Section 675.110  Frequency of Screening

a)         Hearing screening services shall be provided annually for all preschool children three years of age or older in any public or private educational program or licensed child care facility.

b)         Hearing screening services shall be provided annually for all school age children who are in grades K (kindergarten), 1, 2, and 3; are in any special education class; have been referred by a teacher; or are transfer students.  These screening services shall be provided in all public, private, and parochial schools. Hearing screening is recommended in grades 4, 6, 8, 10, and 12.

c)         In lieu of the screening services required in subsections (a) and (b) of this Section, a completed and signed report form, indicating that the child has had an ear examination by a physician and an audiological evaluation completed by an audiologist within the previous 12 months is acceptable.

d)         In cases of known hearing loss, an audiological evaluation completed by an audiologist within the previous 12 months may be accepted instead of threshold monitoring services.

e)         Hearing screening services in public, private and parochial schools shall be provided annually for all special education children using screening methods contained in Section 675.120 of this Part.

f)         The parent or legal guardian of a student may object to hearing screening tests for their  children on religious grounds.  If a religious objection is made, a written and signed statement from the parent or legal guardian detailing such objections must be presented to the local school authority.  General philosophical or moral reluctance to allow hearing screening will not provide a sufficient basis for an exception to statutory requirements.

(Source:  Amended at 24 Ill. Reg. 4956, effective March 20, 2000)