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Upcoming Events
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ECHO Initiative
Live Webinars
We will be offering both our Introductory and Intermediate Level webinars in May.
Please click on the links below to register:
Wednesday, May 7th
12:00 p.m. EST
Plan to join us to
get acquainted with OAE screening and learn about establishing an effective
hearing screening protocol
for your program.
Friday, May 9th
12:00 p.m. EST
Please plan to join us for an opportunity to re-examine effective OAE program practices and to reflect on your own OAE screening experience.
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ECHO Initiative
Links to Recorded Webinars
If you've missed any of our previous webinars, you can now click on the links below to watch a recorded
version of these webinars:
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If your program is new to OAE screening,
or if you have added new staff who need
instruction on OAE
screening practices,
visit our
where staff can view instructional video
modules and access the corresponding
resources.
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Quick Links
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Find more helpful hints from previous issues of
Probes and Tips
and many other
resources at:
www.kidshearing.org
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Integrate Newborn Screening Results into Each Child's Hearing Health Profile
For most infants born in the U.S., a newborn hearing screening using Otoacoustic Emissions (OAE) or automated auditory brainstem response (ABR) technology is performed in the hospita l prior to discharge. Whenever possible, Early Head Start (EHS) providers will find it valuable to obtain these results and assist in further follow-up activities as needed. Parents may not have received or retained a copy of the results, so you may need to obtain documentation from the medical home provider, the birth hospital, or from the State Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) Program Coordinator.
Use the newborn screening results, along with results from the screening you conduct in compliance with Head Start Performance standards, to create a complete hearing health profile and to take appropriate action. For example:
- If a child passed both the newborn and EHS hearing screens, and there are no additional concerns, it provides a natural opportunity to talk with parents about what they can do to provide a rich, language-learning environment.
- If a child did not pass the newborn screen and no further follow-up was completed shortly thereafter, contact the State EHDI Coordinator, inform her/him of the results of your recent EHS screen, and ask if there are additional steps that you should take to satisfy State requirements. The EHDI Coordinator will appreciate your help in closing the loop on any any child who was lost to follow-up from the newborn screen.
- If a child referred from (failed) both the newborn and the EHS screens, then immediate follow-up with a pediatric audiologist who can perform a diagnostic assessment is critical. Work closely with the EHDI Coordinator and the family to ensure that this assessment is completed in a timely way and that everyone is fully informed about the diagnostic results.
- If a child passed the newborn screen, but did not pass the EHS screening, and if subsequent assessment by a pediatric audiologist identifies a permanent hearing loss, be certain to convey that information to the EHDI Coordinator immediately. Good communication between all partners and providers is likely to result in comprehensive and timely support for the child and family.
Finally, if you are not already sharing screening information with the EHDI Program on a regular basis, talk with your state EHDI Coordinator about whether it makes sense to put a process in place to do so. Consider creating a system that allows your EHS program to obtain children's newborn screening results and that allows the State EHDI Program to benefit from the updated periodic screening results, and the ongoing support to families, that EHS can contribute.
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Have you made contact with your EHDI Coordinator? Let us know at:
[email protected]
And, as always, share www.KidsHearing.org with anyone you think would benefit from our resources.
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 2615 Old Main Hill
Logan, UT 84322
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