State Agencies
Texas Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services/Deaf and Hard of Hearing - Includes information about deafness and/or hearing impairment, local resources, and communication access services. Includes phone and fax numbers to obtain more information. Lists support groups and links for more resources.
Texas Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services/Early Childhood Intervention - Early Childhood Intervention (ECI) services provide support and assistance for families with children birth to three with disabilities and developmental delays. Services are provided by a variety of local agencies and organizations across Texas. Select “Program Search” for more information about ECI Services. Also includes toll-free number for information and/or to refer a child.
State Board of Examiners of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology - Adopts rules to regulate the qualifications and practice of Speech-Language Pathologists and Audiologists licensed in Texas. The Board also issues registrations for audiologists and interns in audiology to fit and dispense hearing instruments.
Texas Health Steps - Assures that comprehensive health services are available to children, teens and young adults up to the age of 21, who are enrolled in Medicaid. This includes medical and dental check-ups, eye and hearing screenings, lab tests and shots, eye glasses and hearing aids, prescriptions, and case management for children with special health care needs.
Texas School for the Deaf - State agency and public school that provides educational services to persons who are 21 years of age or younger and who are deaf and hard of hearing. The school also serves as a statewide Educational Resource Center on Deafness.
Texas Education Agency Services for the Deaf - Manages the operation of the Agency's Regional Day School Program for the Deaf, performs all activities required to maintain a statewide program for students who are deaf or hard of hearing, and provides leadership to local regional day schools for the deaf in the planning, implementation and operation of comprehensive education programs for students who are deaf or hard of hearing.
Texas Department of Aging and Disability Services-The agency offers a waiver called the Deaf Blind with Multiple Disabilities (DBMD) program. The DBMD Program provides services and supports for people with deafblindness and one or more other disabilities as an alternative to living in an Intermediate Care Facility.
Other Websites
Centers for Disease Control Early Hearing Detection & Intervention (EHDI)
National Center for Medical Home Implementation
Causes of Hearing Loss in Children - American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA)
The Hotline - For deaf or hard-of-hearing and a victim of domestic violence.
Boys Town National Research Hospital (My Baby's Hearing) - Answers questions about universal newborn hearing screening, provides information on hearing loss and amplification, discusses the importance of early intervention, and includes experiences shared by parents to assist families with decision-making.
Sunshine Cottage-School for Deaf Children - Teaches children with hearing loss to listen, talk, and become part of the hearing world. The school teaches children with moderate to profound hearing loss how to communicate with speech, without the use of sign language.
The National Center for Hearing Assessment & Management (NCHAM) - Serves as the national resource center for the implementation and improvement of comprehensive and effective EHDI systems. As a multidisciplinary center, the goal is to ensure that all infants and toddlers with hearing loss are identified as early as possible and provided with timely and appropriate audiological, educational, and medical intervention.
Pediatrics Journal - The Newborn With Hearing Loss: Detection in the Nursery - Terese Finitzo, Kathryn Albright, and Joy O'Neal.
Deaf Linx - Resource on deafness, deaf culture, American Sign Langauge (ASL) and all other related topics.
Oral Deaf Education - A collaborative, family-centered educational approach that develops a child's speech and listening abilities along with confidence and life skills to meet the challenges of the greater world.
Texas Connect (UTD/Callier Center for Communication Disorders) - Provides educational materials for health care providers and families of infants and young children who are deaf or hard of hearing. En Español
Texas Parent To Parent - Support and information for families with children with disabilities, chronic illness and other special needs.
Texas Guide By Your Side™ (GBYS) - A family support program that embodies the mission of Hands & Voices, which is to provide unbiased support to families with children who are deaf or hard of hearing.
Guide services to families
- Direct parent-to-parent emotional support,
- Sharing information and resources in an unbiased manner,
- Workshops, trainings, and events for parents and children,
- Networking opportunities with other families, and
- Referrals to other programs that serve deaf or hard of hearing children.
Hands & Voices - A nationwide non-profit organization dedicated to supporting families and children who are deaf or hard of hearing, as well as the professionals who serve them. A parent-driven, parent/professional collaborative group that is unbiased towards communication modes and methods. Diverse membership includes those who are deaf, hard of hearing, and hearing impaired and their families who communicate orally, with signs, cue, and/or combined methods. We exist to help children reach their highest potential.
Texas Chapter of Hands and Voices - Established in Texas to support families and children who are deaf or hard of hearing and the professionals who serve them. Texas Hands and Voices is a parent-driven, parent/professional/community collaborative group that is unbiased towards communication modes and methods. The diverse membership includes those who are deaf, hard of hearing, and who communicate orally, with signs, by cues, or by combined methods. The goal is to help children reach their highest potential.
John Tracy Clinic - Provides free services to families with infants and young children (age birth to five years) who are deaf or hard of hearing. A non-profit educational center offering correspondence education programs, free local audiological services, parent classes and support groups, international summer sessions, parent-infant/early intervention services and a full onsite preschool program for children who are deaf or hard of hearing. Free services have reached a worldwide audience for over 60 years.
Indicators for a Genetic Referral (Video) Intended for health professionals. This is a RealVideo file. You must have RealPlayer on your computer to view it. Download a free copy of RealPlayer here.
Position Statements
American Academy of Pediatrics Position Statement - Endorses the implementation of universal newborn hearing screening. In addition, the statement reviews the primary objectives, important components, and recommended screening parameters that characterize an effective universal newborn hearing screening program.
Joint Committee 2007 - Marion Downs National Center for Infant Hearing - The Center provides technical assistance to states who seek to identify hearing loss by three months of age, and to provide amplification as early as possible. The Center emphasizes a team approach to early intervention, placing a high priority on the involvement of parent and consumer groups.
External links are intended to be informational and do not have the endorsement of the Texas Department of State Health Services. These sites may also not be accessible to people with visual impairment.