NEONATAL AUDIOLOGICAL SCREENING IN THE SYSTEM OF SECONDARY DISORDER PREVENTION AND EARLY INTERVENTION

Abstract

The article provides a comprehensive theoretical and practical substantiation of universal newborn hearing screening as a fundamental structural factor in preventing secondary developmental disorders in children and establishing a seamless early deaf-educational intervention pathway. The urgency of the research is determined by the high prevalence of perinatal auditory pathology and the critical risk of severe speech, linguistic, cognitive, and communicative delays caused by delayed diagnostic verification and unaddressed auditory deprivation. Utilizing methods of systematic, comparative, and interdisciplinary analysis of Ukrainian regulatory frameworks, international early intervention protocols, and empirical pilot program data, the study examines the technological, organizational, and pedagogical foundations for implementing a two-stage objective audiological assessment model combining evoked otoacoustic emissions and automated auditory brainstem responses. The evolutionary progression of international patient routing timelines is characterized, demonstrating the transition from the traditional 1-3-6 guideline to accelerated 1-2-3 benchmarks, and specific empirical patterns of hearing impairment identification among vulnerable infants within perinatal intensive care units in Ukraine are evaluated. Special emphasis is placed on establishing effective interdisciplinary coordination between clinical audiologists and deaf educators to eliminate the systemic time lag between objective diagnosis, digital hearing aid fitting or surgical preparation for cochlear implantation, and the immediate initiation of family-centered pedagogical support. The synthesized findings demonstrate that universal neonatal screening serves as the vital catalyst for preserving cortical neuroplasticity during the critical sensitive period of auditory and pre-speech maturation. Timely identification and early individualized pedagogical intervention effectively prevent secondary intellectual, social, and emotional deviations, ensuring natural speech acquisition and successful long-term educational and social inclusion.