EARLY HEARING DETECTION AND INTERVENTION VIRTUAL CONFERENCE
MARCH 2-5, 2021

(Virtually the same conference, without elevators, airplane tickets, or hotel room keys)

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3/07/2023  |   10:10 AM - 10:40 AM   |  Join the Village! The Late Onset Hearing Loss Awareness Campaign   |  DECC 212

Join the Village! The Late Onset Hearing Loss Awareness Campaign

The Late Onset Hearing Loss Awareness Campaign took flight following last year’s EHDI Conference and was highlighted by several major organizations and agencies, including: the Hearing Loss Association of America, the National CMV Foundation, the American Cochlear Implant Alliance, and the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. It also caught the attention of the Joint Committee on Infant Hearing. Learn more about this fast-growing grassroots effort that seeks to shine a spotlight on children with postnatal hearing loss, who are at risk of speech, language and cognitive delays. In this presentation, parent-leader and the campaign co-founder (Valerie James Abbott) and parent-advocate and executive director of the Olive Osmond Hearing Fund New York Chapter (Debbie Meyfohrt) will inform participants of the prevalence, risk factors and common signs of postnatal hearing loss and consequences of late-identification. They will discuss the mission and vision of the Late Onset Hearing Loss Awareness Campaign and offer examples describing how individuals, state agencies, non-profit organizations, and private practices can leverage it to increase community knowledge about pediatric hearing loss, expand the demand for appropriate early childhood hearing screening, and improve identification rates of children between birth and school age.

  • Participants will be able to recite key facts about postnatal hearing loss
  • Participants will understand the history, mission and vision of the Late Onset Hearing Loss Awareness Campaign
  • Participants will be able to identify at least one way to promote or leverage Late Onset Hearing Loss Awareness Week during the May 4-10, 2023 campaign

Presentation:
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Handouts:
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Transcripts:
CART transcripts are NOT YET available, but will be posted shortly after the conference


Presenters/Authors

Valerie Abbott (), Center for Family Involvement at VCU; Late Onset Hearing Loss Awareness Campaign, valeriejamesabbott@gmail.com;
Valerie James Abbott is a parent-advocate, an award-winning author, and an EHDI-champion who serves as co-chair of the Virginia EHDI Advisory Committee. She works at the Center for Family Involvement at Virginia Commonwealth University, supporting the needs of families of children who are deaf and hard of hearing and leading projects that support the goals and objectives of Virginia EHDI. She has served on the board of Virginia Hands & Voices and in 2021 she founded the National Late Onset Hearing Loss Awareness Campaign with Justin Osmond, CEO of the Olive Osmond Hearing Fund. Valerie has published several articles online and in print about raising a child with a disability that have gained nationwide attention. Her children’s book Padapillo won (bronze) in the Moonbeam Children’s Book Award and is based on the true story of how her family discovered and came to terms with their daughter's late onset hearing loss.


ASHA DISCLOSURE:

Financial -

Nonfinancial -

Debbie Meyfohrt (), Olive Osmond Hearing Fund New York Chapter, dmeyfohrt@hearingfund.org;
Debbie Meyfohrt is a parent-advocate and the Executive Director of the Olive Osmond Hearing Fund New York Chapter, which provides hearing aids and resources to members of the community who cannot afford them. She sits on the Board of the Lions Lend an Ear Foundation and is also a strong advocate for mandating insurance coverage of hearing aids for children, youth and adults.


ASHA DISCLOSURE:

Financial -

Nonfinancial -