Arizona Administrative Code
Title 9 - HEALTH SERVICES
Chapter 13 - DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH SERVICES - HEALTH PROGRAMS SERVICES
Article 1 - HEARING SCREENING AND VISION SCREENING
Section R9-13-101 - Definitions

Universal Citation: AZ Admin Code R 9-13-101

Current through Register Vol. 30, No. 38, September 20, 2024

In addition to the definitions in A.R.S. §§ 36-899 and 36-899.10, the following definitions apply in this Article unless otherwise specified:

1. "Accredited" means that an educational institution is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as providing standards necessary to meet acceptable levels of quality for its graduates to gain admission to other reputable institutions of higher learning or to achieve credentials for professional practice.

2. "Administrator" means the principal or person having general daily control and oversight of a school or that person's designee.

3. "Audiological equipment" means an instrument used to help determine the presence, type, or degree of hearing loss, such as:

a. A pure tone audiometer,

b. A tympanometer, or

c. An otoacoustic emissions device.

4. "Audiological evaluation" means:

a. Examination of an individual's ears;

b. Assessment of the functioning of the individual's middle ear;

c. Testing of the individual's ability to perceive sounds using audiological equipment; and

d. An analysis by a specialist of the results obtained from the activities described in subsections (a) through (c) to determine if the individual has a hearing loss and, if so, the type and degree of the individual hearing loss.

5. "Audiologist" means an individual licensed under A.R.S. Title 36, Chapter 17.

6. "Audiometer" means an electronic device that administers sounds of varying pitches and intensities to assess an individual's ability to hear the sounds.

7. "Auditory canal" means the tubular passage between the cartilaginous portion of the ear that projects from an individual's head and the outer surface of the eardrum.

8. "Autorefractor/photoscreener" means an automated device that provides information about the eyes that could affect vision, including refractive errors and eye misalignment.

9. "Behavioral condition" means any persistent and repetitive pattern of behavior that violates societal norms or rules, seriously impairs a person's functioning, or creates distress in others.

10. "Calendar day" means each day, that:

a. Is not the day of the act, event, or default from which a designated period of time begins to run; and

b. Includes the last day of the period unless it is a Saturday, Sunday, statewide furlough day, or legal holiday, in which case the period runs until the end of the next day that is not a Saturday, Sunday, statewide furlough day, or legal holiday.

11. "Calibrate" means to measure the response of an instrument against a standard and adjust the instrument until the response falls within specified values according to the equipment's manufacturer specifications and by an authorized manufacturer's dealer, if recommended by the manufacturer.

12. "Certificate of completion" means a document issued to an individual who has completed the requirements in:

a. R9-13-108 to perform hearing screening for students according to this Article;

b. R9-13-111 to provide training to individuals who perform hearing screenings;

c. R9-13-112 to perform vision screening for students according to this Article; or

d. R9-13-115 to provide training to individuals who perform vision screenings.

13. "Classroom" means a physical room or electronic space where training and educational courses occur.

14. "Color vision" means the perception of and ability to distinguish colors.

15. "daPa" means dekaPascal, a standard measure of air pressure.

16. "dB HL" means decibel hearing level, a measurement used to compare the intensity at which an individual hears sound at a particular frequency to a standard.

17. "dB SPL" means sound pressure level measured in units of decibels.

18. "Deaf" has the same meaning as in A.R.S. § 36-1949.

19. "Deafblind" has the same meaning as in A.R.S. § 36-1949.

20. "Diagnosis" means a determination of whether a student is deafblind, is deaf, is hard of hearing, is legally blind, or has vision loss that is:

a. Made by a specialist; and

b. Based on an audiological evaluation or an eye examination of the student.

21. "Documentation" means a method used to report information on paper, electronic, photographic, or other permanent form.

22. "Eardrum" means the tympanic membrane in the ear that vibrates in response to sound.

23. "Earphone" means the part of an audiometer that is worn over an individual's ear.

24. "Eustachian tube" means a passage in an individual's head that:

a. Connects the middle ear and the throat, and

b. Equalizes pressure on both sides of the eardrum.

25. "Eye examination" means the same as "comprehensive eye and vision examination" in A.R.S. § 36-899.10 by an optometrist or ophthalmologist.

26. "Follow-up" means an action that serves to verify the accuracy of a previous hearing screening or vision screening result.

27. "Frequency" means the number of cycles per second of a sound wave, expressed in Hz and corresponding to the pitch of sound.

28. "Hard of hearing" has the same meaning as in A.R.S. § 36-1949.

29. "Hearing loss" means the difference, expressed in decibels, between the hearing threshold of an individual and a standard reference hearing threshold.

30. "Hearing screener" means an individual qualified to perform a hearing screening, as specified in R9-13-108.

31. "Hearing screening" means the same as "hearing screening evaluation" in A.R.S. § 36-899, and is performed by an individual who meets the requirements specified in R9-13-108 for the purpose of identifying students who may need further evaluation.

32. "Hz" means Hertz, a unit of frequency equal to one cycle per second.

33. "Immittance" means the mobility of the parts of the middle ear during the transmission of sound vibrations through the middle ear.

34. "Inner ear" means the part of the ear, including the semicircular canals, cochlea, and auditory nerve, that converts sound into neural messages that are sent through the auditory nerve to the brain.

35. "Intensity" means the strength of a sound wave, resulting in the perception of sound volume as expressed in decibels or decibels hearing level dB HL.

36. "kHz" means a unit of frequency equal to one thousand cycles per second or one thousand hertz.

