The Foundation
Description
Established in May, 2003, the Hearts for Hearing Foundation was formed a result of a state-wide task force addressing the needs of babies identified with significant hearing loss through mandated hearing screening at birth. Due to the high cost of hearing technology and the lack of coverage by insurance providers, many babies who are diagnosed with hearing loss at birth in Oklahoma are not fit with hearing aids until after their first birthday, or even later. This reality is devastating to infants because access to sound during infancy is critical to the auditory brain centers to fully develop. Studies tell us that an important period for the development of the “hearing” brain is the first six months of life. The Hearts for Hearing Foundation is committed to the goal that every child born with a hearing loss in Oklahoma has access to sound as soon as he or she is diagnosed with a loss and that the necessary auditory-verbal therapy is available to every child.
Additionally, due to the rapidly changing body of knowledge regarding technology and auditory–verbal therapy for infants with hearing loss, the Hearts for Hearing Foundation provides resources to promote professional growth for best practice in treating children with hearing loss in the area of pediatric audiology , auditory-verbal therapy, and oral deaf education. The Foundation is committed to providing state of the art technology as well as the training of professionals in the field who are serving infants and children with hearing loss.
Vision
Children in Oklahoma who are deaf or hard of hearing can learn to listen and talk and reach their greatest potential.
Core Values
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We believe that every child deserves the opportunity to learn to listen and talk.
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We believe families are essential in the development of the child with hearing loss.
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We believe state of art technology provides the early access to the developing brain for a child with hearing loss.
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We believe auditory therapy maximizes speech language outcomes for a child with hearing loss.
We exist because hearing technology and intervention for a child with hearing loss are limited and expensive.