Skip to Main Content

​​Parent Resources

The following list of websites was compiled for parents of children newly diagnosed with hearing loss. In an effort to help direct parents to useful resources, these websites have been previewed and summarized. Information regarding hearing loss and deafness is not limited to the websites listed here; this is simply a starting point for parents to begin researching services and options.

State Resources

  • California Department of Developmental Services, Early Start Program 
    P.O. Box 944202, Sacramento, CA  94244-2020
    800-515-BABY (800-515-2229)
    E-Mail: earlystart@dds.ca.gov
    The Early Start program publishes a directory of family resource centers, regional centers, local education agencies, and other public agencies who are knowledgeable about early intervention and disabilities, and other related resources for infants and toddlers with special needs and their families.
  • California Department of Education, Deaf Education
    E-mail: nhlibokamann@cde.ca.gov
    Provides resources to parents including but not limited to: milestone guides, assessment tools, sign language videos, telecommunication services and equipment access, as well as legal explanations of the resources young children who are deaf or hard of hearing have a right to access in school.​
  • California Department of Education, Special Education Division
    Phone: (916) 445-4613
    E-Mail: specedinfoshare@cde.ca.gov
    Is responsible for developing and coordinating the provision of programs to students with special educations needs. This includes non-medical early intervention services for infants and toddlers who have a visual, hearing, or orthopedic impairment or a combination of these. Services are coordinated and provided locally through Special Education Local Planning Areas and Local Education Agencies.
  • California Department of Education: Special Education Local Plan Areas 
    515 L Street, Room 270, Sacramento, CA  95814
    Phone: (916) 445-4613
    E-Mail: specedinfoshare@cde.ca.gov
    Early intervention services (non-medical) are administered and coordinated by organizations known as special education local plan areas (SELPA).  Early intervention services are provided by local education agencies (LEA) such as school districts and county offices of education.  SELPAs and LEAs serve infants and toddlers who are not eligible for Regional Center services and who have a visual, hearing or orthopedic impairment or a combination of these.
  • California School for the Deaf, Fremont
    39350 Gallaudet Drive, Fremont, CA  94538
    Phone: (510) 248-4204 
    Videophone: (510) 248-4204 
    Fax:  (510) 794-2409
    Educational resources for families with deaf children and the community in Northern California. The school offers free, weekly online American Sign Language classes for families as well as tutoring. 
  • California School for the Deaf, Riverside
    2044 Horace Street, Riverside, CA 92506
    Phone: (951) 824-8114 
    E-Mail: info@csdr-cde.ca.gov
    Offers comprehensive educational and extra-curricular programs that prepare students to achieve their full academic, social, and career potential. The school serves deaf and hard-of-hearing students between the ages of 3 and 21 who reside in Southern California.  
  • Hearing Aid Coverage for Children Program
    California Department of Health Care Services
    Phone (Multilingual, TTY/TTD): (833) 956-2878
    E-Mail: HACCP@maximus.com
    The Hearing Aid Coverage for Children Program (HACCP) offers hearing aid coverage to eligible children and youth, ages 0-20, including supplemental coverage for applicants whose other health coverage has a limit of $1,500 or less for hearing aids. The webpage offers information on covered benefits, eligibility, and more. 
  • John Tracy Clinic 
    2160 West Adams Blvd., Los Angeles CA, 90018
    Phone: (213) 748-5481 
    TTY: (213) 747-2924
    Fax: (213) 749-1651
    E-Mail: web@jtc.org
    John Tracy Clinic provides free education, guidance, and resources for parents of young children with a hearing loss. Most resources are also available in Spanish on their website. The Clinic's free services for families are supported entirely by grants and donations.​

