Evaluation of a hearing assessment protocol for children with communication or autism concerns
Year: 2026
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Introduction: Autistic children often face barriers to accessing timely and accurate hearing evaluations. Yet determining a child's hearing status is important for maximizing developmental outcomes when there are communication concerns. Methods: This study evaluated the effectiveness of a standardized hearing assessment protocol for children aged 18 months to 8 years, with and without an autism diagnosis in their medical record. The protocol aimed to determine whether sufficient hearing data were available for children to proceed with speech-language or autism evaluations ("speech criteria") and/or be discharged from audiology care ("discharge criteria"). Results: -values < .05), required nearly twice as many encounters to do so, and relied more heavily on physiological measures (e.g., distortion product otoacoustic emissions and sedated auditory brainstem responses). Despite these differences, many autistic children successfully met criteria by the second encounter, demonstrating the protocol's overall effectiveness. Discussion: Findings underscore the need for protocol refinement by incorporating tailored supports that address sensory sensitivities, communication differences, and learning profiles of autistic children. Future research should investigate strategies to optimize behavioral testing and design fast-track pathways based on physiological assessments. The protocol presented here has the potential to advance patient care and improve timely and accurate determination of hearing status in children undergoing a speech-language and/or autism evaluation.
Source: Frontiers in Pediatrics
Institutions: Vanderbilt University, Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Language: English
Subfield: Cognitive Neuroscience
Field: Neuroscience
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $3,801
OpenAlex ID: W7165569214