PASCO, WA – Educational Service District (ESD) 123 is excited to announce the launch of a mobile audiology clinic for children experiencing hearing loss in southeastern Washington. The mobile clinic, provided in partnership with the Washington Center for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Youth (CDHY), will meet the need for increased access to pediatric audiological services by bringing comprehensive hearing evaluations and treatment to schools in 23 school districts across the region.
Due to a shortage of pediatric audiologists who accept public health insurance, getting timely diagnosis and intervention for deaf and hard of hearing children can be challenging for families in eastern Washington. The ESD 123 mobile audiology clinic aims to relieve the bottleneck restricting access to care for those families and children.
School districts in the ESD 123 region with students on an active Section 504 or Individualized Education Program (IEP) plan will have access to utilize the mobile clinic for continuing audiology services at no cost. Initial comprehensive hearing evaluations for newly identified students are also available at cost to districts should the student not have access to an audiologist. Families interested in audiology services can submit an inquiry through the ESD’s Audiology web form or request a referral from their medical provider.
Beginning in April, the mobile clinic will be available Monday through Wednesday to travel to schools and community sites as requested. On Thursdays, the clinic will be stationed at the ESD 123 main campus at 3924 West Court Street in Pasco, with the exception of one Thursday each month when it will travel to different locations across the region.
More information on audiology services at ESD 123 can be found at www.esd123.org/services/special_services/audiology or by contacting Molly Curtiss, Director of Communication, at 509.544.5787 or mcurtiss@esd123.org.
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About ESD 123: Educational Service District 123, based in Pasco, WA, is one of nine ESDs in Washington. Dedicated to delivering collaborative solutions that promote learning, ESD 123 serves 23 school districts in seven counties of Southeastern Washington. Under Superintendent Steve McCullough and its board of directors, this legislatively mandated, not-for-profit educational organization provides efficiency of educational systems and equity of learning opportunities for over 70,000 Washington students. For more information about ESD 123, please call 509-544-5700 or 888-547-8441 or visit www.esd123.org.