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Recruiting children ages 5-15 years, typical hearing and hard of hearing.

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The University of Pittsburgh is among the nation's most distinguished comprehensive universities, with a wide variety of high-quality programs in both the arts and sciences and professional fields.

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What is the LEND Clinic?

Affiliated with the University of Pittsburgh and Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC, the LEND Center of Pittsburgh is one of 52 Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities (LEND) programs in 44 states and the District of Columbia. LEND programs work together to address national issues of importance to children with disabilities and their families, exchange best practices, and develop shared products. LEND is a member of the Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD), a national network of interdisciplinary centers advancing policy and practice through research, education, leadership, and service for and with individuals with developmental disabilities, their families, and communities.

The LEND team includes faculty from the University of Pittsburgh, representatives from community agencies that provide services for individuals with developmental disabilities, civic leaders, parents of children with disabilities, and self-advocates. The mission of LEND is two-fold: 1.) to educate a new generation of leaders in the field of disabilities, and 2.) to improve the lives of individuals with disabilities and their families.
LEND Clinic is held at the Oakland Medical Building located at:
3414 Fifth Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15213

On Wednesday afternoons from October-March.

What does LEND do for families?

The LEND Clinic is held two Wednesday afternoons each month during the fall and spring academic semesters. Families of children with disabilities visit the LEND Clinic along with their child to receive support through a multi-disciplinary evaluation that results in recommendations in a variety of areas, such as:

Pediatric Medicine

Physical Therapy

Audiology

Speech & Language Pathology

Social Work

Psychology

Occupational Therapy

Family & Advocacy

& other clinical, education, or public health fields and disciplines

The leadership team for the LEND Clinic includes University of Pittsburgh faculty, pediatric residents from Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC, LEND trainees who are students enrolled in advanced graduate programs in health care, education, and public health, and parents of children with disabilities. A clinic team is assigned to work with the family throughout the process and, dependent on the family's concerns for their child, the team may make home, school, and/or community visits related to the child. A "case leader" continues to follow up with the family subsequent to the clinic visit to assist the family in implementing those recommendations the family wishes to pursue. The overarching objective of the team is to focus on the family's concerns and goals and to help facilitate access to resources and other recommendations.

How it works:

Initial phone intake and setting an appointment with LEND staff

Family-Centered Clinic Visit - You will meet with the LEND team and clinical professionals in the LEND clinic at the Oakland Medical Building to gather information, collaborate to define target areas, and be provided with resources based on your family's goals.

Continuous Follow-Up - The LEND team will follow up with you to ensure the implementation of resources and recommendations are helpful to you post-clinic. This might include meetings with your school or other service providers, telephone, or email communication.

What do families do for LEND?

The LEND Clinic utilizes the principles of case-based learning to give trainees from multiple disciplines the opportunity to develop leadership skills. The LEND Clinic is a primary tool for providing direct training to a group of graduate and post-graduate students, with the goal of nurturing a new generation of leaders in the field of disabilities. These leaders are needed to respond to regional and national needs for innovative, family-centered, community-based, scientifically motivated and clinically effective services for individuals with disabilities and their families. Family participation in the LEND Clinic and the overall process is crucial to influence the training of this new generation of health care professionals who will provide care to children with disabilities in the future.
For more information, please call:
Clinic Coordinator
Amy Wetmore
412-692-6538

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Affiliated with the University of Pittsburgh and Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC, the LEND Center of Pittsburgh is one of 52 Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities (LEND) programs in 44 states and the District of Columbia.

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Audiologic Testing Supports for Children

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Audiologic Testing Supports for Children

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Health Information Management | Children's Hospital Pittsburgh

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Learn more about Health Information Management Services, which maintains records for all inpatient, same-day surgery, and outpatient services.

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EI Communication Plan_October 2019 update

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Professional Development

Orientation to Deafness and Hearing Loss in Infants and Young Children (EITA online course) This online course is made up of 9 modules containing a videotaped presentation with both Learning Activities and Study Questions.

Lots of Ways to Listen (EITA job aid) This job aid will provide you with knowledge, perspective and tools to use as you work with families of children with hearing loss.

Online Courses for Parents and Professionals who want to know more about Children who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing (external courses) The Bureau of Early Intervention Services and Early Intervention Technical Assistance (EITA) are collaborating with the Boys Town Learning Center to offer online courses designed for parents of young children who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing and the professionals who provide support to these children and families. This document will provide more information and registration information.

CID Online Courses: Teaching Children with Hearing Loss to Listen, Talk, Read and Succeed. (external courses)These FREE online courses introduce participants to concepts necessary to serve children with hearing loss learning to listen and talk. Check out Pediatric Audiology,Early Intervention,Family Sessions and Coaching Strategies, Auditory Training with SPICE and more. ASHA credits are available for a fee.

