CDC EHDI's new online section for Professionals and Parents is intended to help you find the information you want about infant hearing loss and Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) programs.

• Key information about infant hearing loss and EHDI is organized into five parts which are listed below. 

• Recently added information (including about HIPAA) related to Professional and Parents can be found in the EHDI Happenings section.

1. Click here to go to EHDI's New Education Materials page to see the latest materials available.

2. A Parent's Guide to Hearing Loss (interactive CD-ROM) Available online
    

3. Frequently Asked Questions (provides answers to some commonly asked questions about hearing screening).

4. Screening Guidelines (provides information about current screening guidelines, recommendations, and position statements related to infant hearing loss).

5. CDC EHDI Fact Sheet   (one page downloadable sheet which provides information about infant hearing loss, the role of the CDC EHDI program, and other related information)

6. NEW!  Early Intervention:  Communication and Language for Families of Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Infants

7. NEW! Parent's Guide to Genetics

8. Useful Links (provides a list links and short descriptions to over 30 organizations involved with infant hearing loss).

9. Contact Us (if you want to know more about EHDI or have questions visit this page to find out how to contact CDC EHDI).   

Adobe Format (click here for more about Adobe)

EHDI Happenings

The latest information for professionals and parents

EHDI State Profile:

State EHDI Profile is a searchable, online database that provides specific information about EHDI programs in states and territories. The Profile database currently consists of answers to a small subset of EHDI related questions, with additional questions being added throughout this year. The database is intended to: 

• Help parents and professionals find information about EHDI programs in their state.

• Allow information to be shared between states and territories for program planning and evaluation.  

The Profile database can be searched by:

1. State Profile: Displays all questions with answers for a specific state/territory.

2. State Comparison: Displays all states/territories with responses to a selected question.

3. Word(s) in the Answer: Displays any answer from a state/territory containing the selected search word(s).

Please note this database is still underdevelopment and therefore some information for states and territories is not yet available.  

Diagnosing Speech and Language Disorders:

AHRQ's (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality) recently released the summary of a new evidence report by AHRQ's Practice Center at the Research Triangle Institute/University of North Carolina entitled Criteria for Determining Disability in Speech and Language Disorders.  The report evaluates the reliability and validity of 18 instruments commonly used by speech and language clinicians to diagnose the presence and severity of speech and language disorders. The report also presents the evidence available on using these instruments to predict future communication impairment and/or speech-language functioning. 

AHRQ Summary Report

HIPAA Information:

Answers to questions about the HIPAA rule are now available 

For more about HIPAA, privacy, and other related items visit the CDC Information Council website and look under the legislation tab on the left hand side of the page.

HIPAA: Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act

EHDI Bulletin Board

The online EHDI Bulletin Board is a place where  questions, answers, and discussions on topics relevant to operating a successful EHDI program can be found. The Bulletin Board is co-sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Maternal and Child Health Bureau and the National Center for Hearing Assessment and Management at Utah State University,

Immunization hotline for deaf and hard of hearing:

A new phone service for immunization information has been established by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The National Immunization Information Hotline for deaf or hard of hearing individuals has a TTY service  (being operated by the American Social Health Association) for callers who need answers regarding childhood and adult immunizations, vaccine safety, and vaccine-preventable diseases. Callers to the hotline, which can be reached at (800) 243-7889 between 10 a.m. and 10 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday, will find health communications specialists ready to provide free confidential and individualized information in English, Spanish, and American Sign Language. Medical referrals and information about local or state coalitions and agencies are also available. 

The hearing community may receive the same service between 8 a.m. and 11 p.m. during the week as well by calling (800) 232-2522 (English) or (800) 232-0233 (Spanish).

Documents bearing the   logo are in the Portable Document Format (PDF) and require the free Adobe Acrobat Reader for proper viewing. 

Visit  http://www.adobe.com/ to get a free  copy of Adobe Reader

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Date: October 27, 2006
Content source: National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities