Oct. 13, 2022 - SSD audiologists and nurses collaborated to provide over 100 hearing screenings for students at Litzsinger School. Every student at the school had the opportunity to have their ears checked at no cost. The tests were conducted using audiometers and took no more than 10 minutes. Students put on headphones and raised their hand every time they heard a tone. 

“It’s important to identify hearing loss early because it impacts the ability of students to learn and communicate,” said Litzsinger Nurse Deborah Tuitasi. “We are very flexible and work with individual students, as needed. Some students may not be able to participate due to their developmental stage, so the audiologists use another device, a probe, for those students when administering the screenings.”

Students' families are provided a letter that includes results. The data is also entered into the student's online portal. The information may be used by teachers or a student's family when discussing IEP’s or transition plans. If a problem is identified, the student is referred to the SSD Audiology department for more testing. 

“We prepare the letter ahead of time and fill in the results at the time of the screening,” said Tutitasi. “Students who are deaf/hard of hearing are seen by an SSD audiologist on a regular basis and do not require a screening.”

The screenings will continue next year. For more information about guidelines for hearing screenings in a school setting, click here.