Idaho State University’s IHEAR Program Expands Training Pipeline for Early Intervention Providers

Idaho State University is taking bold steps to address the national shortage of highly qualified professionals serving young children who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing (DHH). Through two competitive awards from the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP), the Idaho Hearing Education and Aural Rehabilitation (IHEAR) program is preparing the next generation of specialists in speech-language pathology, audiology, and special education. 

Launched in 2023, the IHEAR program is designed to prepare 42 graduate-level providers with advanced expertise in family-centered early intervention. To date, two audiologists and one speech-language pathologist have graduated from the program. One audiologist is serving pediatric patients in Meridian; the speech-language pathologist is serving children in Pocatello. Currently, 24 students are enrolled in the IHEAR Program across speech-language pathology, audiology, and special education disciplines, spanning ISU’s Meridian and Pocatello campuses, as well as online cohorts nationwide. To further expand student opportunities, ISU has proposed a new IHEAR certificate program, currently pending approval, which aims to help meet the national shortage of specialized providers in this field.

A hallmark of IHEAR is its emphasis on the family experience. Since newborn hearing screening focuses on identifying children with hearing differences as early as possible, IHEAR integrates training that helps future providers understand and prioritize family perspectives and values. This is strengthened through a partnership with ISU’s Helping Adults Talk to Children (HATCH) Family Support Services, which connects students directly with families navigating newborn hearing screening and any follow-up services. 

Emily, a mom of a 3-year-old with a hearing difference, spoke on her experiences with the program, saying, “The ISU team has been nothing short of life-changing for our family over the past three years of our daughter’s hearing loss journey. Their expertise, resources, and dedication to her hearing and language development have been invaluable—but what has meant the most is their constant encouragement and unwavering support during the hardest and most uncertain moments. They’ve given us the knowledge and confidence to advocate for our daughter, connected us with other families who truly understand, and reminded us time and again that we are never alone in this journey. I honestly cannot imagine walking through these past three years without their compassion, guidance, and steadfast presence.”

IHEAR’s partnership with HATCH also helps future providers to empower and provide support to families who may not have had any experience with DHH children before. One of the family's grandmothers, Colene Letterle (Grandma, RN, NCSN-E, MEd), had this to say about the program: “I’m the hearing grandmother of a profoundly deaf child, the only person in our family with a hearing difference. We’ve participated in the Idaho State University Toddler/Preschool groups for two years and have felt so valued, supported and encouraged by the program. It’s rewarding to be part of this mutually beneficial program, which allows the college level students to learn, using real-world examples of children with actual listening, spoken language and American Sign Language needs. The program benefits not only the students and my granddaughter, but also myself (as one of her caregivers) and her parents who learn valuable ways to interact with our child at home, to continue to grow her listening and language abilities. It’s always a comfort to caregivers and parents to know the programs you choose to involve your child in are top notch, research tested and at the forefront of the science on your child’s needs. Learning how to care for and parent a child with hearing loss doesn’t come naturally and we are so appreciative for the genuine concern of and access to experts in this field.”

HATCH has developed innovative ways to ensure families can access support regardless of geography, including collaborations with national organizations. Notably, HATCH’s partnership with the American-Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) led to the Lantern HEAR text-based messaging service, which recently earned the prestigious ASAE Summit Award. The messaging service is a tool for families with hearing concerns that provides free resources and information, backed by families and experts in the field.