The listen foundation is committed to helping infants and children who are deaf or hard of hearing learn to listen and talk so that they may have the same opportunities as other children, regardless of their ability to pay.

With newborn infant screening now mandated across the state, hearing loss can be detected at an early age. Even very young infants with hearing loss can be fitted with hearing aids or a cochlear implant to give them access to sound. However, development of the child’s own speech and language must be nurtured by promoting and emphasizing listening and practicing speech. Our therapists specialize in the facilitation of this development.

The outcome of these therapies can mean a child developing more natural communication with the hearing world, the ability to mainstream in school classrooms, use the telephone, and even play musical instruments. But don’t take our word for it - read what former LISTEN client Amy Pogrebin has to say.

Therapies that focus on listening and speech are known as auditory-verbal, or   auditory-oral. Such therapies are guided by 10 principles.