Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI)
- EHDI Home
- Roadmap for Success
- Find a Minnesota Provider
- Resource Binder for Families - What you Need to Know (PDF)
- Resources for Families
- Contact Us
Parts of EHDI
- Medical Home
- Inpatient Screening
- Outpatient Screening
- Out of Hospital Births
- Pediatric Audiology
- Specialty Care
- Early Intervention
- State EHDI Program
Related Programs
Contact Info
Pediatric Audiology: before 3 months
Closing the follow-up gap: Pediatric Audiology
Role of the Pediatric Audiologist
Comprehensive Audiological Diagnostic Assessments:
- Confirm the existence of a hearing loss*
- Assess the integrity of the auditory system in each ear
- Estimate hearing sensitivity across the speech frequency range
- Determine the type of hearing loss
- Establish a baseline for further monitoring
- Provide information needed to initiate amplification-device fitting
- Ensure that parents understand the significance of the hearing loss
- Evaluate the infant for candidacy for amplification and other sensory devices including assistive technology
- Ensure prompt referral to early intervention programs
*A comprehensive assessment should be performed on both ears even if only 1 ear failed the screening test.
Audiological Habilitation:
- 2015 Parent Hearing Aid Management Survey Results for Minnesota
- If the family chooses personal amplification for the infant, hearing-aid selection and fitting should occur within 1 month of initial confirmation of hearing loss even when additional audiological assessment is ongoing
- Amplification device selection should be based on a prescriptive procedure that incorporates individual real-ear measures that account for each infant's ear-canal acoustics and hearing loss
- Ongoing validation of amplification fitting is mandatory to ensure that the purpose of hearing aids (i.e., development of spoken language, auditory awareness, or other) is being fulfilled by the amplification (2019 Joint Committee on Infant Hearing)
- Insurance Coverage for Pediatric Hearing Aids - Minnesota Statute 62Q.675
- Hearing Aid Law - 18 Years or Younger
- Information about purchasing hearing aids for children (MNCDHH)
- Hearing Aid Financial Resources (DHS)
- State of Minnesota Pediatric Hearing Device Loaner Program
- Hearing Aid Appeals: Information For Parents (if denied insurance coverage) (DHS)
Minnesota EHDI Goals, Indicators, and Benchmarks
Goal: All infants who screen positive will have a diagnostic audiologic evaluation before 3 months of age.
Percentage of infants who had a REFER on final newborn hearing screen and received a comprehensive audiological evaluation by 3 months of age
Annual Percentages:
2016 - 54%2017 - 48%
2018 - 54%
2019 - 57%
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Goal: All infants with hearing loss will receive appropriate early intervention services before 6 months of age (medical, audiologic, and Early Intervention).
Indicator 3.4: Percentage of infants with bilateral permanent confirmed hearing loss whose parent(s) chose personal amplification and who were fitted with personal amplification within 1 month of diagnosis
Annual Percentages:
2016 - 29%
2017 - 37%
2018 - 23%
2019 - 15%
2020 - 24%
Resources
National
2019 Joint Committee on Infant Hearing Position Statement
American Academy of Audiology Childhood Hearing Screening Guidelines
American Academy of Audiology Assessment of Hearing in Infants and Young Children
Clinical Practice Guideline: Otitis Media with Effusion (Update) 2016
Minnesota
Guidelines for Infant Audiologic Assessment
Audiology Guidelines for Infants with Congenital Cytomegalovirus (PDF)
Strengthen Care Coordination
EHDI Information Packet for Clinical Audiologists (MN Low Incidence Projects)
MN EHDI Patient Checklist for Primary Care Providers
Initial Identification of Hearing Loss Checklist
Report data to the Minnesota Department of Health:
- Newborn Hearing Screening Outpatient Follow-up Report Form
- Newborn Hearing Screening Audiology Follow-up Report Form
- Audiology Amplification Report Form
Partnering with your Doctor The Medical Home Approach: A guide for families of children with special health care needs- Region 4 Midwest Genetics Network Partnering with your Doctor: English Spanish Arabic
American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, Degree of Hearing Loss
Engage Families as Partners
EHDI Parent Resource Binder features the Parent Roadmap and offers more in depth information about hearing loss. Any child living in Minnesota that is newly identified with a hearing loss will receive a printed copy of this resource binder.
Questions to ask your Audiologist
Decision Guide to Communication Choices
Submit an order form for EHDI Materials
- Beginnings Book - available in English and Spanish
- Parent Roadmap (English, Hmong, Somali, Spanish)
- Transient Follow-up Postcard
Demonstrations:
Simulated listening with hearing loss and devices (Boys Town National Research Hospital)
Hearing aids and FM system simulation in classroom (Vermont Center for the Deaf & Hard-of-Hearing, Inc.)
Hearing Loss Simulator with Music (Ear Science Institute Australia)
Connect to Community Resources
Minnesota Department of Human Services: Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services
Minnesota Hands & Voices: Resource Directory
Help Me Grow / Early Intervention
State of Minnesota Pediatric Hearing Device Loaner Program
Insurance Coverage for Pediatric Hearing Aids - Minnesota Statute 62Q.675
Hearing Aid Law - 18 Years or Younger
Information about purchasing hearing aids for children (MNCDHH)
Hearing Aid Financial Resources (DHS)
Hearing Aid Appeals: Information For Parents (if denied insurance coverage) (DHS)
Quarterly Audiology Newsletters
2020 Newsletters:
- Sound Matters Newsletter - 2020 Issue 4
- Sound Matters Newsletter - 2020 Issue 3
- Sound Matters Newsletter - 2020 Issue 2
- Sound Matters Newsletter - 2020 Issue 1
2019 Newsletters:
Hearing Aid "Magic" (YouTube 01:11)
Jonathan's Cochlear Implant Activation (YouTube 00:50)

Evaluate both ears
Complete definitive diagnosis BEFORE 3 MONTHS of age
Complete Parent Roadmap for families with a child identified with hearing loss
Complete the Patient Checklist for Primary Care Providers with families who need further screening for hearing loss
Streamline authorizations to eliminate delay to specialty providers such as Ophthalmology, ENT, and genetics
Offer and provide referral to Minnesota Hands & Voices
Refer to Early Intervention through Help Me Grow
Obtain a consent for release of information at first contact
Report data to the Minnesota Department of Health via report forms: 1) Outpatient Screening Results, 2) Diagnostic Audiology Results, 3) Amplification Report
Report, Refer, Connect Poster for Audiologists (print and post on your wall for easy reference)