Watson Coleman: “I am pleased to submit the Better Hearing and Speech Month Resolution with my friend and colleague Senator Joseph…”

“I am pleased to submit the Better Hearing and Speech Month Resolution with my friend and colleague Senator Joseph Lieberman of Connecticut. By passing this resolution, Congress will recognize May 2005 as National Better Hearing and Speech Month which will help raise public awareness, encourage prevention and treatment of hearing impairments, and commend those States that have implemented routine hearing screening for every newborn baby before the infant leaves the hospital. One in every ten Americans has hearing loss making it one of the most prevalent chronic health conditions in this country. In addition, every day 33 babies are born in the United States with permanent hearing loss, making it one of the most frequently occurring birth defects. The impact of delayed detection and intervention can last a lifetime. When hearing loss is found early, intervention and treatment can produce dramatic improvements in child speech and language development by school age. This Resolution will raise public awareness of the 28 million Americans who suffer from hearing loss and the importance of early detection and treatment. I look forward to working with my colleagues to pass this Resolution as research shows that children identified with hearing loss early and those who receive appropriate early qualified intervention by the age of six months have significantly improved speech skills than children whose hearing loss is identified later. ____________________”