PDF edition - Alexander Graham Bell Association

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VOICES
A l e x a n d e r G r a h a m B e l l A s s o c i at i o n f o r t h e D e a f a n d Ha r d o f H e a r i n g
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W W W. AGBELL .ORG • VOL 18, ISSUE 6
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Learn more about Amigo Arc:
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November/december 2011
VOLUME 18
ISS U E 6
12
VOICES
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26
Departments
Features
Voices from AG Bell
12
3Your Go-To Resource
Take an inside look at AG Bell’s Leadership Opportunities for Teens
(LOFT) program with this photo essay of the 2011 class of LOFTees.
38 Conversations with Alex Graham
20
Tips for Parents
26
Hear Our Voices
VERSIÓN EN ESPAÑOL
2 Want to Write for Volta Voices?
56
List of Advertisers
Collaborative Efforts, Creative Solutions: Working Together on Your Child’s IEP
Read how parents and professionals can work together to create a
successful Individualized Education Program (IEP).
In Every Issue
Directory of Services
By Melody Felzien
By Susan Boswell, CAE, and Sarah Stern
44 Meet Kai Kraus
46
College Transitions
Hear advice from current students on strategies for a successful
transition from high school to college.
42 Raising Kai
6 Soundbites
LOFT 2011: Changing Lives, One Teen at a Time
By Wendy Will and Ken Levinson
4Hear Their Voices
5 voices Contributors
42
32
Esfuerzos colaborativos, soluciones creativas: Trabajando juntos en el PEI de su niño
Por Susan Boswell, CAE, y Sarah Stern
Lea cómo los padres y profesionales pueden trabajar juntos para
crear un exitoso Programa de Educación Individualizada (PEI).
Alex ander
Graham
Bell
A s s o c i a t i o n f o r t h e D e a f a n d Ha r d o f H e a r i n g
3417 volta pl ace, nw, was hington, dc 20 0 07 • w w w. agbell .org
V
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VOICES
Advocating Independence
through Listening and Talking
— Adopted by the Alexander Graham Bell Association
for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing
Board of Directors, November 8, 1998
Ale x ander Gr aham Bell
As sociation for the Deaf
and Hard of Hearing
3417 Volta Place, NW, Washington, DC 20007
www.agbell.org | voice 202.337.5220
tty 202.337.5221 | fax 202.337.8314
Volta Voices Staff
Editor
Melody Felzien
Manager of Advertising and Exhibit Sales
Garrett W. Yates, CEM
Director of Communications and Marketing
Susan Boswell, CAE
Design and Layout
EEI Communications
AG Bell Board of Directors
President
Kathleen S. Treni (NJ)
President-Elect
Donald M. Goldberg, Ph.D.,
LSLS Cert. AVT (OH)
Secretary-Treasurer
Meredith K. Knueve, Esq. (OH)
Immediate Past President
John R. “Jay” Wyant (MN)
Executive Director/CEO
Alexander T. Graham (VA)
Corrine Altman (NV)
Christine Anthony, M.B.A. (IL)
Rachel Arfa, Esq. (WI)
Holly Clark (DC)
Wendy Ban Deters, M.S., CCC-SLP (IL)
Cheryl Dickson, M.Ed., LSLS Cert. AVT
(Australia)
Catharine McNally (VA)
Ted Meyer, M.D., Ph.D. (SC)
Want to Write for Volta
Voices?
Volta Voices?
Submissions to Volta Voices
Volta Voices welcomes submissions from
both AG Bell members and nonmembers.
The magazine is published six times
annually. Its audience consists of individuals
who are deaf or hard of hearing, parents
of children who are deaf or hard of hearing
and professionals in fields related to
hearing loss (audiology, speech-language
pathology, psychology, otology, social
services, education).
Visit the Volta Voices page at www.agbell.org
for submission guidelines and to submit
content.
Subjects of Interest
nTechnology – related to hearing loss,
new technology, improvements to or
problems with existing technology, or
how people are using existing technology,
accommodations.
nEducation – related to public or private
schools through post-secondary education,
new approaches and teaching methods,
legal implications and issues, etc.
nAdvocacy – information on legislation,
hearing health, special or mainstream
education, and accessibility.
nHealth – audiology issues relating to
children or adults with hearing loss and/or
their families and friends.
Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and
Hard of Hearing cannot issue or disseminate
reprints, authorize copying by individuals
and libraries, or authorize indexing and
abstracting services to use material from
the magazine.
Art Submission Guidelines
Volta Voices prefers digital images over original
artwork. When submitting electronic files,
please provide them in the following formats:
TIF, EPS or JPG (no BMP or GIF images). Digital
images must be at least 300 dpi (at size).
nAction – stories about people with hearing
loss who use spoken language as their
primary mode of communication; deafness
need not be the focal point of the article.
Submit Articles/Items to:
Volta Voices
Alexander Graham Bell Association for the
Deaf and Hard of Hearing
3417 Volta Place, NW • Washington, DC 20007
Email: editor@agbell.org
Submit online at www.agbell.org
Editorial Guidelines
The periodicals department reserves the
right to edit material to fit the style and tone
of Volta Voices and the space available.
Articles are selected on a space-available
and relevancy basis; submission of materials
is not a guarantee of use.
Transfer of Copyright
The revised copyright law, which went into
effect in January 1978, provides that from
the time a manuscript is written, statutory
copyright is vested with the author(s). All
authors whose articles have been accepted
for publication in Volta Voices are requested
to transfer copyright of their articles to AG
Bell prior to publication. This copyright can
be transferred only by written agreement.
Without copyright ownership, the Alexander
V
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VOICES
Letters to the Editor
Let us know how we are doing. Write a Letter to the
Editor, and you could see your comment in the next issue.
Media Kit
Visit www.agbell.org and select “About AG Bell”
for advertising information.
Volta Voices (ISSN 1074-8016) is published six times a year in J/F, M/A, M/J, J/A, S/O and N/D. Periodicals postage is paid at Washington, DC, and other additional offices. Copyright
©2011 by the Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Inc., 3417 Volta Pl., NW, Washington, DC 20007. Postmaster: Send address changes to Volta Voices,
Subscription Department, 3417 Volta Pl., NW, Washington, DC 20007, 202/337-5220 (voice) or 202/337-5221 (TTY).
Claims for undelivered issues must be made within 4 months of publication. Volta Voices is sent to all members of the association. Yearly individual membership dues are $50. Volta Voices
comprises $30 of membership dues. Subscriptions for schools, libraries and institutions are $105 domestic and $125 international (postage included in both prices). Back issues, when
available, are $7.50 plus shipping and handling.
Articles published in Volta Voices do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing.
Acceptance of advertising by Volta Voices does not constitute endorsement of the advertiser, their products or services, nor does Volta Voices make any claims or guarantees as to the
accuracy or validity of the advertisers’ offer.
PUBLICATIONS MAIL AGREEMENT NO. 40624074
Return Undeliverable Canadian Addresses to:
P.O. Box 503, RPO West Beaver Creek, Richmond Hill, ON L4B 4R6
On the cover: This special issue features the voices of AG Bell’s children and teens. Photo credits: Catharine McNally; Chris Ammann, capastudio.com;
and AG Bell’s families.
VOICES FROM AG BELL
Your Go-To Resource
F
or over 120 years, AG Bell has
provided resources and support for
individuals with hearing loss, their
families and the professionals that
work with them. And while the technology available and methods of conveying
information have changed drastically over
the years, the underlying mission of AG
Bell has not wavered.
These days, I am often struck by
how AG Bell’s mission of Advocating
Independence through Listening and
Talking has never been more relevant.
Revolutionary advances in technology
have been a game-changer, early detection is giving parents the information
they need from the start to help their
children thrive, and early intervention is
leading to better outcomes for children
who are deaf or hard of hearing. In this
time of tremendous change in our field,
I truly believe that AG Bell is the “go-to”
place for information and resources on
working with children who are deaf or
hard of hearing and learning to listen and
use spoken language, as well as a source
of support for their families.
Founded in 1890, AG Bell has a long,
rich organizational history of being a
resource for families, adults and professionals when few other resources existed.
Staff would correspond with parents,
mailing them hand-written letters of
support and lending books and information at a time when very little was known
or understood about the possibility of a
listening and spoken language outcome.
Now, with email, publications such as
Volta Voices and the AG Bell website, this
information and support is more easily
attainable. At this juncture, AG Bell is
planning to leverage the Internet to make
our resources even more widely available.
I am beyond excited to share with you
that in May 2012, AG Bell will launch
the Listening and Spoken Language
Knowledge Center – an online resource
for parents, professionals and adults with
hearing loss who are committed to a
listening and spoken language outcome.
The Knowledge Center is yet another
game changer. Providing materials in
both English and Spanish, it will provide
parents the peace of mind that their children will reach their potential, and it will
offer professionals seeking more information new intervention strategies and
resources. Not only can the Knowledge
Center be accessed on a laptop or
desktop, but it is being developed with a
mobile device strategy in mind, making
it accessible and compatible with any
mobile device, anywhere, at any time.
The Knowledge Center will offer parents information about each age and stage
of their child’s development, allowing
parents to follow along with us as their
child develops and progresses through
life. It will also provide professionals
with information on listening and spoken
language development and the nine
domains of knowledge that are the core
competencies for professional certification. Adults who are deaf or hard of hearing will find helpful information about
living with hearing loss and a community
in which they can grow and share. With
all of this information easily accessible,
the Listening and Spoken Language
Knowledge Center will be about as “goto” as it gets!
To help develop this resource, we’ve
gathered a range of members from all
facets of the organization to help us
with content and strategy. At a meeting
this past August, the Knowledge Center
Advisory Committee kicked off its work.
Committee members brought a wealth of
perspectives and expertise to the project
as they discussed a wide range of topics,
including potential audiences, online
engagement and the different ways in
VOLTA VOICES • NOVEMBER /DECEMBER 201 1 which they use online information. All
of this will help AG Bell create a go-to
resource for parents, professionals and
adults with hearing loss. In the coming months, the committee will review
content and provide input on the technical features of the website. Committee
members include Catharine McNally
(chair), Jeff Campagna, Tina Childress,
Ashley Garber, Kevin Miller, Susan
Pollack, Jenna Voss and Carianne Muse.
According to Miller, “The Knowledge
Center is a terrific idea and a great
move forward to incorporating modern
technology with the wealth of resources
AG Bell has to offer. I’m excited to work
with this committee to create an innovative online resource for anyone interested
in listening and spoken language.” Look
for more information on the Knowledge
Center in the coming months!
If you would like to be involved
in helping AG Bell develop this
new resource, please contact me at
info@agbell.org. We welcome your
feedback on how to make The Knowledge
Center the best resource it can be.
Sincerely,
Kathleen Treni
President
QUESTIONS?
C O MMEN T S ?
C O N C ERN S ?
Write to us:
AG Bell
3417 Volta Place, NW
Washington, DC
20007
Or email us:
editor@agbell.org
Or online:
www.agbell.org/VoltaVoices
3
EDITOR’S NOTE
Hear Their Voices
T
his edition of Volta Voices is
dedicated to giving a voice to
the children and teens with
hearing loss AG Bell interacts
with on a daily basis. By providing their
stories, in their words, we hope you will
be inspired and encouraged in your daily
pursuits to support listening and spoken
language opportunities.
First, we introduce you to the
Leadership Opportunities for Teens
(LOFT) Class of 2011. This photo essay
gives insight into the LOFT program,
its impact and why it is consistently
the most popular program AG Bell
offers. Parents should note that the
deadline for applications for LOFT
2012 is Feb. 1, 2012; information
and an application are available from
www.agbell.org. Next, we share a discussion with three current college students
on the joys and trials of transitioning
into a post-secondary school setting.
You’ll want to hear their perspectives on
searching for and applying to college as
a student with hearing loss.
Throughout this issue you will see
update letters to AG Bell from financial aid recipients. The stories of these
children and teens will highlight how
amazing these kids really are and how
access to a listening and spoken language
outcome has provided opportunities for
them to thrive.
We also offer two regular columns
from two sides of the table. In “Tips for
Parents,” you will hear from Lindsay
DuBois and Alan Kraus on their experience raising their son, Kai. In “Hear
Our Voices,” Kai offers his perspective
on growing up with a hearing loss and
insight into how he is enjoying college life
in New York City.
We also offer some sound advice on
the Individualized Education Program
(IEP) process. Parents and professionals
share what it takes to collaborate successfully when advocating for a student’s
IEP. And, finally, in this edition of
Conversations, Alex Graham talks with
Tina Childress, an audiologist, adult with
hearing loss and a major contributor to
AG Bell’s developing Knowledge Center.
Thank you for reading. In preparation for the soon-to-launch Knowledge
Center (see AG Bell President Kathleen
Treni’s column for more detail), we have
developed a two-year editorial calendar.
I encourage you to visit www.agbell.org/
VoltaVoices to view scheduled content for
upcoming issues. If you or a colleague are
interested in contributing, please email
me at editor@agbell.org with your comments and suggestions.
Best regards,
Melody Felzien
Editor, Volta Voices
editor@agbell.org
Letter to the Editor
Inaccuracies in the Australian Report,
Volta Voices July/August 2011 Edition
The National Association of Australian
Teachers of the Deaf (NAATD) is an
advocacy body for Teachers of the Deaf
throughout Australia. We noted your
international edition of Volta Voices in
July/August 2011 and were very interested in the range of services provided
around the world.
We are concerned that the Australian
report contained three inaccuracies that
we would like to highlight:
1. The report suggested that much of
the work in promoting listening and spoken language opportunities for children
with hearing loss is conducted by the
not-for-profit sector. We wish to clarify
4
that government education departments
around Australia provide early intervention services by qualified teachers of the
deaf who provide support to children
and their families across the language
continuum. Families can choose to access
support from a range of organizations
around Australia, with programs being
managed equally by government departments and [programs that sit within] the
not-for-profit sector.
2. Although the report correctly
states that the University of Southern
Queensland offers a professional certificate program for auditory-verbal
therapists in Australia, we wish to
clarify that it is not the only program.
The RIDBC Renwick Centre in Sydney,
NSW, also offers a certificate program as
part of its Master of Education (Hearing
Impairment) program in affiliation with
the University of Newcastle. This course
is available to professionals as an internal
or external study program to students
throughout Australia.
3. Australia provides audiological
assessments and hearing devices for all
children under 26 years of age at no cost.
The national committee hopes that you
publish this in your next edition to ensure
that international bodies have a clearer
picture of services around Australia.
Kind regards,
Trudy Smith, B.Sp.Ed. (HI),
M.Ed.,LSLS Cert. AVT
Chairperson, NAATD
VOLTA VOICES • NOVEMBER/ DECEMBER 201 1
Voices contributors
Susan Boswell, CAE,
co-author of
“Collaborative Efforts,
Creative Solutions,” is
the director of communications and marketing
for AG Bell and a
long-time member. Boswell received a
bachelor’s degree from the University of
Wisconsin-Milwaukee with majors in
mass communications (journalism) and
psychology. Boswell was hard of hearing
and became deaf as a teenager; she
received a cochlear implant in 2002. She
can be contacted at sboswell@agbell.org.
Lindsay DuBois-Kraus, co-author of
“Raising Kai,” is a licensed clinical social
worker. She was born in Brazil but raised
primarily in the United States, and speaks
both English and Portuguese. DuBois is
semi-retired from social work and has been
engaged in real estate since 2005.
Alexander T. Graham,
author of
“Conversations,” is the
executive director of AG
Bell. He has a bachelor’s
degree from Lynchburg
College in Lynchburg,
Va., and masters’ degrees in organizational
effectiveness and business administration
from Marymount University in Arlington,
Va. His late mother had a hearing loss as
a result of a childhood illness. He can be
contacted at agraham@agbell.org.
Alan Kraus, co-author of “Raising Kai,”
was born in Brooklyn, N.Y., and has lived
in the Hudson Valley since 1972. He is a
retired social worker who also had a career
in public mental health.
Ken Levinson, coauthor of “LOFT 2011,”
is a CPA and a partner in
a CPA firm in San
Francisco, Calif.
Levinson is currently the
president of the board of
the Jean Weingarten Peninsula Oral
School for the Deaf, a past president of
the Alexander Graham Bell Association
for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing and
has current and past service on boards of
many other organizations. He received
the Honors of the Association from AG
Bell at the 2006 Biennial Convention in
Pittsburgh, Penn.
Sarah Stern, co-author
of “Collaborative Efforts,
Creative Solutions,”
graduated from
Georgetown University
in 2011 with a double
major in Chinese and
Spanish. She is currently studying Chinese
and American Studies at the HopkinsNanjing Center in Nanjing, China. She
interned at AG Bell in summer 2011.
Wendy Will, co-author
of “LOFT 2011,” is AG
Bell’s youth and family
programs manager. Prior
to joining AG Bell in
November 2002, she
enjoyed a long career in
fundraising for the health care industry.
She has a bachelor’s degree in communications from Southwestern Adventist
College. Will can be reached at
wwill@agbell.org
Upcoming coUrses/events
The University of Southern Mississippi
(Hattiesburg, Miss.)

A phonetic, multisensory approach to teaching
language and speech to children with hearing
loss, language disorders, severe speech disorders
and dyslexia
AA/EOE/ADAI
16th Annual DuBard Symposium:
Dyslexia and Related Disorders
February 2-3, 2012
 Missing Links in Academics
April 12-13, 2012
We offer customized
programs at your site.
