Infant Hearing Program (IHP)

A referral is required for all child hearing services.

Referrals for Audiology Services, Family Support, and Communication Development Support can be submitted by community audiologists, physicians, caregivers, and other professionals.

Referrals for Newborn Hearing Screenings can be submitted by

Newborn Hearing Screening

This service is appropriate for you and your child if:

You live in Toronto

Your child is between 0 and 2 months old

Audiology Services, Family Support & Communication Development Support

These services are appropriate for you and your child if:

• You live in Toronto
• Your child is between 0 and 6 years old
• Your child has permanent hearing loss

If your baby is identified with permanent hearing loss by an audiologist who is not part of the Infant Hearing Program, please obtain a copy of the audiological assessment report and contact the Toronto Infant Hearing Program at 416-925-5141 ext. 2529 Your child would be eligible until they are six years of age to receive provincially-funded supports and services through the Toronto Infant Hearing Program.

Services are offered at multiple community-based agencies across Toronto. We will refer you to find the closest location near you during.

During the recent labour disruption at Surrey Place, the Infant Hearing Program was operating at significantly reduced clinical capacity. As a result, some previously scheduled hearing appointments were cancelled.

The Infant Hearing Program is now working through the backlog of appointment requests, including previously cancelled appointments. Families will be contacted as appointment times become available.

The Infant Hearing Program appointments are currently available by booking request only.

Please submit a "Request Without Booking" through the online booking system.

A confirmation email will be sent to you with a reference number, please keep this. We are working through appointment requests and will contact families when an appointment becomes available. Requests will be prioritized based on factors such as the baby’s age and clinical risk factors.

No. If you have already submitted a request without booking, there is no need to submit multiple requests or call the Infant Hearing Program to check the status of your request.

Our team is working through requests based on age and clinical priority and will contact you when an appointment becomes available.

Please use the confirmation email you received when your appointment was booked. The email includes a reference number and a link to cancel your appointment.

If you use the cancellation link, you do not need to call us to cancel your appointment. Once your appointment has been cancelled, you will receive a confirmation email at the email address you provided when booking. This email will confirm that your appointment has been “unbooked.” Please check your junk or spam.

Newborn hearing screening is available for babies up to 8 weeks of age. If your baby was unable to receive a newborn hearing screening within this timeframe because of the recent service disruption, a modified hearing screening may be arranged through the Infant Hearing Program.

If your baby is not yet 8 weeks old:

Please register your baby by submitting a "Request Without Booking" through the online booking system before they turn 8 weeks old. This will allow us to contact you to arrange a modified hearing screening appointment once your baby is over 8 weeks old and an appointment becomes available.

If your baby is already over 8 weeks old:

If your baby was not registered before turning 8 weeks old, they are not eligible for a modified hearing screening appointment through this process. Modified hearing screening appointments will be offered based on age and clinical priority as spaces become available.

A modified hearing screening is designed for older infants and is performed by an Audiologist. While it differs slightly from the standard newborn hearing screening, it remains a quick, safe and effective way to assess your baby’s hearing and determine whether follow-up is needed.

If you have concerns about the timing of your baby’s screening, would prefer not to wait, or missed the 8-week registration deadline, you may also choose to access private audiology services in your community. Fees are typically $50–$200, although costs vary by clinic. We recommend contacting clinics directly to confirm fees and availability.

To find an audiologist with experience working with infants, visit the College of Audiologists and Speech-Language Pathologists of Ontario website.

Due to the backlog of appointment requests following the recent labour disruption, there may be longer-than-usual wait times for an appointment.

We are working through requests as appointment times become available. Because appointment availability and clinical needs can vary, we are unable to provide a specific timeline for when an individual appointment will be scheduled.

Requests are prioritized based on factors such as the baby’s age and clinical risk factors. Families will be contacted when an appointment becomes available.