Infant Hearing Program
It's important to detect hearing loss as early as possible.
About two in every 1,000 babies are born with permanent hearing loss, and another two out of 1,000 develop permanent hearing loss by the age of five. The best way to start the process of detecting hearing loss early is through newborn hearing screening.
Connections is the lead Infant Hearing Program agency in Windsor-Essex and Chatham-Kent, ensuring that families with children ages 0-6 with permanent hearing loss receive intervention and support.
If your child is under 2 months of age and has not had their hearing screened, please call us to book an appointment at 519-252-0636.
The Infant Hearing Program (IHP) provides:
- hearing screening for all newborns in hospital or community settings.
- assessments to identify permanent hearing loss.
- monitoring of children at risk of developing hearing loss.
- audiologic management and intervention for children with permanent hearing loss.
- family support services.
- language development services.
Did you know?
The Infant Hearing Program (IHP) is funded by wave through the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services (MCCSS) and screens all Ontario newborns under 2 months of age.
What is newborn hearing screening?
Newborn hearing screening involves the following:
- The screening measures how your baby’s ears or brain respond to soft sounds played through small earphones placed gently in your baby’s ears. If needed, small stickers may be placed on your baby’s head to help record these responses.
- A dried blood spot (DBS) sample, already collected for routine newborn screening, may also be used to screen for certain risk factors for permanent hearing loss, including congenital Cytomegalovirus (cCMV) and some common genetic causes of hearing loss.
Our support and intervention services
As the lead agency for the Infant Hearing Program in Windsor-Essex and Chatham-Kent, Connections will coordinate services and support for you across various sites and community partners. When identified with a permanent hearing loss from an audiologist within the Infant Hearing Program, you may be referred to our IHP support and intervention service.
Audiology services
Assessments: newborns who receive a refer result on the hearing screening or are at risk for developing hearing loss will receive an audiology assessment by an IHP audiologist.
Hearing technology fitting and management: an IHP audiologist will select and fit hearing technology that will best meet your child’s needs.
Children with a suspected hearing loss who received and passed the newborn hearing screening should be referred to an audiologist in the community for an audiological assessment. If the audiologist suspects or confirms a permanent hearing loss, referral to the IHP should be initiated.
Language and development services
The Infant Hearing Program may also provide family-centred services that include:
- an assessment of your child’s communication development
- professional guidance to help develop your child’s language skills and early literacy development
- parent education
Family support
Our trained professionals can support families of hearing loss in many ways, including:
- providing counselling support
- helping you connect with services available for you, your child, and family
- connecting you with other parents of children with hearing loss
- helping your family with transitions to childcare and school