ASHA CEUs available
IMSLEC accredited
601.266.5223
www.usm.edu/dubard
E-mail: dubard@usm.edu
Like us on Facebook.
UC 65452.5215 9.11
VOLTA VOICES • NOVEMBER /DECEMBER 201 1 5
SOUND
NEWS BITES
New Back-to-School
Web Resources!
Parents and teachers will find a new
section of the AG Bell website dedicated to providing back-to-school
resources for children with hearing
loss who are attending a mainstream
school. Share this free resource with
your colleagues and/or families who
have students with hearing loss of all
ages. Highlights include self-advocacy
strategies, making the transition to the
mainstream, and advice from professionals. In this interactive section of
the AG Bell website, you’ll find videos,
downloadable resources, articles,
checklists, discussion forums and
a must-have products guide. Visit
www.agbell.org to access these
invaluable resources.
AG Bell Academy Announces
New Online Course
Are you or a colleague interested in
becoming a Listening and Spoken
Language Specialist (LSLS™) certified
professional? The AG Bell Academy
for Listening and Spoken Language
announces a new free online course
for professionals seeking the LSLS
certification, LSLS mentors and
anyone else interested in the prerequisites to sit for the LSLS examination. This 30-minute webinar explains
the requirements and application
process to achieve the LSLS certification, and contains feedback to some
of the most frequently asked questions
from applicants. Completion of this
program also awards 0.5 Academy
approved continuing education units
to users. Visit www.agbellacademy.org
to access the AG Bell learning system
and register for the free program.
6
Recent Article Highlights
Bullying of Individuals
with Disabilities
Pediatrics journal recently published
a study examining the incidences of
bullying among students with disabilities. Researchers found that students
with disabilities or health issues are
more likely to be bullied than their
classmates. According to the study,
“children with special health care
needs had lower motivation to do well
in school, more disruptive behaviors
and more frequent experiences as a
bully victim. They experienced significantly lower academic achievement,
as measured by grades, standardized
testing and parental-assessed academic
performance.” As part of a solution,
the authors suggest more schools
implement anti-bullying programs
and mental health counseling. Go to
http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/
content/early/2011/07/21/peds.20103347.full.pdf+html to read the full article
(the full text is free).
New Book Looks at
Impact of CIs
“Listening Closely: A Journey to Bilateral
Hearing” is a look into the impact of
hearing loss and cochlear implants from
the in-depth perspective of the author,
Arlene Romoff, a late-deafened adult.
Incorporating humor and clinical accuracy,
this book delves into the impact of hearing
loss through Romoff’s everyday activities.
Written in real time, Romoff describes the
emotional impact of her return to the world
of sound with a cochlear implant (CI),
then being plunged back into silence with
a device failure, how newer technology
improves functioning, the thought process
leading to bilateral CI surgery, and the
Connect with AG Bell and Our Community
Have you found AG Bell at our social media spaces yet? We have multiple
ways to stay in touch as well as connect other members of the AG Bell community in the social media world.
We have two ways to connect via Facebook. Becoming a Fan of our Facebook Page will give you access to the latest updates and news at AG Bell.
You will get the insight into new features on our website, convention news,
emerging trends to follow and much more. “Like” us at www.facebook.com/
AGBellCommunity.
From our Fan Page, you can also access our Facebook Group, which has a
different focus than our Page. Our Group is a closed community where you
can connect with other members of the AG Bell community in a safe environment. Ask questions of fellow parents and professionals, discuss a difficult
decision or share a fun story. This is a closed Group, and you will need to
select the join button for approval.
And of course we are also on Twitter! Another way to stay connected with AG
Bell, our Twitter feed will feature the latest news in the listening and spoken
language community. Follow us @AGBellAssoc.
We look forward to see you in the social world!
BITES
surprising psychosocial and behavioral
impacts of bilateral hearing – including
delayed turning to sound and reflexive
responses to sounds of danger. Visit
www.charlesbridge.com to learn more or
purchase the book.
AG Bell Monograph
Highlights Compelling
Strategic Analysis of State
EHDI Programs
The latest issue of The Volta Review
presents the findings of a groundbreaking analysis that applies a widely
used business strategic planning tool
to gain new insights into the strengths,
weaknesses, opportunities and threats
of U.S. early hearing detection and
VOLTA VOICES • NOVEMBER /DECEMBER 201 1 intervention (EHDI) programs across
the nation. The results provide a guideline for strengthening EHDI systems in
each state to provide comprehensive
care to infants and young children
with hearing loss. To download a free
summary of the monograph, visit
www.agbell.org/TheVoltaReview.
Study Assesses
Pediatric Diagnostic
Hearing Practices
On July 15, the American Journal of
Audiology published “Early Hearing
Detection and Intervention: Diagnostic
Hearing Assessment Practices,” which
reviewed practice patterns for infant
diagnostic hearing services at pediatric
Compiled by:
Melody Felzien
audiology facilities. The results suggest
that it is difficult for stakeholders to
identify pediatric audiology facilities
that serve infants less than 6 months
of age. Results also revealed variability
among facilities in test batteries and
wait times for an appointment.
Saliva Effective in
Screening for CMV
Infection in Newborns
Research published in June 2 edition of
the New England Journal of Medicine
finds that swabbing a newborn’s mouth
7
SOUND BITES
CHAPTERS
for saliva can be used to quickly and
effectively screen for cytomegalovirus
(CMV) infection, a leading cause of
hearing loss in children. CMV is the
most common infection passed from a
mother to her unborn child. The multicenter research project, led by University
of Alabama (UAB) researchers Suresh
Boppana, M.D., and Karen Fowler,
Ph.D., was seeking to find the most
effective screening test for CMV infection in newborns. They found that saliva
correctly identified every baby born with
the infection when liquid samples were
used and 97.4 percent of babies when
the samples were dried. The researchers
are now looking to find out how much
congenital CMV infection contributes to
overall hearing loss at birth and between
the ages of 3 ½ to 4 years old.
On Sept. 17, the AG Bell Colorado Chapter, in concert with The Listen Foundation, Colorado Hands & Voices and Rosie’s Ranch, held its second annual
Members’ Meeting at Rosie’s Ranch. The chapter started the day by approving
the new slate of board members and executive officers. Next Dr. Lisa Cannon,
an audiologist for Denver Public Schools, audiology coordinator for the Colorado
Department of Education, and former Chapter webmaster, was presented with
the LaFawn Biddle Award for her tireless advocacy efforts for students with hearing loss. LaFawn Biddle, charter member, attended the event and personally presented an engraved clock to Dr. Cannon. Dr. Anu Sharma, researcher from the
University of Colorado, presented her most recent findings about brain plasticity
and cochlear implants to parents and professionals. Children were entertained
by a variety of activities that culminated with pony rides. The Colorado Chapter
plans for at least one more family event in the fall and will conduct parent surveys
in preparation for its Parent Advocacy Training initiative during 2012.
This summer was a very busy time for the AG Bell Michigan Chapter. The
chapter participated in the Hearing Loss Association of America’s Southeast
Michigan “Walk 4 Hearing” in late May. The team raised over $800 – thank you
to all who participated! The Summer Splash Picnic on July 9 was an enjoyable
and relaxing event. Members of the Western Wayne County and the Downriver
Chapters of the Hearing Loss Association of Michigan came out to support
the chapter and enjoy a beautiful day of summer fun – visiting with old friends
and making new ones, a picnic lunch and the opportunity to network with
others involved with hearing loss. The 24th Annual Summer Camp was held
July 17-29 at the YMCA Storer Camp near Jackson, Mich. We had 18 campers
attend and almost every camper had a scholarship due to the generosity of
donors and our fundraising efforts. Organizing this camp takes a tremendous
amount of work and dedication every year. The chapter wishes to thank the
Summer Camp Committee – Heather Van DeSteene, Mark Reeve and Sid
Kraizman – and the amazing 2011 Summer Camp staff – Meredith Rizor, Sonya
Fritz and Elisabeth McCourt. The chapter is also planning its Biennial Fall Conference Nov. 11, 2011, featuring Teresa Caraway and offering AG Bell Academy
LSLS™ CEUs. Join us in meeting a charitable challenge: if 300 attendees
participate in this conference, MI AG Bell will receive a $1,500 donation from a
manufacturer’s foundation. Please visit www.miagbell.org to learn more. Also
note the brand new website design!
raised nearly $11,000 for the Colorado
Neurological Institute’s (CNI) Cochlear
Implant Assistance Program.
The members of The Deaf Club raised money
for children to receive cochlear implants.
AAP’s PEHDIC Program
Now on Facebook
The American Academy of Pediatrics’
(AAP) Program to Enhance the Health
& Development of Infants & Children
(PEHDIC), a five-year cooperative agreement with the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention and the National Center
on Birth Defects and Developmental
Suzanne Labry
Teens’ Benefit Raises
$11,000 for Charity
A group of teens from Austin, Texas,
pulled together to raise funds to provide
cochlear implants for children who may
otherwise be unable to afford them. The
teens, who call themselves The Deaf
Club, have all benefitted from the use
of cochlear implants. Recognizing the
impact of cochlear implants on their lives
and being aware of the prohibitive cost
of the procedure for those who don’t
have insurance, several members of The
Deaf Club started talking about ways
to help others receive the same benefit.
Three of the girls enjoy running and had
participated in other 5K events, which
is how they came up with the idea for
the Run to Hear Benefit 5K Walk/Run.
The event was held on June 25, and
8
Disabilities, is pleased to announce
the launch of a Facebook page at
www.facebook.com/PEHDIC. Please
show your support and select the “Like”
option on this page to have the latest
news, information and resources related
to PEHDIC and its partners delivered
straight to your Facebook news feed.
Information will be shared on topics such
as early hearing detection and intervention, newborn screening, neuromotor
screening, fetal alcohol spectrum disorders and congenital heart defects.
CHAPTERS
Rainbow Media
The AG Bell Nevada Chapter
(AGBNV) recently met with former
Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman
to honor his support of the chapter’s
activities. The Mayor’s Knothole Gang
provided 100 tickets to the chapter so that children with hearing loss and
their families could enjoy a night of
baseball, topped off with a colorful
fireworks display. The former mayor
also took time to listen to the parents
and co-president Corrine Altman on
issues surrounding hearing loss and
the benefits children with hearing loss
gain in learning to listen, talk and
thrive in mainstream society.
Update and Volta Voices for updates on
this pilot project.
AGBNV members Alan Dimich, Aspen
Sorenson, Nameer and Edwin Magno present
former Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman with
a giant thank-you card of notes and photos
from those that attended a Las Vegas 51s
baseball game on Aug. 5, 2011.
The AG Bell North Carolina Chapter, in conjunction with the Carolina
Children’s Communicative Disorders Program (CCCDP), held its 18th annual
Hear ‘n’ Now Conference in Asheboro, N.C., Nov. 3-4. “Accelerated Growth
for the Late Beginning Listener…Tools, Teams & Tactics” was presented by
Beth Walker, LSLS Cert. AVT, from Birmingham, Ala., and Kathryn Wilson,
LSLS Cert. AVT and Director of the First YEARS program. The pediatric
hearing loss update was given by Dr. Oliver Adunka from the UNC School
of Medicine, and Bill Hatch, M.A., J.D., Civil Rights Coordinator from the
N.C. Department of Public Instruction, presented “Navigating the IEP Process: Your rights and responsibilities.” Over 100 parents and professionals
attended this year’s conference.
The AG Bell West Virginia Chapter sponsored a day-long workshop in October with David Sindrey, LSLS Cert. AVT, on the topic “Listening Ladders with
Littles.” The presentation was co-sponsored by the West Virginia University
Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, at the Health Sciences
Center in Morgantown, W.V. Parents were able to attend the session free of
charge, and professionals paid a reduced rate because of successful fundraising at our Fifth Annual Hearing Heroes Golf Tournament in August. Sindrey is
the author of Listening Games for Littles, the Cochlear Implant Auditory Training
Guide, and the creator of the Listening Room on the Advanced Bionics website.
Pilot Central EHDI
Database Project
Underway
The Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention is currently conducting a pilot
development of a central early hearing
detection and intervention (EHDI) database. The purpose is to obtain a limited
set of existing, individual level data
from a minimum of three states. This
data will be used to determine ways to
improve the quality and completeness of
EHDI data at the national level and help
VOLTA VOICES • NOVEMBER /DECEMBER 201 1 address questions related to progress
towards national EHDI benchmarks.
The information in a limited data set is
not directly identifiable and excludes
direct identifiers, such as names or
social security numbers, of the individual
or of relatives, employers, or household members of the individual. The
data to be obtained is information that
already exists and participants will not
be required to collect new information,
nor will they be required to develop a
tracking system. Stay tuned to AG Bell
Australian Report
Examines Social and
Economic Benefits of Early
Intervention
A report launched by First Voice, a
coalition of Australian hearing service
providers, highlights how the social and
economic benefits of early intervention outweigh the investment costs.
According to the report, every dollar
invested in early intervention services
for children with hearing loss produces
almost two dollars worth of social,
educational, vocational and economic
benefit. Although the report takes
Australian economic and government
benefits into account, the results could
be useful for individuals seeking data to
support early intervention services in their
states. To read the full press release, visit
www.prwire.com.au/pr/24464/social-andeconomic-benefits-of-early-interventionfor-deaf-children-far-outweighinvestment-cost-says-new-report.
New Workbook Helps
Families Plan Ahead
A new workbook, “Special Needs
Roadmaps: Life Care Planning for
Special Needs Families,” provides
easy-to-use tools for families with
children who have disabilities. The
workbook includes simple formulas,
checklists and explanations for
how to cover living arrangements,
medical care, vocational and college
education, employment, socialization, inheritance, special needs trust,
guardianship, government programs,
and wills. For more information, visit
www.specialneedsroadmaps.com.
Hearing Aid Batteries
Running on Methanol
Danish scientists are working on
replacing existing batteries in hearing
aids with easily rechargeable fuel cells
that run on methanol. Although still
9
SOUND BITES
in the developmental stage, the technology could keep hearing aid batteries
lasting for up to five years. To recharge,
users would simply take the built-in fuel
cell out of the hearing aids, fill it with
methanol and charge for 30 seconds.
The project is being developed by
scientists at the Danish Technological
Institute, who claim the technology could
be available as early as 2012.
New Discovery about
Causes of Usher Syndrome
Scientists at the University of Iowa
have discovered a new role for the
protein that causes Usher Syndrome,
the most common form of deaf-blindness. According to researchers, the
protein not only plays a role in helping
the inner ear sense sound, but may
also play a role in transmitting sound
10
information to the brain. The full study
was published in the August 7 edition
of Nature Neuroscience.
RIT/NTID Receives $4.5
Million to Promote Science,
Tech Careers
The Rochester Institute of Technology’s
National Technical Institute for the Deaf
(RIT/NTID) recently received a $4.5
million National Science Center grant to
establish the Technological Education
Center for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing
Students, or DeafTEC. RIT/NTID will use
the grant money to develop a website
to provide information about science,
technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) industries as well as
videos, presentations and support for
employers of individuals with hearing
loss. In addition, grant money will be
used to train teachers of the deaf and
representatives from STEM industries
on teaching methodology and how to
integrate individuals with hearing loss
into the workplace.
DOE Announces Final IDEA
Part C Regulations
On Sept. 6, the U.S. Department of
Education (DOE) released final regulations for the early intervention program
under Part C of the Individuals with
Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). These
final regulations will help improve
services and outcomes for America’s
infants and toddlers with disabilities and
their families. The final Part C regulations incorporate provisions in the 2004
amendments to Part C of the IDEA.
Additionally, the final regulations provide
states with flexibility in some areas, while
In Memoriam
On Sept. 3, Dr. Patrick Brookhouser died at the age of
70. Dr. Brookhouser was a pioneer and advocate for
children with hearing loss, universal newborn hearing
screening, and early hearing detection and intervention. His impact on the field of hearing loss includes
founding Boys Town National Research Hospital in
Omaha, Neb.; serving as a long-term chair of the Joint
Committee on Infant Hearing; and membership on the
National Advisory Councils for both the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders
and the National Institute for Child Health and Human
Development. A memorial service was held on Sept. 6. Dr. Brookhouser is
survived by his wife and three sons. Memorials may be sent to the Boys Town
National Research Hospital.
Part C program with the goal of ensuring
that such children are ready for preschool
and kindergarten. Visit www2.ed.gov/
about/offices/list/osers/news.html to read
the final regulations.
ensuring state accountability to improve
results and provide needed services.
The regulations focus on measuring and
improving outcomes for the approximately 350,000 children served by the
Oticon Announces
2011 Focus on People
Recipients
On Sept. 12, Oticon announced the
recipients of the 2011 Focus on People
awards. Among the recipients include
AG Bell members Dylan Dunlap and
supporters Donald Sims, Arielle
Schacter and Jace Wolfe. The awards
program is designed to focus attention on common misconceptions about
hearing loss, correct negative stereotypes and motivate people with hearing
loss to take advantage of the help that
is available to them. This year marked
the first time the public was invited
to vote for the recipients. Recipients
received $1,000 as well as $1,000
towards a charity of their choice. Visit
www.oticonusa.com to learn more
about all the winners.
Providing children who are deaf and hard
of hearing with the listening, learning and
spoken language skills they need to succeed.
