Assistive Listening Devices include several different items including hearing aids, personal FM systems, sound-field systems, and even "smart" classrooms.
Did you know that Kentucky Law states that health benefit plans have to cover the cost of hearing aids and cochlear implants for persons under the age of 18? Check out the links below to find out more.
A health benefit plan shall provide coverage, subject to all applicable copayments, coinsurance, deductibles, and out-of-pocket limits, for the full cost of one (1) hearing aid per hearing-impaired ear up to one thousand four hundred dollars ($1,400) every thirty-six (36) months for hearing aids for insured individuals under eighteen (18) years of age and all related services which shall be prescribed by an audiologist licensed under KRS Chapter 334A and dispensed by an audiologist or hearing instrument specialist licensed under KRS Chapter 334. The insured may choose a higher priced hearing aid and may pay the difference in cost above the one thousand four hundred dollar ($1,400) limit as provided in this section without any financial or contractual penalty to the insured or to the provider of the hearing aid.
Hearing aids - http://www.lrc.ky.gov/Statutes/statute.aspx?id=17367
Cochlear implants - http://www.lrc.ky.gov/Statutes/statute.aspx?id=17366
It is a good idea to check the hearing aid every day to make sure that it is working properly and that the student is getting the most benefit from it that he can.
FM amplification systems transmit the teacher's voice directly to the student at a constant level, insuring that the teacher's voice is heard above the level of background noise, regardless of the teacher's distance from the student. There are many different models and types of FM systems to choose from
What is the Kentucky Assistive Technology Solutions Network (KATS-Network)?
The KATS Network is federally funded under the Assistive Technology Act of 1998, as amended in 2004. Administratively, the KATS Network is housed within the Kentucky Office of Vocational Rehabilitation, Program Policy & Support Branch, Support/ Systems Section.
The KATS Network’s mission is to make assistive technology (AT) information, devices, and services easily obtainable for people of any age and/or disability.
The Buck Starts Here: A Guide to Assistive Technology for Funding in Kentucky - The funding guide is designed to help state agency personnel, service providers, individuals with disabilities, and their family members to solve the funding maze of getting assistive technology in Kentucky.
CARAT- Coordinating and Assisting the Re-Use of Assistive Technology in Kentucky