Mobile Sertoma van to be available from 3 to 6 p.m. at Sertoma Kids’ Stickney Point Road location in Sarasota
As children have returned to school, leaders of the local nonprofit organization Sertoma Kids want “to encourage parents to take advantage of hearing screenings — as early as possible,” the organization has announced.
“With early screenings,” a news release points out, “any hearing deficits can be caught right away and medical and therapeutic interventions can be addressed.”
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 release continues. The Foundation will be bringing its mobile audiology van to the Sertoma Kids location (2750 Stickney Point Road, Suite 210, in Sarasota) on Tuesday, Sept. 15, from 3 to 6 p.m., the release adds. No reservations are required; families are welcome to come within that window as it is convenient for them, the release points out.
“Healthy hearing is critical to ensure children are able to hit developmental milestones,” the release explains. “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,” it adds. “Without early intervention, children may experience language, social and cognitive delays.
“Should a hearing impairment be identified,” the release continues, “medical treatment and/or pediatric speech and language therapy can help children with hearing loss develop critical communication skills and reach their full potential.” It notes.
“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, in the release.“We are grateful to the Sertoma Speech and Hearing Foundation for providing this valuable service for our community,” Plank added.
In 2025, the release notes, the Sertoma Speech & Hearing Foundation of Florida screened more than 50,000 children, providing the testing at more than 1,000 schools and early learning facilities. “The organization has been serving Florida for more than 44 years,” the release says.
For more information about the hearing screenings, call 941-228-1062 or email speech@sertomakids.org. To learn more about Sertoma Kids, visit sertomakids.org.