Childhood Hearing Health and Early Language Exposure: A Culturally Sensitive Approach

Implementation of the universal newborn hearing screening has changed the landscape for children born deaf or hard of hearing, and with this, pediatricians must be knowledgeable about the screening and referral process, state protocols, and how to support patients and their families in their unique journeys. Early access to language-spoken, signed, both-forms the foundation for successful outcomes for the development of fluent language. For children using spoken language, early access to sound is critical and can often be achieved with the assistance of hearing devices, even in the newborn period. For all language modalities, state-funded Deaf mentor programs allow families to have meaningful exposure to the Deaf community. The authors come from different professions in the health care and education fields, including General Pediatrics, Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, and the state Department of Education, and use different languages, including spoken and American Sign Language.