Early Support Services for Children who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing

Includes a variety of services provided to infants who are deaf or hard of hearing and their families, such as:
- Service coordination
- Family training
- Counseling
- Home visits from early support providers
- Sign language and cued language instruction
- Hearing/audiology
- Speech-language pathology
- Assistive technology devices
Is designed to help infants who are deaf or hard of hearing develop age-appropriate communication skills
Is supported by research showing that infants who are deaf or hard of hearing who start intervention by 6 months of age are less likely to have developmental delays

	Contact your County Family Resources Coordinator (FRC) listed in the Early Support for Infants and Toddlers (ESIT) Contact Directory to learn more about early intervention services.
	The Resource Notebook for Families of Children who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing has information about your child's hearing, communication options, early support services and stories from other parents. This resource is available in the following languages: English (PDF) Russian (PDF) Mandarin Chinese (PDF) Somali (PDF) Spanish (PDF) Vietnamese (PDF)
	Would you like to learn American Sign Language (ASL)? If you have a child who is deaf or hard of hearing who is under 36 months of age, visit www.infanthearing.org/signit to get free access to an innovative on-line curriculum to learn ASL.
	The Hear to Learn website is an interactive resource, in English and Spanish, for parents and professionals to support spoken language development. Visit www.heartolearn.org for more information.
	The Washington State Department of Children, Youth and Families (DCYF) Early Support for Infants and Toddlers (ESIT) program connects families of children who are deaf or hard of hearing ages birth to 3 with early support services in Washington State.
	See the National Center for Hearing Assessment and Management's Communicate With Your Child Brochure for information about communication and hearing technology options available for infants who are deaf or hard of hearing. This resource is available in the following languages: English (PDF) Chinese (PDF) Korean (PDF) Spanish (PDF) Tagalog (PDF) Vietnamese (PDF)
	Hands & Voices: Family Leadership in Language & Learning Resource Toolbox Our goal is to ensure that EHDI programs, supported by federal funding in the United States, use research-based concepts known to support families, parents and caregivers of deaf or hard of hearing babies, toddlers and young children identified through newborn hearing screening. We want what you want: for "our kids" to reach optimal language, literacy and social-emotional development.
	Hands & Voices: Off to a Great Start This interactive webpage explores resources to support the early intervention journey for families of children who are deaf or hard of hearing. The purpose of this resource is to provide families with just in time family-friendly resources in one location and encourage families to enroll in early intervention services no later than 6 months of age. Off to a Great Start also includes a fun guide for those providing support to families or families themselves. Included are family support activities to promote family learning in the areas of wellbeing (how you are doing), knowledge (what you need to know), and empowerment (the confidence to get where you are going.)

Email EHDDI at ehddi2@doh.wa.gov