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Sound Start Babies

Sound Start Babies

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A Sound Start for Babies with hearing loss

Welcome to Sound Start Babies!

Helping babies and toddlers get the Sound Start they need

The mission of Sound Start Babies is to ensure that infants and toddlers identified with hearing loss and their families receive the highest quality, research validated educational services provided by individuals who are selected for their knowledge and sensitivity in meeting the varied needs of the children and families they serve.  The program offers a range of services and communication options respecting family choice and unique child characteristics.  The goal of the program is for children with hearing loss to develop language, speech, and communication skills commensurate with those of hearing peers and for their parents and other caregivers to have the information and strategies to foster this development throughout childhood.

What We Do

Home & Community

We provide specialized services for your child and family in your home or in other community settings.

Learn More about Home & Community

Nursery Classrooms

The only program of its kind in New Jersey, the Sound Start Babies Nursery provides an opportunity for toddlers with and without hearing loss to learn together in either Listening and Spoken Language or Total Communication classrooms.

Learn More about nursery classrooms

Additional Services

Sound Start Babies Program offers research supported services, incorporating new technologies and strategies designed to provide continuity of care both during and beyond your early intervention journey.

Learn More about additional services

Learn More about What We Do

Who We Are

The Sound Start Babies Program team is a group of parent infant specialists from a range of disciplines each of whom has specialized training and experience in working with very young children with hearing loss.

Learn More about Who We Are

Sound Start Foundation

Sound Start Foundation was founded in 1996. It was born out of the need for high-quality early intervention services for babies and toddlers with hearing loss in New Jersey.  Sound Start Foundation’s mission is to support educational and therapeutic programs to help babies and toddlers with hearing loss, and their families, lead full and successful lives.

 Learn More

Helpful Information

It’s important to us at Sound Start Babies Program to share our resources.  It is our hope that, together, we can help as many babies with hearing loss and their families as possible.

Learn More

Get Involved

If you have time, talent, or resources to share, we’d love to hear from you!

Get Involved

Contact Us

Our caring team of early intervention specialists is available to answer your questions and provide you with further information.   

Contact Us

What Parents are Saying

We cannot say enough positive things about Sound Start Babies. We will be lifelong fans and supporters. The best thing about Sound Start was that it got our daughter communicating. When she began, she could only speak three words. Within a few months she was using hundreds of signs. And shortly thereafter, she said mama  for the first time. Sound Start’s programming provided all the supports necessary to help her make unbelievable progress. She grew more than we could have ever hoped, and left the program developmentally on track when it came to her language.

Scott

Sound Start Babies Parent

I am so happy with how my son has developed this year at Sound Start Babies.  He began the school year with few words and now speaks in full sentences and even some sign language.  I’m most happy with how he has developed a level of empathy this year through the play-based learning he experienced at Sound Start.

Caitlin

Sound Start Babies Parent

soundstartbabies

NJ nonprofit providing life-changing early intervention, family support and nursery programs to infants and toddlers with hearing loss.

Has the suspense been driving you crazy?! Last wee Has the suspense been driving you crazy?! Last week's "guess who" baby was the one and only Ms. Andrea! 

Has anyone gotten them all correct? Who will be next?!

#GuessWho #HearingLoss #OurAwesomeTeam #njnonprofit
Looking for some fun new activity ideas? Here are Looking for some fun new activity ideas? Here are three great "fun in the sun" activities sure to engage your child and support language development. 

Water, water everywhere! Send us your photos if you decide to try them out at home! 

#waterplay #funinthesun #toddleractivities #languagedevelopment #listeningandspokenlanguage #asl #hearingloss #earlyintervention #summer #njnonprofit #mountainlakes #earlyintervention
Our Babies are Magic, but so is our BOARD!! This Our Babies are Magic, but so is our BOARD!! 

This group gives so much of their time, resources, and expertise to make Sound Start Babies the organization that it is today. They are truly a working board, rolling up their sleeves and making the magic happen. On behalf of the entire SSB community, thank you for making our mission a priority and for all you do. 

