The acronym CREDA stands for Educational Resource Center for Hearing Impairments. If you live in Catalonia and you are the parent or legal guardian of a deaf child or as a teacher you are in charge of children with hearing loss, you have surely heard something about CREDAs. If you want to know more information about from it that is, stay and keep reading, because we are going to explain everything you need to know: 

What exactly is a CREDA? 

  • A CREDA is a service that complements educational centers to support the development of personal, social and curricular skills of students with difficulties due to hearing loss or language and communication disorders. This service is made up of speech therapists, hearing aid specialists and educational psychologists who work in three areas: students and families, centers and teachers, educational area.

Who are CREDAs intended for?

  • Children and young people of 0-18 years old suffering from hearing loss.
  • Students of 3-12 years old with great communication and language difficulties.
  • Families of children with the above problems.
  • Educational centers and teachers of students with the above problems.
  • Teachers specialized in hearing and language (MALL).

What objective do CREDAs have?

  • Assessment and monitoring of the evolution of the child with hearing loss in relation to the audiological part, communication and linguistic ability.
  • Assessment and monitoring of psycholinguistic and educational needs of students who have serious language and communication difficulties as a result of the disorder.
  • Particular attention from a speech therapist to the infant who encounters hearing, language and/or communication upset.
  • Guidance and advice to family members of the child with serious hearing, language and/or communication difficulties.
  • Support and advice to the educational center and teachers, making available all the necessary help to adapt teaching tasks to the special needs of students with serious hearing, language and/or communication difficulties.

How can I access CREDA?

  • In order to request help from CREDA, you must go to the EAP (Psychopedagogical Counseling and Guidance Team) of the area that must assess through a formalized demand document with the necessary information to verify if the child needs speech therapy help.
  • Children from 0 to 3 years old with a diagnosis of deafness (ENT), the family, the CDIAP (Center for Child Development and Early Care) or the EAP can directly access CREDA.

Now you know a little more about what this service offers us. If you live in Catalonia and believe that your child needs help from CREDA, do not hesitate to request it if you have not done so previously. The sooner we intervene to address the problem of children with language and communication difficulties, the more effectively we can stop their cognitive delay and ensure a future like that of any other child.