37. "Legally blind" means any person who:

a. Has no vision or visual acuity;

b. Has central visual acuity of 20/200 or less in the better eye, with the best correction by single magnification; or

c. Has a field defect in which the peripheral field has been contracted to such an extent that the widest diameter of the visual field subtends an angular distance no greater than twenty degrees.

38. "mL" means a volume measurement unit.

39. "mmho" or "millimho" means a unit of electric conductance.

40. "Notification" means a method used to inform or announce information on paper, electronic, photographic, or other permanent form.

41. "Ophthalmologist" means an individual, licensed according to A.R.S. Title 32, Chapter 13 or 17, who may perform medical and surgical interventions for eye conditions.

42. "Optometrist" has the same meaning as in A.R.S. 32-1701, and is licensed according to A.R.S. Title 32, Chapter 16, who is a doctor of optometry who may examine the eyes to:

a. Evaluate health and visual abilities,

b. Diagnose eye diseases and conditions of the eye and visual system, and

c. Prescribe corrective lenses or provide other types of treatment.

43. "Optometry" means the professional practice of eye and vision care for the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of diseases and conditions of the eye and visual system.

44. "Optotypes" means symbols, numbers, or letters of different sizes used in testing distance and near visual acuity.

45. "Otitis media" means inflammation of the middle ear.

46. "Otoacoustic emissions device" means an instrument used to determine the status of an individual's cochlear function by:

a. Presenting sounds into the auditory canal with a sound generator, and

b. Detecting, with one or more microphones, low-intensity echoes in the auditory canal that are produced by normally functioning cochlea in response to sounds.

47. "Outer ear" means the part of the ear that projects from an individual's head and the auditory canal.

48. "Parent" means a:

a. Natural or adoptive mother or father,

b. Legal guardian appointed by a court of competent jurisdiction, or

c. Custodian as defined in A.R.S. § 8-201.

49. "Pass" means a recordable response detected by a:

a. Hearing screener using audiological equipment consistent with established criteria for hearing screening requirements; or

b. Vision screener using vision equipment consistent with established criteria for vision screening requirements.

50. "Person" has the same meaning as in A.R.S. § 41-1001.

51. "Preschool" means the instruction preceding kindergarten provided to individuals three-years-old, four-years-old, or five-years-old through a school.

52. "Probe" means the part of a tympanometer or an otoacoustic emissions device that is inserted into an individual's auditory canal during a hearing screening.

53. "Pseudoisochromatic plate" means a chart having printed dots of various colors, brightness, and sizes arranged so that dots of similar color form a known figure among a background of dots of other colors used to detect a color vision deficiency.

54. "Pure tone hearing screening" means a type of hearing screening using single frequency sounds that are performed using a pure tone audiometer or a device that includes the functions of both an audiometer and a tympanometer.

55. "School" means:

a. A school as defined in A.R.S. § 15-101,

b. An accommodation school as defined in A.R.S. § 15-101,

c. A charter school as defined in A.R.S. § 15-101, or

d. A private school as defined in A.R.S. § 15-101.

56. "School day" means any day in which students attend an educational institution for instructional purposes.

57. "School year" means the period from July 1 through June 30.

58. "Screening population" means the students who are expected to have a hearing screening or a vision screening during a school year.

59. "Special education" has the same meaning as in A.R.S. § 15-761.

60. "Specialist" means an:

a. Audiologist;

b. Individual licensed according to A.R.S. Title 32, Chapter 13 or 17 who specializes in the ear, nose, and throat;

c. Optometrist; or

d. Ophthalmologist.

61. "Stereoacuity" refers to depth perception and is used interchangeably with binocular vision.

62. "Student" means an individual enrolled in a school.

63. "Supervision" means a screener is in the room observing and providing direction while an individual provides:

a. A hearing screening to a student, as specified in Table 13.3, or

b. A vision screening to a student, as specified in Table 13.4.

64. "Trainer" means an individual, who:

a. Has a current certificate of completion, and

b. Provides classroom instruction and assessment of competency in using audiological equipment, as specified in R9-13-108, or vision equipment, as specified in R9-13-112.

65. "Tympanogram" means a graphic display of the mobility of the middle ear in response to an acoustic stimulus as a function of air pressure in the auditory canal.

66. "Tympanometer" means a device used to determine the status of an individual's middle ear by:

a. Presenting sound into the auditory canal with a sound generator;

b. Varying the air pressures in the auditory canal via an air pump to control the movement of the tympanic membrane; and

c. Detecting, with a microphone, variations in sound pressure level as acoustic energy passes into the individual's middle ear.

67. "Vision equipment" means vision screening materials and instruments used to help determine the presence, type, or degree of vision loss or impairment, including:

a. Optotypes,

b. Stereoacuity tests,

c. Pseudoisochromatic plates, and

d. Autorefractors/photoscreeners.

68. "Vision impairment" means visual impairment that cannot be corrected with a corrective device, such as eye glasses or contact lenses.

69. "Vision Screener" means an individual qualified to perform a vision screening, as specified in R9-13-112.

70. "Vision screening" in addition to the definition in A.R.S. § 36-899.10, means a test performed by an individual who meets the requirements specified in R9-13-112 for the purpose of identifying students who may need further evaluation.

71. "Visual acuity" means the relative ability of the visual system to resolve detail that is measured and recorded using an internationally recognized, two-figured indicator, such as 20/20.

72. "Written examination" means a series of questions administered in a paper or electronic format designed to determine an individual's knowledge and abilities specific to a hearing screening or vision screening.

Disclaimer: These regulations may not be the most recent version. Arizona may have more current or accurate information. We make no warranties or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the information contained on this site or the information linked to on the state site. Please check official sources.
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