• Birthto3
• MainstreamingServices
• Preschool/Kindergarten
• Educational
Evaluations
• SchoolPrograms
• SummerPrograms
• ProfessionalDevelopment
andTrainings
• AudiologicalServices
clarkeschools.org
Bo sto n
J a ck s onv ille
VOLTA VOICES • NOVEMBER /DECEMBER 201 1 N ew Yor k
Nor th amp ton
Ph ilad e lp h ia
11
Na lly
Ca tha rin e Mc
LOFT
2011
Changing Lives, One Teen at a Time
By Wendy Will and Ken Levinson
E
ach summer, AG Bell offers its
acclaimed Leadership Opportunities
for Teens (LOFT) program – a fourday workshop for high school students with
hearing loss. Class size is usually limited to
20 teens; this year, 24 teens were accepted.
Some of the most wonderful moments of this
year’s LOFT were captured digitally so we
could share them with you.
12
Each LOFT class is special in its own way. This year, within moments of
the teens meeting each other at the airport, train station and hotel, we
could see that this class was different. While all LOFT classes have formed
strong bonds, this year’s class appeared to have them almost immediately.
And the bonds grew even stronger over the next four days.
On the first evening, the kids participated in a series of improvisation exercises, which brought a lot of fun and laughter. It also taught a
few lessons; tenets of improvisation include “whatever you do is right,”
“the answer is always ‘YES’,” and “celebrate each other.” This helped
to set the stage for the week, and the teens were celebrating each other
for the next four days! Knowing that what you do will be accepted and
celebrated certainly gives one the freedom to try new things.
C at ha rin
C at ha rin
e M cN al
ly
Team activities are a significant
part of LOFT. Everyone participates in different
teams for each activity, requiring everyone to learn
how to work with many personalities, skills and
communication styles. The different team activities
also help teens discover that they can utilize their
unique set of skills and abilities to be a leader in a
variety of ways – they don’t have to “run the show”
or do all the talking to be a leader.
e M cN al
ly
C at ha rin
e M cN al
ly
During one of the LOFT sessions, one
teen opened up about challenges she’s
been facing. Not only did she receive
support, but her courage to speak up
opened the door for others to share with
each other their personal stories. The teens
exhibited deep empathy and support for
one another, and this session became
the touchstone for this class.
C hr is A
m m an
C hr is A
m m an n,
n, ca pa
st ud
ca pa st ud
io.c om
io.c om
C hr is A
m m an
n, ca pa
st ud
io.c om
The “challenge by choice” activity was a
flying trapeze class at the Trapeze School of
New York (TSNY) in Washington, D.C.
In addition to the flying trapeze, juggling
and trampoline classes were also offered.
While some teens were excited to try the
trapeze, many were not so sure and still
others were saying “no way.” At the urging
of their classmates, several teens decided to
try it, and, legs shaking, they jumped off a
platform 30-feet high and flew through the
air – with huge smiles on their faces! In the
process, they discovered something about
themselves – that they can do anything
they want to!
Na lly
Ca tha rin e Mc
Na lly
Ca tha rin e Mc
Na lly
Ca tha rin e Mc
The Changing Landscape of LOFT
LOFT was created by Donna Dickman, the late former
executive director of AG Bell, and Ken Levinson, a long-time
AG Bell member, former president of the AG Bell Board and
LOFT leader to this day. The first LOFT was held in 1996
at the AG Bell Biennial Convention in Snowbird, Utah, and
was held every other year before the Biennial Convention
through 2008. In 2008, the number of qualified applicants
increased dramatically and LOFT was held in Washington,
D.C., in 2009 as a test run for off-convention years. The
program was so successful, another off-year session was
held in 2011, only to discover the number of applicants
again increasing. As a result, AG Bell is experimenting with
expanding the program to accommodate a greater number
of participants by holding two sessions connected with the
AG Bell 2012 Convention in Phoenix, Ariz. To date, more
than 200 teens have participated in LOFT. We asked Ken
Levinson about the most significant changes he’s noticed
over the years:
“It is amazing to have watched the progression of technology and its effect on the participants we are seeing in LOFT.
When the program first started, there were few cochlear
implant users and most had to rely on CART and interpretVOLTA VOICES • NOVEMBER /DECEMBER 201 1 Na lly
Ca tha rin e Mc
ers. Today’s participants have mild to profound hearing
losses, either bilateral cochlear implants or hearing aids, and
can hear well enough that CART is not a necessity for most
of the teens.
Email and Facebook have allowed the teens to develop
stronger connections. After LOFT, there are almost daily
emails with photos and stories, allowing them to more easily
continue the bonds they formed in LOFT. Technology has
also affected the level of mainstream participation. We are
seeing an increasingly higher level of leadership involvement, including student government, sports, arts and music,
and community service.
While the changes have been wonderful to the program,
every LOFT class, in its own unique way, has been comprised of an outstanding group of young men and women.
What is fascinating is that despite the change in technology and the increased ability to better assimilate into the
mainstream, LOFT still provides the same life changing
experience that teaches leadership and advocacy skills and
formulates life lasting bonds.”
15
“My LOFT experience was amazing, lifechanging, exciting and memorable. LOFT
made me feel so welcome. I grew, learned and
matured into a totally new person. I learned
leadership skills, faced a fear, overcame
some tough obstacles, laughed, cried, and
most important of all, I became a leader.
Each of us became a leader in our own way,
and I’m so honored to call all of them my
true friends.” — Teen ParTiciPanT
P
I
H
S
R
E
D
A
LE
FOR
S
N
E
E
T
S
E
T
I
N
U
OPPORT LOFT 2012
LOFT
is a four-day program designed for teens with
hearing loss to develop skills in individual leadership
teamwork, understanding group dynamics and communication, public speaking, and self advocacy. The program is structured in such a
way that participants increase their self-confidence and their understanding of
their own strengths and abilities through activities designed to challenge them
to push beyond their comfort zone, while in a supportive environment. Due to
increased demand, two sessions of LOFT are being planned for 2012 – one before
and one after the AG Bell 2012 Convention. Holding two sessions is dependent on
the number of applicants and funding.
Information and an application are available on the AG Bell website
(www.agbell.org). Applications are due February 1, 2012.
-28, 2012
4
2
E
n
u
J
, 2012
JuLy 3-7
ARIzonA
,
E
L
A
D
S
Scott
“I feel like we were given a great gift when our
daughter was accepted into the LOFT program.
After a scant four days, we saw – and continue
to see – a remarkable improvement in her
self-confidence and her self-advocacy skills; she
came out of the program a changed person in so
many positive ways… I truly cannot praise the
program highly enough.” — ParenT
OW
In another session, participants discussed
challenges they face when staying at hotels
or eating at restaurants, then broke into
groups to develop short presentations
addressing the challenges and offering
possible solutions. They then gave their
presentations to the top management staff
of the hotel to help them understand how
they can better serve their customers who
are deaf and hard of hearing.
C hr is A
m m an
C hr is A
m m an
n, ca pa
st ud
n, ca pa
st ud io
.c om
io.c om
A reception was held on the last
evening of LOFT with local AG
Bell members and some LOFT
parents in attendance. Several
LOFTees shared personal
experiences and why LOFT
was so meaningful to them.
A LOFTee from 2010 also
attended and spoke briefly
about her experience in the
program.
C hr is A
m m an n,
ca pa st ud
VOLTA VOICES • NOVEMBER /DECEMBER 201 1 io.c om
17
C at ha rin
e M cN al
ly
C hr is A
m m an
Based on what these and past LOFTees tell us, the most
important aspect of LOFT is building long-lasting
friendships with peers who have a shared understanding of living with hearing loss. Many teens don’t
know another teen with hearing loss and have not
experienced unconditional peer acceptance for who
they are. They get that at LOFT. Teens and parents
alike have told us that finding a place where they fit
is quite powerful – providing the confidence and
courage to face challenges in a new way. That is the
power of LOFT.
LOFT Supporters
AG Bell thanks the following sponsors
for their support of LOFT 2011:
Lead Sponsor at $50,000
Children’s Hearing Foundation, Taiwan
C hr is A
m m an
n, ca pa
st ud
n, ca pa
st ud
io.c om
io.c om
Mr. & Mrs. Mark DeNino
Mr. & Mrs. Samir Jadallah
For a complete list of donors to
LOFT 2011, please visit the LOFT
2011 page on the AG Bell website
at www.agbell.org.
Rochester Institute of Technology/
National Technical Institute for
the Deaf
$10,000 - $24,999
Rothman Family Foundation
Mr. & Mrs. J. Martin Tenenbaum
$5,000 - $9,999
The Max and Victoria Dreyfus
Foundation, Inc.
Gallaudet University
Hamilton CapTel
Oticon Pediatrics
$1,000 - $4,999
If you just can’t hear on your
smartphone – you need a smarter app.
The Hamilton Mobile CapTel® family of smartphone Apps for
Android™, BlackBerry® and iPhone® let you read what’s said to
you over the phone while on the go. So smart. So simple. So
what are you waiting for? Download your
free Hamilton Mobile CapTel App today!
HamiltonMobileCapTel.com
Voice and data plans are required when using Hamilton Mobile CapTel.
Teresa Bulger
Mr. & Mrs. Robert J. Bush
18
Copyright © 2011 Hamilton Relay. All rights reserved. • CapTel is a registered trademark of Ultratec, Inc. • Android is a trademark
of Google, Inc. • BlackBerry is a trademark of Research In Motion Limited • iPhone, iPad and Mac are trademarks of Apple, Inc.
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College
Transitions
By Melody Felzien
O
ne of life’s most memorable
experiences occurs when
a student leaves home to
begin his/her freshman
year of college. For most high school
students, the idea of college begins their
junior or senior year when decisions
about where to apply and time spent
completing applications takes precedence in their lives. The transition
from high school to college can also
elicit emotions from excitement to
anxiety. Some students experience an
easy transition, while others struggle
to balance a new-found freedom with
academics and the energy a college
campus can bring.
20
College transitions continue to be an
important topic asked here at AG Bell. To
aid students just beginning to think about
their post-high school plans, Volta Voices
sat down with three current college/graduate school students to get their perspective
on researching, choosing and transitioning
into a college or university.
Volta Voices: When did you begin
seriously considering your post-high
school plans?
Mariela Goett: It was always a given
that I would go to college. Every career
dream I had required going to college;
at first I wanted to be a writer, then an
anthropologist and now I want to do
humanitarian work.
Ben Case: I began to seriously consider my
college plans sophomore year of high school
when I began to develop professionally. My
family and I always expected that I would
go to college, whether it was a large fouryear university or a technical school.
Patrick deHahn: I started thinking about
college when I was a high school sophomore, so I was about 17 years old. This
was the time when I put a lot of thought
into what kind of college I wanted to
attend. The earlier you start thinking
about it, the better.
or George Washington University. I
honestly didn’t talk to anybody about
my college options. I, of course, kept my
parents informed about my choices, but
I ultimately ignored everybody’s advice
and chose the school I felt was the best
for me.
B.C.: My parents and I took three things
into serious consideration: class sizes and
professors, the track of study available and
the accommodations available to me. We
discussed these factors and other college
options with everyone, including college
counselors, registered students and offices
for students with disabilities.
P.D.: I decided that location, internship
opportunities, range of majors (specifically in business and the performing arts)
and support from the disability services
office were my top factors in choosing a
college or university. I talked to my parents, friends and my high school college
counselor about these things. Believe it or
not, I did most of my research about my
college options myself, online.
shutterstock.com/Andresr
V.V.: What kinds of factors did you
research when looking into potential
schools?
V.V.: What factors did you take into
consideration when looking at colleges/
universities? Was there someone you
talked to about your options?
M.G.: For both undergraduate and
graduate school, I took into consideration educational expenses. I was
really lucky to attend the University of
California at San Diego for my undergraduate degree before the tuition
increased drastically over recent years.
I also chose the University of Maryland
for my graduate school because it was a
combination of great quality education
and affordable tuition prices, in comparison to other schools like Johns Hopkins
M.G.: I did not have to worry about
services for deaf and hard of hearing
students at the schools that I applied to
in the United States, but studying abroad
is another story. I considered pursuing a
graduate education abroad, particularly
at the American University in Beirut, but
unfortunately they did not provide any
accommodations for the deaf and hard
of hearing.
B.C.: I researched the average ratio of
students to professor, the classes offered,
opportunities on and off campus, and the
caliber of the school.
P.D.: As crazy as it was, I narrowed it
down to two cities; I only applied to colleges in both Boston and New York City.
I was adamant on attending college in a
big city. I then narrowed it down to what
colleges had the best internship opportunities and performing arts management
programs.
Mariela Goett is a cochlear implant
user from San Francisco, Calif. When
Mariela was 15, she was bitten by the
travel bug. She traveled to Peru many
times during her teenage years and was
encouraged to learn Spanish. Once
Mariela went to college at the University
of California at San Diego, she started
taking Arabic classes, which inspired
her to study abroad in Cairo, Egypt.
Upon graduation, Mariela spent a
year interning for the United Nations in
Damascus, Syria. Mariela is currently
pursuing a graduate degree in public
policy at the University of Maryland.
Ben Case is a sophomore in the
Residential College at the University
of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Mich. Ben is
a history major and is following a premed educational track and is aspiring
to be an otolaryngologist. Ben loves
being around people and caring for
them. He works in a research laboratory at the Kresge Hearing Research
Institute as an undergraduate lab
assistant. Additionally, he is studying photography and enjoys ultimate
Frisbee and traveling in his free
time. For more information, feel free to
contact Ben at bcase@umich.edu.
Patrick deHahn is a 20-year-old
college sophomore attending Pace
University in New York City. He
works as a resident advisor for the
freshman dorm on campus. He is
currently studying business management with strong interests in
performing arts management, journalism and social media. Patrick is
from the humble New England town
of Belchertown, Mass., and he attributes his success to his family and
school years at both The MacDuffie
School and Clarke Schools for
Hearing and Speech.
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22
V.V.: Were you required to note your
hearing loss on your application, and, if
not, did you do so anyway?
M.G.: I did mention my hearing loss on a
couple of applications, one because I was
specifically asked and the other because
I wanted to describe my experiences
learning Arabic as a student who is hard
of hearing.
B.C.: Most applications had a section for
applicants to state any specific conditions
or disabilities. If the section was there, I
stated my hearing loss.
P.D.: My college essay was actually about
my hearing loss, so every college knew
from the start that I had a hearing loss. In
the essay, I made it clear that my hearing
loss didn’t define me. I don’t remember
having to indicate my hearing loss in any
other place on my application.
VV: How did your hearing loss factor
into your decision to attend the school
you chose?
M.G.: My hearing loss deterred me from
studying abroad for my graduate career.
Although I would have loved to study
in Lebanon, my inability to participate
in class discussions would have severely
impeded my learning. During my year
abroad in Cairo, Egypt, I had a hard time
following class discussions, especially
because many of the teachers and students
spoke English with an accent.
B.C.: I wanted to ensure that I could
succeed in my educational pathway
with my hearing loss so accommodations
were a significant factor that influenced
my decision.
P.D.: For all the colleges where I was
accepted and seriously considered attending, I met with the disability services
offices at each of these colleges. I was able
to compare each of their services and support, while also weighing in other factors.
My hearing loss came into play as the
final, major deciding factor to make sure I
was attending a school that would be able
to serve my needs.
V.V.: What challenges existed during
your freshman year that you did not
expect?
M.G.: To be honest, throughout my high
school career, I never used any services.
The only thing that I utilized was exemption from taking quizzes based on videos
that we’d watched in class. So when
I arrived in college, I was completely
astounded by the fact that I had transcribing services (first CART, and now an
actual transcriber in each class) available to
me. I felt like I had been sleeping throughout my whole life, and that I had finally
woken up and discovered the potential I
had for learning. Classes were suddenly
more fun because I could participate in
them more fully.
B.C.: My transition went well as an
incoming freshman. There is no way
to prepare for the difficulty of college
courses. I was most surprised by the
amount of studying that you need to do.
But once I understood how much I needed
to do, I was able to succeed in my courses.
Graduate Programs of Distinction
For more than 50 years, Fontbonne University has been dedicated to educating teachers
and therapists to be leaders in the field of communication disorders and deafness.
Classes are small. Faculty are nationally recognized and committed to student success.
Graduate students are assured innovative, collaborative practicum experiences at Fontbonne’s
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SCHOLARSHIPS MAY BE AVAILABLE - APPLY BY FEB 1, 2012.
VISIT www.fontbonne.edu/gradprograms or CALL 314-889-1407.
Fontbonne University is sponsored by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet.
shutterstock.com/Andresr
college visits to really figure out what you
want from your educational institute. Talk
to the students, meet a couple professors
from a class you really want to take, sit in
on a class, etc.
P.D.: It was a smooth and fun transition
into college! I was mostly surprised by
how fast the years in college go by…time
management is key because the year goes
by right before your eyes.
V.V.: What advice do you have for current high school students with hearing
loss considering a college or university?
M.G.: My biggest advice is not to worry
too much about your college choice
and go with the flow – it’s very rare for
someone to end up hating the college that
they go to.
B.C.: Some advice I have for current high
school students would include college
essays and visiting schools. Essays are an
important part of the college application
process and are key to getting into school.
Spend time on the essays, incorporate
your hearing loss and how it’s a positive
part of you and not a disability. Use the
P.D.: Don’t apply to universities that only
offer one really specific major. Instead,
attend one with a wide range of majors.
Also, don’t think that you’re going to stick
with one interest when you apply because
you still have the chance of changing your
mind to instead chase your childhood
dream. I was set on an arts management
program until this year when I wanted to
get back into my interest of journalism.
Finally, don’t let your deafness define you.
Don’t be afraid to stand up for yourself
and for your rights. Be confident, be yourself and that’s all it takes.
