Most states lack early and effective ways to screen and provide effective intervention for children with reading problems.

These children lack the support they need to build strong literacy skills in large part because, in many states, there are no formal requirements or standards for auditory screenings. Those that do screen provide similar hearing screenings that were provided 50 years ago.

Most hearing screenings consist of screening four pure tones and possibly a tympanogram which is not appropriate for today’s standards. Current technology allows us to do so much more than this, yet most state guidelines don’t include anything more.

Inappropriate hearing screenings mean schools mislabel our children and assign them a disability category where they don’t belong. They will not receive the intervention necessary to develop literacy skills and are destined to a life of special education, welfare, and incarceration. The proper diagnosis means the right intervention. Children without the right intervention remain in special education for the majority of their school journey.

What can we do:

Child Find is a mandate requiring every school district to locate, identify, and provide services for children suspected of a disability. However, many states don’t have requirements for hearing screenings and therefore, don’t provide them.

Hearing loss is considered a “low incidence” disability (<2%) by Child Find, yet it’s a leading birth defect and the CDC estimates as many as 15% of children in schools have some form of hearing loss.

The numbers simply don’t add up.

It’s possible the reason hearing loss is considered a low-incidence disability is simply that we’re just not looking for it.

Reading and math scores will continue to plummet until states recognize that hearing is an important part of being able to learn. Until then, children will continue to be mislabeled and misunderstood while they spend their school years in special education and/or drop out of high school.

A comprehensive hearing health benefit that includes dependants can change this at scale, just like dental and vision benefits.

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