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 preschools, 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 reports and schools, providing continuing technical assistance to school health nurses 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?
A minimum of one newsletter is completed each year, for all Arizona public, charter, and private schools. They contain information updates, materials, and report forms.
Additional mailings are completed each year to Arizona schools, hearing trainers, and hearing screeners. They contain compliance information to the Rules for the Arizona statute that mandates hearing screening for Arizona’s school children.
Compliance with programs is becoming increasingly better and efforts are being directed toward improving the quality of the screening program.
Hearing screening equipment is now available at three (3) different locations in the state. Equipment is loaned out free of charge to educational institutions.
544,052 children had a hearing screening in 2,544 schools in the 2005/2006 school year.
1,983 children were identified as having a hearing loss.
There are ninety-six (96) (Tł) Trainers throughout Arizona that provide hearing screening training. Over 700 training workshops were provided in 2006.
Approximately 85% of all public, charter, private, and preschools in Arizona are in compliance with school hearing screening program rules.
Hearing
Screening Training:
For information on Tł
Training requirements and Tł Trainers: 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
Tucson: Children’s
Rehabilitation Clinic
Rehabilitation Department
2600 North Wyatt
Tucson, Arizona 85712
(520) 324-3600
Flagstaff: Arizona
School for the Deaf and Blind
1000 East Butler
Flagstaff, Arizona 86001
(928) 774-0655
Screening
Report Forms:
Hearing and Vision are printable forms
*Forms listed are "PDF" files and require Acrobat Reader™ for viewing/printing.
Hearing Screening Rules:
Arizona Secretary of State Web Site:
Title 9. HEALTH
SERVICES
Chapter
13. ARTICLE 1. HEARING SCREENING
Publications:
The publications listed below
are "PDF" files and require Acrobat
Reader™ for viewing.
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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