Newborns as Clients: Net Resources of Interest

by Judith Maginnis Kuster - Minnesota State University, Mankato (kuster@mnsu.edu).

Speech-language pathology and audiology provide careers to serve individuals throughout the life span. This edition of ASHA features developments in pediatric audiology and work in a neonatal intensive care unit. Internet resources are available to support these professionals in their practice, as well as to support the parents of our youngest clients.

For the audiologist who works with the pediatric population

• The Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Program from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Web site provides information related to the detection and management of hearing impairment at an early age. Included are "Current Guidelines for Newborn Hearing Screening."
• The Marion Downs National Center for Infant Hearing is funded by a grant from the U.S. Public Health Service to establish universal hearing screening in 17 participating states participating. The grant includes technical assistance designed to build statewide systems for screening, diagnosis and intervention of hearing loss in participating states. Non-funded states are welcome to the materials (at cost), videotapes of the workshops (or attendance at their own expense for those who demonstrate commitment to implementing a plan in their state), limited technical assistance, and access to all the information on the Web site
• The Boys Town Research Registry for Hereditary Hearing Loss is designed to foster a partnership between families, clinicians and researchers in the area of hereditary hearing loss/deafness. The Center for Hearing Loss in Children at Boys Town National Research Hospital provides information for both parents and professionals.
• Texas Department of Health Audiology Services Web page describes the state's universal newborn hearing screening program. The "Diagnostic Protocol for Evaluating Newborns" provides information for audiologists who do diagnostic evaluations on newborns and infants. Information for parents in both English and Spanish is available.
• Where do we go from hear? provides information on testing, assistive devices, feelings, insurance, education, various methods of communication, and additional resources.
• Parenting Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children is part of Jamie Berke's deafness/hard of hearing guide.
• PARENTDEAF-HH@LIST.EDUC.KENT.EDU is for parents of children who are deaf or hard of hearing. To subscribe send the following message to listproc@list.educ.kent.edu subscribe parentdeaf-hh yourfirstname yourlastname

For the speech-language pathologist working in a neonatal intensive care unit

• NICUWeb from the University of Washington provides extensive "practice guidelines" and links to other relevant resources
• Neonatology on the Web contains neonatology teaching files, outlines, and guidelines; tables and charts commonly used in routine neonatal intensive care; resources of interest to parents and much more. This site also provides links, related to various problems or disabilities that may be identified during the neonatal period, screening and diagnostic tests, management of prematurity, and information on infant feeding and neonatal development.
• Suzanne Evans Morris' site contains information related to sensorimotor development, feeding and learning for infants and young children.
• The Infant Cry Behavior Web site maintained by Steven Blache is designed as a scientific repository on cry behavior in infants and neonates. This archive has sound clips of pathologic cries and links to additional information.
• NICU-NET is a closed forum for discussion of neonatal intensive care issues. All healthcare professionals interested in the neonatal field are welcome to participate. To subscribe send the message subscribe nicu-net your-name your-title to listproc@u.washington.edu.

Resources to suggest to the parents of premature infants:

• The Premie Channel
• Comeunity - Premature Baby Internet Resources.
• Premie Ring lists nearly 200 personal homepages built by families of premature infants.
• Preemie-L is a support mailing list. Information on joining, along with access to the archives, ground rules, and links to other resources is available online

Kuster, JM, Newborns as Clients: Net Resources of Interest, ASHA, May/June, 1999, p. 40