The CDC reports, 90% of infants born with hearing loss have two hearing parents. Babies who are deaf or hard of hearing can make the same sounds as babies without hearing loss. Babies are never too young to get a hearing test, early testing will allow the chance for families to get early intervention services that will help babies grow and develop to their highest level.
Remember the Rule of 1, 3, 6
Age and Steps For Testing Infant Hearing
- 1 Month – All infants should have their hearing screened
- 3 Months – Infants who fail to pass newborn hearing screenings should have an audiologic diagnosis completed
- 6 months – Infants with confirmed hearing loss should be entered into an early intervention program
Is a Second Test Important?
Yes, your baby should receive a second test (rescreen) before turning one month of age, if they didn’t pass the initial test. A rescreen can identify if your child is at risk for a hearing condition. Early detection matters because hearing is essential for speech, which supports learning and social development. Obtaining a second test as soon as possible will support your baby in reaching language milestones.
What Makes the Diagnostic Evaluation Different?
Your baby should receive a diagnostic evaluation before turning three months of age, if they did not pass the second test by one month of age. The diagnostic evaluation provides more detailed information about your child’s hearing. The evaluation identifies how well your child hears different sounds and speech. A child may react to loud noises but not respond to speech at different levels. The diagnosis will identify the type of hearing condition so the right support services are obtained as early as possible.
What is Early Intervention?
Early Intervention (EI) is specialized support and services for children who have a developmental delay or disability and are less than three years of age. The services are designed to help children build important skills to guide development and learning during the most critical years of brain development.
EI can include services such as service coordination, developmental therapy, sign language, speech therapy, hearing support, family education and more. These services are tailored to each child’s needs to help them reach developmental milestones, improve communication, and support overall growth to prepare for preschool and beyond.
Accessing Early Intervention
Families can access EI services by obtaining a referral from your child’s doctor to a private or public program. Services may be provided at your home, a clinic or daycare.
- Arkansas First Connections is a public program offering services to help the caregiver know how to help their child. The caregiver will work with a service coordinator to set goals aligned with the family’s concerns and interests.
- Early Intervention Day Treatment Centers provide services in an early learning environment for children with special needs. Family involvement is required to approve the care plan, but the caregiver is not actively involved when the child receives services at the center they attend.
- Private Therapy Providers deliver services to support the child’s development. Family involvement is required to approve the care plan, and services delivered in outpatient clinic settings.
Parent-to-Parent Support
The Arkansas Infant Hearing Program has partnered up with Hands & Voice of Arkansas through the Guide By Your Side Program to offer mentorship and support to families of children with hearing conditions. Families can receive ongoing guidance from trained parent mentors, access training in different communication methods, and participate in collaborative with policymakers and the Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Program.
Hands & Voices is a nationwide non-profit organization dedicated to supporting families and their children who are deaf / hard of hearing, as well as the professionals who serve them. They are a parent-driven, parent / professional collaborative group that is unbiased towards communication modes and methods. Arkansas Hands & Voices supports all families with children who are deaf/ hard of hearing regardless of communication choices.
Arkansas Hands and Voices
P.O. Box 512
Conway, AR 72033
(501)-932-7700
[email protected]
Resources
- Expectant Mother Fact Sheet in English & Spanish
- NBHS Key Questions
- Newborn Hearing Screening Infographic
- Providers of Follow-up Infant Hearing Screening
- Wristband QR Code
- Wristband QR Code II
- Early Intervention Infographic
- Resource Guide for Parents of Deaf/Hard-of-Hearing Children
- Arkansas First Connections
- Arkansas School for the Deaf and Blind (ARDB) Statewide Services
- Arkansas Hands and Voices
- Arkansas Parent Stories (Video)
- Decision Guide
- Questions to Ask Your Doctor
- Early Intervention Questions
- Organizations that Support Children with a Hearing Condition
- Communication Considerations A-Z
- Language and Communication Chart
- American Speech-Language-Hearing Association | ASHA
- My Babies Hearing
- Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf
- National Association of the Deaf
- Self-Help for Hard-of-Hearing
- The American Society for Deaf Children (ASDC)
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Early Hearing Detection and Intervention