Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-10-31
SCHOOL DEAFNESS
TESTS REVEALED
Indications Are That Hearing
of Children Improves
With Age.

Does hearing among children i'm
prove with age?
Something Of the sort is indicated
by hearing tests for ITO public school
children in Washington and 1850 in
Hagerstown, the results of which have
just been announced by the Public
Health Service.
The tests were conducted with an
audiometer, q device which made it
possible to measure the hearing acuity
Of each individual in units so that fine
comparisons could be made between
different children. Age groups measured
ranged from to II.
Normal and above normal hearing
was found for 56.7 per cent of children
between and o. while the percent
age for those between IA and II rose
to TAG. The same condition was found
for loss of three hearing units, an
auditory defect so slight that 1t never
would be noticed In daily life. Such a
loss was shown by SIS per cent of the
8 and 9 year olds and dropped to IS
per cent in the IA to II year old
age group. There is a slight possibility.
according to the Public Health Service
announcement, that some of the i'm
standing by the older children.
Exact Reverse Found.
Exactly the reverse, however, was
found In the number Of children with
serious loss Of hearing In the different
age groups. Deficiency Of nine or more
auditory NUTS was considered signif1-
cant of defective hearing. It was rare
among both the Washington and
Hagerstown children, but there was q
consistent rise in the curve of its &C.
currence from the youngest to the old
est groups. Between 8 and 9 only 1.6
per cent were thus affected, compared
to "a per cent between IA and II.
The curves show some slight differ
ences between boys and girls. On the
whole girls hear better than boys
that Is there is slightly more
markd impairment Of hearing among
the boys of all ages than among the
girls. Larger proportions Of good hear
ing we're found among the younger
boys and the older girls.
For both sexes of all ages the left
ear was found slightly superior to the
right, but such individual variations
were shown that 1t is admitted this
finding may be q result Of chance and
not applicable to the school population
as q whole. No reason can be shown
why one ear should be better than the
other.
Intelligence Quotients Considered
The tests indicate q significant re-
lationship between even slight hearing
deficiency, such as would never be
noticed in everyday life, and both in
telligence and school standing. Intel
ligence Quotients were available for all
the Washington children. Among chill
dren with intelligence scores above the
average, 74.2 showed normal or above
normal hearing acuity. Only Is per cent
were slightly below normal and less
than one per cent were de1ective ny
nine or more units. In the group whose
intelligence quotients fell below the
average, only so per cent had normal
or above normal hearing, while 81 were
deficient by nine or more units
1t is not assumed, the report stresses,
that defective hearing affects native
intelligence, but failure to hear clear
ly the oral presentation Of a mental
test might easily affect the intelligence
quotient." Among Hagerstown children,
where intelligence quotients were not
available, the same relationship was
shown between hearing and standing
in school. The percentage OF children
with hearing loss generally was greater
in the over-age for grade group. In no
group at any age, when both sexes
were taken together. did the number
significant hearing loss rise as high as
four per cent.
The study was made with co-opera-
ton Of the District and Hagerstown
school authorities by. DR.. E. Blanche
Sterling, acting assistant surgeon In
charge Of the child health office Of the
Public Health Service, and Elizabeth
Bell. occupational therapy aide.