Current Trends in Early Hearing Diagnosis and Intervention in North Carolina

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  • March 20, 2019
Creator
  • Pretto, Aneesha P.
    • Affiliation: School of Medicine, Department of Allied Health Sciences, Division of Speech and Hearing Sciences
Abstract
  • In North Carolina, the eligibility criteria for enrollment in Part C early intervention services do not exclude infants and toddlers based on the severity or laterality of hearing loss. As such, the state's early intervention population represents a widely diverse array of children ranging from those with minimal to profound hearing losses. While universal newborn hearing screening (UNHS) has led to earlier diagnosis and intervention for most families of children with hearing loss, others struggle to attain desired services based on the unique needs of their child or family. Prior to the state-mandated establishment of UNHS in 1999, national surveys reported disparities in the provision of early intervention based on child-related factors such as severity of hearing loss (Harrison & Roush, 1996; Meadow-Orlans, Mertens, Sass-Lehrer, & Scott-Olson, 1997). For many families, this reduced access to desired intervention services can critically jeopardize the benefits of early detection and/or amplification. The present investigation reports current trends in Individualized Family Service Plan development and early intervention service provision from 100 parents of children with hearing loss who were enrolled in or are currently receiving services in North Carolina. It examined whether child-specific factors (e.g., unilateral hearing loss, presence of additional special needs) predicted delays in access to diagnostic and intervention services for families. The investigation also considered how family-related factors, such as racial-ethnic background, educational attainment, and the amount of perceived social support, related to later access to diagnostic and intervention services. The study found that most families had positive experiences with early intervention even when delays in care were observed. Results also revealed that children with unilateral hearing loss or those from non-White families had an increased likelihood for a delayed start to intervention. Children with associated conditions in addition to hearing loss were more likely to start intervention within the first six months of life although they had greater odds for delayed diagnosis. The findings from this project will help to identify priorities to improve the access of comprehensive and coordinated follow-up care for families of infants and toddlers with hearing loss.
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  • In Copyright
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  • "... in partial fulfillment of the requirement for the degree of doctorate in philosophy in the Division of Speech and Hearing Sciences in the Department of Allied Health Sciences of the School of Medicine."
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  • Harrison, Melody
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  • Chapel Hill, NC
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  • Open access
Date uploaded
  • March 18, 2013

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