The Hearing and Speech Clinic at Children's Mercy provides extraordinary care for diagnostics, early intervention, short-term treatment, teaching, and research. We are dedicated to giving exceptional care through the latest evidence-based practices and procedures, supported by state-of-the-art technology. 

Audiology

The Audiology Program is part of the Hearing and Speech Clinic at Children's Mercy.

Audiology is a part of science that works with hearing, balance and related problems. Audiologists are health care workers who diagnose, manage and treat hearing problems.

Speech-language pathology

The Hearing and Speech Clinic at Children's Mercy provides evaluations, consultations, parent counseling and therapies for children with communication or feeding/swallowing disorders.

A care plan is created based on the evaluation. Parents are asked to observe therapy sessions to learn how to help their children practice at home.

Does my child need a referral?

Many insurance plans need a physician's referral. Keep in mind that state programs and Medicaid plans must approve a child's outpatient visits.

The Hearing and Speech Clinic does not require a referral to see a child, unless the child's insurance company requires the child to have one. It is important for a family to check their insurance coverage. 

Rhyming to Reading: a phonological awareness and early literacy program

Rhyming to Reading is a program designed to teach young children, ages 4-6, early literacy skills such as rhyming, print awareness, the sounds letters make and how to sound out words. 

Rhyming to Reading classes are taught at Children's Mercy where parents have the opportunity to watch and learn how to do pre-reading activities at home.

The Rhyming to Reading curriculum is available to purchase in a DVD format for teachers, speech-language pathologists and parents.