Transcript SOHH Q&A - Amazon Web Services

SOHH Q & A
AudiologyNOW! 2013
Anaheim, California
Jodi Seligman
University of Texas at Dallas
SAA Humanitarian Committee Chair
Why?
A striking number of
individuals with
intellectual
disabilities have
hearing loss
• Undetected
• Underserved
• Under-treated
Hearing loss among
Special Olympics
athletes is four times
greater than in the
general population
• Conductive, mixed, &
sensorineural hearing loss
• Cerumen management
History
The Special
Olympics Healthy
Hearing (SOHH)
Program was
founded in 1999 by
Dr. Gilbert R. Herer,
Ph.D., professor at
George Washington
University,
Washington, D.C.
• Modeled after a universal
newborn hearing screening
program established by Dr.
Herer in 1996
• Delivery of audiology services
in the public health model:
• Screen, identify, refer
SOHH Screenings
Otoscopy
Otoacoustic emissions
Tympanometry
Pure tone screenings
Threshold testing (if available)
Clinical Directors (CDs)
Plan, organize, and implement SOHH events
for their state
Train volunteers
Order equipment from SO in Washington
D.C.
Focus on Follow-Up
HH
2.0
• Identify hearing loss:
audiological evaluations and
medical referrals
• Candidate for amplification: fit
with hearing aids
• Comprehensive follow-up care:
validation and verification
Focus on Follow-Up
How can
SAA
contribute?
• Participate in your
local SOHH events
• Find Clinical Directors
(CD’s)
• Find Phonak providers
• Hear the World Foundation
Clinical Directors
Global Clinical Advisors
• Beth Lannon, Ph.D. (United States)
• Melina Willems (Belgium)
Regional Coordinators
State Clinical Director
A job description
• *See handout
Network of Providers
Special Olympics has an agreement with Phonak’s
Hear the World Foundation
Phonak will provide vouchers to athletes identified
with hearing loss
SAA can develop a provider network with our clinical
contacts!
*See handout
Progress
Over 40 SAA chapters are involved
or working to get involved in the
SOHH Program
• At least 8 are involved in Healthy
Hearing 2.0
• The 2012-2013 Humanitarian
Committee has been working to
strengthen follow-up, but we need
everyone’s help!
• SAA members, AAA members
2013 World Winter Games
Andrea Fowler, SAA President, and Jodi Seligman, SAA
Humanitarian Committee Chair, traveled to Pyeong
Chang and Gangneung, South Korea to provide
hearing health care to Special Olympics athletes.
SAA received a Special Friend Award from Special
Olympics at the Healthy Athletes reception.