3160 North Arizona Avenue, Suite 105, Chandler, Arizona 85225
School-Based Hearing and Vision Screening Services
We take the hassle out of hearing and vision screening.
Good hearing and vision are critical for successful academic, social, emotional, and communication development. Quite often, hearing and vision loss can go undetected for years, resulting in misdiagnosed behavioral and learning disabilities, ADHD, or cognitive impairments. Good vision is equally vital to a child's success in school. As much as 80% of learning occurs visually. Some vision problems, such as amblyopia, can go undetected and lead to permanent vision loss.
Ridge Zeller Therapy offers school-based hearing and vision screening services for all students, including those receiving special education services. Our certified screeners will accurately and efficiently conduct your required hearing and vision screenings.
School Hearing Screenings
Hearing Screening Guidelines and Regulations
A hearing screening determines if an individual can hear a variety of sounds, providing either a "pass" or "fail". result. If the participant passes, no further action is required. If the individual fails, follow up with a qualified professional may be necessary. The purpose of a hearing screening is to identify whether the child has normal hearing, but it is not a diagnosis of hearing impairment.
AZ Hearing Screening Regulations
The state of Arizona mandates that all private, public, and charter schools have a systematic screening procedure for conducting hearing screenings to allow for early detection and appropriate interventions. Arizona Administrative Code, Sections R9-13-101 through R9-13-110 adopted effective February 18, 1986, mandates hearing screenings for:
- Preschool, kindergarten, or children in grades 1, 2, 6, or 9;
- Grades 3, 4, or 5, unless there is written documentation that the student had a hearing screening in or after grade 2;
- Grades 7 or 8, unless there is written documentation that the student had a hearing screening in or after grade 6;
- Grades 10, 11, or 12 unless there is written documentation that the student had a hearing screening in or after grade 9;
- Those students in special education programs;
- Those students who failed a second hearing screening in the prior school year; and,
- At the request of the student, the student’s parent, a schoolteacher, a school nurse, a school psychologist, an audiologist, a physician, a primary care practitioner, a speech language pathologist, or department staff.
School Vision Screenings
Vision Screening Guidelines and Regulations
The purpose of a vision screening is to identify if a child has a vision problem or a potential vision problem. However, a vision screening is not a diagnosis of a vision problem. The child either passes or fails the screening. If the child passes, no further action is required. If the student fails the screening, follow up with a qualified eye professional may be necessary.
AZ Vision Screening Requirements
Vision screening bill SB 1456 effective 8/17/19: Child Hearing and Vision Programs, requires vision screening of children in Arizona upon initial entry to school with two other subsequent screenings. Official rules have not yet been established under A.R.S. 36-899. The AZ Department of Health Services anticipates drafting the rules in 2020. The screening rules will follow national guidelines, which will help ensure early detection and intervention of children with vision impairments.
- The required grades will be determined once the rules have been written. However, the AZ Department of asks that you screen the same grade levels as hearing to be consistent, including children enrolled in special education services.
- All public and charter schools are required to complete and report vision screenings by June 30th for each school year.
- Vision screeners will receive training on Evidence-based tools that meet National Standards for AAPOS and National Center for Children’s Eye Health (LEA charts, Sloan letter charts, and instrument-based screeners)
