“But my baby passed the newborn hearing test…”

Here’s what many parents don’t know: hearing can change as your child grows.

EARLY SIGNS your child might be deaf or hard of hearing:

🔹 0-3 months: Doesn’t startle at loud sounds or turn toward your voice

🔹 4-8 months: Not babbling or responding to their name by 6 months

🔹 9-12 months: No response to sounds behind them, limited sound experimentation

🔹 12-24 months: Not saying single words by 15 months, watching your face intensely while you talk, turning up TV/devices very loud

Here’s the truth: Early identification changes EVERYTHING. The earlier you know, the earlier your child can access language—whether that’s sign language, spoken language, or both.

What to do: ✅ Trust your instincts—you know your child best ✅ Ask your pediatrician for a hearing evaluation (not just a screening) ✅ Connect with an audiologist who specializes in pediatrics ✅ Know that deaf/HoH kids thrive with early support!

Remember: A diagnosis isn’t a tragedy—it’s information. And information is power. Your child’s journey starts here. 💙

#DeafKids #HardOfHearing #DeafAwareness #EarlyIntervention #ParentingTips #ASL #HearingLoss #DeafCommunity #PediatricAudiology #DeafChildren #InclusiveParenting #SignLanguage

Hartford HealthCare enhances translation services for deaf and hard-of-hearing patients | AHA

Better communication between patient and provider translates into better care. Hartford HealthCare in Connecticut is partnering with the American School for the Deaf to offer in-person American Sign Language services and other translation services for deaf and hard-of-hearing patients and their companions. The health system is adding a full-time ASL/English medical interpreter to its team so that patients can understand their providers and fully participate in conversations, including asking questions and requesting advice.

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Amidst nationwide shortage, UCHealth expands team of ASL interpreters | KUSA.com

UCHealth is expanding its team of American Sign Language interpreters, becoming the first major hospital system in the Rocky Mountain region to do so.

UCHealth now has three ASL interpreters in the Denver metro region, with two more in its southern region and one more in the northern region.

The move comes amidst a nationwide shortage for ASL interpreters, which often leaves deaf patients like Angela Lavin in a difficult situation.

“High and dry, is how I feel,” she said. “Hearing people should be able to gather information, and deaf people should be able to gather that information exactly the same way. I don’t like missing out on information.”

Hospitals regularly employ interpreters for common languages like Spanish and Chinese but use online and phone services for more uncommon languages. Lavin said those services are difficult for sign language because of the necessity to see what’s being said.

“It’s happened to me before that I’m at a doctor’s office and they move in the video interpreter, and it works for a few minutes, and then it gets filtered or it freezes,” she said. “So, then we wind up writing notes, and that eats up so much time.”

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Pioneering gene therapy restores UK girl’s hearing ｜ bbc

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6 Medications That Could Be Damaging Your Ears | AARP

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Health disparities among Black deaf and hard of hearing Americans as compared to Black hearing Americans: A descriptive cross-sectional study | NIH PubMed

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Stem Cells and Hearing Loss | Sound Relief Hearing Center

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