Audiological Evaluation: Primary Reasons

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What is the primary reason for conducting an audiological evaluation?

To assess the patient's preference for different types of music.
To determine if the patient should be referred for a medical consultation, assess auditory processing, and evaluate hearing sensitivity. (correct)
To determine the color of the patient's earwax.
To evaluate the patient's balance and coordination.

Why are Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) programs considered important?

They primarily focus on preventing ear infections in newborns.
They guarantee that every child will become proficient in playing a musical instrument.
They identify hearing loss early, which affects a large number of newborns, and aim to provide early intervention. (correct)
They ensure that all newborns have access to the latest music streaming services.

What is the most critical role of pediatricians and family medicine physicians in the context of EHDI?

To administer hearing aids to infants with hearing loss.
To refer infants with parental concerns, risk factors, developmental delays, or failed EHDI screenings for audiological evaluation. (correct)
To perform advanced audiological testing on newborns.
To prescribe medication for ear infections without further evaluation.

Why should SLPs and other rehab professionals screen hearing even if a patient has passed EHDI?

To identify any hearing changes or previously undetected issues that may be affecting treatment progress. (A) Signup and view all the answers

During a case history and interview, which of the following is crucial to determine?

Whether the hearing loss is acute or chronic, unilateral or bilateral, and the duration of their hearing loss. (B) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following tasks falls within the scope of practice for a Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP) concerning individuals with hearing impairment?

Evaluating pre-literacy and literacy skills. (D) Signup and view all the answers

An SLP is conducting a listening check on a child's amplification device. Why is this an important part of their role?

To ensure the device is functioning correctly and the child is receiving appropriate auditory input. (A) Signup and view all the answers

An SLP is working with a child who has a newly implanted cochlear implant. Which activity would be MOST appropriate to target sound awareness?

Playing different sounds (e.g., a bell, a drum) and having the child indicate when they hear a sound. (D) Signup and view all the answers

An SLP is working with a child on auditory discrimination skills. Which progression of difficulty would be MOST appropriate?

Discriminating long versus short sounds before discriminating one versus two syllables. (B) Signup and view all the answers

An SLP is targeting auditory comprehension with a student. Which activity would be MOST appropriate?

Asking the student to follow multi-step directions. (B) Signup and view all the answers

An SLP is focusing on improving a child's speech skills. Which of the following goals would be MOST relevant?

Expanding the child's phonetic and phonemic repertoires. (B) Signup and view all the answers

An SLP is working with parents of a child with hearing loss to improve language skills. Which strategy would be MOST effective?

Teaching the parents how to promote language development during everyday activities. (B) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following describes speechreading?

A technique that uses visual cues from the mouth, face, and body language to understand speech. (A) Signup and view all the answers

A child with a history of frequent ear infections and speech delays is starting kindergarten. According to the guidelines, what is the most appropriate initial action?

Schedule an audiological screening to assess potential hearing loss. (C) Signup and view all the answers

An adult scores a 15 on the Hearing Handicap Inventory for the Elderly (HHIE). What is the most appropriate next step according to ASHA guidelines?

Refer for counseling, audiologic assessment, and/or other examinations. (C) Signup and view all the answers

In pure tone audiometry, what does a comparison of air and bone conduction thresholds primarily reveal?

The portion of the auditory system (outer, middle, or inner ear) that is not functioning properly. (C) Signup and view all the answers

A patient's audiogram shows decreased hearing via air conduction but normal hearing via bone conduction. This finding is most indicative of which type of hearing loss?

Conductive hearing loss. (B) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best describes the underlying cause of sensorineural hearing loss?

Damage to the cochlea or auditory nerve impairing the transmission of sound signals to the brain. (B) Signup and view all the answers

A patient's audiogram reveals decreased hearing thresholds for both air and bone conduction, with air conduction thresholds being worse than bone conduction thresholds. What type of hearing loss is indicated?

Mixed hearing loss. (D) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is the PRIMARY purpose of speech audiometry?

To evaluate a person's ability to understand speech and process auditory information. (B) Signup and view all the answers

Which electrophysiological test assesses cochlear function?

Electrocochleography (ECoG) (C) Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary distinction between audiological/aural habilitation versus audiological/aural rehabilitation?

Habilitation is for individuals who did not have hearing prelinguistically, while rehabilitation is for those who developed speech and language prior to hearing loss. (C) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following falls within the scope of practice of an audiologist regarding treatment of individuals with hearing loss?

Selection and fitting of amplification devices. (B) Signup and view all the answers

Audiological Evaluation Purpose

To determine the reason for evaluation, medical referral needs, hearing sensitivity, speech understanding, auditory processing, and hearing handicap impact.

Hearing Loss Prevalence

1 in 1000 births has hearing loss making it the #1 birth disorder.