What is
the Sensory Program?
The Sensory Program is a legislatively mandated program that requires all Arizona educational institutions to provide hearing screening and referrals to school-aged children. The mandate requires that all private, charter and public schools make available to its students a systematic screening for hearing disorders in order to allow early identification and appropriate intervention. The primary objectives in the past five (5) years have been to improve compliance of mandatory guidelines by all Arizona schools, and to ensure that the process used is consistent throughout the state. This has been accomplished through close monitoring of school reporting, providing continuing technical assistance to school health offices and the general public as well as oversee the Hearing Screening Training to ensure compliance with the statutory requirements.
Why is this
program needed?
Hearing loss can have devastating effects on academic, social and communication development.
There continues to be a lack of standardized, detailed, and timely data on children with hearing loss throughout Arizona. This makes an analysis of the effectiveness of current delivery systems difficult to attain and evaluate.
What are the goals of the program?
Annually increase the number of hearing screenings performed on school-aged children.
Identify children with hearing impairments and refer them to intervention services in the community.
Annually increase the numbers of schools complying with the mandate.
Develop curriculums for hearing screening and training that will enhance performance and outcome with any student population.
What has the program achieved?
Offer Train the Trainer classes for hearing and vision screening through the University of Arizona Cooperative Extension Train the Trainer Program.
Hearing screening equipment is now available at three (3) different locations in the state. Equipment is loaned out free of charge to Arizona’s educational institutions.
609,344 children had a hearing screening in 2,649 schools in the 2007/2008 school year.
1,592 children were newly identified as having a hearing loss in 2007/2008.
There are 114 (T³) Trainers throughout Arizona that provide hearing screening training.
Hearing and Vision Screening Training:
A training for current Hearing Screeners to become T3 Trainers is scheduled for March 30, April 1 and 2, 2010. For more information, click on the T3 website link below, click on the "Become a Trainer" button and then the "Events" button. http://www.ag.arizona.edu/maricopa/t3/index.php
Hearing Screen
Equipment:
There are three (3) locations that will loan hearing screening equipment to schools who do not have access to them.
Phoenix: Arizona Department of Health Services
Bureau of Women’s and Children’s Health
150 North 18th Avenue, Suite #320
Phoenix, Arizona 85007
(602) 364-1400
Flagstaff: Arizona School for the Deaf and Blind
1000 East Butler
Flagstaff, Arizona 86001
(928) 774-0655
Tucson: Pima County Cooperative Extension
4210 N. Campbell Avenue
Tucson, Arizona 85719
(520) 626-5161
Screening
Report Forms:
Hearing and Vision are printable forms
*Forms listed are "PDF" files and require Acrobat Reader™ for viewing/printing.
Hearing Screening Rules:
Publications:
View the Sensory publications on our Publications page.
Need more information?
If you have questions about Hearing or Vision Screening, visit the Fall 05
or Spring 06 Newsletters for the answers to Frequently Asked Questions, or
contact:
Sensory Program
Virginia James, Program Manager
150 North 18th Ave, Suite 320
Phoenix, Arizona 85007
Phone: (602) 364-1446
Fax: (602) 364-1495
Email: jamesv@azdhs.gov
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