RICK SNYDER
STATE OF MICHIGAN
NICK LYON
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
LANSING
GOVERNOR
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Jennifer Smith
May 7, 2015
(517) 241-211
May is Better Hearing and Speech Month in Michigan
LANSING, Mich. – Each year in Michigan, approximately 150 babies are born deaf or hard of
hearing. In an effort to raise awareness around the importance of newborn hearing screens, as well
as hearing and communication, Gov. Rick Snyder and the Michigan Department of Health and
Human Services (MDHHS) have proclaimed May as Better Hearing and Speech Month.
“Research shows that early identification of hearing loss and enrollment in intervention services
may lead to significant benefits in childhood development,” said Nick Lyon, director of MDHHS.
“Language and speech development in infants and children helps them acquire skills that are
important to literacy success, which is why hearing screens are so important.”
The MDHHS Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Program (EHDI) program works in
collaboration with hospitals, clinics, parents, and audiologists to identify infants with hearing loss
and follows them to enrollment in intervention services. The Michigan EHDI program strives to
achieve goals set by national and federal partners to improve screening, hearing loss detection,
and early enrollment in intervention services. The national EHDI goals are as follows:
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Goal 1: All newborns will be screened for hearing loss no later than 1 month of age,
preferably before hospital discharge.
Goal 2: All infants who screen positive for hearing loss will have a diagnostic audiologic
evaluation no later than 3 months of age.
Goal 3: All infants identified with hearing loss will receive appropriate early intervention
services by no later than 6 months of age.
Goal 4: All infants and children with late onset, progressive or acquired hearing loss will
be identified at the earliest possible time.
Goal 5: All infants with hearing loss will have a medical home.
All of Michigan’s 85 birthing hospitals perform newborn hearing screens, and support services
are available for families with infants who are deaf or hard of hearing through two Michigan
parent support programs: Michigan Hands and Voices and Guide By Your Side™ (GBYS).
Michigan Hands and Voices is dedicated to supporting families of children who are deaf or hard
of hearing, and the professionals who serve them. They are a parent-driven, parent/professional
collaborative group that is unbiased toward communication modes and methods.
Guide By Your Side gives families who recently learned of their child's hearing loss an
opportunity to connect with another parent of a child who is deaf or hard of hearing. The program
is free to all Michigan families. For more information about the EHDI program, Michigan Hands
& Voices, or the Guide By Your Side programs and family/professional resources, visit
www.michigan.gov/ehdi.
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201 T OW NSEND STRE ET  LANS IN G, MIC H IGAN 48913
www.michigan.gov/mdhhs  517-373-3740
DIRECTOR