Before your baby goes home from the hospital, his or her hearing is screened by a trained professional. A newborn hearing screening is a safe and painless method to test whether or not a baby can hear well. Parents are provided results of the hearing screening before the baby leaves the hospital. The purpose of identifying newborns with hearing loss is to prevent or minimize the effects of hearing loss on language development, academic performance, and cognitive development through appropriate early intervention services.
Each year in the United States, as many as 3-5 babies out of each 1,000 born are deaf or hard of hearing. It’s important to screen all babies shortly after they’re born because babies are not able to tell us if they can’t hear.
SHINE is the component of the Florida Early Steps Program that provides early intervention services to families of children with hearing impairment. SHINE services provide parents with information and support shortly after the hearing loss of their infant or toddler has been confirmed.
SHINE providers in conjunction with hearing specialists work as part of a team that provides assessment, ongoing intervention services, and evaluation of child progress to families and caregivers with the goal of meeting the unique communication and developmental needs of children who are Deaf or hard of hearing.
Senior Living has a comprehensive directory of senior living options, from senior housing to health, caregiving, safety, money management, and more.
Hearing Aid Financial Assistance provides resources for hearing aids and other technology.