Early Hearing Detection
and Intervention Committee
About Us
The Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) Program is a national effort to identify babies with a hearing status that impacts language development at birth. This is important because there is a critical period in brain development when the pathways for language and communication are laid down. If babies with a hearing status that impacts language development can be identified and entered into appropriate habilitative services by 6 months of age they will have language quotients within the normal range, otherwise they will have significant language delays. Current EHDI legislation can be found here.
Every AAP Chapter was asked to appoint a “Chapter Champion” for infant hearing screening to provide professional education for the Chapter, respond to pediatricians’ concerns, advocate for the program locally and work with the AAP’s national EHDI Taskforce. We are currently looking for a Maryland Chapter Champion, if interested please contact loretta@mdaap.org.
Maryland EHDI
Over 99% of babies born in Maryland have their hearing screened. However, like the rest of the country, we have difficulty documenting that all babies who have a refer result on the initial screen receive the appropriate long term follow up and interventions. Pediatricians need to be able to easily access hospital screening results and to find out if the babies referred for diagnostic evaluation go. They also need to easily access the diagnostic results in order to provide optimal care. The Maryland Infant Hearing Program has an online data system to meet these needs and enable documentation of appropriate follow up, so that the Infant Hearing Program can use it resources to assist the families of babies who are truly lost to follow up, not just lost to documentation. Please register to use the database by clicking here. It will make things much easier for your office and improve outcomes for our babies!
Hearing Documentation
General Information
- Signs of Later Hearing Loss
- Baby’s Hearing Communicative Development Checklist
- EHDI Progressing Work Remains
- Hearing Loss Audiological Assessment
- Hearing Loss Auditory Neuropathy Dyssynchrony
- Hearing Loss Degree
- Hearing Loss Medical Care
- Hearing Loss Prevalence
- Hearing Loss Types
- Hearing Loss Types Screening Tests
- Improving Care for Children With Hearing Loss
- Sign Language Interpreters
Early Intervention
Guidelines
Early Identification of Hearing Status that Affects Speech Development: Universal Newborn Hearing Screening (An Implementation Guide)
From the National Center for Hearing Assessment and Management
This electronic “e-book” outlines some of the most important issues which need to be addressed in implementing and operating a successful early identification of hearing loss program for newborns.
American Academy of Audiology Childhood Hearing Screening Guidelines, September 2011
The American Academy of Audiology endorses detection of hearing loss in early childhood and school‐aged populations using evidence‐based hearing screening methods. The goal of early detection of new hearing loss is to maximize perception of speech and the resulting attainment of linguistic‐based skills. Identification of new or emerging hearing loss in one or both ears followed by appropriate referral for diagnosis and treatment are first steps to minimizing these effects. Informing educational staff, monitoring chronic or fluctuating hearing loss, and providing education toward the prevention of hearing loss are important steps that are needed to follow mass screening if the impact of hearing loss is to be minimized.