On April 1st, 2025, the Trump administration announced the elimination of the Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) program.
What Is EHDI?
EHDI is a vital federal program that works with state and territorial health departments to analyze newborn hearing screening data and ensure timely follow-up and intervention for infants who are d/Deaf or hard of hearing (D/HH). It bridges communication between hospitals, pediatricians, audiologists, and families, helping ensure that no child falls through the cracks after a failed newborn hearing screen.
Without this structured, coordinated effort, families may never be contacted for follow-up testing, and children may go months or years without diagnosis or appropriate care.
Why This Matters: The Risk to Newborn Hearing Screening
The elimination of EHDI puts newborn hearing screening programs at serious risk, particularly those in underfunded or rural states that rely on federal support. Even if the screenings continue in hospitals, without EHDI infrastructure, there is no guarantee of follow-up, no coordinated care, and no accountability to ensure each baby receives timely diagnosis and services.
Before universal newborn hearing screening was established in the 1990s, children with hearing loss were often not diagnosed until age 3 or older — long after the most critical period for language development had passed.
The Critical Period for Hearing and Speech Development
The first three years of a child’s life are when the brain is most plastic and receptive to sound, language, and communication. If hearing loss is undetected and untreated during this window, the child’s speech, language, cognitive, and social development can be severely delayed.
Without EHDI, families will lose access to:
- Coordinated follow-up services
- Early audiologic diagnosis
- ENT consultation and medical management
- Access to speech-language pathology and communication options
- Educational intervention and support services
This decision is not only harmful to the children it directly affects — it will also lead to higher costs for public education, special education, and healthcare systems down the line. Early intervention saves both lives and money.
Why Full Funding Matters
For every child to receive the care they need, state-level programs must be fully funded and staffed. Audiologists, ENTs, speech-language pathologists, and educators cannot do their jobs effectively without the support and coordination EHDI provides. Cutting this program sends a clear message: the health and future of D/HH children are not a priority.
What You Can Do
If you are an audiologist, healthcare provider, educator, or parent — now is the time to act. Contact your local representatives and demand the reinstatement and full funding of the EHDI program. Share your story. Educate your community. And most importantly, fight for the future of our youngest and most vulnerable children…because every baby deserves the chance to be heard.
Below is a draft you can use to fill out and send to your local legislator:
Letter to Local Legislator
Subject: Urgent: Protect Newborn Hearing Screening and Reinstate EHDI Funding
Dear [Representative/Senator Name],
I am writing to express my deep concern regarding the recent elimination of the Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) program by the Trump administration on April 1st. This decision threatens the health, development, and future of thousands of infants born deaf or hard of hearing across our state and the country.
EHDI has been essential in helping states track and support families after newborn hearing screenings. It ensures timely follow-up testing, diagnosis, and access to critical early intervention services. The elimination of this program puts newborn screening infrastructure — and the children who rely on it — in jeopardy.
Before universal screening, children with hearing loss were often not diagnosed until 2–3 years of age or later, well beyond the critical window for speech and language development. Without early detection and support from audiologists, ENTs, SLPs, and educators, these children face lifelong impacts on learning, communication, and social development.
I urge you to advocate for the restoration of federal EHDI funding and to ensure our state programs remain fully staffed and operational. Investing in early detection is not just the right thing to do — it saves lives, reduces long-term costs, and gives every child a fair chance at success.
Thank you for your leadership and commitment to the health and well-being of our children.
Sincerely,
[Your Full Name]
[Your Title or Affiliation, if applicable]
[Your Contact Information]