Websites

Hands & Voices Guide By Your Side (GBYS™ of PA is a new parent support program that links families of infants and toddlers newly identified with deafness and hearing loss throughout Pennsylvania with trained and experienced Parent Guides. GBYS of PA Site (external link)

The Newborn Hearing Screening at the PA Department of Health, Bureau of Family Health and the American Academy of Pediatricians provides information for families, physicians, audiologists and birth facilities. PA Early Hearing Site (external link)

Babyhearing.org was created to answer parents' questions about infant hearing screening and follow up testing; steps to take after diagnosis of hearing loss; hearing loss & hearing aids, language & speech; and parenting issues.

My Baby's Hearing (external link) is brought to you by a team of professionals at Boys Town National Research Hospital.

Hearing loss can affect a child's ability to develop communication, language, and social skills. The earlier children with hearing loss start getting services, the more likely they are to reach their full potential. This website will give you information about programs and services to help you and your child. Hearing Loss in Children (external link)

While there be sure to check out: A Parent's Guide to Hearing Loss: Information about programs and services to help you and your child; Hearing Screening: What's Your Baby's Hearing Screening Result; and Amy's Story: Mother of twins who both have hearing loss.

Documents

This guide was designed by parents for use by parents of newly diagnosed children to assist them in understanding the impact of hearing loss on babies and families. Getting Started

While use of the Early Intervention Communication Plan form is optional, the content is required as part of the IFSP/IEP for young children who are deaf, hard of hearing, or deaf-blind. The Early Intervention Communication Plan form may be used to meet this requirement, or the content can be embedded in the IFSP/IEP. To assist with transition, the Early Intervention Communication plan has been revised to align with the school-age Communication Plan. The annotations give guidance on the use of the Early Intervention Communication Plan in completing the IFSP/IEP. PA Early Intervention Communication Plan (external link)

The purpose of this release of information is to obtain permission to share information with the PA Department of Health Newborn Screening Program and the Guide By Your Side parent support program. Release of Information(external link)

Resources

The purpose of this announcement is to provide guidance to early intervention programs serving infants, toddlers and preschool age children with hearing loss and their families. Effective Date August 1, 2013. Announcement(external link)

"This is a link to an online bulletin board of resources for families of infants, toddlers, and preschoolers who have hearing concerns and the professionals who work with them. You can suggest additions to the bulletin board by double clicking on a blank spot on the page and creating a resource suggestion which will be reviewed and approved for addition." Take me to the Bulletin Board(external link)

Vision/Blindness

Deaf-Blind

Traumatic Brain Injury

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Orientation to Deafness and Hearing Loss in Infants and Young Children (EITA online course) This online course is made up of 9 modules containing a videotaped presentation with both Learning Activities and Study Questions. Lots of Ways to Listen (EITA job aid) This job aid will provide you with knowledge, perspective and tools to use as you work with families of children with hearing loss.

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Final Guide by Your Side Learning Community Presentation OCDEL

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Handout EI Comm Plan for Children with Deafness or Hearing Loss 8 12 19

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PA EI Announcement: Recommendations for Children Who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing. 

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PA EI Announcement: Recommendations for Children Who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing. 

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https://www.pattan.net/Publications/Problem-Solving-in-Early-Intervention

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PaTTAN - Problem Solving in Early Intervention

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Referred on NBHS. What's Next

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Learning Community Description and Basics

Six Learning Communities (LCs) will be created throughout Pennsylvania and supported by TIU 11 to increase the knowledge and engagement within the Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) system .

Each LC shall be composed of six to 12 local EHDI stakeholders with a commitment to participate and to implement local changes to ensure that newborns and infants who are deaf and hard of hearing (D/HH) receive follow-up screening, care coordination, and enrollment in EI services. The members of the LCs shall be composed of:

* Pediatric health care professionals from local health care organizations;

* American Academy of Pediatrics Chapter Champions;

* Pediatric primary care clinicians;

* Practice or community based care coordinators from the local EI program;

* Family members of children who are D/HH; and,

* Service providers from other locally available services including the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC), Home Visiting, local Maternal and Child Health agencies, and State Title V Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs (CYSHCN) programs.

A two-hour LC event will be held every other month for the Learning Community. The events shall focus on providing LCs with an opportunity to learn new information related to the EHDI system and to identify local barriers and solutions. Each LC event shall include a 30 minute update on local activities, a 60 minute statewide webinar on a specific topic, and a 30 minute discussion session to identify how the presentation topic impacts their local community, the potential barriers in their area, and strategies that will make their community more effective in meeting the needs of newborns and infants who are D/HH and their families.

Impact surveys will be sent to LC members. They will be designed to pull the following information:

* Number of participants that are aware of and follow the JCIH 1-3-6 recommended timeline guidelines;

* Number of D/HH patients that have a care coordination plan;

* Number of care coordination plans developed with the parent or family, caretakers;

* Number of care coordination plans that are shared across providers and partners;

* Number of health care professionals that have developed partnerships with state Title V CYSHCN programs regarding systems integration and family centered care coordination;

* Learning boost data from the previous LC event to ensure long-term transfer of knowledge and implementation of new skills learned through the LC event;

* Overall satisfaction of the LC events; and

* Suggestions on area(s) of improvement.