Links to Other Resources on Hearing Loss

Intervention and Family Support Services

The Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (AG Bell) International nonprofit membership organization, support network, and resource center on pediatric hearing loss and spoken language approaches and related issues.

American Society for Deaf Children A national organization of families and professionals that helps create opportunities for children who are deaf and hard of hearing to gain full communication access, particularly through the use of sign language.

Better Hearing Institute Provides comprehensive information on hearing loss, tinnitus, and hearing aids, as well as a directory of hearing care providers (audiologists, hearing instrument specialists, and otolaryngologists).

Bright Futures at Georgetown University The mission of Bright Futures is to promote and improve the health, education, and well-being of infants, children, adolescents, families, and communities.

Council on Education of the Deaf This site facilitates informational sharing and collaborative activities within the field of deaf education.

Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center (ECTA Center) The Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center is funded by the Office of Special Education Programs to improve state early intervention and early childhood special education service systems, increase the implementation of effective practices, and enhance the outcomes of these programs for young children and their families.

Family Voices A national, grassroots organization that is a clearinghouse for information and education concerning the health care of children with special health needs.

Hands & Voices National Nonprofit, parent driven organization that provides support to families with children who are deaf or hard of hearing. Includes links to individual state chapters.

Hereditary Hearing Loss Aims to give an up-to-date overview of the genetics of hereditary hearing impairment for researchers and clinicians working in the field. This site lists data and links for all known gene localizations and identifications for nonsyndromic hearing impairment.

Laurent Clerc National Deaf Education Center Provides information on various topics related to deafness, including topics of interest to parents of children with hearing loss and multicultural issues.

My Baby's Hearing Babyhearing.org was created to answers parents' questions about:

• Infant hearing screening and follow up testing
• Steps to take after diagnosis of hearing loss
• Hearing loss and hearing aids, language and speech
• Parenting issues

National Association of the Deaf (NAD) Provides information on programs and activities including grassroots advocacy and empowerment, public awareness, deafness-related information, legal assistance, and policy development.

Center for Parent Information & Resources Provides information on:

• Disabilities in children and youth
• Programs and services for infants, children, and youth with disabilities
• IDEA, the nation's special education law
• No Child Left Behind, the nation's general education law
• Research-based information on effective practices for children with disabilities

National Center for Hearing Assessment and Management Provides information on newborn hearing screening programs, legislation, equipment, and other related issues.

The SKI-HI Institute Offers training and service programs for family-centered, home based service programs for children with special needs, including children with hearing loss. The institute offers outreach programs to Utah citizens, and to families and professionals in nearly all 50 states and Canada.

Government Agencies

U.S. Preventive Services Task Force An independent panel of experts in primary care and prevention that systematically reviews the evidence of effectiveness and develops recommendations for clinical preventive services.

Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) | MCHB (hrsa.gov) Provides information about children with hearing loss and Universal Newborn Hearing Screening programs.

National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders Federal government's focal point for biomedical and behavioral research in human communication. Website provides information about hearing, ear infections, and deafness.

Newborn Screening Coding and Terminology Guide (nih.gov) Includes standard codes and terminology for newborn tests and the conditions for which they screen, and links to other related sites.

The Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services OSERS supports programs that help educate children and youth with disabilities, provides for the rehabilitation of youth and adults with disabilities and supports research to improve the lives of individuals with disabilities.

Professional Associations

American Academy of Audiology Provides consumer and professional resources related to hearing care.

American Academy of Family Physicians A national medical organization of more than 93,000 members (family physicians, family practice residents, and medical students).

American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery Organization of physicians dedicated to the care of ear, nose, and throat disorders. This site provides health tips and information related to hearing disorders. It also provides a tool to find otolaryngologists throughout the United States and Canada.

American Academy of Pediatrics Newborn and Infant Hearing Screening Provides information and resources on newborn hearing screening and hearing loss in infants and young children including articles, videos, fact sheets and training materials.

American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) Newborn Hearing Screening Practice Portal Provides information for the public, professionals, and students about communication and communication disorders.

Joint Committee on Infant Hearing Made up of representatives from national organizations dedicated to ensuring early identification, intervention and follow-up care of infants and young children with hearing loss. Since its establishment in 1969, JCIH has issued position statements with guidelines for early hearing detection and intervention. The JCIH website provides copies of these position statements as well as other information on the Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) initiative.

National Business Group on Health Provides practical solutions, including identifying and promoting best practices among large employers.

National Center for Cultural Competence (NCCC) Mission is to increase the capacity of health care and mental health care programs to design, implement, and evaluate culturally and linguistically competent service delivery systems to address growing diversity, persistent disparities, and to promote health and mental health equity.