For a developmentally normal 18-month-old child who needs behavioral hearing assessment, the MOST appropriate technique is:

• A Behavioral observation audiometry
• B Conventional play audiometry
• C Standard pure-tone audiometry with hand raising
• D Visual reinforcement audiometry ✓

Explanation

Visual reinforcement audiometry conditions infants roughly 6 months to 2.5 years old to turn toward a sound source, rewarded by a lighted toy, allowing frequency-specific threshold estimation. Behavioral observation audiometry suits neonates up to about 6 months and only detects gross responses, killing distractor A. Play audiometry and conventional pure-tone testing require cooperation and attention spans typical of children older than about 2.5 to 3 years.

Reference: Dhingra's Diseases of Ear, Nose and Throat, 8th ed.

High-yield for: NEET PGINI-CETNExTFMGEUSMLEPLABMRCP

Written and medically reviewed by the StethoPrep medical team.