This consensus-based guideline provides recommendations for screening infants for hearing loss, assessing infants identified as at-risk for hearing impairment, and providing appropriate early intervention for infants with hearing impairment. The intended audience of these guidelines is not specified, however is relevant to all professionals involved in the screening, assessment or treatment of hearing in infants.

Recommendations:

Recommendations made since the Year 2000 Position Statement include:

Separate hearing screening and rescreening protocols for NICU and well babies.

Diagnostic and treatment services provided by audiologists with skills and expertise in evaluating infants with hearing loss to include specific tests and timelines.

Genetics consultation and otolaryngology services should be provided to families of infants with hearing loss.

Infants with identified hearing loss should receive early intervention services from providers with expertise in hearing loss, including speech-language pathologists and audiologists.

Surveillance, screening and appropriate communication should be provided to families of infants with hearing loss.

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About Us

The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) is the national professional, scientific, and credentialing association for 182,000 members and affiliates who are audiologists; speech-language pathologists; speech, language, and hearing scientists; audiology and speech-language pathology support personnel; and students.