From L-R: Rick Kalfayan, Jessica Griffin, Rita Mozer, Ann Ryan, Laura McKirdy, Tom Olson, Stephanie Deyo, Alex Mitchell, Jack Gentul, Lindsay Boitel, Yana Garger, and Jonathan Weizman. Not pictured: Dan Borgo, Kate Stahl and Marge Solomon

If you want to learn more about our Board, including opportunities to get involved, please reach out. We'd love to hear from you! 

#NJnonprofit #BoardofTrustees #nonprofitleadership #mountainlakesnj #morriscounty #newjersey #hearingloss #volunteers #volunteerleaders #joinus
Happy FRIDAY!! Our water babies wish you a wonderf Happy FRIDAY!! Our water babies wish you a wonderful summer weekend. ☀️ 🏖️ 🦀
Do you have any water-themed books to add to the l Do you have any water-themed books to add to the list? Please share them with us in the comments! Bonus points for a photo of your little one reading. Summer is a perfect time to visit the library, share books with friends, or dig out books at the back of the bookshelf. Happy reading! 

Bonus joke: What happens when you get water on a table?....It becomes a pool table!!

#toddlerbooks #readingrocks #preschool #publiclibrary #toddlers #preschool #hearingloss #summerreading  @mtnlakeslibrary
Research has shown that a baby needs to hear 30,00 Research has shown that a baby needs to hear 30,000 words (not from TV or radio) each day for optimal development. The back-and-forth verbal interactions you have with your child are the most important, and this technology is able to capture them. 

Working with LENA has been an integral part of our program and a powerful tool for working with infants and toddlers with hearing loss. In fact, a recent grant from Morristown Rotary is funding upgrades to the DLPs and a year's subscription to the program. We're so grateful for their support and incredible proud to work with LENA.

The quote you see from Ms. Kayley is an excerpt from a case study about how Sound Start Babies uses LENA technology. Check it out!  https://www.lena.org/resources/blog-posts/sound-start-babies-case-study/

What else would you like to know about LENA and the DLPs? What would you share about your family's experience with LENA?

@MORRISTOWN ROTARY CLUB @rotary.club.of.morristown.nj @lenaearlytalk #hearingloss #earlyintervention #zerotothree #languagedevelopment #speechlanguagepathology #listeningandspokenlanguage #conversationalturns #njnonprofit
"HEAR-o" of the Year appreciation post! Last mont "HEAR-o" of the Year appreciation post!

Last month, we honored Cathy Mitchell as our 2025 HEAR-o of the Year. She has been an exemplary advocate, supporter and friend and we're so lucky to have her as part of the Sound Start Babies family. 

Senator Bucco, Assemblywoman Dunn and Assemblyman Barranco even facilitated a joint legislative resolution celebrating Cathy, "a highly esteemed resident of the Garden State," and "beloved member and leader within her Mountain Lakes community."

"The Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey are pleased to acknowledge Cathy Mitchell upon this felicitous occasion and commend her steadfast efforts advancing the Sound Start mission, which have secured for her a sterling reputation and  and abiding appreciation of a grateful citizenry." 

Congratulations again and thank you, thank you, thank you to Cathy and the entire Mitchell family! 

#hearooftheyear #senate #njassembly #senatorbucco #assemblywomandunn #assemblymanbarranco #mountainlakes @Borough of Mountain Lakes @mtnlakes_nj @northjerseynews NorthJersey.com #nj #morriscounty #volunteers #hearingloss @njmonthly #earlyintervention @newjerseysha
Who guessed correctly on the first two posts? Here Who guessed correctly on the first two posts? Here's a new one for you!

GUESS WHO- Sound Start Babies Edition!

Does this smile look familiar to you? Share your guesses in the comments. 

#guesswho #soundstartbabies #hearingloss #earlyintervention #nurseryprogram #newjersey
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