Late-Identified Hearing Loss in Childhood: What We Know, What We Don't, and What We're Doing About It in Minnesota

Workshop description

Universal newborn hearing screening has dramatically improved early identification of hearing differences of children with congenital hearing loss, yet some children are not identified until months or years after birth. What happens when hearing loss develops later, progresses over time, or is not recognized until developmental or educational concerns emerge? What are the statistics and long-term implications? This session will explore the key findings that our country's leading researchers discovered and published in A Systematic Review of the Prevalence of Late-Identified Hearing Loss in Childhood. We will examine what their research means for educators, early intervention providers, audiologists, and families. Participants will consider why age of onset matters, how late identification can affect language and developmental outcomes, and the ways trauma and uncertainty can influence a family's journey and decision-making. Minnesota-specific initiatives and resources will be highlighted, including efforts to strengthen hearing surveillance, support families, and improve collaboration among professionals and others. Participants will leave with practical strategies to support children with late-identified hearing loss and their families through a family-centered, trauma-informed lens.

Presented by Jess Moen and Valerie James Abbott.

Jess Moen

Jess is the MN Early Hearing Detection & Intervention (EHDI) Statewide Specialist. She previously worked as a Teacher of Deaf/Hard of Hearing in Northern Minnesota. She supports educators and families of children with hearing differences, with particular expertise in early childhood and students with additional disabilities, helping build inclusive, effective learning environments across the state.

Valerie James Abbott

Valerie James Abbott is the parent of a child with hearing loss and co-founder of the national Late Onset Hearing Loss Awareness Campaign. She is past chair of the Virginia Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Advisory Committee and past board member of Virginia Hands & Voices. She has been employed in Virginia's early intervention system, is an award-winning author, and has published multiple articles on early childhood hearing loss, including full-page features in AG Bell's Volta Voices magazine and HLAA's Hearing Life magazine. She was a contributing author in the article "A Systematic Review of the Prevalence of Late-Identified Hearing Loss in Childhood," published in the International Journal of Audiology (Aug. 2024) and travels across the country speaking to various audiences about the impacts of late hearing loss identification on early language and literacy and the importance of ongoing hearing health monitoring and more frequent hearing screening between birth and school age.