Next Steps: After Diagnosis

Hearing Level / Hearing Loss

Taking Action:

Permanent childhood hearing loss affects between 200 and 400 infants born in Minnesota each year. Auditory input during infancy and early childhood is vital for the development of speech and language skills. If intervention is delayed, children with hearing loss may have difficulty developing speech and language skills and may miss important learning experiences. They may also have social, educational, or emotional problems if help for the hearing loss is delayed.

Early diagnosis and intervention can reduce the lifelong disability associated with hearing loss and Minnesota has made a commitment to ensuring children receive intervention. Children whose hearing loss is identified at or before six months of age and who receive appropriate early intervention services have significantly larger vocabularies and better receptive and expressive language skills than those whose hearing loss is discovered after six months.

Parents have an important role in early intervention. This section contains many resources for families looking for information and connections.

• Introduction to Hearing Aids
• About first Hearing Aids
• Cochlear Implants
• Introduction to Early Interventions
• Communication Methods
• Early Intervention Services
• The Health Care Team
• As My Child Gets Older

Information on this web site was obtained from the Infant Hearing Guide developed in a cooperative project between the University of Arkansas for Medical Science, Arkansas Children's Hospital and the University of Arkansas RRTC and we would like to acknowledge their work.

THIS INFORMATION DOES NOT PROVIDE MEDICAL ADVICE. All content, including text, graphics, images and information are for general informational purposes only. You are encouraged to talk with your doctor or other health care professional with regard to information contained on this web site. After reading this information, you are encouraged to review the information carefully with your doctor or other healthcare provider. The Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. NEVER DISREGARD PROFESSIONAL MEDICAL ADVICE, OR DELAY IN SEEKING IT, BECAUSE OF SOMETHING YOU HAVE READ ON THIS web site.