Oregon Early Hearing and Detection Program
The Oregon Health Authority’s (OHA) Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) Program helps identify and support children who are deaf or hard of hearing (D/HH) and their families through a universal hearing screening program. Our team is dedicated to providing information and resources to parents, caregivers, families, and providers as children complete hearing screenings, follow up appointments, and enrollment in early intervention services.
The OHA EHDI program works towards these important EHDI 1-3-6 goals:
1 - Newborn hearing screening by 1 month of age
3 - Diagnostic hearing evaluation for children who do not pass their hearing screening by 3 months of age
6 - Identified Deaf and Hard of Hearing (D/HH) children are enrolled in Early Intervention (EI) services by 6 months of age
The first months of life are an important time to begin developing language and communication skills and infant hearing screenings help identify hearing differences early. Early identification of deaf and hard of hearing children allows families to access tools and resources that can support language and communication development. Additionally, some hearing differences may be related to other health conditions, and it may be important to follow up with your child's healthcare provider.