title: Hearing aid functioning in the preschool setting: stepping back in time?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  In order for children with hearing impairment to receive maximum benefit from preschool programs, their amplification devices must be functioning appropriately. The purpose of this study, therefore, was to investigate the functionality of hearing aids in a preschool setting.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty-four hearing aids worn by 24 preschool children, whose ages ranged from three to five years, (mean age=45.2 months, median age=48 months) from four state funded aural/oral habilitation preschools were evaluated using listening checks and visual examinations. Hearing aids passing both evaluations were given a pass rating and those failing one or more of the evaluations were given a fail rating. Causes of fail rates were documented.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Over half of the hearing aids tested were determined to have at least one or more problems (n=27). These problems were detected using listening and visual checks.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Failure rates based on basic listening and visual checks among the hearing aids examined in this study demonstrated no improvement over those reported in the 1970's. The results re-emphasize the need for a national dialogue on this topic.
authors.affiliation: University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, USA. cburkhalter@as.ua.edu
authors.forename: Carmen L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Burkhalter
authors.forename: Lindsay
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Blalock
authors.forename: Heather
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Herring
authors.forename: Denell
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Skaar
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004519:Education, Special; D004868:Equipment Failure; D005260:Female; D006310:Hearing Aids; D034381:Hearing Loss / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012578:Schools, Nursery; D016896:Treatment Outcome