a copy of a hearing screening protocol recommended by the National Center for Hearing Assessment and Management at Utah State University that we will be following.  As with any screening process, we are aware of the risk of over-referring children who may not pass the screening due to screener inexperience or environmental factors reducing test reliability. Therefore, as you will see in the recommended protocol, a child will be referred to you only after repeated screening attempts. We expect that this will result in a reliable screening process that will not place an undue burden on families, medical providers or audiologists.  As with any new endeavor, we are open to your feedback so that we can refine our process in ways that make the best sense.   We welcome your ideas and input.
 
As always, we appreciate our working relationship with you.  Please let us know if you have any preferences in how referrals are made, and how we can best work together to serve children with hearing loss. 

Sincerely,

Sample Letter Introducing Parents to OAE Screening

Dear     , 

I am writing to let you know of an exciting improvement in the area of hearing screening for all children, birth to three-years-old, in our program.  

We are pleased that children in our program receive a variety of health screenings.  As a part of this, we will be conducting hearing screening using otoacoustic emissions (or OAE) technology. This highly effective screening technique is already being used in many states across the country to screen  newborns for potential hearing problems.   

During OAE screening, a small microphone is placed in the child’s ear.  This microphone makes a series of soft clicks or tones. A micro-computer then measures how well the inner ear is working.   For us, this technique represents an opportunity to screen young children in our program in a much more effective and reliable manner than ever before.  

We have two goals in conducting hearing screenings:  

1.	We want to help identify any undetected ear infections that can potentially affect your child’s hearing.  If your child does not pass the screening, we will be able to refer him or her for prompt medical evaluation and treatment.

2.	We want to identify any cases of more permanent hearing loss.  This type of hearing loss is relatively rare in children. However, when it does exist, it is important to find it as early as possible.  If a hearing loss goes undetected, a child will miss out on language-learning opportunities during the most critical period of development, from birth to three years of age.  By identifying any hearing loss early in a child’s life, we can provide immediate intervention. 

The hearing screening process we are using is a simple and totally painless process.  Some children even enjoy it.  It takes only a few minutes to complete.  In some cases, it may need to be repeated to obtain accurate screening results.  If your child does not pass the screening, we will notify you and recommend that your child be examined by either a doctor or an audiologist (hearing specialist) for a more complete evaluation. 

We are proud of the ways we continue to grow and improve our services.  We are very fortunate to be able to provide this enhanced hearing screening service to our children.  If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me. 

Sincerely,

Sample Letter Introducing Parents to OAE Screening – Spanish

Estimados Padres de Familia,

Les escribo para informarles de un emocionante avance en el area de pruebas de audición, para todos los niños de 0 a 3 años de edad en nuestro programa..

Nos da gusto que los niños que son parte de nuestro programa reciben una gran variedad de pruebas de salud.  Para mejorar nuestro proceso de pruebas de audición, nos han seleccionado como uno de los primeros programas en el pais, que implementatará estas pruebas utilizando tecnología de emisiones otoacústicas (OAE).  Esta técnica de evaluación es altamente efectiva y ya está siendo utilizada en muchos estados del país, para evaluar e identificar a todos los recién nacidos con posibles problemas de oído.

Durante la evaluación OAE, se coloca un pequeño micrófono en el oído del niño.  El micrófono produce una serie de tonos o ‘clicks’ bajos.  Una microcomputadora
entonces determina la forma en la que el oído interno esta funcionando.  Para nosotros, esta técnica representa una oportunidad para evaluar a los niños pequeños que son parte de nuestro programa en una forma mucho más efectiva y confiable de lo que ha sido posible hasta ahora. 

Al realizar pruebas auditivas tenemos dos metas: 

1.	Queremos ayudar a identificar cualquier infección de oído que no se haya detectado que pudiera afectar la capacidad auditiva de su niño.  Si su niño no pasa la prueba de oído, podremos rápidamente referirle para recibir una evaluación y tratamiento médico.
2.	Queremos identificar cualquier caso de pérdida de oído más permanente.  Este tipo de pérdida de oído es relativamente rara en los niños.  Sin embargo, cuando esta sucede, es muy importante detectarla lo más pronto posible.  Si la pérdida de oído no se  detecta, el niño puede perder muchas oportunidades de apredizaje de lenguaje durante el período de desarrollo más importante, de 0 a 3 años de edad.  Al identificar tempranamente cualquier pérdida de oído, podemos proporcionar intervención inmediata. 

El proceso de evaluación auditiva que usamos es un proceso sencillo y no ocasiona ningún dolor.  A algunos niños parece gustarles.  Toma solamente unos minutos para completar.  En algunos casos, es necesario repetirlo para obtener resultados confiables.  Si su niño no pasa la prueba de oído, se lo notificaremos y le recomendaremos que su niño sea evaluado por un médico o una audiólogo (especialista de oído) para recibir una evaluación más completa.

Nos sentimos orgullosos del modo en que seguimos desarrollando y mejorando nuestros servicios.  Afortunadamente  podemos ofrecer a nuestros niños este avanzado servicio de pruebas de audición.  Si tienen alguna pregunta, por favor no duden en Contactarme.

Atentamente,

Sample Letter of Referral for Parents  

Dear Ms. / Mr. <contact last name>,  As you know, all children participating in our program receive a hearing screening.  We are pleased to offer this as a helpful resource in caring for your child’s hearing health.

The results of your child’s hearing screening are as follows:

Your Child’s Left Ear: 

Your Child’s Right Ear:

After reviewing your child's hearing screening results, we are recommending that a more detailed examination be scheduled with a doctor.  Some children may not pass the hearing screening due to wax blockage in the ear canal or a mild, undetected middle ear infection.   It is therefore important that your child’s ears be examined by a doctor as soon as possible.  

We are referring your child to Dr. ______________________________ whose phone number is:

______________________________________.   Please make an appointment as soon as possible.  If you have questions or concerns, please call us at                                     . 
Let us know if you need any help in making this follow-up appointment.  Sincerely, 

Sample Letter of Referral for Parents -- Spanish

Estimado Sr./ Sra. <last name>,

Como usted sabe, todos los niños que participan en nuestro programa reciben una prueba de oído.  Nos complace ofrecerles este servicio como una ayuda en el cuidado de la salud auditiva de su hijo o hija. 

Los resultados de la prueba de oído de su hijo/a son los siguientes:

Oído Izquierdo:

Oído Derecho:

En base a una revisión de los resultados de la prueba de oído de su niño/a, le recomendamos que programe una evaluación más detallada con un médico.  Algunos niños no pasan las pruebas de oído por tener el canal auditivo
bloqueado con cera, o por una infección leve del oído medio que no se haya detectado.  Por lo tanto es importante que un médico examine los oídos de su niño/a lo más pronto posible.

Estamos recomendando que lleve a su hijo/a a una consulta con

Dr./Dra. __________________________ 

Teléfono_____________________

Por favor haga una cita lo más pronto posible, y avísenos si necesita alguna ayuda para comunicarse con el despacho médico al pedir la consulta.

Si tiene alguna duda o pregunta, por favor llámenos al____________________.

Atentamente,