Hearing Services Infant Program

The goal of the Hearing Services Infant Program is to assist children in achieving age-appropriate language, readiness and social skills to enable them to enroll in early childhood activities within their neighborhoods.

The Hearing Services Infant Program offers a comprehensive, multifaceted program for infants and toddlers who have hearing losses.

Any child with a hearing loss significant enough to warrant the use of hearing aids is considered a candidate for the program. Referrals can be made for any child as soon as the diagnosis of a hearing loss is confirmed including newborns and children who are candidates for, or who have received, cochlear implants.

Parent training and center-based services are the two key components of the program. Home-based services are based upon Project SKI-HI, a comprehensive intervention program for children with hearing losses and their families. Parents and family members learn about hearing loss, the use of hearing aids and cochlear implants, communication options and the development of language. This model recognizes the importance of helping parents and family members learn to work/play effectively with their child in order to stimulate audition, communication and language skills. The focus of these sessions is on the parent/family members, and how best to interact with the child. The parent advisor does not work directly with the child, but instructs, advises, teaches and models activities that the parent/family members can use with their child.

Center-based services are initially provided to children and family members on an individual basis. This affords the family members an opportunity to ask questions, to practice using and troubleshooting the amplification equipment and to observe and imitate the ways in which the staff work with the child. Following this initial period, the staff may continue to work with the child individually or in a small group. Within the toddler groups, emphasis is placed on learning turn-taking skills, social communication and cooperative play, with a continued emphasis on the development of auditory skills and the acquisition of language. Speech therapy services may be provided to the child on an individual pull-out basis or as part of a collaborative instructional model within the classroom.