Nationwide Hearing Screening for Infants
Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI)
To refer others to this page, please use:
http://www.nad.org/infant
Research has shown that deaf or hard of hearing children who are identified before six months of age and receive appropriate early intervention demonstrate superior language skills over those identified later. Full access to and development of language are vital for an infant's future education and employment success. Parents need to know immediately when hearing loss exists so that they can learn how to best communicate with the infant. The sooner communication is established, the better.
To date, all states are screening babies for hearing loss, and 37 states plus the District of Columbiahave EHDI legislation.
State systems should have the following elements:
- State Advisory Boards should include representatives from the deaf and hard of hearing communities as well as deaf and hard of hearing professionals.
- State programs should include not only newborn hearing screening, but also follow up evaluation and intervention services. Communication and language development in the early years are critical building blocks for excellence in education.
- Personnel who provide these services should have the specialized knowledge, skills, experience and attributes needed to serve deaf and hard of hearing infants and their families, including being proficient in American Sign Language and/or other forms of visual communication.
- Each state should have complete, up-to-date listings of all state and national resources for providers of early intervention programs and services, professional and/or consumer based organizations serving deaf and hard of hearing communities, social service agencies, statewide educational programs, parent resources, speech and hearing personnel, and related networks for referral purposes.
You can help make a difference:
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Join the NAD. Established in 1880, the NAD is a non-profit organization dedicated to safeguarding the civil rights of 28 million deaf and hard of hearing Americans. The National Association of the Deaf (NAD), founded in 1880, safeguards the civil rights of deaf and hard of hearing Americans. Become an advocate. Join today. www.nad.org/membership.
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