Idaho Approves Rule Change Requiring Insurers to Cover Children’s Hearing Aids
BOISE, IDAHO – The Idaho legislature, House Business Committee, has approved a rule change requiring insurers in the state “to cover medically necessary hearing aids and speech therapy sessions” for Idaho children who are deaf or hard of hearing. According to the announcement, the proposed rule change passed the committee unanimously. Insurers must now cover…
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Oticon Launches New Website to Promote Knowledge and Implementation in Pediatric Audiology
SOMERSET, NEW JERSEY – Oticon announced that it is launching a new website to expand access to the resources of the Knowledge and Implementation in Pediatric Audiology (KIPA) group: www.KIPAgroup.org. The KIPA group, which is developed and financially supported by Oticon A/S, “brings together pediatric audiology researchers, clinicians and members of the industry to discuss,…
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Children with Hearing Loss Experience More Bullying: Study
DALLAS, TEXAS — A new study from researchers at the University of Texas at Dallas (UTD) indicates that children and adolescents with hearing loss experience higher rates of peer victimization, or bullying, than children with normal hearing. The study, published in the journal Exceptional Children, showed the type of bullying experienced by children hearing loss…
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The Listening Project: A Film About Living Successfully with Hearing Loss Premieres March 9th
A new documentary by renowned pediatric audiologist Jane Madell, PhD, and Emmy and Peabody Award-winning director, producer, writer and cinematographer Irene Taylor Brodsky will premiere on Friday, March 9 at the American Cochlear Implant Alliance’s (ACIA) annual scientific meeting in Washington, DC. A champagne reception and panel discussion with Dr. Madell and five of the young…
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Marion Downs Honored as “Great Colorado Woman” with Video Tribute
More than 18 months in the making, a video tribute recently aired on Rocky Mountain PBS honoring Marion Downs as a “Great Colorado Woman”. The tribute focused on her life and many scientific contributions. The esteemed “Mother of Pediatric Audiology”, was inducted into the Colorado Women’s Hall of Fame in 2006. Downs, who was an…
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Rhode Island Establishes Commission to Study Early Intervention for Children with Hearing Loss
PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND — In legislation approved by the Rhode Island General Assembly, a joint legislative commission has been established to determine whether and how the state can better serve children with hearing loss. The special commission will be made up of 24 members, including legislators, healthcare professionals and representatives from organizations and agencies that…
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DNA Fingerprint Linked to Enlarged Vestibular Aqueducts Found
National Institutes of Health (NIH) researchers have uncovered the DNA “fingerprint,” associated with enlarged vestibular aqueducts (EVA). Clinical audiologists know EVA to be an inherited form of hearing impairment that often has a progressive form of sensorineural hearing loss. Most children with EVA pass newborn hearing tests, but begin to lose their hearing in the…
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Doctors Warn of Dangers from Expanding Bead Toys After Serious Ear Injuries
Doctors are warning parents about the potential dangers posed by popular expanding bead toys, such as Orbeez. According to an article published this month in the journal JAMA Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, super-absorbent polymer bead toys that expand when placed in water can cause serious ear injuries in children. The super-absorbent polymer balls are incredibly small and can expand up…
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Justin Osmond runs 250 miles to help kids get hearing aids
ST. GEORGE, UTAH—After running 250 miles over eight days through wind and cold, hail and snow, up steep mountain roads that reached nearly 8000 feet in altitude, a physically and emotionally spent Justin Osmond crossed the finish line in St. George on Saturday, May 9, arms raised in triumph. There to meet the celebrated…
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NPR joins the audiology world in celebrating the life of Marion Downs
DENVER—As 2014 drew to a close, National Public Radio paid tribute to the late Dr. Marion Downs as someone whose life’s story deserved to be better known than it had been. On the December 28 broadcast of the program All Things Considered, the NPR reporter Becky Sullivan noted that until the past 20 years…
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