Availability

Referral required

Yes

Referral Details

The Service accepts referrals from ENT consultants and paediatric audiologists. Parents and schools that have concerns about a child's hearing are advised that the child should visit their GP to discuss a referral to ENT/Audiology. The Service is able to provide informal advice to parents and schools at this stage.

ENT consultants and paediatric audiologists refer children to the Service who they consider to have an educationally significant hearing loss. Such children have a

• Confirmed sensorineural hearing loss
• Persistent bilateral conductive hearing loss, which is not being treated surgically
• Auditory Neuropathy Spectrum Disorder

ENT consultants and paediatric audiologists refer children to the Service who they consider to have an educationally significant hearing loss. Such children have a

• Confirmed sensorineural hearing loss
• Persistent bilateral conductive hearing loss, which is not being treated surgically
• Auditory Neuropathy Spectrum Disorder

Children with the following hearing difficulties would not routinely be referred:

• Unilateral conductive losses
• Intermittent conductive losses
• Persistent bilateral losses due to be treated surgically.

Following the initial assessment visit by a Teacher of the Deaf, a decision will be made whether or not it is appropriate for the child to be placed on the Service caseload. At this stage advice/INSET is freely available to schools.

Other notes

British Sign Language BSL

BSL tuition for families of pre-school deaf children is available on request. The Hearing Impaired Service commissions a local company to provide this support. Families can request this by contacting the Hearing Impaired Service or by speaking to their Teacher of the Deaf.

Assistive Technology

A central budget held by the Hearing Impaired Service is used to fund equipment. All children are assessed at least annually to determine their functional hearing levels. If the results suggest that the child is struggling to hear in a classroom environment, they will be considered for issue of a Roger system. If appropriate, these are issued to schools free of charge, and maintained by the Hearing Impaired Service. Technology is updated regularly by the Service. Schools and parents can request an assessment for equipment by contacting the Hearing Impaired Service.