special education services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act). The specialist follows up with families transitioning out of Part C/ EI and into Part B (U.S. In October 2020, a Transition Specialist was piloted into the Illinois GBYS program. Families appreciate the detailed information and assistance in developing a plan of where to start their journey. Having an empathetic parent guide early on who has experience and can provide unbiased support is of great comfort.

Sometimes families can be overwhelmed by the wealth of initial information and decisions that must be made. These numbers can be from Illinois providers sharing information about available services. Also, GBYS encourages families to answer phone calls from unknown numbers.

A GBYS team member explains resources and sends a follow-up email that contains this additional information in a simple handout called a SNIPPET (Simple aNd Informative Parent-to-Parent Education Tools).

Based on family feedback from previous contacts, a list of distinct resources was developed. During the initial call with the family, the GBYS team explains other available services and the timing of these services. Clear communication with parents at the birthing facility prior to discharge can directly improve timeliness of care and decrease loss to follow-up.įor more information, visit the CDC EHDI website at GBYS receives referrals soon after the diagnosis of atypical hearing and is often the first to connect with families.The addition of demographic data supports both identification of barriers and opportunities for improvement related to diagnosis. Beginning with the 2019 birth cohort, the program integrated with the Illinois Vital Records System (birth certificates).Collaborating with hospitals, screeners, nursing staff, health care providers, and pediatric audiologists throughout Illinois has allowed the program to steadily decrease the lost to follow-up percentage and align with national targets. Each year the EHDI Program seeks to consistently decrease the number of infants lost to follow-up. These infants represent potential diagnoses of permanent congenital hearing loss that are lost to follow-up. These infants did not pass their final screening and did not complete a diagnostic evaluation. Nationwide, approximately 30% or about 3 out of every 10 infants are lost to follow-up.

Snippet the early riser