With eartips in the ears and electrodes on the forehead and behind the ears, those electrodes record how the brain responds to the sounds.

Fort Dodge Noon Sertoma has a mission and passion to improve the quality of life for those at risk or impacted by hearing loss. The organization first started its support locally in the early 1980s purchasing hearing aids for kids. In the late 1990s, a federal law was established that required a hearing screening for all newborns. Sertoma and the AEA partnered with local hospitals to help implement that new law.The club donated the $2,200 in May.

“Nationally, our organization supports those who are impacted by, or at risk for hearing loss,” said Steve Brown, Sertoma regional director. “Our Fort Dodge Noon Sertoma supports that mission locally in many ways, including this donation for equipment, scholarships for people who are deaf and hard of hearing, people who want to become audiologists, and providing hearing aids for children as well as low income adults.”

In addition to its support of hearing services, Veteran’s Memorial Park and Backpack Buddies are two of their major projects. Noon Sertoma organizes Lights at Kennedy, which is the primary fundraiser for their projects.

-Submitted photo
Shannon DeMoss and Angela Harvey test the hearing of Caleb Wigans with his mom, Kelsey Wigans.

Prairie Lakes AEA audiologists follow the 1-3-6 practices outlined by the Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) program.

1– All newborns will be screened for hearing loss before 1 month of age.

3 — All infants who have hearing loss will be identified.

6 — All infants identified with hearing loss will receive appropriate early intervention services, such as Early ACCESS, by 6 months of age.