2026 Early Hearing Detection & Intervention Conference
March 15-17, 2026 • Jacksonville, FL
| Telehealth Measurement of Infant Auditory Brainstem Responses Using iChirp
Telehealth Measurement of Infant Auditory Brainstem Responses Using iChirp
Accurate and efficient diagnostic testing after a failed newborn hearing screening is
essential to ensure timely identification and intervention for infants with hearing loss. Pinto
et al. (2022) demonstrated that iChirp stimuli produce more robust auditory brainstem
response (ABR) waveforms than traditional click and tone burst stimuli in infants up to 29
days old. The present protocol replicated and extended this work by examining the use of
iChirp stimuli under teleaudiology conditions in a broader age range and real-world clinical
context.
Infants referred for diagnostic evaluation after failing two newborn hearing screenings were
assessed remotely via ABR testing with alternating-polarity broadband and narrowband
iChirp stimuli. All infants were later confirmed to have normal hearing sensitivity. Unlike
the fixed 2048-sweep protocol used by Pinto et al., the current study relied on clinical
judgment to determine when waveform stability was achieved, reflecting how diagnostic
decisions are made in practice. Testing was performed in collaboration with local
providers who performed otoscopy and prepared the patient for testing, while an
audiologist measured the infant’s physical state and ABR responses in real time through a
secure video telehealth platform. Preliminary results demonstrate that iChirp stimuli
continue to yield clear, replicable wave V responses even with fewer averages and across a
wider age range (beyond 29 days and under one year).
These findings support the feasibility of telehealth ABR using iChirp stimuli for infants
referred from newborn screening. The combination of clinician-guided judgment and
efficient recording protocols may expand access to timely diagnostic confirmation—
particularly for families in rural or medically underserved areas—while maintaining the
accuracy needed for early hearing detection and intervention programs.
- Describe how iChirp stimuli are different than tone bursts that are traditionally used for diagnostic ABR testing.
- Compare differences in ABR acquisition between in-person and telehealth conditions
- Discuss the implications of telehealth-based ABR testing for improving access to timely diagnostic follow-up and family-centered care for infants with special health care needs within Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) programs.
Presentation:
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Handouts:
Handout is not Available
Transcripts:
CART transcripts are NOT YET available, but will be posted shortly after the conference
Presenters/Authors
Hannah Lingle
(Primary Presenter,Co-Author), University of South Dakota, Hannah.Lingle@coyotes.usd.edu ;
Hannah Lingle is a third year Doctor of Audiology student at the University of South Dakota. She currently serves as a graduate research assistant for the South Dakota Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) grant.
ASHA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
• Receives Other financial benefit for Other activities from SD EHDI/HRSA grant.
Nonfinancial -
No relevant nonfinancial relationship exists.
AAA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
Financial relationship with EHDI/HRSA GRANT
AAP EHDI PEC Advisory Group.
Nature: EHDI/HRSA Grant
AAP EHDI PEC Advisory Group.
Nonfinancial -
No relevant nonfinancial relationship exists.
Coral Dirks
(Co-Author), University of South Dakota, coral.dirks@usd.edu;
Coral Dirks is an assistant professor at the University of South Dakota. She completed her AuD and PhD in Speech Language Hearing Sciences at the University of Minnesota in 2017 and 2020, respectively. She worked as a research audiologist at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, MD from 2020-2022 working on projects related to cochlear implants and auditory fitness for duty. She joined the University of South Dakota in Fall 2022 where she teaches audiology graduate students, works as an adult and pediatric cochlear implant audiologist, and performs research on spatial hearing and early hearing loss detection and intervention.
ASHA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
Nonfinancial -
AAA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
Nonfinancial -
Shelby Hintze Jepperson
(Co-Author), University of South Dakota, Shelby.Jepperson@usd.edu;
Shelby Hintze Jepperson currently serves as an Associate Professor of Practice at the University of South Dakota's School of Health Sciences, Master of Public Health program. She holds a Master of Public Health degree, is certified in public health, and is a Ph.D. candidate in Health Sciences. She has worked on South Dakota EHDI projects as part of the SD EHDI Collaborative since 2017 and currently serves as the Project Director of the HRSA EHDI grant for South Dakota.
ASHA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
• Receives Grants for Other activities from US HHS HRSA.
Nonfinancial -
No relevant nonfinancial relationship exists.
AAA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
Financial relationship with .
Nature: The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), provided financial support for this work as an award totaling $235,000. The contents are those of the author(s), they may not reflect the policies of HRSA, HHS, or the U.S. Government. .
Nonfinancial -
No relevant nonfinancial relationship exists.