Hearing and Vision Screening for Children

The Hearing and Vision Screening program sets the screening requirements and guidelines for school-based preschool and K-12 schools. The Ohio Department of Health (ODH) sets the requirements for what grades are routinely screened each year; what equipment is acceptable to use; what specific hearing and vision tests are needed to perform the screenings; and the referral criteria. Schools providing medical nursing services are required to screen school-aged students for hearing and vision.

Children who do not pass school hearing and vision screening should be referred to their medical providers or may attend ODH's Hearing and Vision specialty clinics. ODH stresses that hearing and vision screening, while a valuable public health procedure, is not a substitute for a professional examination. To find more information regarding the ODH specialty clinics, please refer to the program description in Medical Specialty Clinics for Children.

The Hearing and Vision Screening program is a program of early detection, diagnosis and treatment of children with hearing and vision problems. In addition to providing school-screening standards, the program conducts a statewide survey of hearing and vision screening programs and provides training for people who do screenings.

Mailing Address:
Ohio Department of Health
Hearing and Vision Screening for Children
246 N. High Street, 6th FL
Columbus, OH 43215

Telephone: (614) 466-5332
Fax: (614) 728-6793

E-mail: BCFHS@odh.ohio.gov

Last Reviewed 02/05/2013