Q: What is an audiologist?

An audiologist is a professional who diagnoses, treats, and manages individuals with hearing loss or balance problems. For more information, please see http://www.asha.org/careers/professions/overview/audiology.htm

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Q: What is an Otolaryngologist?

Otolaryngologists are physicians trained in the medical and surgical management and treatment of patients with diseases and disorders of the ear, nose, throat (ENT), and related structures of the head and neck. They are commonly referred to as ENT physicians. For more information, please see http://www.entnet.org/index.cfm   

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Q: How can I find an audiologist and/or an otolaryngologist?

How to locate a provider:

To locate an audiologist, visit the

American Academy of Audiology

http://webportal.audiology.org/Custom/FindAnAudiologist.asp.   

or

American Speech Language-Hearing Association websites http://www.asha.org/default.htm. 

 

On both sites you will then enter information about the area where you live.

To find an otolaryngologist, you may visit The American Academy of Otolaryngology website at http://www.entnet.org/index.cfm and search by entering a doctor’s name or a specific geographic location.

 

To find an Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology Program, visit the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association website at http://www.asha.org/proserv/.  On this site you will then enter information about the area where you live.

 

CDC supports the National Institutes of Health, the Joint Committee on Infant Hearing, the Directors of Speech and Hearing Programs in State Health and Welfare Agencies and the American Academy of Pediatrics in endorsing universal newborn hearing screening before hospital discharge, diagnostic evaluation  no later than 3 months of age, and initiation of appropriate intervention services no later than 6 months of age.

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Q: What are the intervention and treatment options?

Professionals are responsible for providing families with information about the full range of intervention and treatment options so that informed choices can be made. The "best" choice for each family is complex and dynamic. It may involve simultaneous (at the same time) use of several options with modifications (changes) over time as knowledge about intervention increases, the child grows and develops, and changes occur in the family system.

CDC supports the National Institutes of Health, the Joint Committee on Infant Hearing, and the American Academy of Pediatrics in endorsing universal newborn hearing screening before hospital discharge, diagnostic evaluation no later than 3 months of age, and initiation of appropriate intervention services no later than 6 months of age.
 

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Q: Is age a factor when determining what programs are available for hearing loss intervention?

Intervention services for infants and toddlers are provided by states through Part C of the IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004). Because states have some discretion in setting the criteria for Part C eligibility, these criteria differ among states. Some states have state-funded intervention programs serving children with hearing loss who do not meet the Part C eligibility criteria. Privately funded intervention service programs are also available.

A more detailed description of Part C can be found at: (http://www.nectac.org)
 

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Q: What other organizations provide intervention and family support services across America?

For a list of organizations, please see the CDC EHDI related links page http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/ehdi/links.htm

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Q: Where can I find information about the intervention options for my child’s hearing loss?

For information about intervention options for a child with hearing loss, please visit:

 

http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/ehdi/CDROM/index.html 
http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/ehdi/links.htm 
http://www.babyhearing.org/
http://www.handsandvoices.org
http://www.listen-up.org
http://www.agbell.org/

Two important groups to use as resources when you decide on the appropriate communication program for your child, and your family, are parents of deaf and hard of hearing children as well as deaf and hard of hearing adults. You can get information on how to contact people in these groups through your local school for the deaf or through an audiologist or speech-language pathologist.

For further information, see the following sites:
http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/ehdi/links.htm
http://www.deafchildren.org/home/home.html
http://www.gohear.org
http://www.babyhearing.org/
http://www.handsandvoices.org
http://www.listen-up.org
http://infanthearing.org/familysupport/index.html
http://www.agbell.org/
http://www.ceasd.org/members.php

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Q: What are Cochlear Implants? How do they work? How are they different from hearing aids? Are there other, more advanced alternatives?

For information about cochlear implants, please visit the following links:

http://www.cdc.gov/NCBDDD/ehdi/CDROM/index.html
http://www.babyhearing.org/hearingamplification/cochlear/index.asp  
http://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/hearing/coch.asp
http://www.fda.gov/cdrh/cochlear/
 

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Sorry, we can't give you medical advice. Please talk with your doctor for questions about yourself or your family. For other information, please contact ehdi@cdc.gov 

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Date: September 1, 2006
Content source: National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities