Hearing Services

• Here at Anderson-Oconee Speech & Hearing, we work diligently to counteract the ongoing dilemmas surrounding hearing loss. We provide follow-up services for newborns referred to us from hospital screenings, and work to achieve success in just six months. We are the only agency in Anderson County that serves hearing and speech impairments in the same center to children.  We continuously consult physicians regarding medical involvement and school administration to address the needs of the child in the classroom.

  Communication is the basis of our world – we must work to preserve it!
  
  Children:

  In an era where communication is essential to achieving success in all aspects of our lives, hearing loss resides as the #1 birth defect in newborns. In fact, nationally 1 in every 22 infants born experiences some degree of hearing loss while 1:1,000 cases are severe. According to recent studies, about 4,360 children under the age of 18 suffers from hearing deficits, while 3,938 of these cases appear to have significant impacts educationally. Although these hearing problems generally inhibit the abilities of students in their studies of reading and mathematics, the impact transfers to all aspects of the students academic experience. These students are found to achieve 1-4 grade levels lower than unaffected peers, and the gap in academic achievement is only expected to widen as the child progresses through school.

• If it is determined that a hearing aid is needed for a child we refer parents to a program Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs (CYSHCN) to apply for assistance with hearing aids.  The contact phone number for this program is 864-372-3064.  An application will need to be filled out and they will assist you with any other requirements for this program.

  Adults:

  Like with children, the vast need for adult assistance in regard to speech and hearing difficulties cannot be over looked. As our population grows increasingly older, and our expected life time continues to increase, we must realize hearing loss is the 3rd most common chronic condition in the older population and is not slowing down. In Anderson County alone, 13,125 people above the age of 65 suffer some degree of hearing loss, while 19,950 people between the ages of 18 & 64 experience speech, language and/or hearing problems.

  An ounce of prevention is really worth more than a pound of cure!

  Hearing Programs

• We offer services in cooperation with Vocational Rehabilitation to improve vocational viability.  Contact your local Vocational Rehabilitation office to see if you qualify for services.
• Anderson, SC 864-224-6391
• Oconee, SC 864-882-7169
•  Online link to SC Vocational Rehabilitation  https://scvrd.net/

STARKEY CARES

Starkey was founded on the principle of helping others and at the core of our culture is providing a more robust and equitable life experience to those who are hearing impaired.  Put simply, we believe everyone deserves hearing health. This is why we created Neighbors in Need, which is a program that provides hearing aids for only the cost of an application fee.

Starkey is committed to working with you, our neighbor, to help you find the hearing health you
deserve! For more information and to find a partner near you, go to starkey.com/starkeycares
or call (855) 686-2202.

SAFEEars!…to hear the future

In 2003, SAFEEars! became Sertoma’s National Service Project. More than 115 Sertoma clubs participated in the first year, and today there are over 200 clubs participating. Clubs participate by giving away kits at health fairs, talking to elementary schools, giving hearing screenings, and more.

The annual SAFEears!  Program is conducted by the Anderson-Oconee Clinic with help from Sertoma volunteers. In May, which is National Better Hearing and Speech Month, the clinic gives free screenings, education, and donated earplugs to people in the area at malls and other public places.

SAFEEars! was developed as a way to spread information about how to protect your hearing. According to Dr. Dick Brandon, director of Anderson-Oconee Speech and Hearing, Noise pollution is the Number One cause of hearing loss in adults. We reach over 10,000 people each year and help them understand how to better protect their hearing.

For more information, visit Sertoma SAFEears! webpage

If you reside in the state of SC and are deaf or hard of hearing you qualify for an amplified telephone or other products that help you live life more comfortably.  Visit     http://scedp.sc.gov/ to receive information.