Families and Caregivers

There are many different professionals who may work with you and your child. Each professional has been specially trained to work with babies who are born Deaf or hard-of-hearing.  These include the Hearing Screener, the Audiologist, the Family Support Worker, the Regional Coordinator for your area in the province, and providers of language development services.

In the Newborn Hearing Screening section, you will find information on the types of screening that are done in both the well-baby and the special care nursery, information on screening in the community, and what “pass” and “refer” results mean for you and your baby. All parents will be offered hearing screening for their newborn baby before they leave the hospital. Parents will also be able to have their baby screened in the community if their baby was born at home, or missed the hospital screening.

In the Hearing Assessment section, you will find information on the more detailed hearing tests that are very important if your child does not pass the hearing screening . It is this testing that will determine whether or not your baby really has a hearing impairment. The test will be explained in detail in this section, including tips on what you need to do to prepare for the assessment.

In the Family Support Services section, you will find information about the two main roles of the IHP Family Support Worker, whose services will be made available to you if your child is diagnosed with a hearing impairment. The family support worker will help you deal/cope with your reaction to the possible impact of diagnosis of hearing impairment.

In the Communication Development Options section, detailed information is provided about the three main approaches to helping your child develop language skills offered by the IHP, which include auditory verbal therapy, sign language, and dual (a combination of oral and sign language).

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