National Organizations

  • Academy of Doctors of Audiology 
    1024 Capital Center Drive, Suite 205 Frankfort, KY 40601
    Phone: (866) 493-5544 (Toll Free)
    E-mail: info@audiologist.org
    The Academy of Doctors of Audiology offers parents a variety of resources for learning about hearing loss, understanding the qualifications of audiologists, and understanding the services audiologists provide. The Patient Resources webpage maintains a list of audiologists nationwide as well as a list of frequently asked questions and answers. 
  • Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing 
    3417 Volta Place NW, Washington, DC 20007-2778
    Phone/TTY/TDD: (202) 337-5220
    E-Mail: info@agbell.org 
    Alexander Graham Bell Association works globally to empower individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing, providing support for them to listen, speak, and thrive. Their membership is free for families that have someone experiencing hearing loss and includes a resource library, financial support, and professional guidance from certified therapists and parents who have navigated the hearing loss world. 
  • American Hearing Research Foundation 
    4055 W. Peterson Ave., Suite 105 Chicago, IL 60646-6183 
    Phone: (773) 747-7280  
    Supports medical research and education in the causes, prevention, and cures of deafness, hearing losses, and balance disorders. Keeps physicians and the public informed on the latest developments in hearing research and education.
  • American Society for Deaf Children
    P.O. Box 23
    Woodbine, MD  21797
    Phone/TTY/TDD: 1-800-942-2732
    E-Mail: info@deafchildren.org
    The American Society for Deaf Children (ASDC) is the oldest national organization founded by and governed by parents of deaf children. The organization provides mentoring, advocacy, collaborative networks, and more. They offer many free resources like American Sign Language posters and help with navigating Individualized Education Plans. 
  • BEGINNINGS 
    156-A Wind Chime Court, Raleigh, NC 27615 
    Phone/TTY: (919) 715-4092
    Fax: (919) 715-4093 
    Serves parents of children who are deaf or hard of hearing, works with professionals who help those children and their families, and offers information geared toward children's questions about hearing loss. The website hosts many free resources for parents, professionals, and children, including a video series for parents learning how to communicate with their child who has a hearing loss. 
  • Better Hearing
    1301 K Street NW, Suite 300W, Washington DC, 20005 
    Phone: (202) 975-0905 
    Nonprofit educational organization that implements national public information programs on hearing loss and the available types of assistance.
  • Captioned Media Program: National Association of the Deaf
    1447 East Main Street, Spartanburg, SC 29307
    Phone: (800) 237-6213
    TTY/TDD: (800) 237-6819
    Fax: (800) 538-5636
    E-Mail: info@cfv.org
    Provides free loan services of open-captioned media for deaf and hard of hearing persons, teachers, parents, and others. Materials include videos (pre-school through college level-on a variety of topics (classical movies and special interest topics).
  • Center for Hearing and Communication
    50 Broadway, 6th Floor, New York, NY 10004
    Although the centers only offer services at their physical locations, online they have several useful interactive tools to learn about hearing aids, their accessories, and hearing assistive technology. You can ask an expert about any of the topics listed on their site for free.  
  • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 
    Phone: (800) 232-4636
    Provides resources and information related to the detection and management of hearing impairment at an early age. The Hearing Loss in Children Resources page offers free, downloadable packets covering a range of topics from questions to ask doctors to decision guides for communication choices.  The Act Early page provides free materials to help track children's development and what to do if concerned about a child's development. 
  • Easterseals
    141 W Jackson Blvd, Suite 1400A, Chicago, IL 60604 
    Phone: (800) 221-6827 
    E-Mail: info@easter-seals.org
    Provides early intervention services, support groups, equipment loans, information, and referrals. They offer several local offices in California that you can find using their Find Your Easterseals tool as well as a search tool to find free or reduced-cost services by zip code (scroll to the bottom of the Contact Us page to find the search tool). 
  • Families Resource Center on Disabilities 
    11 E. Adams St. Suite 615, Chicago, IL 60603
    Phone: (312) 939-3513
    TTY/TDD: (312) 939-3519
    Fax: (312) 939-7297
    E-Mail: info@frcd.org
    Provides parents with assistance, referrals, information, training, and support services to advocate for children with disabilities. 
  • Hearing First
    E-mail: info@hearingfirst.org
    Awareness, education, and community are the focus of Hearing First. Their completely free online resources include a library of actionable tips and guides for parents, webinars, podcasts, eBooks, educational courses, and family support communities.
  • Hearing Health Foundation
    Phone: (212) 257-6140
    TTY: (888) 435-6104
    Fax: (212) 599-0039
    E-Mail: info@hhf.org
    The mission of Hearing Health Foundation (HHF) is to prevent and cure hearing loss and tinnitus through groundbreaking research and to promote hearing health. HHF is the largest nonprofit funder of hearing and balance research in the U.S. and a leader in driving new innovations and treatments for people with hearing loss, tinnitus, and other hearing and balance disorders.​
  • Hearing Loss Association of America (HLAA)
    6116 Executive Blvd., Suite 320 Rockville, MD 20852
    Phone: (301) 657-2248
    E-Mail: inquiries@hearingloss.org
    Educational organization promoting the awareness and information about hearing loss, communication, assistive devices, and communication skills through publications, exhibits, and social support. They have communities in over 120 cities across the U.S. where peer support and strategies are shared in-person. Find the nearest community using their Find a Local Chapter feature. 

