Some Early Head Start (EHS) programs, like the one in Pasco County, Florida, are making a difference in finding infants who didn't complete the recommended newborn hearing screening process.  This program recently took the simple step of adding EHDI to their EHS permission form, thereby enabling them to  submit Otoacoustic Emissions (OAE) screening data to the EHDI system. Subsequently, of the 79 children screened early in 2012, the EHS program was able to share data on 76 with the helpful outcome that:

• Five children, not in the State EHDI system, were noted.  
• Three children, classified previously as lost to follow-up in the EHDI system, were screened by the EHS program and their EHDI records were able to be updated.  
• One child in the EHDI system, for whom no hearing screening results had been reported,
  was screened by the EHS program and the EHDI record was able to be updated as complete.  

In Grant County, Indiana, the EHS of Carey Services has also begun partnering with their State EHDI by collecting information on whether children in their program had previously completed the newborn hearing screen.  

As a result, a child nearly two years of age was noted as not having passed the newborn screen. The EHS program was able to help the parent obtain audiological assessment, and the child was confirmed with a permanent hearing loss. Another child was identified by EHDI as being at high risk for hearing loss and past due for the recommended audiological follow up.  The EHS staff was able to refer the parent to audiology and the Home Visitor will make sure the child receives any needed follow up.  This EHS program is further developing training for all staff on the additional support a family needs when a child is identified with a permanent hearing loss.