| Title: |
'Infant Hearing Aid Practices and Experiences in Utah' |
| Track: |
2-Audiological Assessment and Intervention
|
| Audience: |
Primary Audience:
Secondary Audience:
Tertiary Audeince:
|
| Keyword(s): |
Hearing aids, Parent experiences, Practice patterns |
| Learning Objectives: |
Participants will understand:
1. best practice recommendations for pediatric hearing aid services;
2. current practice patterns and challenges in Utah;
3. parent experiences with the hearing aid fitting process in Utah.
|
Abstract: |
The advent of newborn hearing screening (NHS) has changed the face of pediatric audiological practices. Prior to NHS, the average age of diagnosis was two years of age; however, this has rapidly decreased to 2 to 3 months of age largely as a result of state legislation. A few states put legislation into place in the 1990’s, with the majority, 34, of the mandates being initiated between 1999 and 2005. Currently, there are 43 states and territories with mandated NHS protocols. This recent and rapid change in the age of identification resulted in a widespread need for audiologists to update their knowledge and skills related to hearing aid fitting for this population. To serve the infant population, specialized equipment is required that is not available in all audiology practices, as well as specific skills, and expertise that are not standard practice for many audiologists.
An interdisciplinary team at Utah State University in consultation with the Utah EHDI coordinator developed a 19-question survey, sent to all licensed audiologists in the state, to identify current practice patterns for pediatric hearing aid services, and to identify challenges in the provision of services. In addition, a 20-question survey was developed in consultation with the Utah School for the Deaf and Blind (USDB), sent to all parents of children ages 0-3 years enrolled with the USDB, to find out parent experiences related to how parents access/pay for hearing aids, to identify challenges in obtaining services, and challenges in managing the hearing aids for their child.
Survey results will be discussed followed by an open discussion on this topic to learn about challenges others are experiencing with hearing aid services.
|
| Handouts: |
Handout is not Available
|
|
|
PRESENTER(S):
|
Karen Munoz - Utah State University
Credentials: Associate Professor
Other Affiliations: NCHAM
|
| |
Karen Muñoz is an associate professor of audiology at Utah State University in the Department of Communicative Disorders and associate director of the National Center for Hearing Assessment and Management. Her research focus is in the area of childhood hearing loss. |
Richard Harward - Utah Department of Health, Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Coordinator
Credentials: Au.D., CCC-A
|
| |
Dr. Harward is currently the Director of the Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) Program in Utah and the Program Manager for the Utah Department of Health's Specialty Services Program within the Children with Special Health Care Needs Bureau. He is also the Program Manager for the UDOH Child Health Advanced Records Management Project (CHARM), which involves the development of an integrated data sharing network to track and monitor outcomes for Utah children and their families. His background includes nearly three decades in clinical and administrative positions at Primary Children's Medical Center, including directing and managing the Speech and Hearing Department, the Medical Rehabilitation Program, and as the Assistant Administrator for Hospital Operations. He has an adjunct appointment in the Communicative Disorders Department at Utah State University, and an auxiliary faculty appointment at the University of Utah School of Medicine. |
Day Mullings - Utah School for the Deaf
Credentials: M.S.Ed.
|
| |
Day Mullings is the director of the Parent Infant Program for the Deaf at the Utah Schools for the Deaf and Blind. Day came to Utah in 2009 with an extensive background in managing programs for young children with hearing loss in the Washington D.C. public school system, St. Joseph Institute for the Deaf in Indiana, and in the Texas public school system. Day is an enthusiastic advocate for children and their families, her strengths include curriculum design and development, student evaluation and assessment, program development, and multicultural awareness, among other areas. |
| |
|
AUTHOR(S):
|
Karen Munoz - Utah State University
Credentials: Associate Professor
Other Affiliations: NCHAM
|
| |
BIO: Karen Muñoz is an associate professor of audiology at Utah State University in the Department of Communicative Disorders and associate director of the National Center for Hearing Assessment and Management. Her research focus is in the area of childhood hearing loss. |
|