Editor’s Note: We would like to hear more
about your college experiences, and this may
include you being featured on the AG Bell
website! If you are interested, please contact
Mark Leekoff at mleekoff@gmail.com for
more information.
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24
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Collaborative Efforts,
Creative Solutions
Working Together
on Your Child’s IEP
By Susan Boswell, CAE, and Sarah Stern
S
uccessful meetings to develop an
Individualized Education Program
(IEP) are the result of a collaborative partnership between parents
and professionals who are working to
meet the needs of the child. Whether
you’re a parent or professional, or even a
student in some cases, it’s never too early
to begin thinking ahead to your next IEP
team meeting; you can begin building a
foundation for a successful partnership by
developing good working relationships,
and planning and preparing for the meeting. As part of an ongoing survey on the
AG Bell website, both parents and professionals shared their secrets to a successful
partnership in developing an IEP, includ-
26
ing what makes a meeting go well and tips
for successful resolution when challenges
occur. The survey results also highlighted
successful accommodation strategies for
students with hearing loss – and advice for
other members of the IEP team.
The survey gathered responses from
everyone around the table at an IEP team
meeting – both parents and professionals.
The largest percentage of parents who
responded to the survey had children in
elementary school as well as in preschool
and kindergarten, and most of the parents
had children that were between 5 and
12 years of age. A smaller percentage of
parents who responded had children in
middle and high school, and these parents
had children that were 12-18 years old.
Many of these children are reaping the
benefits of early hearing detection and
intervention. Almost half of the parents
said that their child had been diagnosed
with hearing loss early, before age 12
months, and almost half were fit with
amplification before they were 1 year old.
The majority of parent respondents said
that their children had a significant hearing loss in the severe or profound range.
The survey also gained the perspective
of a wide range of education professionals.
The largest percentage of professionals
were teachers of the deaf or hard of
hearing, but respondents also included
speech-language pathologists (SLPs),
istock.com/shorrocks
on the situation. A majority of parents
stated that they felt that the school
district listened to their concerns and
documented them in writing on the IEP,
and that the team welcomed their input
into the process.
One strategy that worked well for
Cindy Vines in Morgan Hill, Calif., was
to educate team members. “I started off
with the assumption that my IEP team
knew about my son’s disability, but got
nowhere, so I decided to educate them,”
Vines said. She provided the team with
information about listening and spoken
language and the needs of students who
listen and talk in addition to completing the parent evaluation and providing
the reasons for selecting this outcome.
“My IEP team actually gave me the title
of ‘team leader’ because nobody knows
my son better than I do. Because I had
properly educated my team, they now rely
on my input heavily.”
Another effective strategy to gain
credibility was to approach the team in
the spirit of compromise, according to Sue
Gallant in Newbury Park, Calif. “Because
I have been reasonable in the past, the
team feels that I will be reasonable in the
future. I tend to get what I request during
IEP meetings because I do it in small
steps,” she said. “You can get the services
your child needs, usually in small increments rather than larger ones.”
Gail Hosner in Shelby Township, Mich.,
found it helpful to have a strong relationship
with the SLP, a key member of the IEP team
who was her son’s case manager. Hosner
and the SLP discussed the ability of various
service coordinators, certified Listening
and Spoken Language Specialists, general
educators, early intervention providers,
support room teachers and teacher consultants (or itinerant teachers) responsible
for working with students with hearing
loss in the mainstream. Many of these
professionals had extensive experience
in working with IEP teams for children
with hearing loss, with the majority of
respondents participating in 10-12 meetings during the academic year, and some
participating in more than 30 meetings.
At these meetings, nearly 60 percent
of parents said that they felt valued as a
member of the IEP team, while another
36 percent said that that it depended
VOLTA VOICES • NOVEMBER /DECEMBER 201 1 elementary school teachers to accommodate
her son in their classrooms. “My input was
always valued,” she said. “When the SLP in
elementary school thought my son should
have a specific teacher that I didn’t want
him to have, I gave her a choice of two
teachers that would be appropriate and he
was placed in one of those classrooms.” As
her child moved into high school, the SLP
distributed the list of classroom accommodations to his teachers at the beginning
of each semester, and served as the liaison
between teachers to ensure that there were
no problems.
Yet other parents felt that they were not
always valued members of the IEP team.
Challenges included the need to work with
different IEP teams and service coordinators every year, school district barriers to
providing requested services and accommodations, and a lack of knowledge of
the IEP process. “In the early years, my
full participation in the IEP process was
inhibited due to my lack of knowledge of
the terminology used for speech-language
intervention as well as the IEP process
requirements. As I read and studied the
paperwork and asked questions, I was able
to understand and provide more feedback.
The school played a major role in helping
me to understand the process,” said Maria
Barriente in Fresno, Calif.
Preparing for an IEP
Meeting
Parents shared several key steps for
building a solid foundation to ensure a
successful IEP meeting: prepare, advocate,
collaborate and nurture relationships.
AG Bell’s Parent Advocacy
Training Program
Prepare for your next IEP meeting by completing AG Bell’s Parent
Advocacy Training (P.A.T.) program.
This 90-minute online program is
designed to introduce parents to the
process of developing an IEP for their
child as well as the key terms and
concepts. P.A.T. also helps parents
understand the legal framework
for special education and empowers them to work with their school
districts by helping them understand
their rights and responsibilities.
The program is now available in both
Spanish and English and is offered
at no charge, thanks to the generous
support of the Oticon Foundation.
Visit www.agbell.org to access both
the Spanish and English version
today! Captioning is provided in both
languages for individuals who are
deaf or hard of hearing. This program
has been approved for 1.5 CEUs by
the AG Bell Academy for Listening
and Spoken Language.
27
Parents found it essential to be knowledgeable and educated about their child’s
hearing loss, the IEP process and their
procedural rights. Prior to the meeting,
parents reviewed the current IEP, drafting goals that were specific and measurable and keeping in mind their child’s
strengths, weaknesses and needs. They
also researched effective accommodations for students with hearing loss (for
a list of accommodations, see the sidebar
below), and gathered recommendations
from professionals, including an audiologists or therapist. Parents also developed
a checklist of topics to be discussed at the
upcoming IEP meeting to ensure that
key issues were discussed and addressed.
One parent prepared a booklet, which
she distributed at the IEP meeting, that
contained support for the requested
services including case law, reports,
articles and other reference material.
Typical Accommodations
for Students with Hearing Loss
• FM system or sound field system
• Preferential seating in the
classroom
• Acoustical modifications to the
classroom environment, such as
carpeting, tennis balls on chair
legs or window treatments to
mute outdoor noise
• Captioning for audiovisual media
• Checking for comprehension of
auditory instructions
• Classroom study buddies
for missed assignments or
assignments provided in writing
• Note takers or teacher-provided
notes
• Parent-teacher communication
notebooks
An example of this is available online at
www.agbell.org/VoltaVoices.
In advance of an IEP meeting, Gallant
contacts the team liaison to let them
know her thoughts about her child’s
progress, goals, services and accommodations. “I always make sure I talk to my
child’s liaison to let them know what I
am thinking – I never want to blindside
anyone at the IEP.”
During the meeting, parents found it
helpful to listen to what educators had
to say with an open mind. “Start with a
positive attitude. Listen to what they have
to say – but don’t back down on crucial
points,” said Cindy Scott of Swampscott,
Mass. Parents also suggested bringing another person to the meeting who
understands their goals for the child and
who could listen and take notes, whether
it was a spouse, friend or a professional
educational advocate.
A Professional
Perspective
Across the table, professionals shared
many of the same concerns as parents as
Hearing and Speech Center
The Gallaudet University Hearing and Speech Center (GUHSC) provides a variety of audiological and
speech-language services to children and families.
Services include:
•Hearing and speech-language screenings
and diagnostic assessments
•Speech-language services for
The GUHSC accepts the following third
party healthcare insurance providers:
•Blue Cross/Blue Shield
•Medicaid/Medicare
•UnitedHealthcare
•TRICARE (military insurance)
•CIGNA
•Audiological services
American Sign language (ASL):
•Online ASL courses are available through
Gallaudet University Summer Programs
•Phonology/articulation disorders
•Language delay/disorders
•Auditory processing disorders
•Aural (re)habilitation
• Auditory processing disorders testing
•Hearing aid and cochlear implant services
•Needs assessment for a variety of assistive devices
All clinicians use English and American Sign Language (ASL).
28
800 Florida Avenue NE
Washington, DC 20002
(202) 651-5328 (v,tty)
(202) 250-2119 (vp)
(202) 651-5324 (fax)
GUHSC@gallaudet.edu
www.guhsc.org
they reflected on successful IEP meetings
that they either facilitated or participated
in. The IEP is just one part of a multifaceted role that professionals play in
working with children and families over
the course of the academic year, but it
sets the stage by providing an outline for
the focus of the child’s learning for the
upcoming year, the equipment that will
be used during the school day and the
level of services that are needed to support the child.
Effective IEP meetings are wellplanned and organized with an agenda
so that essential issues are covered, and
include a team of professionals that
understand the needs of children with
hearing loss who use listening and spoken
language, the possibilities for these
children, and what it takes to help them
reach their educational goals. “Successful
meetings include parents who are vested
in the process and who have a level of
trust in the educational team so that
they may work as partners in the child’s
success,” said Elon Parker, an SLP in
Temecula, Calif.
3 Tips from Parents for
Successful IEP Meetings
Be prepared. When going into IEP
meetings, bring a list of questions,
concerns and recommendations you
would like to cover during the meeting. Preview the draft of the meeting,
if possible, and make sure you can
be specific about what your child’s
needs are.
Advocate. You are your child’s
biggest advocate. Understand what
his or her needs are and be able to
communicate them effectively to
educators. It may be necessary to
print out research and bring information to educate the teachers
and give support to your requests.
Meetings go well when the groundwork has been laid in advance of the
meeting and communication with parents
and teachers occurred prior to the meeting. Wendy Pearce, an itinerant teacher in
Wesley Chapel, Fla., had communicated
with the child’s parents several times
Meet beforehand with, or even
bring, with you another advocate,
for example, a teacher of the deaf,
audiologist or SLP.
Be courteous and listen. Emotions
can run high during IEP meetings,
but it is important to treat everyone with respect and keep an open
mind. Everyone involved wants to
see the child succeed. Losing your
temper will not accomplish anything.
Consider bringing in treats (bagels,
donuts) and writing thank-you notes
to those administrators who were
particularly helpful. Communication
is key.
throughout the academic year, so nothing
presented at the meeting was a surprise to
the parent. “I was able to know what the
parent concerns were and I was prepared
with the results of recent testing and
information about interventions that had
been implemented in the classroom.”
Consonants are more important than vowels.
For understanding speech (and for speech development), consonants play
a huge role, and as it turns out, consonants are high frequency sounds.
Moisture on a microphone and/or receiver damps high frequency sounds.
If there were a product that could help restore high frequencies by removing that moisture,
wouldn’t you want your child to have that benefit?
The good news is that there IS such a product, and it’s called Dry & Store.®
Used regularly, Dry & Store removes damaging moisture, so your child’s hearing instruments operate at
peak performance, every day. Plus, it’s the only drying appliance that also kills germs that reside on hearing instruments.
Learn more at www.dryandstore.com or by calling Ear Technology at 1-888-327-1299.
Remember: Consonants are more important than vowels.
Remember: Dry & Store®. Better hearing through better hearing aid care.
5 Things Every Educator Should Know
• Many children still have hearing loss even with cochlear implants or
hearing aids, so keeping the classroom quiet and background noise to a
minimum is crucial.
• One size does not fit all – every child with hearing loss is unique and has
different needs.
• Children may not tell you or even realize that they have not heard something, so look for indications of distraction or loss of interest.
• Hearing loss alone is not a learning disability; children need special accommodations but are not any less capable than other students. Do not lower
your expectations.
• Understand the accommodations necessary for students with hearing loss:
FM systems, preferential seating, captions, etc., and ask for information from
parents and professionals who specialize in hearing health and education.
5 Things Every Parent Should Know
• The IEP is not set in stone; it can always be revised.
• Know your rights and understand that accommodations are essential, not
optional.
• Due to its low incidence, parents often become responsible for educating
teachers about hearing loss; parents often know more about it than do
administrators and teachers.
• Set specific goals for the school and your child, and follow up with them.
• Children must wear their hearing aids or cochlear implants at home too.
A Student’s Perspective
In addition to the parents, one of the
most important voices at an IEP meeting
is that of the student. Carrie Spangler, an
educational audiologist in Canton, Ohio,
recalls a transition meeting for a high
school student who had been working
on self-advocacy goals and served as the
team leader for part of her IEP meeting.
“It was exciting to see a student with
hearing loss take leadership in a plan that
involves her,” Spangler said. “I think that
it is critical that we make a conscious
effort to have the student be the key
person at the meeting.”
There is no perfect IEP. Advocating
on behalf of a child with hearing loss
requires give and take from both sides.
Based on feedback from parents and
professionals, AG Bell has developed a
list of top five things every educator and/
or parent should know (see side bar).
Consider bringing this list to your next
IEP meeting, implementing some
of these suggestions, and see how
much more smooth the whole IEP
process can be.
A Listening and Spoken Language School
Services and Programs:
• Newborn Hearing Evaluation Center
• Parent-Infant Cottage
• Early Childhood and Elementary Programs
• Outdoor and Discovery classrooms
• Music and Art classrooms
• Speech Language Pathology
• Audiology Center with five testing booths
• Cochlear Implant Programming
• Placement site for Graduate Program in
Deaf Education and Hearing Science
though UTHSCSA
Sunshine Cottage provides the very best early
identification and intervention services for infants and
children with hearing loss.
The day-school program offers a comprehensive
educational environment for children, preschool
through fifth grade, with state-of-the-art technology
taught by master-level educators.
(210) 824-0579
603 E. Hildebrand Ave.
San Antonio, Texas 78212
www.sunshinecottage.org
Sunshine Cottage, a listening and spoken language school, is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Council on Accreditation and School Improvement,
OPTIONschools International, and is a Texas Education Agency approved non-public school. We accept students of any race, color, national or ethnic origin.
New 2011 color ad.indd 1
30
7/13/2011 8:50:37 AM
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Esfuerzos colaborativos,
soluciones creativas
Trabajando juntos en
el PEI de su niño
Por Susan Boswell, CAE, y Sarah Stern
L
as reuniones fructíferas para
desarrollar un Programa de
Educación Individualizada
(PEI) son el resultado de una
asociación de colaboración entre los
padres y los profesionales que unen sus
esfuerzos para satisfacer las necesidades
del niño. Independientemente de si usted
es un padre o un profesional, o incluso
un alumno en algunos casos, nunca es
demasiado pronto para empezar a preparar su siguiente reunión de equipo del
PEI para esta primavera; puede empezar
por crear la base de una asociación exitosa
al desarrollar buenas relaciones de trabajo,
y planificar y preparar la reunión. Como
parte de la encuesta permanente en el sitio
32 web de AG Bell, los padres y profesionales
compartieron sus secretos sobre lo que se
necesita para formar una asociación exitosa para desarrollar un PEI, incluyendo
qué es lo que hace que una reunión vaya
bien y consejos para una resolución exitosa
cuando surgen retos. La encuesta también
resaltaba estrategias para acoger con éxito
a los alumnos con pérdida de audición,
y consejos para los demás miembros del
equipo del PEI.
La encuesta recopiló las respuestas
de todos los que se sientan alrededor de
la mesa en una reunión de equipo del
PEI, tanto padres como profesionales.
El porcentaje más grande de los padres
que respondieron a la encuesta tenían
niños que iban a la escuela primaria así
como a párvulos y al jardín de infancia,
y la mayoría de ellos tenían niños entre
las edades de 5 y 12 años. Un porcentaje
más pequeño de los padres que respondieron tenían niños que asistían al instituto y a bachillerato, y las edades de los
niños de estos padres eran entre los 12 y
18 años. Muchos de estos niños estaban
recogiendo los frutos de una temprana
identificación auditiva e intervención.
Casi la mitad de los padres contestó
que su hijo había tenido un diagnóstico
temprano de pérdida de audición, antes
de los 12 meses de edad, y a casi la mitad
se les había acoplado amplificación antes
de que cumplieran el primer año. La
istock.com/shorrocks
pérdida de audición en el ambiente educativo normal. Muchos de estos profesionales contaban con una amplia experiencia trabajando con equipos del PEI para
niños con pérdida de audición; la mayoría
de los que respondieron participaban en
unas 10 ó 12 reuniones durante el año
académico y algunos participantes participaban en más de 30 reuniones.
En estas reuniones, casi el 60 por
ciento de los padres afirmó sentirse valorado como miembro del equipo del PEI,
mientras que el 36 por ciento dijo que esto
dependía de la situación. Una mayoría
de padres declaró sentir que el equipo
apreciaba su opinión en el proceso, y que
el distrito escolar prestaba atención a sus
preocupaciones y las documentaba por
escrito en el PEI.
Una estrategia que funcionó bien para
Cindy Vines en Morgan Hill, California,
fue la de educar a los miembros del equipo
del PEI “Empecé con la presunción que
mi equipo del PEI conocía la discapacidad
de mi hijo, pero esto no me llevó a ninguna parte, así que decidí educarlos”, dijo
Vines. Le proporcionó al equipo información sobre audición y lenguaje oral y
las necesidades de los estudiantes que oyen
y hablan además de completar la evaluación de padres y proporcionar motivos
por los que seleccionó este resultado. “Mi
equipo del PEI me nombró la ‘líder del
equipo’ ya que nadie conoce mejor a mi
hijo que yo. Gracias a que había educado a
mayoría de los padres que respondieron
dijeron que sus niños tenían una pérdida
de audición significativa en el rango de
severa o profunda.
