Texas Administrative Code
Title 25 - HEALTH SERVICES
Part 1 - DEPARTMENT OF STATE HEALTH SERVICES
Chapter 37 - MATERNAL AND INFANT HEALTH SERVICES
Subchapter C - VISION AND HEARING SCREENING
Section 37.22 - Definitions

(1) American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)--The AAP is a nationally recognized professional organization which issues recommended standards pertaining to the health and well-being of children.

(2) American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus (AAPOS)--AAPOS is a nationally-recognized professional body which, in conjunction with the AAP, issues recommended vision screening standards. The goals of AAPOS are to advance the quality of children's eye care, support the training of pediatric ophthalmologists, support research activities in pediatric ophthalmology, and advance the care of adults with strabismus.

(3) American National Standards Institute, Inc. (ANSI)--The national coordinator of standards development and the United States clearinghouse for information on national and international standards.

(4) Audiometer--An electrical device for testing hearing, and for measuring bone and air conduction of sound.

(5) Audiometric calibration equipment--Electro-acoustical equipment used to calibrate audiometers and audiometric testing devices. The term includes frequency counters, voltmeters, and distortion measuring equipment used to calibrate audiometers and audiometric testing devices.

(6) Audiometric testing device--An electro-acoustical generator that provides acoustic energy of a calibrated output.

(7) Biological calibration check--The process of testing a person having a known, stable audiometric curve that does not exceed 25 decibels (dB) hearing level at any frequency between 250 and 6000 Hertz (Hz), and comparing the test results with the subject's known baseline audiogram.

(8) Calibration--The process of comparing an instrument or device with a standard to determine its accuracy and to make the necessary repairs or adjustments to assure that the operating characteristics are within the allowable limits established by a national standard, all in accordance with applicable legal requirements.

(9) Certification--The process by which the Department of State Health Services (department) trains individuals to conduct vision and/or hearing screening or provides training to instructors. The applicable certification is awarded following the successful completion of any of the course scenarios in this paragraph.

(10) dB--The decibel is a unit for expressing the relative intensity of sounds on a scale from zero for the average least perceptible sound to approximately 130 for the average pain level.

(11) Exhaustive calibration--A calibration that tests all settings for both earphones.

(12) Extended recheck--A screen used after the child has failed two sweep-check screens. The screener may perform an extended recheck or initiate a referral for a professional examination, as defined in this section, after the two failed sweep-check screens.

(13) Facility--Includes public or private preschools and schools, as defined as follows:

(14) Hz--Hertz is a unit of frequency equal to one cycle per second.

(15) Licensed professional--An individual whose legally-defined scope of practice under the license includes knowledge and experience in conducting professional examinations and screenings for vision and/or hearing abnormalities in children, all consistent with this subchapter and Texas Health and Safety Code, Chapter 36. The terms "professional examination" and "screening" are as defined in this section.

(16) Pass/Fail--Allowable documentation of results of vision screening when photoscreening is used for vision screening, in accordance with this subchapter. The documentation of the screening results is in lieu of visual acuity results using "20/20" format.

(17) Photoscreening--A form of pediatric vision screening that uses a special-purpose camera to determine how well a child can see. It is an alternative under this subchapter to visual acuity-based screening with an eye chart for certain children, as specified herein. Other related terms are: autorefractor, objective screening and instrument-based screening. Photoscreening cannot determine exactly how well a child's visual acuity is developing. Important factors that affect visual acuity such as accommodative ability (focusing ability), binocular vision development, and other eye health issues are not assessed via photoscreening.

(18) Professional examination (also referred to as examination)--A diagnostic evaluation performed by an appropriately licensed professional or by a department-certified individual whose expertise addresses the diagnostic needs of the individual identified as having a possible special senses or communication disorder. A professional examination is one that is done according to the requirements of this subchapter and of the Texas Health and Safety Code, Chapter 36.

(19) Program--The department's Vision and Hearing Screening Program.

(20) Pure-tone audiometer--A pure-tone audiometer electronically generates pure-tones which are used as signals to test a person's hearing.

(21) Reporting year--A 12-month period beginning June 1 of each year and ending May 31 of the following year.

(22) Screening--A test or battery of tests for rapidly determining the need for a professional examination.

(23) Screening equipment--An instrument or device used to perform a measurement or measurements for the assessment of sensory abilities.

(24) Sweep-check--A quick hearing screening test using a pure-tone audiometer to determine whether a person can hear the following frequencies: 1000 Hz, 2000 Hz, and 4000 Hz at less than or equal to 25 dB.

(25) Telebinocular instrument--A stereoscopic instrument for screening various eye defects and measuring visual acuity.

(26) Testing equipment--An instrument or device used under this subchapter to perform a measurement or measurements to substantiate or verify the presence or absence of sensory impairment(s).

(27) Tests--Procedures under this subchapter to measure special senses and communication functions.

(28) Visual acuity--The relative ability of the visual organ to resolve detail that is measured and recorded using an internationally recognized, two-figured indicator, such as 20/20.