Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI)
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Contact Info
Early Hearing Detection & Intervention (EHDI)
651-201-5466
800-664-7772
Contact Info
Early Hearing Detection & Intervention (EHDI)
651-201-5466
800-664-7772
Early Hearing Detection and Intervention
Pediatric Audiology
Role of the Pediatric Audiologist
Comprehensive audiology diagnostic assessments:
- Complete definitive diagnosis before 3 months of age. A comprehensive assessment should be performed on both ears even if only 1 ear referred/did not pass the screening test.
- 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.
- Complete EHDI roadmap for families with a child identified with hearing loss and ensure parents understand the impact of hearing loss.
- Evaluate the infant for candidacy for amplification and other sensory devices including assistive technology.
- Report data to the Minnesota Department of Health via report forms.
- Offer and provide referral to Minnesota Hands & Voices, early intervention through Help Me Grow, and specialty providers such as ophthalmology, ENT, genetics, and infectious disease.
Featured
Guidelines
- Guidelines for Infant Audiologic Assessment (PDF)
- Audiology Guidelines for Infants with Congenital Cytomegalovirus (PDF)
- Guidelines for Audiologist Referral to Early Intervention, Medical Specialties and Connection to Parent-to-Parent and Family Support (PDF)
- Guidelines for Pediatric Amplification (PDF)
Refer to early intervention and connect to parent support
- Connect families with early intervention through Help Me Grow.
- First steps after identifying a child who is deaf, deafblind or hard of hearing: A quick guide of clinical audiologists (video)
- Connect with parent support: Minnesota Hands and Voices.
- Report, Refer Connect Bookmark for Audiologists (PDF)
Pediatric audiology provider resources
- There are many resources available to families with a child identified as deaf and hard of hearing. Visit Resources for Families for additional information.
- MDH mails an EHDI parent resource binder (PDF) to families in Minnesota with a child recently identified as deaf and hard of hearing. The binder features the EHDI roadmap (PDF), which offers information for families to make a care plan after identification.
- Several resources are available for audiologists to order for free on the Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Free Resources Order Form.
- EHDI roadmap
- Unilateral Hearing Loss Brochure (English) (PDF)
- Transient Hearing Loss Follow-up Postcard (available in English, Hmong, Somali, Spanish)
- Beginnings Book (available in English and Spanish)
- EHDI Information Packet for Clinical Audiologists (MN Low Incidence Projects)
- Initial Identification of Hearing Loss Checklist (PDF)
- Enhancing Collaboration Between Primary and Subspecialty Care Providers for Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs (PDF)
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 audiology 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.
- Position statements from the Joint Committee on Infant Hearing (JCIH)
- Resources from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA)
- Resources from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) to assist audiologists
- Recommendations from American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery regarding otitis media with effusion
- American Sign Language (ASL)
- 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)
- Hearing Aid "Magic" (YouTube 01:11)
- Jonathan's Cochlear Implant Activation (YouTube 00:50)
Last Updated: 02/04/2025