  • National Association of the Deaf (NAD)
    8630 Fenton Street, Suite 202 Silver Spring, MD 20910 
    Videophone: 301-587-1788 (Purple/ZVRS) 301-328-1443 (Sorenson) 301-338-6380 (Convo)
    TTY: (301) 810-3182 
    Fax: (301) 587-1791
    E-Mail: nad.info@nad.org  
    The oldest and one of the largest consumer organizations advocating for equal access by people who are deaf or hard of hearing in the areas of employment, education, telecommunications, and rehabilitation. The association offers an extensive amount of educational resources for learning American Sign Language. They also have sample advocacy letters for navigating the school system, the legal system, visiting entertainment venues and more. 
  • National Center for Hearing Assessment and Management (NCHAM) 
    Utah State University, 2880 Old Main Hill, Logan, UT 84322
    Phone: (435) 797-3584
    Hosts a searchable national directory to help families find pediatric audiology expertise for children and interactive resources for parents learning to support listening and spoken language development. ​
  • National Center on Deafblindness 
    141 Middle Neck Road Sands Point, NY 11050 
    Phone: 1-(516) 366-0047 
    E-Mail: support@nationaldb.org 
    A network of partners for children and youth who are deafblind (from birth through 21 years old). The center provides links to a wide variety of resources—factsheets, websites, articles, videos—for families, service providers, and anyone else involved in the life of a child with deafblindness. 
  • National Cued Speech Association 
    P.O. Box 2733 Fairfax, VA 22031-2733
    E-Mail: info@cuedspeech.org
    Provides advocacy and support regarding use of cued speech for deaf and hard of hearing people of all ages, their families and friends, and professionals who work with them. The association hosts the Deaf Children's Literacy Project which provides free resources like individualized mentorship, collaboration with state early intervention agencies, and downloadable cued speech toolkits.
  • National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research 
    400 Maryland Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20202-2572
    Phone: (202) 205-8134
    TTY/TDD: (202) 205-4475
    Fax: (202) 205-8515
    Provides support for disability rehabilitation research and disseminates information about rehabilitation methods and technology for individuals with disabilities.
  • Parent to Parent USA
    P.O. Box 472 State College, PA 16804 
    Links families nationally whose children have special health care needs. Provides information, resource, and referrals. Encourages participation in parent programs and disability organizations. They offer a membership for families that includes learning portals, parent handbooks, webinar recordings, and more.  
  • Zero to Three
    2445 M Street NW Suite 600 Washington, DC 20037
    Phone: (202) 638-1144 
    Offers early childhood trainings and resources to address the most critical issues impacting babies and toddlers. Promotes the social, emotional, cognitive, and physical development of children zero to three years. 

Additional Resources

  • ASL Access 
    Hosts a prolific list of resources for learning American Sign Language (ASL) online as well as ASL tools that can help navigate social media and the web. They also provide a collection of ASL art, history, and reviews. 
  • The Care Notebook (English)(Spanish)
    The Care Notebook is an outstanding organizer for families who have children with special needs. Families use the notebook to keep track of important information about their child's health and care. The best part is the whole thing can be downloaded for free!
  • Center For Early Intervention on Deafness
    Center for Early Intervention on Deafness (CEID) is a California nonprofit organization serving families who reside throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. They provide a home visit program, deaf coaching, family events, and more.
  • Hands and Voices 
    Hands and Voices is a parent driven, non-profit organization dedicated to providing unbiased support to families with children who are deaf or hard of hearing. We provide support activities and information concerning deaf and hard of hearing issues to parents and professionals that may include outreach events, educational seminars, advocacy, lobbying efforts, parent to parent networking, and a newsletter. 
  • Laurent Clerc National Deaf Education Center 
    This center develops and disseminates innovative curricula, instructional techniques, and products nationwide while providing information, training, and technical assistance for parents and professionals to meet the needs of deaf and hard of hearing students from birth to age 21. 
  • LEAD-K Family Services
    Offers support for families specifically during the first 5 years of deaf and hard of hearing children's development. Their website features services to find Early Start programs by school district, local events and workshops as well as free educational resources to download.
  • Listen-Up!
    A collection of testimonials and resources from families with children who are deaf or hard of hearing. 
  • My Baby's Hearing 
    Provides parents with information regarding hearing screenings and walks them through the process if their child has a diagnosed hearing loss. They have guides for how to parent a child who is deaf or hard of hearing, how to prepare them for school, and how to support the child's language acquisition. 
  • NorCal Services for Deaf and Hard of Hearing
    This is a wide-ranging agency that provides advocacy, employment assistance, access to education, and interpretation services for the deaf and hard of hearing of all ages across Northern California.
  • S.E.E. Center 
    The SEE (Signing Exact English) Center is a nonprofit organization that works with parents and educators of deaf or hard of hearing children. The website offers a number of resources including sign skill workshops in-person and online, an online visual dictionary, as well as general information about deafness and communication. 
  • Social Media and Online Communities
    The University of California San Francisco hosts a collection of national hearing loss support websites ranging from hearing aid and cochlear implant manufacturer-specific communities to general help forums.
  • Special Needs Project 
    This website showcases a massive, searchable database of Special Needs recreational activities, therapists, schools, and more. ​

Last modified date: 6/24/2025 3:21 PM