La encuesta también contaba con la
perspectiva de una amplia gama de profesionales de la educación. El porcentaje
mayor de profesionales eran profesores
de sordos o con problemas para oír, pero
también respondieron patólogos del habla
y lenguaje (PHLs), coordinadores de servicios, especialistas certificados en audición
y lenguaje oral, educadores generales,
proveedores de intervención temprana,
profesores de la aula de soporte y profesores consultores (o profesores itinerantes)
responsables de trabajar con alumnos con
VOLTA VOICES • NOVEMBER /DECEMBER 201 1 mi equipo adecuadamente, ahora confían
en gran medida en mi opinión”.
Otra estrategia eficaz para ganar
credibilidad fue acercarse al equipo con
un espíritu del compromiso, de acuerdo a
Sue Gallant en Newbury Park, California.
“Como había sido razonable en el pasado,
el equipo siente que seré razonable en el
futuro. Por lo general obtengo lo que pido
en las reuniones del PEI porque lo hago
poco a poco”, dijo. “Puedes conseguir
los servicios que tu niño necesita, por lo
general en pequeños incrementos en lugar
de grandes”.
Gail Hosner en Shelby Township,
Michigan, descubrió que era útil mantener una relación sólida con la PHL,
un miembro clave del equipo del PEI
que era la administradora del caso de su
hijo. Hosner y la PHL hablaron sobre
la capacidad de varios profesores de primaria para acoger a su hijo en sus aulas.
“Mi opinión siempre fue valorada”, dijo.
“Cuando la PHL en la escuela primaria
pensó que mi hijo debía tener a un profesor determinado que yo no quería que
tuviera, le di la opción de dos profesores
que podrían ser adecuados y lo colocaron
en una de esas aulas”. Conforme su hijo
pasó al instituto, la PHL repartía al
inicio de cada semestre la lista de modificaciones que se debían hacer en el aula
a sus profesores, y actuaba como enlace
entre los profesores para garantizar que
no hubiera problemas.
Formación de apoyo
para padres de AG Bell
Prepárese para su próxima reunión
del PEI realizando el programa de
Formación de apoyo para padres
de AG Bell (P.A.T. por sus siglas en
inglés). Este programa en línea de 90
minutos de duración está diseñado
tanto para introducir a los padres en
el proceso de desarrollo de un PEI
como para enseñarles los términos
y conceptos clave. Asimismo, P.A.T.
ayuda a los padres a comprender el
marco legal para la educación especial y los faculta para trabajar con
sus distritos escolares gracias a que
los ayuda a entender sus derechos y
responsabilidades.
El programa está ahora disponible en
español e inglés y se ofrece sin cargo
alguno, gracias a la generosa ayuda
de la Fundación Oticon. Visite
www.agbell.org para acceder hoy
mismo a las versiones en inglés y
español. Se proporcionan subtítulos
en ambos idiomas para aquellas
personas que son sordas o tienen
problemas para oír. Este programa
cuenta con la aprobación de la AG
Bell Academy for Listening and
Spoken Language y otorga 1,5
créditos de educación continua.
33
Modificaciones habituales
que se deben hacer para
alumnos con pérdida de audición
• Sistema FM o sistema SoundField
• Asiento preferente en el aula
• Compañeros de estudio en el
aula para las tareas que se
pierden o proporcionar las
tareas por escrito
• Subtítulos para los medios
audiovisuales, personas que
tomen apuntes o apuntes
proporcionados por el profesor
Pero otros padres sintieron que no
siempre eran miembros valorados del
equipo del PEI. Entre los retos se encontraba la necesidad de trabajar cada año
con diferentes equipos y coordinadores de
servicios del PEI, barreras en el distrito
escolar a la hora de proporcionar los servicios y modificaciones solicitadas, y un
desconocimiento del proceso del PEI. “En
los primeros años, mi implicación total
en el proceso del PEI estaba condicionada
debido a mi desconocimiento de la terminología utilizada para la intervención del
habla y lenguaje así como de los requisitos
del proceso del PEI. A medida que leía y
estudiaba el papeleo y hacía preguntas,
fui capaz de entender y dar mi opinión.
La escuela jugó un papel importante a la
hora de ayudarme a entender el proceso”, dijo María Barriente en Fresno,
California.
Preparación para una
reunión del PEI
Los padres compartieron varios pasos
claves para crear una base sólida con el
fin de garantizar una exitosa reunión del
PEI: preparar, abogar, colaborar y cultivar
las relaciones. Los padres descubrieron
que era básico poseer conocimientos y
saber sobre la pérdida de audición de su
niño, el proceso del PEI y sus derechos de
procedimiento. Antes de la reunión, los
padres revisaron el PEI actual, redactaron los objetivos que eran específicos
y mensurables y eran conscientes de las
fortalezas, debilidades y necesidades de su
34 • Cambios acústicos en el
entorno del aula, como el uso
de moqueta, pelotas de tenis
en las patas de las sillas o
tratamientos en la ventana
• Comprobar la comprensión de
las instrucciones auditivas
• Libretas para la comunicación
entre padres y profesor
• Personas que tomen apuntes
niño. Asimismo, investigaron las modificaciones eficaces que se debían hacer
en el aula para alumnos con pérdida de
audición (para una lista de modificaciones, consulte la barra lateral en esta
página), y recopilaron recomendaciones de profesionales, incluyendo la de
un audiólogo o terapeuta. Los padres
también desarrollaron una lista de
temas sobre los que se debía hablar en la
siguiente reunión del PEI para garantizar
que las cuestiones clave se hablaran y se
les diera seguimiento. Un padre preparó
un cuadernillo, que repartió en la reunión
del PEI, éste contenía soporte para los
servicios solicitados, incluyendo la jurisprudencia, informes, artículos y otros
materiales de referencia.
Antes de la reunión del PEI, Gallan se
puso en contacto con la persona de enlace
del equipo para hacerle saber lo que
pensaba sobre el progreso de su hijo, así
como los objetivos, servicios y modificaciones necesarias. “Siempre me aseguro
de hablar con la persona de enlace de
mi niño para hacerle saber lo que estoy
pensando, no quiero coger a nadie por
sorpresa en el PEI”.
Durante la reunión, los padres descubrieron que era útil escuchar con la mente
abierta lo que los educadores tenían que
decir. “Se ha de empezar con una actitud
positiva. Escuchar lo que ellos tienen
que decir, pero nunca echarse para atrás
en los puntos cruciales”, comentó Cindy
Scott de Swampscott, Massachusetts.
Los padres también sugirieron traer a
otra persona a la reunión que entendiera
sus objetivos para el niño y que pudiera
escuchar y tomar notas, ya fuera un
conyugue, amigo o un tutor educativo
profesional.
Una perspectiva
profesional
Del otro lado de la mesa, los profesionales
compartieron muchas de las mismas preo-
3 consejos de los padres para
tener reuniones exitosas del PEI
Esté preparado. Cuando asista a
reuniones del PEI, lleve consigo una
lista de preguntas, dudas y recomendaciones que le gustaría repasar
durante la reunión. Revise el borrador
de la reunión, si tiene la oportunidad,
y asegúrese de ser específico sobre
las necesidades de su niño.
Abogue. Usted es el mayor defensor de su niño. Comprenda cuáles
son sus necesidades y sea capaz
de comunicárselas eficazmente a
los educadores. Puede ser necesario imprimir estudios e información
con el fin de educar a los profesores
y para que a su vez sirvan como
respaldo a sus peticiones. Reúnase
con antelación o incluso traiga a otro
defensor, por ejemplo, un profesor
para sordos, audiólogo o PHL.
Sea educado y escuche. Las emociones se pueden desbordar durante
las reuniones del PEI, pero es importante tratar a todos con respeto y
mantener la mente abierta. Todas las
personas involucradas quieren ver a
su niño triunfar. Si pierde los papeles
no conseguirá nada. Piense en llevar
algún convite (galletas, magdalenas)
y escribir notas de agradecimiento a
aquellos administradores que fueron
especialmente útiles. La comunicación es vital.
5 cosas que todos los
educadores deberían saber
• Muchos niños aún tienen una pérdida de audición incluso con los implantes cocleares, así que es vital mantener el aula en silencio y el ruido de
fondo al mínimo.
• Un planteamiento global no funciona con todos, ya que cada niño con
pérdida de audición es único y tiene diferentes necesidades.
• Es posible que los niños no le digan o incluso ni se den cuenta que no
han oído algo.
• La pérdida de audición no es un problema de aprendizaje; los niños
necesitan adaptaciones especiales pero no son menos capaces que los
otros alumnos. No reduzca sus expectativas.
• Conozca las adaptaciones necesarias para alumnos con pérdida de
audición: sistemas FM, asiento preferente, subtítulos, etc.
5 cosas que todos
los padres deberían saber
• El PEI no es algo que sea definitivo y no acepte cambios; se puede
revisar siempre.
• Conozca sus derechos y comprenda que la realización de modificaciones en el aula no es opcional sino que es fundamental.
• Debido a la baja incidencia, con frecuencia los padres se convierten en
responsables de educar a los profesores sobre la pérdida de audición;
los padres saben más sobre este tema que los administradores y
profesores.
• Establezca objetivos específicos para la escuela y su niño, y sígalos
con ellos.
• Los niños deben usar sus audífonos también en casa.
cupaciones de los padres conforme reflejaban sobre las reuniones del PEI exitosas
en las que participaban o facilitaban.
El PEI es tan solo una parte del papel
multifacético que los profesionales juegan
cuando se trabaja con niños y familias
en el transcurso del año académico, pero
esto establece el escenario al proporcionar una idea general sobre el enfoque del
aprendizaje del niño para el próximo año,
el equipamiento que se utilizará durante
el día a día escolar y el nivel de servicios
que se necesitarán para prestar soporte al
niño.
Las reuniones del PEI eficaces están
bien planificadas y organizadas con
una agenda para que así las cuestiones
fundamentales se cubran, e incluyen a un
equipo de profesionales que entienden
las necesidades de niños con pérdida
de audición que usan la audición y el
lenguaje oral, las posibilidades para estos
niños y lo que se necesita para ayudarlos
a alcanzar sus objetivos educativos. “Las
reuniones exitosas incluyen padres que
tienen un interés personal en el proceso
y que tienen un nivel de confianza en el
equipo educativo para que así puedan
trabajar como socios en el éxito del niño”,
dijo Elon Parker, un PHL en Temecula,
California.
Las reuniones van bien cuando se ha
realizado por adelantado el trabajo preliminar de la reunión y ha existido comunicación entre los padres y profesores
antes de la misma. Wendy Pearce, una
VOLTA VOICES • NOVEMBER /DECEMBER 201 1 profesora itinerante en Wesley Chapel,
Florida, se había comunicado con los
padres del niño varias veces a lo largo del
año académico, así que nada de lo que se
planteó en la reunión cogió por sorpresa
al padre. “Fui capaz de saber las cosas que
le preocupaban al padre y estaba preparada con los resultados de una prueba
reciente y con información sobre intervenciones que se habían implementado en
el aula”.
La perspectiva de un
alumno
Además de los padres, una de las voces
más importante en una reunión del PEI
es la del alumno. Carrie Spangler, una
audióloga educativa en Cantón, Ohio,
recuerda una reunión de transición para
una alumna del instituto que había estado
trabajando en objetivos para abogar por
sí misma y actuó como líder del equipo
durante parte de su reunión del PEI. “Fue
emocionante ver a una alumna con pérdida de audición llevar la voz cantante en
un plan que le concierne directamente”,
dijo Spangler. “Pienso que es vital que
hagamos un esfuerzo consciente para que
el alumno se convierta en la persona clave
de la reunión”.
No existe un PEI perfecto. Abogar
en nombre de un niño con pérdida de
audición requiere una toma y daca por
ambas partes. En base a los comentarios
proporcionados por los padres y profesionales, AG Bell desarrolló una lista con las
cinco cosas principales que todo educador
y/o padre debería saber. Piense en llevar
esta lista a su próxima reunión del PEI
para implementar algunas de estas sugerencias, y vea cómo puede avanzar con
mayor fluidez todo el proceso del PEI.
35
Parent advocacy training
Know your rights
[ ]
AG Bell’s acclaimed Parent Advocacy Training
program is now available for free in Spanish!
Disponible en español en la página web www.agbell.org
More than 1,000 parents have successfully completed AG Bell’s Parent Advocacy
Training (P.A.T.) program. P.A.T. gives parents the tools they need to successfully
advocate for their child to ensure his or her educational needs are met.
After completing the P.A.T. program, parents will have a basic understanding of
education law and how to negotiate appropriate applications to help develop an
effective Individualized Education Program (IEP).
• Know the Law
• Know your rights Under the Law
• Know How to Use the Law to advocate for your child’s
educational needs
• Know How to Secure ongoing Support and Services for
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P.A.T. is free service offered by AG Bell made possible by the generous support of
the Oticon Foundation. The program is approved for 1.5 CEUs from the AG Bell
Academy for Listening and Spoken Language.
To access P.A.T. in both English and Spanish,
visit www.agbell.org. Registration is required.
ASK tHe
aSK
THE EXPERT
eXPert
AG Bell now offers expert
responses to your questions
through its partnership with
Bruce Goldstein and his
associates at Goldstein,
Ackerhalt & Pletcher, LLP.
Families are welcome to
contact AG Bell if they need
additional information to
assist with their child’s IEP, or
access and rights to special
education accommodations
under the Individuals with
Disabilities Education Act,
Americans with Disabilities
Act (ADA) or Section 504 of
the Rehabilitation Act. Prior
to submitting your question,
families are encouraged to
complete the P.A.T. online
course; answers to many
common questions can be
found within the course
content. To submit your
question or take the course,
visit the P.A.T. program
online at www.agbell.org.
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VOICES FROM AG BELL
Conversations
With Alex Graham
A
G Bell volunteers and staff are
hard at work building a new
web-based resource called the
Listening and Spoken Language
Knowledge Center. The Knowledge Center
development is being guided by an advisory committee of parents, professionals
and adults with hearing loss. One of the
committee members is Tina Childress,
an audiologist, late-deafened adult and
bilateral cochlear implant (CI) recipient.
Professionally, she works as an educational
audiologist in the residential and mainstream school settings supporting students
with hearing loss. In addition, she provides
local and national workshops to students,
parents, individuals with hearing loss and
professionals on a variety of hearing loss
topics. Tina is very active in the hearing loss
community both as a professional and as a
consumer and serves on a variety of advocacy
groups, online forums and advisory boards.
She is also passionate about mentoring others
who are just starting or need guidance on
their journey through hearing loss, especially
when it comes to assistive technology. She
is fluent in American Sign Language (ASL)
and is thankful that she is able to travel
between the hearing and Deaf worlds with
her skills and perspectives.
Alex Graham: Why did you choose audiology as your profession?
A.G.: What is an educational
audiologist?
Tina Childress: I didn’t – I really feel like
it chose me! I went to college to become
a computer engineer. After two years, I
realized that I didn’t want to stay in that
field and so I looked for a class that had
nothing to do with engineering. That class
was a sign language class, which introduced
me to the Speech and Hearing Science
Department at the University of Illinois at
Urbana-Champaign. There I met some fabulous people who got me interested in communication disorders, so I started taking
classes and eventually changed my major.
Now, being a former engineering student,
things like the physics of sound waves and
hearing aid circuitry don’t freak me out.
On the other hand, out of 35 females in
my class (yes, there were no males), my
roommate and I were the only ones that
went on to become audiologists instead of
speech-language pathologists. I love the way
that audiology fulfills my need to be techno
geeky, but yet I can help others. I have a
passion for teaching and counseling, and
enjoy taking somewhat complex information and describing it in a way that makes
sense to the patient and family.
T.C.: An educational audiologist is a professional who provides audiological services
(e.g., diagnostics, hearing aid/cochlear
implant/hearing assistive technology monitoring) and supports students with hearing
loss in an educational setting. Many of us
typically serve children from birth through
high school. We are well-versed in working with the pediatric population and
also make it a point to be knowledgeable
about topics such as child development,
assistive technology, classroom acoustics
and educational policy. We are an integral
part of the Individualized Family Service
Plan (IFSP) and Individualized Education
Program (IEP) teams, and work closely
with families and professionals who serve
children with hearing loss.
JWPOSD is celebrating 44 years of
helping children who are deaf and hard
of hearing to listen, to speak, and to
communicate in the world around them.
• Educational Programs—Mommy & Me,
Toddlers, Preschool, K/1
• Mainstream Preschool and Support Services
• Parent Education
• Therapy Services
• Audiology—HA, CI, & FM
3518 Jefferson Avenue, Redwood City, CA 94062
Tel 650-365-7500 • Fax 650-365-7557
Email jwposd@jwposd.org • www.deafkidstalk.org
38 A.G.: You are an individual living with
hearing loss and you’re a professional
working with children and their families
who are deaf and hard of hearing – how
do you think that influences your work?
T.C.: I feel that my own hearing loss gives
me additional depth and perspective in
working with my students and their families. I have a passion for teaching people
how to maximize their hearing potential
through amplification and/or with the use
of hearing assistive technology. I think that
my dual hats as an audiologist with hearing
loss has enabled me to, of course, experience first-hand the kinds of difficulties that
people with hearing loss have, but also to
be able to explain these difficulties and possible solutions in a simple yet meaningful
way. I am definitely a teacher at heart!
