Hearing Impairment

Oregon Secretary of State Administrative Rules

Hearing Impairment

(1) Early Childhood Special Education and School Age: If a child is suspected of having a hearing impairment, the following evaluation must be conducted:

(a) Audiology assessment. An audiological assessment by an audiologist licensed by a State Board of Examiners for Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology;

(b) For conductive hearing losses only, medical or health assessment statement indicating hearing loss identified by an audiologist and determined to be untreatable by a physician licensed by a State Board of Medical Examiners; a nurse practitioner licensed by a State Board of Nursing specially certified as a nurse practitioner practicing within his or her area of specialty; or a physician assistant licensed by a State Board of Medical Examiners practicing within his or her area of specialty.

(c) For sensorineural hearing loss only, documentation indicating the hearing loss identified by an audiologist, licensed by State Board of Examiners for Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology is determined to be sensorineural.

(d) Other:

(A) Any additional assessments necessary to determine the impact of the suspected disability:

(i) On the child's educational performance for a school-age (age 5 to 21) child; or

(ii) On the child's developmental progress for a preschool child (age 3 to 5); and

(B) Any additional evaluations or assessments necessary to identify the child's educational needs.

(2) To be eligible as a child with a hearing impairment, the child must meet one of the following minimum criteria:

(a) The child has a pure tone average loss of 25 dbHL or greater in the better ear for frequencies of 500 Hz, 1000 Hz, and 2000 Hz, or a pure tone average loss of 35 dbHL or greater in the better ear for frequencies of 3000 Hz, 4000 Hz, and 6000 Hz; or

(b) The child has a unilateral hearing impairment with a pure tone average loss of 50 dbHL or greater in the affected ear for the frequencies 500 Hz to 4000 Hz; and

(c) The loss is either sensorineural or conductive if the conductive loss has been determined to be currently untreatable by a physician.

(3) For a child to be eligible for special education services as a child with a hearing impairment, the eligibility team must also determine that:

(a) The child's disability has an adverse impact on the child's educational performance; and

(b) The child needs special education services as a result of the disability.

(4) Early Intervention: A child birth until age three is suspected of being deaf/hard of hearing, the following is needed:

(a) Audiological assessment. A hearing evaluation conducted by an audiologist licensed by a State Board of Examiners for Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology.

(b) For conductive hearing losses only, medical or health assessment statement indicating hearing loss identified by an audiologist and determined to be untreatable by a physician licensed by a State Board of Medical Examiners, a nurse practitioner licensed by a State Board of Nursing specially certified as a nurse practitioner practicing within his or her area of specialty; or a physician assistant licensed by a State Board of Medical Examiners practicing within his or her area of specialty; and

(d) Any additional evaluations or assessments necessary to identify the child’s developmental needs.

(5) To be eligible for Early Intervention services as a child birth until age three who is deaf/hard of hearing:

(a) The child must have hearing thresholds in at least one ear of 25 dBHL or greater at two or more consecutive frequencies at 500 Hz, 1000 Hz, 2000Hz, 4000 Hz, 6000 Hz and 8000 Hz; or

(b) The hearing loss is due to auditory neuropathy spectrum disorder (ANSD) or aural microtia/atresia, as determined by an audiologist or physician, respectively.

(6) For a child to be eligible for special education services as a child with a hearing impairment, the eligibility team must also determine that:

(a) The child's disability has an adverse impact on the child's developmental performance; and

(b) The child needs special education services as a result of the disability.