Partners
The Decibels Foundation is honored to partner with the premiere institutions and organizations in Massachusetts and across New England that work with children who are deaf or hard of hearing and their families.
The mission at Minute Man Arc is to support people with developmental disabilities throughout their lives. The Decibels Foundation supports the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Specialty Program at Minute Man Arc Early Intervention. Early Intervention (“EI”) is an integrated developmental service, offering both evaluation and therapeutic services to children birth to three years of age for whom there are developmental concerns due to biological, medical or environmental factors.
The Caroline Bass Fund
The Deaf and Hard of Hearing Program (DHHP) at Boston Children’s Hospital’s Center for Communication Enhancement provides comprehensive evaluation and consultative services to children who are deaf or hard of hearing. In partnership with the Caroline Bass Fund, The Decibels Foundation proudly funds specific family support programs offered through DHHP including: Family Education and Advocacy Team (F.E.A.T.); Success Kits for Families with Hearing Aids and/or Cochlear Implants; Improving Aural Rehabilitation Access for Patients with Single-Sided Deafness; and a college research internship focused on improving infant hearing tests.
Some of the other supports and services provided by the DHHP at BCH include:
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Hearing Aid Handbook
The Audiology staff at Children's Hospital developed a spiral-bound Hearing Aid Handbook which provides parent-friendly instructions and illustrations showing how to operate a child's hearing aids. This handbook is given free of charge to families who are fitted with hearing aids through the Sound Start hearing aid loan program. -
Cochlear Implant Informational DVD Series
Audiologists explain the operation and benefits of cochlear implantation in a family-friendly, non-commercial, manner, augmented by video clips of children listening with their implants in the context of their family life and school. Further DVDs on surgery and follow-up are planned. An earlier DVD, created with the support of the Caroline Bass Fund, called A Sound Decision, continues to be a popular way for adolescents contemplating cochlear implantation to learn about this option from other young teens who share their experiences. -
Cochlear Implant "Going to the Hospital" Backpack
Each child who enters Children's Hospital in Boston for cochlear implant surgery is well prepared with a backpack of activities and age-appropriate comforts. The team psychologists use the items in the backpack to help the child address anxieties prior to the surgery. -
Transition to College Teen Group
Evening meetings for teens with hearing loss are hosted by a staff member from Children's Hospital and a young adult professional guest facilitator who has hearing loss. The teens are juniors or seniors in high school. They share pizza and develop new friendships while learning information about self-advocacy, equipment, strategies, and services that will help them to succeed in college. -
Educational Audiology Program, Sound Outreach to Schools
Boston Children's Hospital's educational audiology program, Sound Outreach to Schools (SOS), extends habilitative audiology support outside the clinic. A full-time educational audiologist helps students and teachers use complex hearing technology in the classrooms, creating greater support for children with cochlear implants or hearing aids. SOS trains educators on a student's specific hearing loss and hearing technology, delivers personalized instructions with pictures of student's actual equipment and simulations of the hearing loss with and without their hearing devices, and provides equipment troubleshooting and classroom acoustical assessments. This flagship program, a national model in the making, could not have been launched without the support of the Caroline Bass Fund.
The Thayer Lindsley Family-Centered Program offers services to young children who are deaf or hard of hearing and their families. Communication-focused services are provided at this crucial stage in speech and language development. This involves working directly with the children as well as assisting their families as they prepare for the unique challenges of raising a child who is deaf or hard of hearing.
The Usher Syndrome Coalition’s mission is to raise awareness and accelerate research for the most common cause of combined deafness and blindness. The Coalition also provides information and support to individuals and families affected by Usher syndrome.
The Coalition counts a number of leading institutions and researchers among its members. Member institutions bring their expertise and commitment to the work of the Coalition, collaborating with partners and researchers from some of the finest international organizations in the world. The Decibels Foundation is proud to be a founding member of the Usher Syndrome Coalition.
Supports families through screening, identification of hearing loss, and Early Intervention services. All babies are screened at birth for hearing loss. Some babies will have hearing differences, while others may not. The Universal Newborn Hearing Screening Program helps families of babies with reduced hearing get the services they need. They can help you find a place to have your baby’s hearing tested, locate Early Intervention Specialty Service Providers, and their Hearing Aid Program for Infants and Children pays for hearing aids for children from birth through age 21. Families must meet income requirements to qualify for the program. Contact Newborn Hearing for more information.
The mission of MCDHH is to ensure full and equitable communication access and provide education and advocacy so that Deaf and hard of hearing individuals are able to fully engage in programs, services, and opportunities throughout Massachusetts. This includes advocating for public policy that addresses the needs of citizens who are D/HH, access to supports in local communities, quality public education for all children, and workforce development.
The MCD/HH provides free advocates for children with hearing loss. These advocates will come to your home to discuss your child’s needs and will assist you in working with your local school district to ensure your child has the necessary accommodations for success.
Massachusetts Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing | Mass.gov