CENTER FOR HEARING LOSS IN CHILDREN

The primary goal of the Center for Hearing Loss in Children is to improve
the future prospects of children with educationally significant hearing
loss through a tightly integrated program of research, research training,
continuing education and information dissemination. The Center will
concern itself with children having all degrees of hearing loss, ranging
from mild to profound, recognizing that each point along the continuum of
impairment poses unique diagnostic and rehabilitative challenges. To
achieve the goal of the Center, research efforts will be expanded in three
areas: 1) development of improved assessment and remediation strategies
for children with hearing loss, 2) the genetics of hearing loss, and 3)
animal models of auditory system development. Two research projects are
described in each of these areas. Core units will provide administrative,
technical, data analysis, and media support, genetics support, and clinical
support for identification and management of the hearing-impaired children
who participate in research studies. All educational programs will stress
the three key aspects of hearing loss in children summarized above. The
research training program will encompass training of undergraduate,
predoctoral, postdoctoral, and more senior investigators in the above
areas, with a unique multilevel program designed to increase the number of
gifted deaf students who pursue careers in the communication sciences. The
continuing education program will provide training in the three areas to
practicing the information dissemination program will draw on our extensive
experience in this area to provide a combination of newsletters, video
tapes, and other materials to the general public, parents of children with
hearing loss, and to the children themselves.