PASCO, WA - The ESD 123
Audiology Department has expanded to include an on-site clinic at the main ESD 123 campus in Pasco, continuing to break down barriers preventing families from accessing these services. ESD 123’s new on-site pediatric audiology clinic and partnerships are designed to provide an extra level of comfort, care, and best practices when working with younger children ages seven months to 5 years. This clinic complements the ESD’s existing mobile audiology van, which started in the 2022-23 school year and continues to provide quality services to school-age children in school districts through the ongoing partnership with the Washington Center for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Youth (CDHY).
ESD 123’s on-site Audiology clinic has the extra space for a test assistant, increasing testing validity and reliability with this younger age group, and reducing the need for follow-up testing. With the help and talent of ESD 123’s Art Expression Trauma and Resilience (A.R.T.S) Coordinator, Lisa Brouwer-Thompson, the clinic has been transformed into a warm and welcoming environment featuring interactive murals. The murals can help put children at ease compared with other clinical environments.
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With the opening of this second clinic, ESD 123’s Audiology Department has increased its clinical days to two days per week and added a Saturday clinic on select weekends. The ESD 123 Audiology department welcomed bilingual Audiologist Dr. Lydia Rosado Rogers, AuD CCC-A, to the team in January. Dr. Rogers will support the clinic and continue to serve as an educational audiologist for the Walla Walla School District. She brings well-rounded experience, having previously worked as a pediatric audiologist at Seattle Children’s Hospital and one of the significant pediatric hearing device companies.
Director of Audiological Services, Dr. Betsy Schluge, AuD CCC-A, who spearheads the project, comments, “It is so wonderful to work for an organization like ESD 123 with the resources and collaborations to reduce barriers.”
Indeed, the services provided are comprehensive. Evaluations for any child (ages 7 months - 21 years) within ESD 123’s service area continue to be offered at no cost to the family. Parents with children (7 months - 3 years) in ESD 123's service region can coordinate with ESD 123’s
Early Intervention Program for assistance navigating challenges (e.g., transportation) associated with accessing the clinic. Besides evaluations, the Audiology Department recommends, orders, and fits hearing devices for school-aged children with public insurance (e.g., Medicaid). The audiology team continues to provide educational support to D/deaf and hard-of-hearing children in their classrooms through evaluations and consultation with school district teams to understand the impact of hearing loss on listening and learning.
Should your child or someone you care for need audiological services, contact the ESD Audiology team or submit an inquiry via ESD 123’s website at
www.esd123.org/services/special_services/audiology.