In January 2020, the American Academy of Audiology (the Academy) published its Clinical Guidance Document on the Assessment of Hearing in Infants and Young Children. The document covers four content areas: Pediatric Audiometry, Acoustic Immittance, Otoacoustic Emissions, and Electrophysiologic Audiometry. This article provides guidance on filing claims for pediatric audiometry and electrophysiologic audiometry. Coding for otoacoustic emissions and acoustic immittance are discussed elsewhere (Academy, Pediatric Audiology Billing & Coding Questions & Answers).
Topic(s): Coding, Reimbursement, reimbursment, Pediatric Assessment, Pediatric, Pediatric Audiology, pediatric audiometry, electrophysiologic audiometry, Behavioral Audiometry, Behavioral observation audiometry (BOA), visual reinforcement audiometry (VRA), conditioned play audiometry (CPA), Speech Threshold Audiometry, auditory brainstem response (ABR), auditory steady-state response
Catherine Palmer, in her General Assembly Speech at the Academy’s 2019 annual conference, inspired us by emphasizing that audiologists have an incredibly important and expanded role in the health and well-being of the people we serve.
“Audiologists start a chain of events for a child that will promote reading, education, and employment,” she said in her address.
That chain of events starts with a child learning to listen and learning spoken language. This article will address the audiologist’s role in those events from a very practical perspective.
Topic(s): Audiologist, Professional Development, auditory information, auditory neural pathways, Hearing Loss, Hearing Aids, Cochlear Implants (CI), Parents’ Evaluation of Aural/Oral Performance of Children (PEACH), auditory brainstem response (ABR), visual reinforcement audiology (VRA)
The standard behavioral procedures used to assess the hearing of very young children are powerful tools. Yet, even in the hands of a skilled clinician, they are nearly worthless unless the child is ready to be tested. Thus, it is helpful—indeed necessary—to draw on techniques that get the child to do what we want the child to do.
Topic(s): Psychology, Professional Development, immittance, otoacoustic emissions (OAEs), tympanometry, Audiometric Test, Acoustic, auditory brainstem response (ABR)
