Cradle to school support for hearing loss

The Labour-led government is delivering a full programme of support for children with hearing loss, including screening of newborns, providing cochlear implants, and extra support in school, says Education Minister Steve Maharey and Health Minister Pete Hodgson.

A universal newborn hearing screening programme will roll out from July this year, to identify babies with hearing loss at the earliest opportunity and make sure they get the support they need. The $16 million funding was part of Budget 2006.

In addition to this, Budget 2007 will invest $8.4 million over four years to provide cochlear implant services to children with hearing loss. The electronic devices give a sense of sound to help deaf children understand speech.

This years budget also funds $599,000 for additional support in schools to give children identified in the screening programme appropriate follow up services. The investment will increase the number of school staff with specialised skills to help deaf children.

"The Labour-led Government is committed to ensuring that children who are detected through the screening programme as having serious hearing impairments receive the extra support they need to build solid foundations for early learning," Steve Maharey says.

"The programme of screening and support means newborns will have better access to cochlear implants, giving babies born with serious hearing impairment the best possible start in life," Pete Hodgson says.

The universal newborn hearing screening programme is being rolled out over three years, starting in three District Health Boards in the Central North region; Hawkes Bay, Tairawhiti and Waikato. It will then expand progressively around the rest of the country over 2008/9 and 2009/10.

The Ministers made today's announcement on a visit to the Hearing House in Auckland, which provides therapy, support and education for children with cochlear implants and those with other forms of hearing loss.

ENDS

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