Latest ASHA Podcast Focuses On Noise-Induced Hearing Loss And The Young Podcast Features Dr. James F. Battey Jr., Director Of National Institute On Deafness And Other Communication Disorders
(Rockville, MD - April 10, 2009) The risk of noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) among the young is the focus of a new podcast (www.asha.org/podcast) by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA).
Interviewee Dr. James F. Battey Jr., director of the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) explains what NIHL is, the risk involved, and how parents and kids can take steps to protect themselves from NIHL.
Recently, ASHA became the first organization to join NIDCD's It's a Noisy Planet: Protect Their Hearing campaign (www.noisyplanet.nidcd.nih.gov). NIDCD in turn is collaborating with ASHA's own campaign, Listen to Your Buds (www.listentoyourbuds.org), which is also devoted to NIHL and the young.
"For years, ASHA has worked hard to reduce noise-induced hearing loss in children through [its] wonderful campaign, Listen to Your Buds," Dr. Battey observed. "By collaborating with ASHA, the NIDCD hopes to extend the hearing protection message."
NIDCD's Noisy Planet encourages parents of 'tweens (children ages 8 to 12) to teach their children how to adopt healthy habits that will help protect their hearing for life.
An exciting component of the Listen to Your Buds campaign is the concert series featuring a national coalition of Parents' Choice Foundation award-winning musicians who specialize in children's music. The second Buds concert will be held on April 29 in Washington, DC, at Lisner Auditorium for nearly 1,500 local elementary school children. All coalition members have taken the "Buds" pledge, which states they will share the Buds message about safe listening with kids everywhere.
The Buds campaign also features an interactive bilingual Web site (www.listentoyourbuds.org) with educational games for kids and resources for parents and teachers, all for the purpose of instilling in the very young healthy hearing listening habits.
ASHA's podcast featuring Dr. Battey is the latest of several related to NIHL and its Buds campaign.
Listen to children's music star and Parents' Choice Gold Award winner Justin Roberts discuss the Buds campaign and why it's important for children to protect their hearing.
The leading organization in consumer electronics, the Consumer Electronics Association, also supports ASHA's efforts. Consumer Electronics Association CEO Gary Shapiro explains why the CEA is behind the safe use of personal audio devices.
Califone International, Inc., a leader in the design, development and manufacturing of audiovisual and supplemental curriculum products for use in schools is featured in another podcast. Califone International's President Roscoe Anthony discusses why they joined forces with ASHA and why it's important to spread the safe-listening message through school systems.
All podcasts can be heard in their entirety at www.asha.org/podcast.
About the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association
ASHA is the national professional, scientific, and credentialing association for more than 135,000 audiologists, speech-language pathologists, and speech, language, and hearing scientists. Audiologists specialize in preventing and assessing hearing and balance disorders as well as providing audiologic treatment including hearing aids. Speech-language pathologists identify, assess, and treat speech and language problems including swallowing disorders.
