The importance of early detection of deafness in childhood is generally recognized. Detection is normally a two-stage process of which the first is a screening test of hearing. Screening tests sift out children with impaired hearing from those with normal hearing and can be successfully administered at any time after the age of seven months. Children who fail a screening test are given a diagnostic test, as the second stage in the process, to determine the nature and extent of their hearing loss. Both screening and diagnostic tests must be appropriate to the developmental level of the children to whom they are administered. Special techniques for testing babies and young children have been evolved at Manchester University. When deafness has been diagnosed, parents are advised to seek guidance about the management and early training of their children at the audiology clinics established by an increasing number of local authorities and hospitals.
We understand from the passage that screening tests ___.
can be effectively administered well before a child is one year old
indicate whether a child is completely deaf or has normal hearing
require a certain degree of cooperation from the child
can be more accurate than the diagnostic ones
can be very upsetting for the child
It is made clear in the passage that both the screening tests and the diagnostic tests for hearing ___.
are in need of a thorough updating
are still not really reliable
can be used to determine the degree of the hearing loss
have detected hearing defects in very young babies
have to be suited to the level of development of the individual child
We understand from the passage that once it has been established that a child is deaf, ___.
the parents should apply to various local authorities for advice and support
the child will be sent to a special school for training
the child will be admitted to hospital for further tests
the parents are encouraged to go to audiology clinics for help and advice on how to assist their child
the parents should check what the neighborhood has to offer in the way of special schooling for the deaf