EHDI Programs
Did you know that every state and territory in the United States must establish an Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) program? The EHDI (pronounced Eddy) program staff are responsible for creating, operating, and continuously improving a system of services which assures that:
- Every child born with a permanent hearing loss is identified before three months of age and provided with timely and appropriate intervention services before six months of age.
- Every family of an infant with hearing loss receives culturally-competent family support as desired.
- All newborns have a "medical home," or a primary care physician for comprehensive health services.
- Effective newborn hearing screening tracking and data management systems are in place to ensure that families are not "lost in the system".
EHDI Programs also need the input of parents who can share their experience of newborn hearing screening programs from start to finish.
National Center for Hearing Assessment and Management (NCHAM)
NCHAM serves as the National Technical Resource Center for the implementation and improvement of comprehensive and effective Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) systems. As a multidisciplinary Center, their goal is to ensure that all infants and toddlers with hearing loss are identified as early as possible and provided with timely and appropriate audiological, educational, and medical intervention
http://www.infanthearing.org/
To find a state's EHDI summary and websites: