Central Rivers AEA Audiologists identify, evaluate and provide habilitative services for hearing loss and auditory disorders in children from birth to 21 years. Collaborative services are designed to address each child’s individual treatment, amplification, communication, academic and psychosocial needs.
Infants and Toddlers
Newborn hearing re-screens, high-risk infant screening, and other age-appropriate hearing testing are offered to parents at no cost. The preferred setting for infant and toddler hearing evaluations is a sound booth. Hearing screening for EARLY ACCESS referrals can be provided in the home in some cases.
To request a hearing screening, please contact your nearest Central Rivers AEA office.
Audiologists offer support to the families of children with hearing loss by:
- Providing an understanding of their child’s functional hearing ability with and without amplification
- Providing strategies for successful language learning with hearing loss
- Providing information on amplification options, benefits, use and maintenance
- Sharing information on communication and educational programming options
- Sharing information about Family Support Groups
3-5 Year Old Preschoolers
To request an individual hearing test for a child enrolled in a preschool or Head Start program, contact your child’s teacher. To schedule an individual hearing test for a child not in preschool or Head Start contact your nearest Central Rivers AEA office. Testing can be completed at the local elementary school or at an AEA regional office.
- Hearing staff (audiometrists) provide group hearing screenings to Head Starts and certified preschool programs.
- Audiologists provide individual hearing evaluations for children referred by the screening program, AEA early childhood staff, parents, teachers, and doctors.
- When hearing problems are identified, children are referred for medical follow-up or consideration of amplification (hearing aids, cochlear implants, etc.) if appropriate.
- Audiologists work with preschool teachers to provide general education interventions and with multi-disciplinary teams to provide functional assessments, hearing assistive technologies (HATs) and educational plans.
- Training and support are provided to teachers and school personnel for daily use and maintenance of hearing equipment (classroom amplification, hearing aids, FM systems, cochlear implants, etc.).
- Audiologists advocate for quality age-appropriate listening environments for all preschool children, especially those with fluctuating or permanent hearing loss. We can provide a basic assessment of classroom acoustics and general recommendations for improving classroom listening conditions.
School-Age Students
To request a hearing test for your school-age child (K-12), please contact your local school building.
- Hearing staff (audiometrists) provide annual group hearing screenings for pre-kindergarten, kindergarten, 1st, 2nd, and 8th-grade students.
- Audiologists provide individual hearing evaluations to identify students with hearing loss as referred by the school-based screening program, parents, teachers or doctors. Hearing tests for school-age children are typically conducted in the local school buildings. At times, testing in a Central Rivers AEA Hearing Booth Facility is most appropriate for students with significant hearing loss or students who cannot participate in a standard behavioral hearing test.
- Audiologic monitoring is provided to students with hearing or middle ear problems that could impact access to instruction in the classroom.
- Recommendations for medical follow-up or consideration of personnel amplification (hearing aids, cochlear implants, etc. are given if appropriate).
- Audiologists assess the need for school-owned assistive listening devices (individually worn systems or classroom sound systems) and assist schools in the selection, fitting, monitoring and maintenance of those devices. Training is also provided to teachers and school personnel on the use and maintenance of family owned devices (hearing aids, CIs, BAHAs, etc.) used to access instruction in the classroom.
- Audiologists work collaboratively with teachers and educational teams to provide appropriate assessments, intervention and educational plans for students with needs related to hearing and listening.
- Audiologists advocate for quality age-appropriate listening environments for all students, especially those with fluctuating or permanent hearing loss. We can provide a basic assessment of classroom acoustics and general recommendations for improving classroom listening conditions.
Resources
Hear it Read it Brochure (English)