EHDI Providers

Newborn Hearing Screening Requirements in Georgia

All birthing hospitals and healthcare facilities in Georgia must follow Rule 511-5-5, which requires newborn hearing screening using one of these automated methods:

• Automated Auditory Brainstem Response (aABR)
• Automated Otoacoustic Emission (aOAE)

These methods automatically measure hearing and do not require the screener to interpret results.

Hospitals are required to report hearing screening results to DPH. For an overview of reporting methods, please review the Newborn Screening Policy and Procedure Manual  (PDF, 3.22 MB) .

Training for Hearing Screeners

Two free training options are available to help staff learn newborn hearing screening procedures and improve screening quality:

• Georgia Newborn Hearing Screening Training – Developed by Georgia audiologists and offered through Cox Campus.
• NCHAM Newborn Hearing Screening Curriculum – A national online course designed to standardize newborn hearing screening and follow-up. 

Role of the Medical Home

The medical home plays an important role in making sure every baby gets timely hearing screening, follow-up, and care.

Key Responsibilities:

• Review results of each baby’s newborn hearing screening from the birthing facility.
• Make sure every baby has at least one hearing screening by 1 month of age, or a repeat screening if the baby did not pass the first one.
• Refer babies who do not pass a repeat screening for a diagnostic hearing test by 3 months of age.
• After a diagnosis of permanent hearing loss, refer the child to early intervention, ENT (ear, nose, and throat doctor), ophthalmologist, and genetics as needed.
• Watch for signs of hearing loss in children who passed their newborn screening. Refer for testing if there are speech delays, developmental concerns, or parent concerns—hearing loss can develop at any age.

To find a provider or health department that offers repeat or diagnostic hearing testing, visit the Audiology Provider Map, created and managed by Georgia Mobile Audiology.

Providers who perform follow-up hearing screenings must report results to the Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH).
Results can be submitted through SendSS or by faxing a completed Newborn Hearing Screening Results and Recommendation Form.   (PDF, 358.54 KB)

Professional Resources

• National AAP website- EHDI Page
• National Center of Medical Home Initiatives for Children with Special Needs 

Mandatory Reporting

Audiologists must report all follow-up screening and diagnostic test results for babies who did not pass their newborn hearing screening in both ears within 7 days of the evaluation.
Results can be submitted through the SendSS Audiology Portal.

Audiologists who do not have SendSS access should contact their local EHDI Coordinator for the district where the family lives or complete the Surveillance of Hearing Loss Form  (PDF, 248.35 KB) and fax it to 404-657-2773 or email it to [email protected].

Reporting is also required for any child up to age 5 when hearing loss is first confirmed or suspected to be permanent. This must be reported within 7 days of diagnosis.

Professional Resources

• Mandatory Audiology Reporting in Georgia Learning Module
• Joint Committee on Infant Hearing-2019 Position Statement
• Audiologic Guidelines for the Assessment of Hearing in Infants and Young Children
• American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) Policy documents for educational/pediatric audiologists

Georgia Hearing Aid Loaner Bank (GA HALB)

The Georgia Hearing Aid Loaner Bank (GA HALB) provides temporary hearing aids for children birth through 36 months who need short-term amplification.

• Each child may receive a one-time loan for up to 6 months.
• There are no financial eligibility requirements.
• Each loan includes one earmold per hearing aid.

To request a loaner hearing aid:

1. The fitting audiologist must send the child’s audiometric evaluation and medical clearance from an ENT.
2. The caregiver must complete an application and agreement form.
3. All documents should be sent to the EHDI District Coordinator.

The goal of GA HALB is to help families while waiting for permanent hearing aids through insurance or other funding sources.

For more information or to request an application, contact the local EHDI Coordinator for the district where the family lives.

Policies, Procedures & Resources

• Natural Environments for Infants and Toddlers Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing and their Families (ASHA-CED)
• The SLP and Early Intervention with Infants and Toddlers with Hearing Loss
• Newborn Hearing Screening
• Permanent Childhood Hearing Loss
• Early Intervention
• Childhood Hearing Screening

Assessment and Standards Tools

• Georgia Early Learning and Development Standards
• Suggested Scales of Development and Assessment Tools