RNID: For deaf and hard of hearing people.

Early identification of deaf children

For many years the importance of early identification of deaf children has been recognised. Early diagnosis of deafness enables families and professionals to begin to work together on behalf of the child before a substantial language and communication deficit builds up.

Deafness at Birth

Early identification and effective early intervention offers the best chance for deaf children's language and communication skills.

Our Deafness at Birth (external link, opens new browser window) website (currently unavailable) is a great training and information resource. This website has been developed in response to the introduction of NHSP and is designed to help teachers and other professionals work effectively with deaf babies and with their families.

The material on the website is not in the form of on-line training. It is a resource which can be used flexibly to support:

  • training and information for individuals to inform their own work.
  • local education authorities and others providing short courses and professional development.
  • universities and other agencies currently developing formal training courses in this area.

All families of deaf children, including those whose children are identified later as deaf, need sensitive and effective support through pre-school years so they can make informed choices about communication options and the education of their child.  

The benefits of early identification of deaf children include: 

  • Caseloads of those professionals working with the families of young deaf children will increase as babies are identified earlier than previously.
  • The duration of the pre-school family/professional partnership will be longer.
  • Professionals who have been used to working with deaf children aged two to five years and their families will be asked to work for the first time with very young deaf babies.  (Many teachers and other professionals have already worked with babies aged six to nine months.)
  • Some babies will be referred earlier for cochlear implantation.
  • Any additional disability will be detected earlier.
  • Communication through signing can begin earlier for those babies whose parents choose to use British Sign Language or sign communication to support spoken language.

Early Support Programme (ESP)

This is is a UK government funded programme to support the development of effective, well co-ordinated support services for disabled children under three and their families.

The programme is closely associated with two sets of guidance, which were issued by the Department for Education and Skills and the Department of Health in May 2003:

  1. Together from the Start - Practical guidance for professionals working with disabled children (birth to third birthday) and their families
  2. Developing Early Intervention/Support for Deaf Children and their Families

The aim of the Early Support Programme is to 'explore how education services, working in partnership with other agencies, can translate some of the principles set out in the guideline into effective practice and how best to promote partnership between parents and professionals in planning the delivery of these services'.

The programme will learn from and build on existing good practice, allow participants a networking opportunity to exchange details of good practice and support the improvement of services where they are not well developed. The aim is to work with service providers and service users:

  • to improve the quality and consistency of services available at local level
  • to develop robust quality assurance mechanisms
  • to ensure that families get the right support at the right time

Visit the Early Support Programme (external link, opens new browser window) website for more information.

Newborn hearing screening

Newborn hearing screening programme is now available across the UK.

Visit the Newborn Hearing Screening Programme (external link, opens new browser window) website for more information.