Because my CIs are under my hair and
unseen (not intentionally...it’s just the way I
wear my hair), I hear very well in quiet and
small group settings and my speech is clear;
most people don’t even know I have hear-
ing loss. The biggest compliment someone
can give me is to say, “Wow! I didn’t know
you had cochlear implants!” This is truly a
testimony to the technology.
I try to be the best role model I can
be by reinforcing how to be an advocate,
showing my students cool ways to use their
amplification to connect to technology
and basically just empathizing with them.
Perhaps my most effective influence is talking about identity. Oftentimes in the Deaf/
deaf world, an individual with hearing loss
is asked, “Are you Deaf?”, “Are you deaf?”
or “Are you hard of hearing?” My view on
this is that we have a “situational identity”
and so my answer would be, “It depends!”
or “Yes!” When my CIs are off and I am
with my culturally Deaf friends and signing with no voice, I am “Deaf.” When I’m
getting ready in the morning and I haven’t
put my CIs on because my hair is still wet
and my children are trying to communicate
with me, I am “deaf.” When I’m in a noisy
environment and struggling to hear, I am
“hard of hearing.” With my success in talking on the phone and being able to easily
hold conversations in quiet environments,
Meet Tina Childress
Tina Childress is an audiologist, late deafened
adult and bilateral cochlear implant recipient.
Professionally, she works as an educational
audiologist in the residential and mainstream
school settings supporting students with
hearing loss. She also provides workshops to
students, parents, individuals with hearing loss
and professionals on a variety of hearing loss
topics locally and nationally. You can learn more about Childress and some of
the resources she has compiled at http://tinachildress.wordpress.com.
I might even be viewed as “hearing.” So,
when I talk to the students, I tell them that
they don’t have to pick one...they can really
be all!
A.G.: There is a lot of talk about a changing landscape in the world of education
and support for children who are deaf
and their families. What changes have
you observed?
T.C.: Studies and questionnaires have objectively shown that there is a trend of more
children getting CIs, more children using
their CIs, more children being educated in a
regular education setting (with and without
support services), and more children using
listening and spoken language as their mode
of communication. Many attribute these
trends to technology improvements (most
notably CIs) and the evolution of pedagogy in deaf education. With the advent
of other technologies, such as the Internet
and social media like Facebook, not only
are parents and professionals getting more
information on their own but they are also
able to connect to others and get constant
feedback and information that may relate to
LOSS • DAMAGE • FAILURE
What to do
before it happens.
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their child. I think having these connections are so important! It’s like having a
support group, information clearinghouse
and sounding board all wrapped up in one
place, accessible 24/7.
A.G.: What advice would you give a
college student considering a career in
education of the deaf, speech-language
pathology or audiology?
T.C.: Definitely try it! There have been
many people before you who have paved the
way in terms of accommodations and hearing assistive technology as well educating
the educators on how to work with someone with hearing loss. A couple of great
resources for audiology are the Association
of Medical Professionals with Hearing Loss
(www.amphl.org) and the YahooGroup
called HOHAudiologists. Through these
groups, you can find a mentor that can help
answer any questions that you might have.
Yes, depending on your functional ability to
use your amplification, you may have some
limitations but that’s something to explore
during school and the mentors may be able
to give you some ideas to try. There are so
many settings and opportunities with those
fields that it doesn’t necessarily have to be
so hearing-intensive if you have limitations.
A.G.: There are a number of debates
at the state level over the role of state
schools for deaf. From your perspective,
what is a common misperception about a
state school for the deaf?
T.C.: That state (residential) schools only
serve students who use ASL as their primary mode of communication. While the
demographics show this trend in communication modes and service models, I believe
there will always be a need and place for
residential schools as a least restrictive environment (LRE) as designated by the IEP.
We know that just as no child is exactly like
another child, no one teaching methodology or placement option is right for all
children. The Illinois School for the Deaf
hired me to be their CI outreach consultant
because they saw this trend and they knew
how important it was for children and
families to feel supported in the residential
school environment. There are opportunities for ASL and there are opportunities
for spoken language. The most important
thing, however, is access for all.
A.G.: What is a fun fact about you that
you would like to share?
T.C.: I’m addicted to musical theater.
I’ve seen Wicked and Rent more than 10
times (each!). I grew up playing piano or
percussion in the “pit” during our high
school musical productions and have
loved them ever since. My children also
both love musical theater and so on any
given morning, you might hear us belting
out our favorite song as we get ready for
school. Music is definitely one of the most
challenging aspects for those of us with
CIs, but with patience and practice it can
be enjoyable again!
St. Louis, Missouri
40 VOLTA VOICES • NOVEMBER/ DECEMBER 201 1
Letters To AG Bell
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tips for parents
Raising Kai
O
Lindsay DuBois
ur son, Kai, became prelingually deafened at 11 months
of age after contracting
bacterial meningitis. He had
nearly a year of receptive speech and was
just beginning to say Mama and Dada.
You can imagine that, as parents, we were
thrown into an emotional and philosophical whirlwind with a multitude of questions
and concerns about how to parent and
educate our child who is deaf. Today Kai
is 18 years old, a sophomore at New York
University, totally mainstreamed, speaking
in public daily and living independently
with many friends in New York City. To us,
it is nothing short of a miracle. While every
child and life circumstances are different,
we would like to share our process and the
steps we took in the hope that it may help
parents just beginning the journey of raising a child with hearing loss.
Kai was born into a family of social
workers, so we were accustomed to engaging systems and trained in advocating
for people’s needs. We began almost at
once to educate ourselves about deafness
and Deaf culture. For about two years
Kai and his Mom during a visit to New York City.
42 we attended deaf clubs, talked to every
person with hearing loss we could find,
visited schools of all types, attended conferences and read everything, immersing
ourselves to become experts.
Our main concerns were how to
communicate with our child and then
how to educate him so that he would not
miss any milestones. Kai received hearing aids within a month of his diagnosis.
Cochlear implants didn’t seem to have
clear outcomes in 1994, so he used hearing aids. Total Communication (TC)
seemed to be the method that allowed us
to keep our options open until we knew
if Kai would respond to his aids. With
his degree of hearing loss we could not
be sure that he would ever speak. He
averaged 100 dB loss in his better ear,
and 110/120 in the other. Nevertheless,
Kai began to speak after a few months of
TC training.
Kai and his mother, Lindsay,
attended a TC group at the New York
School for the Deaf and we were visited
weekly at home by a teacher of the deaf.
In this way the whole family became
involved in signing and learning how to
shower our child with language. His first
word, “more,” was a magical moment as
he spoke and signed the word from his
high chair, speaking for the first time
since he lost his hearing. At the beginning we would keep track of all the
words he had learned to sign, but after
he made the connection from sign to
speech he spoke more and more words so
we couldn’t keep track.
Kai seemed like an auditory learner as
he did not always look at us to understand what was being said, and this lead
us to explore auditory-verbal therapy.
Although we did not attend the Helen
Beebee Clinic until later, we adopted
their listening philosophy and found a
speech-language pathologist who could
Lindsay DuBois
By Lindsay DuBois and Alan Kraus
Kai and his parents celebrate his high school
graduation.
guide us and help train our local therapists through video reviews. Deciding to
pursue a listening and spoken language
outcome, and sticking to it, has proved
great for Kai and a comfort for us to have
found a system of communication that
worked well with our child.
We live outside an urban area and had
to develop our own resources. Luckily
we found speech-language pathologists willing to learn the auditory-verbal
approach and a mainstream preschool
that accepted Kai, despite some hesitation
due to his hearing loss. Kai was always
mainstreamed and we maintained the
same academic expectations of him as we
would a child with typical hearing.
It was essential to became a strong
advocate and be clear on what Kai
needed. The educational system is
so complex and no one knows your
child’s needs better than a parent, so we
advocated for the approach we chose.
Sometimes this was easy, and sometimes
we had to fight for what we wanted. For
example, when Kai was finishing preschool and tests showed he was meeting
all of his developmental goals and was
functioning at grade level, we worried
that he might lose all of his services. We
learned that we could not rely on the special education system to do the best thing
for our child – only what they felt was
necessary. We needed to speak for Kai’s
bright potential and not accept doing
well enough. Don’t rely on the school
system to work for you; it’s a great help,
but make sure you are doing your best to
direct it and not the opposite.
We decided that Kai needed all the
language stimulation he could get,
and Lindsay stayed home from work
for about six years while bathing Kai
in language. Kai received daily input,
talking, reading and new experiences, all
the techniques outlined in the auditoryverbal approach. Some of the decisions
we made were to form a play group with
children who had typical hearing, and
maintain a communication notebook
passed between Kai’s teachers/therapists
and home so we could stay aware of
what had been worked on or the focus
of the day, and so that the topic could
be carried over at home to keep the
language learning process going. Early
on we followed lessons from the John
Tracy Clinic, which were very supportive and optimistic for the parents
adjusting to the task at hand. Language
was a constant focus and every occasion
was an opportunity for a language lesson
– pointing in the direction of the sound,
posing questions about it, making exclamations, etc.
Not everyone has the opportunity to
stay home with their child, but we felt it
was essential during the early language
learning years and we made the sacrifice.
It was intensely focused work, but Kai
proved to be a very engaged auditory
learner and benefitted greatly from our
efforts in language and socialization.
It was a pleasure to have the luxury to
engage so fully with our son.
We were very fortunate to have fine
audiologists with fantastic skills who
helped us keep up with any advances in
technology that could further enhance
his hearing. We always kept up with the
VOLTA VOICES • NOVEMBER /DECEMBER 201 1 state of the art technology and got the
best available for our son. Kai’s hearing
aids were an extension of his ears and he
always wore them. He benefitted from
advances in technology, beginning with
a body-worn FM system and switching to digital hearing aids when they
were developed. Then, when Kai was 15
years old, he decided to get a cochlear
implant. That has been a great boost
for him to engage better with his peers.
Today he lives fully in the hearing world
– the result of years of work by him, his
speech-language pathologists, teachers, audiologists, his proud and loving
family, and groups like AG Bell that are
always there for help and support.
There is probably always an unknown
element to a successful outcome, but for
us it was becoming “experts,” following
our child’s lead, advocating strongly,
getting the best technology, providing
every opportunity to learn and maintaining high expectations. All those actions
contributed to Kai’s success.
43
Hear Our Voices
Meet Kai Kraus
By Melody Felzien
Volta Voices: Please tell us a little about
your hearing loss.
Kai Kraus: I was identified with a
hearing loss at 11 months old after
being in the hospital for ten days with
pneumococcal meningitis. My parents
realized that I wasn’t turning my head
when my name was called and respond-
ing to sounds. They took me to have my
hearing checked and I was diagnosed
with a severe-to-profound hearing loss. I
was aided in both ears, which I successfully grew up using until I was 15 years
old when I received a cochlear implant
in my right ear. Today I use that and a
hearing aid to hear. I always did very
well with just hearing aids and never felt
pressured to get a cochlear implant; it
was a decision that my parents ultimately left up to me. As I was finishing high school (I graduated a year
early) and saw college on the horizon, I
decided to receive an implant to expand
my boundaries and be able to function
more independently in the world.
V.V.: How has your hearing loss shaped
the person you are today?
K.K.: I believe my hearing loss has
richened my character and made me a better person. I had to work hard as a kid to
be at the same level that anyone else starts
off at normally, and that has affected my
ethic in life. I’m rarely content with just
doing enough to get by; instead, I want to
be one of the best in whatever I do.
L. Hetzel
A
G Bell is pleased to offer
a variety of financial aid
opportunities for children and
teens pursuing a listening and
spoken language outcome. Every so often,
we are fortunate to watch some children
grow into accomplished young adults. This
is the case with Kai Kraus. Kai’s parents,
who are methodical researchers, utilized
information from AG Bell early on in
Kai’s life to pursue a listening and spoken
language outcome for their son. When Kai
was older, they applied and received financial aid through AG Bell’s Arts & Sciences
Financial Aid Program so that Kai could
pursue a natural inclination towards
music. Volta Voices recently sat down with
Kai to learn more about his life and the
lessons he’s learned throughout the years.
V.V.: What role has AG Bell played
in supporting your spoken language
development?
K.K.: AG Bell has been there with me
and my parents, from my whole childhood up to the present. My parents read
all the magazines, journals and materials
provided by AG Bell, and learned about
auditory-verbal learning methods when
they were deciding which route to raise
me by. Reading about and seeing other
children with hearing loss learning to
speak served as positive models for my
parents and provided hope that I could
learn to speak too. Later in life, AG Bell
has also supported my love of the arts
many times with their Arts and Sciences
grant so I could pursue playing music
and attend arts summer camps.
V.V.: You mentioned attending music
and arts camps. How has music
impacted your life?
K.K.: Music is probably the most
central and important thing to me
in life. I breathe music and if I’m not
engaged with other people, chances are
44 VOLTA VOICES • NOVEMBER/ DECEMBER 201 1
I’m listening to music; when I ride the
subway, before I go to bed, when I’m
writing papers – almost all the time.
I enjoy post-rock, shoegaze, ambient,
classical, electronic and experimental
music. Some of my favorite bands are
My Bloody Valentine, Sigur Rós, The
Knife, New Order and the Cocteau
Twins. I started playing cello when I
was 4 years old, continued for eight
years and then switched to upright bass,
but both were retired when I moved
to New York City. Now, for me, it
has become about the music industry
and event planning. I go to concerts
on a weekly basis; I just finished an
internship providing artist services
at the music festival Central Park
SummerStage, and will be starting
another at the concert hall Le Poisson
Rouge in the fall. I also work with
New York University (NYU) to book
concerts for students, which is a great
joy – working hard for months contacting agents and finally seeing the line-up
materialize and when the tickets sell
out it is quite rewarding.
V.V.: What is your life like now?
K.K.: I graduated high school on my
17th birthday and moved to New York
City, where I am currently a sophomore
at NYU. I lived in NYU housing for a
year, but recently moved into an apartment with some friends in the financial
district. I design my own academic
program through the Gallatin School of
Individualized Study. Gallatin at NYU
allows for students to design their own
concentration rather than subscribing
to just one or two majors – thus my
concentration is in modern/contemporary
art and cultural/public policy. I take a
lot of art history courses focusing on art
from 1900-present, and various sociology,
cultural analysis, business, law and policy
classes related to art. I hope to eventually
go to law school to study art and entertainment law, and work representing artists and protecting intellectual property.
I love my life in New York, as it never
ceases to amaze me all the opportunities
here. There’s always a free concert, a new
artist retrospective, someone interesting
to meet, and values to be questioned,
challenged, and formed.
V.V.: What advice do you have for other
children or teens with hearing loss?
K.K.: If I knew then what I know now
about having a hearing loss, I would
say to not worry that much about what
other people think about having a hearing loss. I was quite shy during elementary and middle school, but I eventually
grew out of that towards the end of high
school when I realized that most people
are perfectly willing and happy to speak
up a little, speak more clearly, face you
directly, whatever accommodations you
need in order to hear optimally. Selfadvocacy is your best friend and it will
get you further than you will by just
trying to sneak around your hearing
loss. I have benefited so much from
having friends who understand what I
need in social situations, from NYU for
providing any service I need to benefit
academically and, of course, from AG
Bell – you just have to ask for it!
ommunic
lC
VOLTA VOICES • NOVEMBER /DECEMBER 201 1 AN AMERICAN OWNED AND
OPERATED CORPORATION
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Sil
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45
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Alabama
Alabama Ear Institute, 300 Office Park Drive,
Echo Center/Echo Horizon School, 3430
McManus Avenue, Culver City, CA 90232 •
310-838-2442 (voice) • 310-838-0479 (fax) • 310202-7201 (tty) • vishida@echohorizon.org (email)
• www.echohorizon.org (website) • Vicki Ishida,
Echo Center Director. Private elementary school,
incorporating an auditory/oral mainstream program
for students who are deaf or hard of hearing. Daily
support by credentialed DHH teachers in speech,
language, auditory skills and academic follow-up.
Suite 210, Birmingham, AL 35223 • (205-879-4234 –
voice) • (205-879-4233-fax) – www.alabamaearinstitute.
org AEI Auditory-Verbal Mentoring Program - Training
in spoken language development utilizing the A-V
approach w/ continuing education workshops &
mentoring by LSLS Cert AVTs. AEI Summer Institute
in Auditory-Verbal Therapy- two-week immersion in
A-V approach - Workshops and practicum experience
w/instruction and coaching by LSLS Cert AVTs. The
Alabama School for Hearing: pre-school utilizing
auditory/oral classroom approach - Auditory-Verbal
therapy also provided. AEI: Education, research and
public policy.
HEAR Center, 301 East Del Mar Blvd., Pasadena,
CA 91101 • 626-796-2016 (voice) • 626-796-2320
(fax) • Specializing in audiological services for all
ages. Auditory-Verbal individual therapy, birth to 21
years.
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Arizona
HEAR to Talk, 547 North June Street, Los Angeles,
Desert Voices, 3426 E. Shea Blvd., Phoenix, AZ
85028 • 602-224-0598 (voice) • 602-224-2460 (fax)
• info@desertvoices.phxcoxmail.com (email). Emily
Lawson, Executive Director. Oral school for deaf and
hard-of-hearing children from birth to nine years of
age. Programs include Birth to Three therapy, Toddler
Group, and full day Educational Program. Other
services include parent education classes, speech
and language evaluations, parent organization and
student teacher placements. Desert Voices is a Moog
Curriculum school.
