<< BACK TO AGENDA

ABSTRACT INFORMATION
Title: 'No EHDI Left Behind: What You Need to Know About Other Early Childhood Hearing Screening Initiatives in Your State'
Track: 1-EHDI Program Enhancement
Audience: Primary Audience: Other - EHDI Coordinators
Secondary Audience: Audiologist
Tertiary Audeince: State Health Department
Keyword(s): Loss to follow-up, periodic screening, EHDI improvement
Learning Objectives: At the end of this presentation participants will be able to describe how existing early childhood screening programs can be incorporated into current UNHS EHDI Programs, the benefits of making these linkages, and the resources available to support these collaborations.

Abstract:

When you think of EHDI, do you think only of universal newborn hearing screening (UNHS) and the benefits of identifying hearing loss at birth? It surprises many EHDI professionals to learn that nearly a million young children each year are currently being screened for hearing loss apart from UNHS efforts. The importance of these ongoing efforts in helping to reduce the 50% loss to Follow-up/Documentation from newborn screening (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 20007) while also identifying additional children with late onset or progressive losses should not be undervalued. EHDI programs that focus exclusively on newborns, and remain isolated from other federally-funded early childhood screening programs already in place in every state, may be left behind with respect to the powerful benefits that collaboration could bring. For example, federally-funded Head Start programs are required to provide all children with an annual hearing screening within the first 45 days of enrollment in the program. In 2008, nearly one million children across the nation received these services. The number of Early Head Start programs is expected to nearly double in 2010; a clear sign that there are increasing opportunities to link the UNHS EHDI efforts with “EHDI” efforts embedded in every Head Start program across the country. NCHAM has helped more than 20 state EHDI programs make significant headway in linking the UNHS EHDI effort with Head Start. Designed for new and veteran EHDI participants, this presentation will provide participants with an understanding of how State EHDI/Head Start collaborative activities, coupled with available resources, can result in a powerful cadre of early childhood screening programs across a state using up-to-date screening methods and accessing audiological consultation to the benefit of children and families, as well as how data sharing between these entities can support the overall EHDI identification effort.
Presentation(s): Not Available
Handouts: Not Available
SPEAKER INFORMATION
PRESENTER(S):
William Eiserman - NCHAM
     Credentials: PhD
      Dr. William Eiserman is the Director of Early Childhood Projects and the Early Childhood Hearing Outreach (ECHO) Initiative at the National Center for Hearing Assessment and Management (NCHAM), Utah State University. Dr. Eiserman's background includes program evaluation, instructional design, project management, and training.
Terry Foust - Intermountain Health Care
     Credentials: Au.D., CCC-A/SLP
      Terry Foust, Au.D., CCC-A/SLP, is a consulting pediatric audiologist and speech-language pathologist with the National Center for Hearing Assessment and Management (NCHAM). He serves as one of the NCHAM EHDI national network audiologists and as an audiology consultant to the Hearing Head Start ECHO Project with NCHAM. He also provides consultation for MCHB, HRSA and the Office of Performance Review. He is the administrator for Intermountain Healthcare's Community and School Clinics which are healthcare facilities dedicated to serving the low income, uninsured and homeless populations.
Lenore Shisler - NCHAM
     Credentials: MS
      Lenore Shisler is a Senior Research Scientist with the National Center for Hearing Assessment and Management who provides technical assistance to newborn and early childhood hearing screening programs.
 
AUTHOR(S):