title: Utility of the Vivosonic Integrity™ auditory brainstem response system as a hearing screening device for difficult-to-test children.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Inability to complete a behavioral hearing screening is a challenge for children with developmental disorders or who are otherwise difficult to test, defined here as unable or unwilling to complete a behavioral screening. The study compared referral rates from screenings that used behavioral methods alone, with screenings that added a screen with the Vivosonic Integrity™ auditory brainstem response (ABR) device.
  
  
  METHODS
  Behavioral screening was performed first. Those children who failed were re-screened with the Vivosonic Integrity ABR device. Changes in referral and screening completion rates after the second screening were calculated and analysed.
  
  
  METHODS
  The participant population (n = 43) consisted of children with diagnosed developmental disorders.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Adding the Vivosonic Integrity to the screening protocol significantly increased the proportion of children who completed the screening, from 57% after behavioral screening to 81% after behavioral and ABR screening. The addition of the ABR screen did not change that overall pass/refer rate, in part because four participants who did not complete the behavioral screen received a 'Refer' outcome on the ABR screen.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results indicate that the Vivosonic Integrity device could be a useful tool for hearing screening of children who are difficult to screen using behavioral procedures.
authors.affiliation: Department of Speech and Hearing Science, The Ohio State University , Columbus, Ohio , USA.
authors.forename: Jacqueline S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Wiegers
authors.forename: Eric C
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Bielefeld
authors.forename: Gail M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Whitelaw
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002658:Developmental Disabilities; D019988:Children with Disabilities; D016057:Evoked Potentials, Auditory, Brain Stem; D005260:Female; D006311:Hearing Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis; D006320:Hearing Tests / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012017:Referral and Consultation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
keywords: Auditory brainstem response; Vivosonic; difficult-to-test; hearing screening