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California
Auditory-Verbal Services, 10623 Emerson
Bend, Tustin, CA 92782. 714-573-2143 (voice)
- KarenatAVS@aol.com (email). Karen RothwellVivian, M.S.Ed., M.A., CCC-A, LSLS Certified
Auditory-Verbal Therapist (LSLS Cert.AVT).
Auditory-Verbal Therapy and audiological
consultation for children with hearing loss from
infancy. Expertise with hearing aids, cochlear
implants, FM systems, and mainstreaming support.
Auditory Rehabilitation both pre-lingual and postlingual hearing loss for children and adults.
Children’s Choice for Hearing and Talking,
CCHAT Center – Sacramento, 11100 Coloma
Road, Rancho Cordova, Ca 95670 • 916-361-7290
(voice). Laura Turner, Principal. An auditory/oral
day school educating children and their families
from birth through early elementary grades. Other
programs include adult cochlear implant support,
parent-infant program, on-site audiological services
and mainstreaming support services. The school is
staffed with credentialed teachers, licensed speechlanguage pathologists and a licensed audiologist.
46 CA 90004 • 323-464-3040 (voice) • Sylvia@
hear2talk.com (e-mail) • www.hear2talk.com • Sylvia
Rotfleisch, M.Sc.A., CED, CCC, Certified AuditoryVerbal Therapist®, LSLS Cert. AVT, Licensed
Audiologist, California NPA Certified. Trained by
Dr. Ling. Extensive expertise with cochlear implants
and hearing aids.
Jean Weingarten Peninsula Oral School
for the Deaf, 3518 Jefferson Avenue, Redwood
City, CA 94062 • 650-365-7500 (voice) • jwposd@
jwposd.org (e-mail) • www.oraldeafed.org/schools/
jwposd (website) Kathleen Daniel Sussman, Executive
Director; Pamela Musladin, Principal. An auditory/
oral program where deaf and hard of hearing children
listen, think and talk! Cognitive based program from
birth through mainstreaming into 1st or 2nd grade.
Students develop excellent language, listening and
social skills with superior academic competencies.
Cochlear Implant Habilitation, mainstream support
services and Family Center offering special services for
infants, toddlers and their families.
John Tracy Clinic, 806 West Adams Boulevard,
Los Angeles, CA 90007 · 213-748-5481 (voice) ·
800-522-4582 · PALS@JTC.org · www.jtc.org &
www.youtube.com/johntracyclinic. Early detection,
school readiness and parent empowerment since
1942. Worldwide Parent Distance Education and
onsite comprehensive audiological, counseling
and educational services for families with children
ages birth-5 years old. Intensive Summer Sessions
(children ages 2-5 and parents), with sibling program.
Online and on-campus options for an accredited
Master’s and Credential in Deaf Education.
Legal Services, David M. Grey, Grey & Grey,
233 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 700, Santa Monica, CA
90401 • 310-444-1980 (voice) • david@greyslaw.
com (e-mail). Advocacy for those with hearing loss.
Focus on educational issues, communication access
and discrimination. We handle IEPs, due process
and court proceedings throughout California. We
are knowledgeable about AVT, cochlear implants,
FM systems and other aids and services that facilitate
communication access. Free initial consultation. 25
years of legal experience.
The Alexander Graham Bell Association
for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing is not
responsible for verifying the credentials of
the service providers below. Listings do not
constitute endorsements of establishments
or individuals, nor do they guarantee quality.
Listen and Learn, 4340 Stevens Creek Blvd.,
Suite 107, San Jose, CA 95129 • 408-345-4949 •
Marsha A. Haines, M.A., CED, Cert. AVT, and
Sandra Hamaguchi Hocker, M.A., CED • Auditoryverbal therapy for the child and family from infancy.
Services also include aural habilitation for older
students and adults with cochlear implants. Extensive
experience and expertise with cochlear implants,
single and bilateral. Mainstream support services,
school consultation and assessment for children in
their neighborhood school. California NPA certified.
No Limits Performing Arts Academy and
Educational Center, 9801 Washington Boulevard,
2nd Fl, Culver City, CA 90232 – 310.280.0878,
800.948.7712 • www.kidswithnolimits.org. • Provides
free speech, language, literacy and support services to
dhh children and their families between the ages of
3 and 18 through its No Limits Educational Center.
Additionally, No Limits offers a national performing arts
program for schools and the community that builds the
self confidence and communication skills of children
with a hearing loss.
Oralingua School for the Hearing Impaired,
North Campus – 7056 S. Washington Avenue, Whittier,
CA 90602 – 562-945-8391 (voice) 562-945-0361 (fax)
info@oralingua.org (email) www.oralingua.org (website)
South Campus – 221 Pawnee Street, San Marcos, CA
92078 – 760-471-5187 (voice) 760-591-4631 (fax)
Where Children are Listening and Talking! An auditory/
oral program serving children from infancy to 11 years
old. Audiological, Speech, Itinerant, AVI Therapy, and
other related Designated Instructional Services available.
Contact Elisa J. Roche, Executive Director.
QuickCaption, Inc., 951-779-0787 (voice)
• info@quickcaption@com (email) • www.
quickcaption.com (website). QuickCaption proudly
offers reliable, high-quality real-time captioning and
CART services nationwide, both on site as well as
remotely via the Internet. In addition, QuickCaption
offers prompt and professional video/media
captioning, web stream and podcast captioning,
as well as our NEW mobile CART! If it can be
captioned, we can caption it!
Training and Advocacy Group for Deaf &
Hard of Hearing Children and Teens (TAG),
11693 San Vicente Blvd. #559, Los Angeles, CA 90049,
310-339-7678, tagkids@aol.com, www.tagkids.org. Leah
Ilan, Executive Director. Offers free group meetings for
ddh children and teens from 5th grade through high
school to provide socialization and advocacy training.
Half-day workshops for high school seniors are given to
prepare students for college or employment. Groups are
held in schools during weekdays and in the community
during the weekends. The sessions are each two hours
long with 8-12 participants. Parent workshops and special
extracurricular outings are also offered throughout the
school year.
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Colorado
n
Florida
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Idaho
Bill Daniels Center for Children’s Hearing,
The Children’s Hospital – Colorado,
Department of Audiology, Speech
Pathology and Learning Services, 13123
Clarke Schools for Hearing and Speech/
Jacksonville, 9857 St. Augustine Road, Suite 6,
Idaho Educational Services for the Deaf
and the Blind, 1450 Main Street, Gooding, ID
East 16th Avenue, B030 Aurora, CO 80045.
www.thechildrenshospital.org (website) –
720-777-6531(voice) - 720-777-6886 (TTY) or
BillDanielsCenter@tchden.org (e-mail) We provide
comprehensive audiology and speech-language
services for children who are deaf or hard-of-hearing
(ages birth through 21 years). Our pediatric team
specializes in family-centered care and includes
audiologists, speech-language pathologists, a deaf
educator, family consultant, and clinical social
worker. Individual, group and parent educational
support and programs are designed to meet each
family desire for their preference of communication
needs. We also provide advanced technology hearing
aid fitting and cochlear implant services.
Rocky Mountain Ear Center, P.C. • 601 East
Hampden Avenue, Suite 530, Englewood, CO 80113
• 303-783-9220 (voice) • 303-806-6292 (fax) • www.
rockymountainearcenter.com (website). We provide a
full range of neurotology and audiology services for all
ages, ranging from infants to seniors. Using a multidisciplinary approach, our board-certified otologist
and doctors of audiology test and diagnose hearing,
balance, facial nerve and ear disorders and we provide
full-service hearing aid, cochlear implant and BAHA
services. We offer medical and surgical treatment as
well as language therapy and support groups, and are
actively involved in various research studies.
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Connecticut
CREC Soundbridge, 123 Progress Drive,
Wethersfield, CT 06109 • 860- 529-4260 (voice/ TTY)
• 860-257-8500 (fax) • www.crec.org/soundbridge
(website). Dr. Elizabeth B. Cole, Program Director.
Comprehensive audiological and instructional services,
birth through post-secondary, public school settings.
Focus on providing cutting-edge technology for optimal
auditory access and listening in educational settings and
at home, development of spoken language, development
of self advocacy – all to support each individual’s
realization of social, academic and vocational potential.
Birth to Three, Auditory-Verbal Therapy, integrated
preschool, intensive day program, direct educational and
consulting services in schools, educational audiology
support services in all settings, cochlear implant
mapping and habilitation, diagnostic assessments, and
summer programs.
New England Center for Hearing
Rehabilitation (NECHEAR), 354 Hartford
Turnpike, Hampton, CT 06247 • 860-455-1404
(voice) • 860-455-1396 (fax) • Diane Brackett.
Serving infants, children and adults with all degrees
of hearing loss. Speech, language, listening evaluation
for children using hearing aids and cochlear implants.
Auditory-Verbal therapy; Cochlear implant candidacy
evaluation, pre- and post-rehabilitation, and creative
individualized mapping. Post-implant rehabilitation
for adults with cochlear implants, specializing
in prelingual onset. Mainstream school support,
including onsite consultation with educational team,
rehabilitation planning and classroom observation.
Comprehensive audiological evaluation, amplification
validation and classroom listening system assessment.
VOLTA VOICES • NOVEMBER /DECEMBER 201 1 Jacksonville, FL 32257 • 904-880-9001(voice/relay).
info@clarkeschools.org • www.clarkeschools.org.
Alisa Demico, MS, CCC-SLP, LSLS Cert AVT, and
Cynthia Robinson, M.Ed., CED, LSLS Cert. AVEd,
Co-Directors. A member of the Option Schools
network, Clarke Schools for Hearing and Speech
provides children who are deaf and hard of hearing
with the listening, learning and spoken language
skills they need to succeed. Comprehensive listening
and spoken language programs prepare students for
success in mainstream schools.
Services include early intervention, toddler,
preschool, pre-K, kindergarten, parent support and
support group, cochlear implant habilitation, and
mainstream support. Summer Listening and Spoken
Language Program provides additional spoken
language therapy for toddler and preschool-aged
children.
Clarke Schools for Hearing and Speech has
locations in Boston, Bryn Mawr, Philadelphia,
Jacksonville, New York City, and Northampton.
Doctors’ Hearing and Balance Centers of
ENT Associates of South Florida, 1601 Clint
Moore Road, Suite 215, Boca Raton, FL 33487 •
(561) 393-9150 (voice) • audiology@entsf.com (email)
• www.entsf.com (website) • ENT/Audiology practice
serving the hearing impaired from birth to geriatric
age. Services include all Ear, Nose and Throat services
including specialties in pediatrics and Otoneurology.
Audiology services include all comprehensive
diagnostic evaluations and fittings, cochlear and
Baha/Pronto implantable evaluations and activations.
We work closely with auditory-verbal therapists/
speech-language pathologists within the community.
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Georgia
Atlanta Speech School – Katherine Hamm
Center, 3160 Northside Parkway, NW Atlanta,
GA 30327 • 404-233-5332 ext. 3119 (voice/TTY)
• 404-266-2175 (fax) • scarr@atlspsch.org (email) •
www.atlantaspeechschool.org (website). A Listening
and Spoken Language program serving children
who are deaf or hard of hearing from infancy to
elementary school age. Children receive languagerich lessons and highly individualized literacy
instruction in a nurturing environment. Teachers
and staff work closely with parents to instill the
knowledge and confidence children need to reach
their full potential. Early intervention programs,
audiological support services, auditory-verbal therapy,
mainstreaming opportunities and independent
educational evaluations. Established in 1938.
For further information please visit our website:
www.atlspsch.org.
Auditory-Verbal Center, Inc - Atlanta, 1901
Century Boulevard, Suite 20, Atlanta, GA 30345,
404-633-8911 (voice) • 404-633-6403 (fax) • listen@
avchears.org (email) • www.avchears.org (website).
Auditory-Verbal Center, Inc - Macon, 2720 Sheraton
Drive, Suite D-240, Macon, GA 31204 • 478-4710019 (voice). A comprehensive Auditory-Verbal
program for children with hearing impairments and
their families. Home Center and Practicum Site
programs provide intensive A-V training for families
and professionals. Complete audiological services
for children and adults. Assistive listening devices
demonstration center.
83330 • 208 934 4457 (V/TTY) • 208 934 8352
(fax) • isdb@isdb.idaho.gov (e-mail). IESDB serves
birth to 21 year old youth with hearing loss through
parent-infant, on-site, and outreach programs.
Options include auditory/oral programs for children
using spoken language birth through second grade.
Audiology, speech instruction, auditory development,
and cochlear implant habilitation is provided.
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Illinois
Alexander Graham Bell Montessori School
(AGBMS) and Alternatives in Education for
the Hearing Impaired www.agbms.org (website)
• info@agbms.org (email) • 847-850-5490 (phone) •
847-850-5493 (fax) • 9300 Capitol Drive Wheeling,
IL 60090 • AGBMS provides challenging academic
programs in a mainstream environment for deaf
children ages 0-12 years. Teach of the Deaf, Speech/
Language Pathologist, and Classroom Teachers
utilize Cued speech to provide complete access to
English and enable development of age-appropriate
language and literacy skills. Speaking and listening
skills are emphasized by staff with special training in
auditory/verbal therapy techniques. AEHI provides
Cued Speech training and other outreach services to
families and professionals in the Great Lakes area.
Child’s Voice School, 180 Hansen Court, Wood
Dale, IL 60191 • (630) 595-8200 (voice) • (630)
595-8282 (fax) • info@childsvoice.org (email) • www.
childsvoice.org (website). Michele Wilkins, Ed.D.,
LSLS Cert. AVEd., Executive Director. A Listening
and Spoken Language program for children birth to
age 8. Cochlear implant (re) habilitation, audiology
services and mainstream support services provided.
Early intervention for birth to age three with parentinfant and toddler classes and home based services
offered in Wood Dale and Chicago areas. Parent
Support/Education classes provided. Child’s Voice is a
Certified Moog Program.
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Indiana
St. Joseph Institute for the Deaf Indianapolis. 9192 Waldemar Road,
Indianapolis, IN 46268 • (317) 471-8560 (voice) •
(317) 471-8627 (fax) • www.sjid.org; touellette@sjid.
org (email) • Teri Ouellette, M.S. Ed., LSLS Cert.
AVEd, Director. St. Joseph Institute for the Deaf
- Indianapolis, a campus of the St. Joseph Institute
system, serves children with hearing loss, birth to
age six. Listening and Spoken Language programs
include early intervention, toddler and preschool
classes, cochlear implant rehabilitation, mainstream
therapy and consultation and daily speech therapy.
Challenging speech, academic programs and personal
development are offered in a nurturing environment.
(See Kansas and Missouri for other campus
information.)
47
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Kansas
St. Joseph Institute for the Deaf - Kansas
City, 8835 Monrovia, Lenexa, KS 66215 • 913-
383-3535 • www.sjid.org • Jeanne Fredriksen, M.S.,
Ed., Director • jfredriksen@sjid.org. St. Joseph
Institute for the Deaf - Kansas City, a campus of
the St. Joseph Institute system, serves children with
hearing loss, birth to age eight. Listening and Spoken
Language programs include: early intervention,
toddler playgroups, preschool to second grade classes,
cochlear implant/hearing aid rehabilitation and daily
speech therapy. Challenging listening/speech and
language therapy, academic programs and personal
development opportunities are offered in a nurturing
environment. (See Missouri and Indiana for other
campus information.)
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Maryland
The Hearing and Speech Agency’s Auditory/
Oral Center, 5900 Metro Drive, Baltimore, MD
21215 • (voice) 410-318-6780 • (TTY) 410-3186758 • (fax) 410-318-6759 • Email: hasa@hasa.org
• Website: www.hasa.org. Jill Berie, Educational
Director, Olga Polites, Clinical Director, Erin Medley,
Teacher of the Deaf. Auditory/Oral education and
therapy program for infants and young children
who are deaf or hard of hearing. Self-contained,
state-of-the-art classrooms located in the Gateway
School approved by the Maryland State Department
of Education. Additional services include speechlanguage therapy, family education and support, preand post-cochlear implant habilitation, collaboration
and support of inclusion, audiological management
and occupational therapy. The Hearing and Speech
Agency’s Auditory/Oral preschool program, “Little
Ears, Big Voices” is the only Auditory/Oral preschool
in Baltimore. In operation for more than five years, it
focuses on preparing children who are deaf or hard of
hearing to succeed in mainstream elementary schools.
Applications for all Auditory/Oral Center programs
are accepted year-round. Families are encouraged
to apply for scholarships and financial assistance.
HASA is a direct service provider, information
resource center and advocate for people of all ages
who are deaf, hard of hearing or who have speech and
language disorders.
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Massachusetts
Boston, 1 Whitman Road, Canton, MA 02021
•781-821-3499 (voice) • 781-821-3904 (tty) • info@
clarkeschools.org • www.clarkeschools.org. Barbara
Hecht, Ph.D., Director. A member of the Option
Schools network, Clarke Schools for Hearing and
Speech provides children who are deaf and hard
of hearing with the listening, learning and spoken
language skills they need to succeed. Comprehensive
listening and spoken language programs prepare
students for success in mainstream schools.
Services include early intervention, preschool,
kindergarten, speech and language services, parent
support, cochlear implant habilitation, and an
extensive mainstream services program (itinerant
and consulting). Children and families come to
our campus from throughout Eastern and Central
Massachusetts, Cape Cod, Rhode Island, Maine and
New Hampshire for services.
