2025 Early Hearing Detection & Intervention Conference
March 9-11, 2025 • Pittsburgh, PA
| Preschool Hearing and Speech Education – University of Pittsburgh (PHASE-UP)
Preschool Hearing and Speech Education – University of Pittsburgh (PHASE-UP)
The implementation of universal newborn hearing screening (UNHS) has significantly lowered the age at which congenital hearing loss is detected in children. As a result, children can now receive early intervention for hearing loss within their first year of life. However, UNHS does not ensure that all children with hearing loss are receiving early intervention and identification due to false negatives, late-onset hearing loss, and other preventative factors. The prevalence of hearing loss rises from 1-3 cases per 1,000 at birth, to 9-10 cases per 1,000 children in school. This statistic emphasizes that as children become older, unidentified hearing loss becomes more pronounced. The Preschool Hearing and Speech Education – University of Pittsburgh (PHASE–UP) program seeks to bridge this gap of unidentified hearing loss during crucial periods of childhood development. PHASE-UP collaborates with the local Pittsburgh community to offer free, comprehensive hearing screenings to a wide variety of preschools. On average, PHASE-UP screens 800-1,000 children between the ages of 3 to 6 years each academic year. Under the supervision of a certified clinical audiologist and speech-language pathologist, first-year audiology and speech-language pathology graduate students perform the hearing and speech screenings. This benefits children and families of local communities and in turn, provides students with a unique academic and personal experience that enhances clinical skillsets across disciplines. This poster presentation will emphasize the fundamental aspects of the PHASE-UP hearing screening and prevention program, including the team members involved, hearing screening protocols, data collection guidance, and overall goals.
- Understand the advantages of preschool hearing screenings.
- Describe the basic components of a community-based preschool hearing screening and prevention program.
- Recognize the benefits of establishing a hearing screening and prevention clinical practicum for audiology and speech-language pathology graduate students.
Presentation:
3478265_16440NicoleCorbin.pdf
Handouts:
3478265_16440NicoleCorbin.pdf
Transcripts:
CART transcripts are NOT YET available, but will be posted shortly after the conference
Presenters/Authors
Hayley Schneider
(Primary Presenter,Author), University of Pittsburgh, has306@pitt.edu;
Hayley Schneider is a second-year Doctor of Audiology student and current LEND trainee at the University of Pittsburgh.
ASHA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
• Receives Other financial benefit for Other activities from Maternal and Child Health Bureau-LEND Program.
Nonfinancial -
• Has a Other relationship (University of Pittsburgh Doctor of Audiology Student; Collected Portions of These Data as Part of Clinical Practicum Requirement for AuD Program)
relationship for Other volunteer activities.
AAA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
Financial relationship with - Maternal and Child Health Bureau-LEND Program
- Preschool Hearing and Speech Education-University of Pittsburgh.
Nature: -LEND Trainee
-University of Pittsburgh Doctor of Audiology Student; Collected Portions of These Data as Part of Clinical Practicum Requirement for AuD Program.
Nonfinancial -
No relevant nonfinancial relationship exists.
Madeline Sutter
(Co-Presenter,Author), University of Pittsburgh, mas969@pitt.edu;
Madeline Sutter is a third-year Doctor of Audiology student and former LEND trainee at the University of Pittsburgh.
ASHA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
• Receives Grants,Other financial benefit for Other activities from Maternal and Child Health Bureau - LEND Program.
Nonfinancial -
• Has a Other relationship (University of Pittsburgh Doctor of Audiology Student; Collected portions of these data as part of clinical practicum requirements for AuD Program)
relationship for Other volunteer activities.
AAA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
Financial relationship with Maternal and Child Health Bureau - LEND Program, Preschool Hearing and Speech Education - University of Pittsburgh.
Nature: University of Pittsburgh Doctor of Audiology Student; Collected Portions of These Data as Part of Clinical Practicum Requirements for AuD Program.
Nonfinancial -
No relevant nonfinancial relationship exists.
Sarah Meier
(Co-Presenter,Author), University of Pittsburgh, sam484@pitt.edu;
Sarah Meier is a third-year Doctor of Audiology student and former LEND trainee at the University of Pittsburgh.
ASHA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
Nonfinancial -
AAA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
Financial relationship with Maternal and Child Health Bureau-LEND Program
Pennsylvania Lions Research Hearing Grant
Preschool Hearing and Speech Education-University of Pittsburgh.
Nature: LEND is funded through a grant, and I received a stipend as a LEND trainee.
Pennsylvania Lions Research Hearing Grant: I was paid as an hourly employee to be a research assistant.
Preschool Hearing and Speech Education-University of Pittsburgh: University of Pittsburgh Doctor of Audiology Student: Collected Portions of These Data as Part of Clinical Practicum Requirement for AuD Program.
Nonfinancial -
No relevant nonfinancial relationship exists.
Nicole Corbin
(Author), Boys Town National Research Hospital, nicole.corbin@boystown.org;
Dr. Nicole E. Corbin is a Scientist and the Director of the Pediatric Binaural Integration Lab at Boys Town National Research Hospital. Her research primarily focuses on the development and outcomes of children who have unilateral hearing loss. Prior to joining Boys Town National Research Hospital, she was an Assistant Professor at the University of Pittsburgh in the Department of Communication Science and Disorders and the Co-Investigator of a Pediatric Audiology Training Grant in the Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities and Related Disorders (LEND) Center. Dr. Corbin continues to collaborate with the University of Pittsburgh in her scientific and audiology training endeavors.
ASHA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
Nonfinancial -
No relevant nonfinancial relationship exists.
AAA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
Financial relationship with University of Pittsburgh
Maternal and Child Health Bureau LEND Grant.
Nature: Salary support.
Nonfinancial -
No relevant nonfinancial relationship exists.
Katie Vellody
(Author), University of Pittsburgh, LEND, katie.vellody@pitt.edu;
Katie Vellody is an audiologist and clinical instructor at the University of Pittsburgh. Responsibilities include administrative, clinical, academic, and research. Ms. Vellody is the coordinator of the Preschool Hearing and Speech Education – University of Pittsburgh (PHASE UP) Clinic. She coordinates with over 40 schools in the surrounding Pittsburgh area to provide evidenced based preventative care and screening to the preschool and school age populations. In the PHASE UP clinic, she oversees all 1st year audiology (AuD) and speech language pathology (SLP) graduate students in the administration of preschool & school age hearing screening protocols. Other clinical responsibilities include providing free audiological hearing care to adults residing in Pittsburgh regions of Homewood & East Hills at the Wellness Pavilion Community Engagement Center – University of Pittsburgh. Ms. Vellody teaches two academic graduate level courses to both SLP and AuD graduate students in the fall and spring terms. She is the audiology LEND (Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities) faculty for the University of Pittsburgh and participates as LEND faculty in the CARES (Connection, Advocacy, Resources, Empowerment and Support) program, a free family centered program to help children and young adults with neurodevelopmental and related disorders, and their families meet their goals. Ms. Vellody’s research interests include hearing preventative care screening protocols in the preschool population and peer assisted learning (PAL) in AuD graduate programs. In addition, Ms. Vellody is also employed at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh as a pediatric audiologist.
ASHA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
• Receives Salary for Employment from University of Pittsburgh - Audiology clinical Instructor.
Nonfinancial -
No relevant nonfinancial relationship exists.
AAA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
Financial relationship with University of Pittsburgh.
Nature: Employed part time as audiology clinical instructor, coordinate & instructor in the Preschool Hearing and Speech Education Univeristy of Pittsburgh (PHASE UP) clinic. .
Nonfinancial -
No relevant nonfinancial relationship exists.