Sunshine Cottage is proud to announce an intensive multicultural community awareness campaign to educate parents about the importance of detecting hearing loss in their babies, help families of children with hearing loss find the most appropriate intervention services, and improve knowledge within the medical community about children with hearing impairment. Can Your Baby Hear?/Puede Oîr Su Bebe? educates, empowers, and encourages the community to support early detection of hearing impairment and intervention services when necessary.

Each year about 700-1,200 San Antonio area infants fail the required hospital hearing screening and need a follow-up diagnostic evaluation to determine whether a hearing impairment is present. Among local providers it is estimated that at least half of the babies who fail the hospital screening do not receive the follow-up testing needed.

In addition to educating physicians and parents on the importance of early detection of hearing loss, we are collaborating with a state-wide tracking system that directly refers babies from hospitals so that an appointment can be made for follow-up testing at our Newborn Hearing and Evaluation Center before the baby is discharged. Tests to be administered by one of our certified audiologists include Auditory Brainstem Response, Otoacoustic Emissions, Tympanogram, and Acoustic Reflex Test. Our bilingual staff is available to accommodate the multicultural community.

Collaborations have been established with the San Antonio Library Foundation's Born to Read Program, the Metropolitan Health District, area hospitals, early childhood intervention agencies and The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio.

Sponsors include Texas Capital Bank, Union Pacific and the San Antonio Area Foundation, among others. We will be unveiling our billboards and other promotional items at our Open House on Monday, September 19 at 9 a.m. The National Association of the Deaf recognizes the last full week in September as Deaf Awareness Week.

Dr. Fernando Guerra, San Antonio Metropolitan Health District Director and Awareness Spokesperson, will be a guest speaker. Also in attendance will be State Representative Joe Straus, and the Spurs Coyote.

Interviews are available with audiologists, parents and alumni, who have been affected by deafness themselves, or have a child or student who is deaf. Learn about Cochlear Implants and other assistive hearing devices.

Student's posters will be hung throughout the school hallways, proclaiming "I Can Hear."

Other events planned this week and throughout the year:

• Friday, September 23, 8:45 a.m.
  Jerry Galt, President of Harcourt Assessment, will present a check at Sunshine Cottage.  Harcourt's contribution to the Loaner Hearing Aid Program helps families of young children, ages six months to three years, who have been diagnosed with a hearing loss. Through the Reed Cares Challenge, Harcourt employees will be volunteering at Sunshine Cottage during this school year. PHOTO OPP
• Sunshine Cottage participates in the Valero Texas Open. Deaf professional golfer, Kevin Hall accepts invitation to play at the Valero Texas Open. September 19-25
• Sunshine Cottage student's hand-illustrated holiday cards on-sale at www.sunshinecottage.org
• Community Service Projects planned with Incarnate Word Retirement facility and Golden Manor Nursing Home.
• 5-10K Run planned for Spring 2006
• Outreach Educational Luncheons/Seminars-2006
• Poetry Festival, Spring 2006
  

For information:  Please call Sara Rosales at (210) 366-4150, or e-mail her at srosales@sunshinecottage.org.