Abstract
Auditory screening test for 3-year-old children which had already been performed in Tokyo was evaluated by testing the older children with known diagnosis and with known audiogram. Fifty-five children, 20 with normal ears, 24 with secretory otitis media (SOM) and 11 with a sensori-neural hearing loss (SNL), were examined.
Among the 5 questionnaires performed, three which may reflect hearing impairment were selected and the answers of “yes” were counted. The count was 0 in the children with normal ears. Two or 3 points were counted in the SNL group. However, the count scattered from 0 to 3 in the SOM group.
Six whispered words were presented and the correct answers were counted. Five correct answers seemed to be appropriate to pass the screening because all normal children passed and 10 among 11 SNL failed.
Responses to the finger rubbing noise were analysed in comparing with the averaged hearing thresholds of speech frequencies. Eighty-three responded to the test noise and 17 did not. Ninety-three percent of ears with the averaged threshold within 40dB responded, and 79% of ears over 40dB did not. The auditory screening system administered to the 3 years old children in Tokyo was considered to be appropriate.
