The New Mexico School for the Deaf hosted a ribbon cutting alongside Expert Hearing Care for a new facility to test hearing in Las Cruces.
The center is designed to help identify early signs that an infant is having a hard time hearing. Prior to this facility opening up, parents in Las Cruces and the surrounding areas would have to travel as far as Albuquerque to receive care.
One parent, Maribel Grijalva, was one of the first to have her child tested at the facility and said not having to make the drive was a huge weight off and the staff helped make the process manageable.
“I currently do not have a car but we do have a helper that helps us out and it is very helpful,” Grijalva said.
This is one of many locations opening up across the state, including in Artesia, Hobbs, Santa Fe and Gallup. The process works by first screening the infant for trouble hearing at the hospital after they are born. If they are shown to have signs of hearing loss, they are then taken to a facility like this one where their brain waves are measured while they sleep and sounds are played.
Superintendent for the New Mexico School for the Deaf Dr. Jennifer Herbold said that helping identify hearing issues early is key to a child's development. She spoke with us through a sign language interpreter.
“We know that a lot of research shows that when you have early access to language you can thrive at the same trajectory as other children who can hear typical language at typical levels. If you get that language late you can be delayed for a very long time and sometimes you cannot make that time up,” Dr. Herbold said.
Dr. Herbold said that through facilities like this and educational support, children can receive assistance until they are 22 years old.
