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The Division of Audiology and Speech-Language
Pathology at the Mailman Center for Child
Development focuses on the communication needs
of infants, toddlers, and school-aged children.
The major clinical programs include the following:
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Universal newborn hearing screening
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early detection and intervention of hearing loss in infants
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diagnosis of hearing loss in toddlers, preschool, and school-aged children
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speech and language evaluations
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therapeutic interventions for speech, language, and hearing disorders
Universal Newborn Hearing Screening:
Audiologists at the Mailman Center for Child Development are responsible
for screening the hearing of all newborns at Jackson Memorial Hospital
prior to discharge. These professionals use computer-based procedures
to evaluate each baby's hearing in a manner that does not depend on
the child's cooperation. The tests are objective and provide information
regarding the health and function of the inner ear and/or the auditory
nerve. Children who do not pass the initial screening are followed up
as outpatients at the Mailman Center to determine whether the initial
result truly indicated the presence of hearing loss or if indeed the
child has normal hearing sensitivity. For those children in whom
hearing loss is discovered, audiologists begin immediately the
process of intervention in the form of auditory amplification.
Hearing aids are selected and fitted to the infants as young
as three months. Coordination is also provided to avail the child
of a wide variety of services including the Early Steps Program,
private therapy options, and parent support groups.
Early Detection and Intervention of Hearing Loss in Infants:
The pediatric audiologists at the Mailman Center for Child Development
also serve as community resources for other hospitals and their screening
programs. The Division of Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology receives
outpatient referrals from a number of community hospitals and pediatricians
throughout Miami-Dade County. Upon arrival, each infant receives a complete
diagnostic evaluation using objective tests in addition to behavioral
observations with a goal of accurate determination of hearing status.
If hearing loss is found, then each child enters into the process of
early intervention through the use of hearing aids and necessary therapies
to promote the normal development of listening, speech, and language skills.
Diagnosis of Hearing Loss in Infants, Toddlers, and School-aged Children:
Not all hearing loss is congenital in nature occurring at or before birth.
There are numerous causes of delayed onset hearing loss which means that
the child may have normal hearing sensitivity for the first months or years
of life and then have hearing loss onset due to disease or genetic factors.
Commonly, suspicion of hearing loss is raised with a child develops attention
problems or delays in speech and language development. Evaluation of hearing
is an important element of the diagnostic evaluation protocol. The presence
or absence of hearing loss greatly influences the goals and activities of
other therapeutic interventions. In addition, children with learning disabilities
or attention problems may have difficulties processing sound information.
The audiologists at the Mailman Center have the capability of evaluating
central auditory processing abilities as a potential contributing factor
to learning difficulties.
Comprehensive Evaluation and Intervention of Speech and Language Disorders:
The speech-language pathologists at the
Mailman Center have the training and tools
necessary for early diagnosis of speech and
language disorders in toddlers, preschool,
and school-aged children. They work closely
with pediatrics, genetics, and pediatric psychology
to determine the cause, when possible, of a speech
or language problem. Once a problem is diagnosed,
the professionals in this division have the capability
of providing appropriate therapeutic intervention to
improve the child's function in accordance with the
diagnosis.
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