Universal Newborn Hearing Screening
Parent Resources
In
an effort to promote public awareness regarding Universal Newborn
Hearing Screening, a four-pronged approach covering all steps
involved throughout the diagnosis of a possible hearing loss,
was developed by the Alaska Early Hearing Detection & Intervention
Program. For hard copies of these materials, please for order form, or
to go to program contact information.
Alaska’s
Universal Newborn Hearing Screening (UNHS) general brochure(to order this brochure)includes
basic information about newborn hearing screening, including
information about what the screening is and why it is being
done, and strives to represent all Alaskans by including photos
of children from various ethnic backgrounds.
The brochure is intended for pregnant mothers, those women that
have just given birth, and the general public. Ideal locations
for delivery of the brochure include, but are not limited to,
childbirth and prenatal classes, ob/gyns offices, mother baby
units, and birthing centers.
“What’s
the Next Step?” brochure ( to order this brochure) includes
information about who parents should contact in their community
for further testing regarding a suspected hearing loss and why
this is important in terms of reducing or minimizing developmental
delays. “What’s the Next Step?” is intended
for parents of newborns who refer, or do not pass, the hearing
screening in the nursery. It will be available for nurses, audiologists
and other health care providers who work with children and hearing
loss, to deliver to parents as needed.
Basic
Information About Hearing Loss( to order this brochure) was
developed in a format easy for parents to read and locate information
about what should be done next after a hearing loss is detected,
who to contact, why the hearing loss may have occurred, and
other basics regarding how best for parents to help an infant/child
with hearing loss. The brochure is a condensed version of the
parent resource manual and may prove more appropriate for families
to receive immediately following a confirmed hearing loss diagnosis,
rather than the manual.
Alaska’s
Early Hearing Detection & Intervention (EHDI) parent resource
manual ( to order/download
this manual)is
in a format easy for parents to read and divided into sections
to make it simple to locate information such as introductions,
frequently asked questions, checklists, resources, and terminology.
Included in the manual are topics including information regarding
hearing loss, tests, early intervention, advocacy, communication
options, and educational options.
“Sounds
& Silence: A Guide To Identifying Hearing Loss in Children”
was developed to educate primary healthcare providers throughout
Alaska residing in rural communities, specifically Community
Health Aides/Practitioners (CHA/Ps), about the importance of
early hearing detection. For infants/children living in rural
communities, it is imperative that the primary healthcare providers
be given the knowledge necessary for early detection of hearing
loss, as well as surveillance of infants/children identified
at birth with high risk factors for progressive hearing loss.
The 15-minute video/DVD will educate the viewer about hearing
loss, the high risk factors for progressive hearing loss, the
developmental milestones for speech and hearing, and most importantly,
the proper protocol regarding diagnosis and early intervention
for an infant/child with a suspected hearing loss. To view a
90 second segment from the video, (The clip is 42 MB).
To order copies of the video, .