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About the Louisiana Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (LA EHDI) Program
Communication is Key
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The goal of the EHDI program is to ensure that children who are deaf or hard of hearing are identified through hearing screening, and receive diagnosis and appropriate early intervention to optimize language, literacy, cognitive, social, and emotional development.
Communication and language development begin at birth. Babies use sounds and movements to communicate before one year of age, regardless of how well they can hear. Children who are identified as deaf or hard of hearing and enrolled in early intervention benefit from many learning opportunities that help develop the communication and language skills they need to learn, grow, and thrive.
Primary Program Functions:
- Provide oversight of newborn hearing screening and tracking of audiological and early intervention services.
- Evaluate newborn hearing screening performance at each birthing facility.
- Provide Newborn Hearing Screening Guidelines, Physician Rescreening Guidelines, and Pediatric Audiology Guidelines for providers who perform hearing screenings and tests.
- Train providers to use the LA EHDI Information System to report follow up testing and view test history.
- Contact and support families of children who are in need of follow up hearing testing.
- Connect parents of children who are deaf or hard of hearing to parent-to-parent support Louisiana Hands and Voices and early intervention services provided by the Parent Pupil Education Program (PPEP) and EarlySteps.
Funding
EHDI is funded by The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), and the Title V Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Block Grant.
Contact Info
To learn more about our staff and view our contact information, please visit the EHDI Contact Info page.