Hearing and Speech

The Hearing and Speech Program provides expert assessment and follow-up services in the pediatric population in two locations. The main clinic is located on 4 North McAlister and is accessed by the TIGER elevators. In addition, a satellite clinic is located on the first floor of the Outpatient Tower.  Both locations are on the Childrens Hospital Los Angeles medical campus.

Programs and Services

Routine Audiological and Hearing Aid Services
Sedation Auditory Brainstem Response (ABR) Program
Newborn Hearing Screening Program
Speech/Language Services
Staff/Clinicians

Routine Audiological and Hearing Services

Audiologic evaluations are performed on children from birth to 21 years of age. In general, reliable behavioral audiological evaluations can be performed on children beginning at a development age of 9 months. A test battery incorporating speech and puretone thresholds, impendance, Otoacoustic Emissions (OAE) and Auditory Brainstem Response (ABR) testing is available.

Hospital audiologists specialize in testing very young populations and difficult to test children with a variety of complex developmental and medical conditions. In addition, audiologists provide evaluations and management services to patients seen through the Craniofacial Team and Otolaryngology/ENT clinics.

If a hearing loss is identified, the Division of Hearing and Speech provides a network of referral sources to support and assist the family, and is equipped to provide hearing aid evaluations and fitting services to determine and manage the child’s individual amplification needs.

Sedation Auditory Brainstem Response (ABR) Program

The Division of Hearing and Speech offers sedation Auditory Brainstem Response (ABR) appointments to infants and children who are not behaviorally testable due to age or developmental status.

The ABR test is administered and interpreted by an audiologist. Prior to scheduling and ABR appointment, medical clearance must be provided by the patient’s primary medical doctor. A registered nurse administers Chloral Hydrate sedation and is present for the entire evaluation process. The patient is closely monitored throughout the procedure and during recovery to ensure no complications arise. Results are provided to parents by the audiologist immediately following test completion.

Newborn Hearing Screening Program

Current legislation requires that all newborns receive a hearing screening prior to hospital discharge. The division of Hearing and Speech performs hearing screening on all infants admitted to the Center for Newborn and Infant Critical Care (CNICC) prior to discharge. In addition, as a California Children’s Services (CCS) paneled Type C Communication Disorders Center, we are equipped to provide screening and diagnostic follow-up services to those infants who do not pass screening at their birth hospital. Research has confirmed that early identification and intervention is crucial to maximize speech/language development as well as aid in social, emotional and academic growth.For more information about Newborn Hearing screening, contact:

Rachel Moss, MS, CCC-A, NHSP
Acting Coordinator
(323) 361-4593

Speech/Language Services

The Division of Hearing and Speech provides developmentally and culturally appropriate evaluations and treatment procedures for children ages birth through 21 year of age in the outpatient, rehabilitation and inpatient hospital settings. Staff members perform in-depth comprehensive evaluations, provide one-on-one and small group therapy, and make appropriate referrals to the schools and within the community. All therapeutic programs are organized to meet the developmental and rehabilitative needs of the individual child. Bilingual services are available.

Speech
Evaluations and therapy are provided for children with speech disorders characterized by developmental and phonological errors, motor weakness and incoordination (dysarthria), sensori-motor planning (apraxia) and other neurologically based speech patterns.

Language
Evaluation and therapy provided for children with delay/disorder of receptive language (comprehension and processing) and expressive language (verbal and non-verbal communication). Services are provided to children with developmental delays, specific language impairments and other diagnoses (i.e. Autism).

Cognition
Evaluation and treatment of deficits in memory, orientation, semantic knowledge base, and/or problem solving which impact the child’s ability to communicate are provided.

Voice and Fluency
Identification and treatment of vocal quality disorders of varying causes. Specialized evaluation and treatment of stuttering (fluency) in the pre-school and school-age child.

Craniofacial and Cleft Palate
Evaluation and treatment of children with a variety of craniofacial anomalies and cleft lip and/or palate is provided. Therapies are members of the hospital’s Craniofacial Team. Our therapists have specialized training in resonance disorders, compensatory articulation errors and other problems related to velopharyngeal incompetence (VPI).

Staff/Clinicians