The CCIU offers numerous deaf/hearing impaired services to assist our students and families in accessing equitable resources and support. In addition to itinerant teachers providing 1:1 hearing support services, audiology services and consultants, we facilitate screenings, evaluations, trials, C-print services and referrals. 

Complete Hearing Evaluations

Age-appropriate evaluation of hearing abilities for all populations to determine if a hearing loss is present, as well as to gain information on the type and severity of the loss, educational implications and appropriate medical referrals if necessary.
 
Testing is completed in the soundproof Audiology booth located at the intermediate unit and typically includes most of the following (as appropriate):

Otoscopic Evaluation

• Middle Ear Testing
• Air and Bone Conduction Thresholds
• Speech Threshold and Recognition Testing

Who needs a Hearing Evaluation?

• Students who fail a screening
• Students with known Hearing Loss require annual evaluations to monitor hearing levels
• Students who display behavior or speech problems that indicate a possible hearing loss

Central Auditory Processing (CAP) Evaluations

Complete Evaluation of Auditory Processing Skills, which can influence listening, language and comprehension in the classroom setting.
 
Evaluations include:

• Review of Student Records
• Classroom Observation
• Teacher Consultation
• Review of Case History with Parent/Guardian
• Complete Hearing Evaluation (if no record is supplied of hearing results within 1 year)
• Central Auditory Processing (CAP) Testing
• Interpretation of Test Results
• Comprehensive Evaluation Report
• Attendance at IEP/School meeting at Request

The Central Auditory Processing (CAP) Test is performed in the soundproof booth located at the intermediate unit and is comprised of a combination of the following types of tests (as appropriate):

• Dichotic Speech Tests
• Temporal Processing Tests
• Monaural Low Redundancy Speech Tests
• Binaural Interaction Tests

Who needs a CAP Evaluation?

Students 7 years of age and older with issues related to:

• Understanding speech in noisy settings
• Discriminating between similar sounding speech sounds
• Frequent requests for repetition/clarification
• Performance with reading, spelling and understanding information presented verbally

*It is important to note these difficulties could be present in a variety of delays and disorders which should be ruled out prior to considering a CAP Evaluation.

CAP Testing may not be appropriate for:

• Children with more than a mild hearing loss
• Children with un-managed Attention Deficit Disorder
• Children with severe developmental delays, language impairments, cognitive impairments, or other global delays
• Children whose primary language is not English
   

Functional Hearing Evaluation

Conducted by Itinerant Hearing Teachers to assess hearing needs in the classroom setting and to assist educational personnel in achieving goals for student success. The Functional Hearing Evaluation will determine the need for and amount of Hearing Support services necessary for the individual student.
 
Evaluation includes:

• Classroom observation
• Interviews with teachers, parents and other educators
• Assessing student skills relating to auditory discrimination, vocabulary, memory skills, comprehension, among others as appropriate.

Who Needs a Functional Hearing Evaluation?

• Children with either newly diagnosed or long-standing histories of hearing and listening difficulties
• Children receiving new or different assistive technology to address their hearing and listening needs
• Children who require a re-evaluation to monitor progress

Hearing and/or Middle Ear Screenings

• Designed to identify students who may be at risk for hearing loss and who need to have a complete hearing evaluation
• Can be completed with one or multiple students within the school setting

Who needs Screening services?

According to the PA Department of Health Guidelines for the School Age Population:

• Annually for students in kindergarten, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 7th, and 11th grades - as well as for students in special ungraded classes.
• All new students entering the school who do not have documented audiometric hearing test results.

Determines the effectiveness of an amplification device or FM system in providing students with appropriate access to auditory information in the classroom setting.
 
A 30-day trial period consists of:

• Pre- and Post-assessment outcomes
• Classroom observations
• Instruction/training on devices if required
• Recommendations for appropriate device selection upon completion 

Who needs an Auditory System/FM Trial?

• Children with hearing loss or listening difficulties who need assistance with speech understanding in educational settings
• Children who may benefit from a greater Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR) to achieve appropriate access to auditory information 

Loaner/Rental Equipment Services

Hearing equipment (FM systems, hearing aids, etc.) may be loaned or rented for students who cannot use their personal or district-owned equipment to access auditory information in the educational setting.

• Loaner equipment is intended for use on a short-term basis (broken or missing/lost equipment) for students to use in the school setting only. Loaner systems should not be taken home for personal use, as the district may be responsible for lost equipment.
• Rental equipment is intended for more long-term use (such as a sound field FM system set up for the school year or semester period). Rental equipment should not be taken home for personal use, as the district may be responsible for lost equipment.

Who needs loaner/rental equipment?

Children with hearing loss or listening problems who require assistive technology in the educational setting in order to access auditory information and who do not have access to personal or district-owned equipment for a period of time.
 
*It is essential that up to date audiological information be provided in order to ensure that proper equipment is selected and programmed appropriately for the student’s hearing needs.

Deaf/Hard of Hearing Interpreter

Enables communication between educational personnel/support staff/etc. and individuals who utilize American Sign Language.

C-Print Services

C-Print is a computer-aided speech-to-print transcription system developed at the National Technical Institute for the Deaf (NTID). A typist (C-Print captionist) types a teacher’s lecture and student comments into a laptop computer. The typed information is displayed simultaneously on a second laptop computer or monitors for students to read during class. Afterward, the printed text is also available for the student to review.

Who needs C-Print Services?

• Students with hearing loss who are auditory learners who require classroom support through real-time access
• Students who require note-taking support in language intensive classes
• Students with a minimum reading level of 4, preferably within 1.5 grade levels of the class materials.
• Students who are highly motivated to use notes after class

*An initial evaluation or trial period may be necessary to ensure that C-Print services are appropriate for individual student needs.

Referrals

• Hearing Services Referral Form: DHH referral
• Audiology Services Referral Form: AUD referral
• ASL/Sign Language Interpreter Form: ASL request