Sertoma Kids, Inc. to offer free hearing screenings for children on September 15

As children return to school, local nonprofit organization Sertoma Kids wants to encourage parents to take advantage of hearing screenings – as early as possible. With early screenings, any hearing deficits can be caught right away and medical and therapeutic interventions can be addressed.

In order to support families who may not have access to regular health care and screenings, or caretakers who have specific concerns about a child or children, Sertoma Kids is partnering with the Sertoma Speech & Hearing Foundation of Florida to provide free hearing screenings for area children. The foundation will be bringing its mobile audiology van to Sertoma Kids (2750 Stickney Point Rd., Ste. 210, Sarasota) on Tuesday, September 15, from 3-6 p.m. No reservations are required; families are welcome to come within that window as it’s convenient for them.

Healthy hearing is critical to ensure children are able to hit developmental milestones. Whether they’re born with hearing impairment or experience hearing loss as young children, hearing loss can negatively impact their ability to develop speech, language and social skills. Without early intervention, children may experience language, social and cognitive delays.

Should a hearing impairment be identified, medical treatment and/or pediatric speech and language therapy can help children with hearing loss to develop critical communication skills and reach their full potential.

“We can offer the most cutting-edge and thorough catalogue of therapies possible at Sertoma Kids but screenings are essential to identify impairments – and the earlier, the better,” said Pam Plank, the executive director of Sertoma Kids. “We are grateful to the Sertoma Speech and Hearing Foundation for providing this valuable service for our community.”

In 2025, the Sertoma Speech & Hearing Foundation of Florida screened over 50,000 children, provided screenings at more than 1,000 schools and early learning facilities. The organization has been serving Florida for more than 44 years.

For more information about the hearing screenings, call 941-228-1062 or email speech@sertomakids.org. To learn more about and to make a donation to Sertoma Kids, visit sertomakids.org.

About Sertoma Kids
Sertoma Kids offers treatment for speech, language, literacy, and social skills. We believe in a child-centered approach, play-based therapy combined with evidenced-based practices for the most effective treatment and success for the individual client. While a separate nonprofit, Sertoma Kids is closely affiliated with the Sertoma Club of Greater Sarasota. Visit sertomakids.org.