Babies, children, and school
Newborn hearing screens, early intervention, school services, specialist teachers, and schools for the blind and Deaf.
My baby did not pass a hearing screen
- Get the follow-up hearing test right away, ideally before your baby is 1 month old.
- If your baby is Deaf or hard of hearing, get a full diagnosis by 3 months.
- Start early intervention by 6 months. Learn about all your language options, including ASL and spoken language.
These are the national 1-3-6 goals. Some states now aim for 1-2-3. Your state's Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) program can help.
Babies and vision
If you are worried about how your baby sees, ask your pediatrician for a referral to a pediatric eye doctor. Early intervention includes vision services.
Early intervention
Every state offers free early intervention for children under 3, including services from teachers of the Deaf and teachers of students with visual impairments. You can ask for an evaluation yourself.
School
- Through an IEP, your child can get a teacher of students with visual impairments, orientation and mobility, braille, a teacher of the Deaf, interpreters, captioning, and technology.
- Medicaid must cover glasses, hearing aids, and other medically necessary care for children under 21.
- Students with print disabilities can get free accessible books from Bookshare and NLS.
- More on IEPs and school rights at IDD Atlas.
Schools for the blind and Deaf
Most states have a public school for the blind and a public school for the Deaf, many with outreach services for students in local schools.
Family support
Hands and Voices
Parent-to-parent support for families with Deaf and hard of hearing children.
State deafblind projects
Help for children who have both vision and hearing loss, from birth through 21.
Parent Centers
Every state has a free Parent Center for school questions.
American Printing House
Educational materials in braille, large print, and audio. Call 800-223-1839.
Last reviewed: October 2026. Laws, dollar amounts, and program rules change. Check with the agency named on this page before you make a decision. Report outdated or wrong information.