A hearing loss diagnosis can be scary and overwhelming for parents of infants and toddlers. That’s why Bright by Text, the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) and the Helping Adults Talk to Children (HATCH) Lab at Idaho State University have teamed up.

Any parent with a child ages 0-3 concerned about their child’s hearing can now text the word HEAR to 274 448 to receive free text messages, in English or Spanish, to help them navigate a hearing loss diagnosis.

In the United States, 3 out of every 1,000 babies are born with a detectable level of hearing loss in one or both ears. More than 90% of deaf children are born to parents who hear, which can make the news of a hearing loss very unexpected. It is critical that all families with a child who is deaf or hard of hearing have access to clear, accurate information that explains the communication options for their child and how they can best support their child’s development.

Left unaddressed in infants and toddlers, hearing loss (even a mild hearing loss) can lead to delays in speech, language, and cognitive development. The HEAR program aims to empower parents with information; connect them to professionals and peers for services and support; and help them to feel confident about the future for their child and family.

Learn more at brightbytext.org.