Evaluation of a hearing assessment protocol for children with communication or autism concerns

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The study evaluated a standardized hearing assessment protocol for children aged 18 months to 8 years, including those with autism.
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Results showed that 93.9% of children met speech criteria, while 56.6% met discharge criteria from audiology care.
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Autistic children were less likely to meet speech or discharge criteria and required nearly twice as many encounters compared to non-autistic peers.
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Many autistic children successfully met criteria by the second encounter, indicating the protocol's overall effectiveness.
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The study suggests refining the protocol to better address the unique needs of autistic children during hearing evaluations.

Frontiers In Pediatrics

by Eriel J. Confer, Alyssa M. Fosnight, Lindsey R. Wheeler, Angela Yarnell Bonino
June 22, 2026

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