Professionals in many early care and education settings engage young children in daily language-learning activities, unaware that some may have a hearing loss. Many programs that are committed to promoting and monitoring language development throughout the early childhood years do not adequately monitor that status of a child's hearing. As a result, children with hearing loss are not identified as early as possible. Undiagnosed or misdiagnosed hearing problems can negatively affect a child’s cognitive development, language learning, speech and school readiness. How can we help providers to incorporate evidence-based hearing screening practices as a vital step in school readiness?

This webinar will:

1. Overview the incidence of permanent hearing loss in early childhood and the need for ongoing hearing screening. 
2. Introduce the recommended hearing screening method and how it works.
3. Outline steps of planning for and implementing a hearing screening and follow-up program.
4. Demonstrate resources for identifying an audiologist to assist with program development.
5. Point to equipment selection resources and estimate costs.
6. Overview how follow-up works when children do not pass the screening.
7. Identify a broad array of planning, instructional and implementation resources to help develop hearing screening and follow-up practices.
    

Who should attend:

This mini-webinar is for:

• Early care and education providers
• Supervisors and coordinators of early intervention programs at state and local levels
• Head Start disability and health coordinators
• Head Start mental health consultants
• Child Care Development Fund (CCDF) State, Territory and Tribal State Administrators
  
• Policy-makers
• Others committed to early identification of hearing loss and ensuring that children with disabilities receive necessary supports and services.
  

When: 

Thursday, May 21st, 2015
3 PM Eastern (2 PM Central; 1 PM Mountain; 12 PM Pacific; 11 AM Alaska; 10 AM Hawaii)

Questions:

The webinar content will be completed in 15 minutes.  Presenters will remain online at the end to answer questions.