Parent Resources & Guidance - TEHDI

• Automated Auditory Brainstem Response (AABR): It is a test that checks the brain’s response to sound.  

• During this test, your newborn wears tiny earphones that play sounds and, along with three electrodes placed on her scalp, they will measure brain activity as she listens.  The child being tested can be sound asleep during the test. It takes around 10-15 minutes to perform, and results are automatically generated  

• Transient or Distortion Product Otoacoustic Emissions (OAE): This test uses a tiny probe that is inserted just at the entrance to your baby’s ear canal and emits a number of sounds. The test checks for echoes in your baby’s ears in response to the clicks or tones that are played. Baby can be sound asleep and the testing takes 5-10 minutes, and results are automatically generated. 

• Audiological Evaluation: An audiological evaluation, sometimes called a hearing assessment, is a group of tests that check different parts of the hearing system in order to identify how well the baby can hear the results of the evaluation are put on graph called an audiogram which shows the areas of hearing loss (low, middle or high-pitched sounds) and degree of hearing loss (mild, moderate, profound). 

• Difference between a Hearing Screening and a Diagnostic Hearing Evaluation 

• The purpose of the hearing screening is to quickly test one part of the hearing system to find out whether it is working properly. The OAE screening measures the function of the outer hair cells, but does not measure a response from the auditory(hearing) nerve. The ABR screening tells us how the nerve and brainstem pathways for hearing are working. (See the section above on “Types of Hearing Tests” for screening details.) Diagnostic hearing testing uses the same methods of testing but checks at more frequencies and levels. Screening takes less than 10 minutes, diagnostic testing is more detailed and takes two to three hours, and all parts of the hearing system are checked. Testing is done while the baby is asleep. It may take more than one appointment to get all the testing done. Your audiologist- a person trained to check hearing, can explain all the tests, why they are being done, and what was found. 

By 1 Month  

• Your baby must have a newborn screening at birth.  

• If the baby did not pass, a second screen is done after leaving the birth facility  

By 3 Months  

• If my baby does not pass the initial screenings, he will need further tests with a pediatric audiologist- —a hearing expert who specializes in the assessment and management of children with hearing loss.  

 You may then be referred to:  

• Early Childhood Intervention (ECI)  

• Statewide Outreach Center at the Texas School for the Deaf (SOC at TSD)  

By 6 Months  

My baby must be enrolled in baby and family services, including:  

• ECI Service Coordinator  

• Teacher for the deaf or hard of hearing  

• Pediatric audiologist/hearing technology evaluation 

If you need help finding a pediatric audiologist, ask your baby’s doctor or the hospital staff who conducted your baby’s screening. They may even be able to help you schedule an appointment. 

A two-page chart showing the 1-3-6-month guide to the hearing screening and intervention process is available. View the 1-3-6 Guide. 

According to Texas Insurance Code (https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/?link=IN), A health benefit plan that provides coverage shall provide to each covered child coverage for a screening test for hearing loss from birth through the date the child is 30 days of age;  and necessary diagnostic follow-up care related to the screening test from birth through the date the child is 24 months of age. 

Medicaid 
 

• For Medicaid eligibility requirements and enrollment instructions, call the Texas Health and Human Services Commission Help Line at 1-800-252-8263. 

Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) 
 

• For CHIP eligibility and enrollment information, call 2-1-1. When you call, pick a language, and then press 2.  

Private Health Insurance Plan 
  

• Contact your health plan provider to know more about what hearing screening services they cover. 

• If you have any questions, you also may call the Texas Department of Insurance on 1-800-252-3439. 

State Agencies 

• Texas Health and Human Services / Office of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services – Provides information about deafness and/or hearing loss, local resources, and communication access services. It includes the phone, fax numbers, and links to obtain more information. 

• Texas Health and Human Services / Early Childhood Intervention Services – Provides support and help for families with children (birth to three years old) with disabilities and developmental delays.  

• Texas Health Steps – Assures that complete health services are available to children, teens and young adults through 20 years of age who are enrolled in Medicaid. This includes free medical and dental check-ups, eye and hearing screenings, lab tests and shots, eyeglasses and hearing aids, prescriptions, and case management for children with special health care needs. 

• Texas School for the Deaf – State agency and public school provides educational services to persons who are Deaf and hard of hearing. 21 years of age or younger and  

• Statewide Outreach Center (SOC) at Texas School for the Deaf (TSD) supports the improvement of educational outcomes for students who are Deaf or hard of hearing across Texas. Services and resources are provided to students, their families and the professionals who support them around the state.  

• Texas Education Agency Services for the Deaf – The Texas Education Agency coordinates the provision of services to children who are Deaf or hard of hearing (DHH), or Deaf-blind (DB). This coordination is through collaboration with the 20 Education Service Centers (ESCs), the Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired (TSBVI), and the Texas School for the Deaf (TSD).  It also provides leadership to Local Education Agencies with Regional Day School Programs for the Deaf for the planning, implementation and operation of comprehensive education programs for students who are Deaf and hard of hearing. . 

• Texas Health and Human Services – The agency offers the Deaf-blind with Multiple Disabilities (DBMD) program. This program provides services and supports people who are Deaf-blind and have one or more other disabilities as an alternative to living in an intermediate care facility. 

Other helpful Websites 

• TexasDeafEd.Org - Developed by the Statewide Outreach Center at the Texas School for the Deaf, this website has deaf education resources for families, students and professionals. 

• Texas Guide By Your Side™ (GBYS) – A parent guide A family support program that provides unbiased services to families with children who are Deaf or hard of hearing.  Support includes direct parent-to-parent emotional support, workshops, trainings, and events for parents and children, networking opportunities with other families, and referrals to other programs that serve Deaf or hard of hearing children. 

• Texas Chapter of Hands & Voices – Supports Texas families and children who are Deaf or hard of hearing and the professionals who serve them. Texas Hands and Voices is a parent-driven, parent/professional/community collaborative group that is impartial in their communication  

• Sunshine Cottage School for Deaf Children –   Promotes early 

identification and intervention for children who are Deaf or hard of hearing and helps them develop their maximum potential through listening, spoken language and literacy. 

• Callier Center for Communication Disorders – Offers treatment, training and research in communication disorders. 

• Texas Parent To Parent – Supports and educates families with children with disabilities, chronic illness and other special needs. 

• Texas Hearing Institute:  Texas Hearing Institute serves children from infancy to age 21, as well as their parents. Texas Hearing Institute’s programs have four focus areas: Audiology Department, Speech Therapy Services, the Melinda Webb School, and Support Services. Children come from over 419 ZIP codes and 44 counties, demonstrating the vital needs Texas Hearing Institute fulfills in our extended community. 

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention – Provides information on hearing loss in children including facts, causes, prevention, testing, treatments, research, articles and free publications. 

• National Center for Hearing Assessment and Management (NCHAM) - Serves as the national resource center for the implementation and improvement of complete and effective Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) systems.