By Teri Breier
As the only nonprofit 501(c)3 audiological and speech therapy clinic of its kind in the greater Los Angeles region, HEAR Center provides state-of-the-art speech and hearing services for anyone who needs it, regardless of the ability to pay. Located in Pasadena, 10 miles northeast of downtown L.A., its mission is to help people at all stages of life be active participants in the hearing and speaking world through a range of clinical, educational and philanthropic activities.
HEAR Center was founded in 1954 as the H.E.A.R. Foundation by Ciwa Griffiths, Ed. D., a national pioneer in the early identification of hearing loss, amplification with hearing aids and training of children to listen and speak from a young age. In the 64 years since then, the privately funded Center has become internationally recognized for its innovative and extensive testing and therapy programs.
Public outreach plays a key role in the nonprofit’s community engagement efforts. Information about hearing and speech disorders and hearing conservation is routinely presented by the staff at local health fairs, awareness events and wellness seminars, as well as at the clinic. But its most important and impactful initiative is the Center’s free hearing and speech screening program, which served more than 5,000 babies, children and seniors in 2017.
“Our community outreach and screening programs are very important to us, because we help identify people who might have not been able to afford hearing and speech screenings,” explains Ellen Simon, HEAR Center’s Executive Director. Since being named the organization’s third Executive Director in July 2007, she has significantly increased the scope of its free community services, while navigating major changes in the public sector support system for children with disabilities.
Mrs. Simon emphasizes, “These screenings are absolutely free for all who need them. We hope to spread this program further throughout L.A. County so we can help many more people beyond the San Gabriel Valley area with their hearing and speech concerns.”
Licensed professionals such as Audiologists, Speech-Language Pathologists, Speech-Language Pathology Assistants, and Audiometrists are sent out to conduct the free screenings at dozens of schools and pre-schools, as well as senior centers, often returning to the same locations each year. Although 95% of individuals are screened off-site, anyone may schedule an on-site screening at the clinic.
With the goal of detecting any delay that may affect the development of a child, and identifying them as early as possible, the types of free screenings provided by HEAR Center include:
- Hearing Screening
- Speech-Language Screening
- Auditory Processing Disorder (APD) Screening
Over the last six years, the HEAR Center’s free screening program has expanded from approximately 1,500 to 5,200 individuals, of which 95% are children. Approximately 10-11% of those tested may have a hearing or speech problem that requires further attention, and many then receive a free, full‐scale hearing or speech evaluation and follow-up care at the clinic.
Even among those who “fail” an initial screening, every case represents a unique condition and outcome. These real-life screening stories illustrate the wide range of situations typically encountered by licensed HEAR Center screening professionals:
- A 4-year-old at a preschool failed the hearing screening only in her right ear. When she came in for an Audiological Evaluation, the audiologist concluded that she had no usable hearing in her right ear. However, due to completely normal hearing in her left ear, she does well in school and has no other issues. The results were a shock to her mother, who was assured that her daughter will be fine. After the diagnosis, she realized sometimes her daughter would ask her to repeat things, which she didn’t view as a concern. The positive outcome is that there is a diagnosis and she is aware of it.
- Two years ago, a 5-year-old boy failed his hearing screening. Based on the Audiological Evaluation, the diagnosis was normal hearing for both ears. Because of the parent’s speech and language concerns, the child received a speech evaluation at HEAR Center’s clinic, where it was determined that he needed speech therapy. He is now 7 years old and continuing with speech therapy.
- Diana’s parents did not notice a problem with their daughter’s hearing until she failed a screening at an off-site location. After further examination at HEAR Center and treatment with a physician, Diana’s mother Mariam was moved to share her gratitude:“We are very grateful to HEAR Center! We didn’t know that our daughter Diana had a hearing problem until HEAR Center conducted a free hearing screening at her pre-school. When we took her to HEAR Center for an evaluation, we found out that she had significant hearing loss in her left ear. A subsequent visit to the Ear, Nose, and Throat doctor revealed fluid in her ear. The doctor explained that if the fluid did not drain on its own, it could lead to permanent hearing loss. Three months later, the fluid still had not drained, so the doctor inserted a tube. Now Diana hears fine! Her balance has also improved without the fluid in her ear. We hope that HEAR Center will continue to conduct free screenings at pre-schools so that more students like Diana can get the help they need.”
Although this work can be challenging, the HEAR team finds it ultimately rewarding to identify potential hearing and speech issues, which allows kids, seniors, and others to receive the care they need as soon as possible. The Center’s goal is to continue growing the screening program and to keep changing lives throughout Los Angeles County.
The HEAR Center is located at 301 E. Del Mar Blvd., Pasadena, CA 91101, 626-796-2016, www.hearcenter.org, and is open Mon.–Thur. 8:00am–6:00pm.
This article originally appeared in The Hearing Loss Californian, Spring 2018.
