BETTER HEARING AND SPEECH

ECU provides dozens of free hearing, speech screenings

The ECU College of Allied Health Sciences’ Speech-Language & Hearing Clinic wanted to do more than simply raise awareness about hearing and speech problems during Better Hearing and Speech Month this year.

So on May 25, the clinic conducted speech and hearing screenings for children and adults, completely free of charge.

“Our clinic wanted to be involved in the community and offer services to residents in eastern North Carolina,” said Dr. William Eblin Jr., director of ECU’s audiology program. “I think it’s a unique opportunity to come in and have an evaluation and hopefully it makes folks aware that we’re here in the community.”

Approximately 50 people, ranging from toddlers to octogenarians, took advantage of the free screenings.

Wilson resident Kristen Edmonds said the event was a free opportunity to proactively stay on top of her hearing health.

“Going to concerts, listening to earbuds and things like that, it’s better to address it now than to wait until it’s kind of too late,” said Edmonds, a Doctor of Physical Therapy student at ECU. “It was good to hear that there’s nothing wrong or anything.”

Jenny Cahoon conducts a free speech screening at the ECU Speech-Language and Hearing Clinic on Friday, May 25, 2018.

The clinic provided speech and language screenings for children 18 months and older, including assessments of speech sounds and fluency, language skills, literacy skills, voice and resonance and social communication. Speech and language screenings for adults included assessments of speech sounds and fluency, voice and resonance, social communication and memory and cognition.

Hearing screenings for children and adults included a video ear inspection, hearing screening, free hearing aid cleanings and a tinnitus treatment station.

Four-year-old Elijah received the free screenings after his mother heard about the event on Facebook.

“He is my first born and so we’re just kind of going with the flow, not really sure what to expect and where he needs to be,” said Elijah’s mother, Courtney. “So glad to hear that he’s where he needs to be.”

The screenings were supervised by North Carolina-licensed audiologists and speech-language pathologists certified by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, which founded Better Hearing and Speech Month in 1927 to raise awareness of hearing and speech problems.

After the screenings, the patients were notified if there were concerns that may warrant additional evaluation.

“They can come back to us for a full evaluation or may choose to go somewhere else in the community,” Eblin said. “But today, it’s just pass or fail.”