Jacksonville, New York City and Northampton.
48 Clarke Schools for Hearing and Speech/
Northampton, 47 Round Hill Road, Northampton,
MA 01060 • 413-584-3450 (voice/tty). info@
clarkeschools.org • www.clarkeschools.org. Bill
Corwin, President. A member of the Option Schools
network, Clarke Schools for Hearing and Speech
provides children who are deaf and hard of hearing
with the listening, learning and spoken language
skills they need to succeed. Comprehensive listening
and spoken language programs prepare students for
success in mainstream schools.
Services include early intervention, preschool, day
and residential school through 8th grade, cochlear
implant assessment, summer programs, mainstream
services (itinerant and consulting), evaluations for
infants through high school students, audiological
services, and graduate degree program in teacher
education.
Northampton, New York City, and Jacksonville.
SoundWorks for Children, 18 South Main
Street, Topsfield, MA 01983 • 978-887-8674 (voice) •
soundworksforchildren@verizon.net (e-mail) • Jane E.
Driscoll, MED, Director. A comprehensive, non-profit
program dedicated to the development of auditoryverbal skills in children who are deaf or hard-of-hearing.
Specializing in cochlear implant habilitation and offering
a full continuum of inclusionary support models from
preschool through high school. Early Intervention services
and social/self-advocacy groups for mainstreamed students
are offered at our Family Center. Summer programs, inservice training, and consultation available.
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Michigan
Redford Union Oral Program for Children
with Hearing Impairments, 18499 Beech Daly
Rd. Redford, MI 48240 • 313-242-3510 (voice) • 313242-3595 (fax) • 313-242-6286 (tty) • Dorothea B.
French, Ph.D., Director. Auditory/oral day program
serves 80 center students/250 teacher consultant
students. Birth to 25 years of age.
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Minnesota
Northern Voices, 1660 W. County Road B,
Roseville, MN, 55113-1714, 651-639-2535 (voice),
651-639-1996 (fax), eloavenbruck@northernvoices.
org (email), Erin Loavenbruck, Executive Director.
Northern Voices is a non-profit early education
center focused on creating a positive environment
where children with hearing loss and their families
learn to communicate through the use of spoken
language. Our goal is for students to become fluent
oral communicators and to join their hearing peers
in a traditional classroom at their neighborhood
schools. Northern Voices is a Certified Moog
Program. Please visit www.northernvoices.org.
Northeast Metro #916 Auditory/Oral
Program, 3375 Willow Ave., Rm 109, White Bear
Lake, Minnesota 55110; 651.415.5546, • email
auditory.oral@nemetro.k12.mn.us. • Providing
oral education to children who are Deaf or Hard
of Hearing. Services strive to instill and develop
receptive (listening) and expressive (speaking) English
language skills within each student. Well-trained
specialists carry the principles of this program
forward using supportive, necessary, and recognized
curriculum.
The program’s philosophy is that children who are
Deaf or Hard of Hearing can learn successfully within
a typical classroom environment with typical hearing
peers. This can be achieved when they are identified
at an early age, receive appropriate amplification,
and participate in an oral-specific early intervention
program. Referrals are through the local school
district in which the family live.
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Mississippi
DuBard School for Language Disorders,
The University of Southern Mississippi, 118 College
Drive #5215, Hattiesburg, MS 39406-0001 •
601.266.5223 (voice) • dubard@usm.edu (e-mail) •
www.usm.edu/dubard • Maureen K. Martin, Ph.D.,
CCC-SLP, CED, CALT, Director • The DuBard
School for Language Disorders is a clinical division
of the Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences
at the University of Southern Mississippi. The school
serves children from birth to age 13 in its state-of-theart facility. Working collaboratively with 20 public
school districts, the school specializes in coexisting
language disorders, learning disabilities/dyslexia and
speech disorders, such as apraxia, through its nongraded, 11-month program. The Association Method,
as refined, and expanded by the late Dr. Etoile
DuBard and the staff of the school, is the basis of the
curriculum. Comprehensive evaluations, individual
therapy, audiological services and professional
development programs also are available. A/EOE/
ADAI
Magnolia Speech School, Inc. 733 Flag
Chapel Road, Jackson, MS 39209 – 601-922-5530
(voice), 601-922-5534 (fax) – anne.sullivan@
magnoliaspeechschool.org –Anne Sullivan, M.Ed.
Executive Director. Magnolia Speech School serves
children with hearing loss and/or severe speech and
language disorders. Listening and Spoken Language
instruction/therapy is offered to students 0 to 12 in
a home based Early Intervention Program (free of
charge), in classroom settings and in the Hackett
Bower Clinic (full educational audiological services,
speech pathology and occupational therapy).
Assessments and outpatient therapy are also offered to
the community through the Clinic.
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Missouri
CID – Central Institute for the Deaf, 825 S.
Taylor Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63110 314-977-0132
(voice) • 314-977-0037 (tty) • lberkowitz@cid.edu
(email) • www.cid.edu (website) Lynda Berkowitz/
Barb Lanfer, co-principals. Child- and family-friendly
learning environment for children birth-12; exciting
adapted curriculum incorporating mainstream
content; Family Center for infants and toddlers;
expert mainstream preparation in the CID pre-k and
primary programs; workshops and educational tools
for professionals; close affiliation with Washington
University deaf education and audiology graduate
programs.
New Items for
Listening and Spoken Language
Development
The AG Bell Bookstore
Pediatric Audiology and Companion Casebook
is pleased to introduce
Edited by Jane Madell, Ph.D., CCC-A/SLP, LSLS
Cert. AVT, and Carol Flexer, Ph.D., LSLS Cert. AVT
new material for listening
and spoken language
practitioners. These titles
support best practices
in promoting spoken
language acquisition,
literacy skills and social
development in children
and adults who are deaf
and hard of hearing.
Now's the time to
shop and save! Members
receive a 15% discount,
and bulk purchases
are also eligible for a
discount. Visit the
AG Bell Bookstore today
at www.agbell.org.
Pediatric Audiology and the companion Pediatric
Audiology Casebook are now available in the
AG Bell Bookstore. These books provide practical
"how-to" reference guides for the diagnosis and
technological and educational management of infants
and children with hearing disorders. Master clinicians
provide step-by-step descriptions of testing and treatment protocols, and a DVD included with the text features videos
of the various pediatric behavioral assessments. The casebook is a
compendium of 69 key cases, covering everything from basic and
complex diagnostic cases, to hearing aid technology, vestibular
issues, and the management of auditory development.
Children with Hearing Loss: Developing
Listening and Talking, Birth to Six
Written by AG Bell members Elizabeth Cole,
Ed.D., CCC-A, LSLS Cert. AVT, and Carol Flexer,
Ph.D., LSLS Cert. AVT
“Children with Hearing Loss: Developing Listening
and Talking” is now available from the AG Bell
Bookstore. This second edition covers the most
current and up-to-date information about hearing,
listening, spoken language development and intervention for young
children with hearing loss who are learning to listen and talk. It is unique
in its scholarly and thoroughly readable style. Numerous illustrations,
charts and graphs illuminate key ideas, including the nine domains of
listening and spoken language outlined by the AG Bell Academy for
Listening and Spoken Language. Visit www.agbell.org/bookstore to
learn more and purchase today.
TEL 202.337.5220 • EMAIL PUBLICATIONS@AGBELL.ORG • WEB WWW.AGBELL.ORG/BOOKSTORE
The Moog Center for Deaf Education, 12300
South Forty Drive, St. Louis, MO 63141 • 314-6927172 (voice) • 314-692-8544 (fax) • www.moogcenter.
org (website) • Betsy Moog Brooks, Executive
Director, bbrooks@moogcenter.org. Services provided
to children who are deaf and hard-of-hearing from
birth to 9 years of age. Programs include the Family
School (birth to 3), School (3-9 years), Audiology
(including cochlear implant programming),
mainstream services, educational evaluations,
parent education and support groups, professional
workshops, teacher education, and student teacher
placements. The Moog Center for Deaf Education is a
Certified Moog Program.
St. Joseph Institute for the Deaf - St.
Louis, 1809 Clarkson Road, Chesterfield, MO
63017 • (636) 532-3211 (voice/TYY) • www.sjid.org;
Mary Daniels, MAEd, LSLS Cert. AVEd, Director
of Education • mdaniels@sjid.org • An independent,
Catholic school serving children with hearing loss
birth through the eighth grade. Listening and Spoken
Language programs include early intervention,
toddler and preschool classes, K-8th grade, I-Hear
internet therapy, audiology clinic, evaluations,
mainstream consultancy, and summer school.
Challenging speech, academic programs and personal
development are offered in a supportive environment.
ISACS accredited. Approved private agency of
Missouri Department of Education and Illinois
Department of Education. (See Kansas and Indiana
for other campus information.)
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New Jersey
HIP and SHIP of Bergen County Special
Services - Midland Park School District,
Summit Speech School for the HearingImpaired Child, F.M. Kirby Center is an
auditory-oral/auditory-verbal school for deaf and
hard of hearing children located at 705 Central Ave.,
New Providence, NJ 07974 • 908-508-0011 (voice/
TTY) • 908-508-0012 (fax) • info@summitspeech.
org (email) • www.summitspeech.org (website) •
Pamela Paskowitz, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, Executive
Director. Programs include Early Intervention/
Parent Infant (0-3 years), Preschool (3-5 years) and
Itinerant Mainstream Support Services for children
in their home districts. Speech and language, OT
and PT and family support/family education services
available. Pediatric audiological services are available
for children birth-21 and educational audiology and
consultation is available for school districts.
n
New Mexico
Presbyterian Ear Institute - Albuquerque,
415 Cedar Street, SE, Albuquerque, NM 87106
505-224-7020 (voice) • 505-224-7023 (fax) • www.
presbyterianearinstitute.org (website) • Catherine
Creamer, Principal. Services include a cochlear
implant center and auditory/oral program for children
who are deaf and hard of hearing birth through 9
years old. Exists to assist people with hearing loss to
better listen and speak and integrate into mainstream
society. Presbyterian Ear Institute is a Moog
Curriculum.
n
New York
Anne Kearney, M.S., LSLS Cert. AVT, CCCSLP, 401 Littleworth Lane, Sea Cliff, Long Island,
NY 11579 • 516-671-9057 (voice).
Auditory/Oral School of New York, 2164 Ralph
41 E. Center Street, Midland Park, N.J. 07432
• 201-343-8982 (voice) • kattre@bergen.org
(email) • Kathleen Treni, Principal. An integrated,
comprehensive pre-K-12th grade auditory oral
program in public schools. Services include Auditory
Verbal and Speech Therapy, Cochlear Implant
habilitation, Parent Education, and Educational
Audiological services. Consulting teacher services are
available for mainstream students in home districts.
Early Intervention services provided for babies from
birth to three. SHIP is the state’s only 7-12th grade
auditory oral program. CART (Computer Real Time
Captioning) is provided in a supportive, small high
school environment.
Avenue & 3321 Avenue “M,” Brooklyn, NY 11234 •
718-531-1800 (voice) • 718-421-5395 (fax) • info@
auditoryoral.org (e-mail) • Pnina Bravmann, Program
Director. A premier auditory/oral early intervention and
preschool program servicing hearing impaired children
and their families. Programs include: StriVright Early
Intervention (home-based and center-based), preschool,
integrated preschool classes with children with normal
hearing, multidisciplinary evaluations, parent support,
Auditory-Verbal Therapy, complete audiological services,
cochlear implant habilitation, central auditory processing
(CAPD) testing and therapy, mainstreaming, ongoing
support services following mainstreaming.
The Ivy Hall Program at Lake Drive, 10 Lake
Drive, Mountain Lakes, NJ 07046 • 973-299-0166
(voice/tty) • 973-299-9405 (fax) • www.mtlakes.
org/ld. • Trish Filiaci, MA, CCC-SLP, Principal. An
innovative program that brings hearing children and
children with hearing loss together in a rich academic
environment. Auditory/oral programs include: early
intervention, preschool, kindergarten, parent support,
cochlear implant habilitation, itinerant services, OT,
PT and speech/language services. Self-contained to
full range of inclusion models available.
50 Broadway, 6th Floor, New York, NY 10004 •
917 305-7700 (voice) • 917-305-7888 (TTY) • 917305-7999 (fax) • www.CHChearing.org (website).
Florida Office: 2900 W. Cypress Creek Road, Suite
3, Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33309 • 954-601-1930 (Voice)
• 954-601-1938 (TTY) • 954-601-1399 (Fax). A
leading center for hearing and communication
services for people of all ages who have a hearing
loss as well as children with listening and learning
challenges. Our acclaimed services for children
include pediatric hearing evaluation and hearing aid
fitting; auditory-oral therapy; and the evaluation and
treatment of auditory processing disorder (APD).
Comprehensive services for all ages include hearing
evaluation; hearing aid evaluation, fitting and sales;
cochlear implant training; communication therapy;
assistive technology consultation; tinnitus treatment,
emotional health and wellness; and Mobile Hearing
Test Unit. Visit www.CHChearing.org to access our
vast library of information about hearing loss and
hearing conservation.
Speech Partners, Inc. 26 West High Street,
Somerville, NJ 08876 • 908-231-9090 (voice) •
908-231-9091 (fax) • nancy@speech-partners.com
(email). Nancy V. Schumann, M.A., CCC-SLP, Cert.
AVT. Auditory-Verbal Therapy, Communication
Evaluations, Speech-Language Therapy and Aural
Rehabilitation, School Consultation, Mentoring,
Workshops.
50 Center for Hearing and Communication,
New York, 80 East End Avenue, New York, NY
10028 • 212-585-3500(voice/tty). info@clarkeschools.
org • www.clarkeschools.org. Meredith Berger,
Director. A member of the Option Schools network,
Clarke Schools for Hearing and Speech provides
children who are deaf and hard of hearing with the
listening, learning and spoken language skills they
need to succeed. Comprehensive listening and spoken
language programs prepare students for success in
mainstream schools.
Clarke’s New York campus is located on the
Upper East Side of Manhattan and serves children
age birth-5 years old from New York City and
Westchester County. Clarke is an approved provider
of early intervention evaluations and services, service
coordination, and pre-school classes (self-contained
and integrated). There are typically little or no out
of pocket expenses for families attending Clarke
New York. Our expert staff includes teachers of the
deaf/hard of hearing, speech language pathologists,
audiologists, social workers/service coordinators and
occupational and physical therapists.
locations in New York City, Boston, Bryn Mawr,
Philadelphia, Northampton and Jacksonville.
Long Island Jewish Medical Center:
Hearing & Speech Center, 430 Lakeville
Road, New Hyde Park, NY 11042 • 718-470-8910
(voice) • 718-470-1679 (fax). Long Island Jewish
Medical Center: Hearing & Speech Center. A
complete range of audiological and speech-language
services is provided for infants, children and adults
at our Hearing and Speech Center and Hearing Aid
Dispensary. The Center participates in the Early
Intervention Program, Physically Handicapped
Children’s Program and accepts Medicaid and
Medicare. The Cochlear Implant Center provides
full diagnostic, counseling and rehabilitation services
to individuals with severe to profound hearing loss.
Support groups for parents of hearing impaired
children and cochlear implant recipients are available.
Mill Neck Manor School for the Deaf GOALS (Growing Oral/Aural Language
Skills) PROGRAM, 40 Frost Mill Road, Mill
Neck, NY 11765 • (516) 922-4100 (Voice) Mark
R. Prowatzke, Ph.D., Executive Director. Statesupported school maintains Infant Toddler Program
with focus on education, parent training, family
support and speech/language/audiological services.
Collaborates with Early Intervention Services.
Preschool/Kindergarten (ages 3 - 6) Auditory/
Verbal program serves Deaf /HoH students and
typical peers to facilitate academic goals meeting NY
Standards. Teachers/therapists in this certified literacy
collaborative program integrate literacy, listening
and oral language skills throughout school day. Art,
library, audiological services, daily music/speech/
language therapies, related services and familycentered programming included.
Nassau BOCES Program for Hearing and
Vision Services, 740 Edgewood Drive, Westbury,
Comprehensive audiological services are provided
to all students enrolled in the program, utilizing state
of the art technology, FM assistive technology to
maximize access to sound within the classroom, and
cochlear implant expertise. Additionally, cochlear
implant mapping support provided by local hospital
audiology team will be delivered on site at the school.
NY 11590 • 516-931-8507 (Voice) • 516-931-8596
(TTY) • 516-931-8566 (Fax) • www.nassauboces.org
(Web) • JMasone@mail.nasboces.org (Email). Dr.
Judy Masone, Principal. Provides full day New York
State standards - based academic education program
for children 3-21 within district-based integrated
settings. An auditory/oral or auditory/sign support
methodology with a strong emphasis on auditory
development is used at all levels.
Itinerant services including auditory training and
audiological support are provided to those students who
are mainstreamed in their local schools. Services are
provided by certified Teachers of the Hearing Impaired
on an individual basis.
The Infant/Toddler Program provides centerand home-based services with an emphasis on the
development of auditory skills and the acquisition of
language, as well as parent education and support.
Center-based instruction includes individual and
small group sessions, speech, parent meetings and
audiological consultation. Parents also receive 1:1
instruction with teacher of the Deaf and Hard of
Hearing on a weekly basis to support the development
of skills at home.
New York Eye & Ear Cochlear Implant And
Hearing & Learning Centers, 380 Second
Avenue at 22nd Street, 9th floor, New York, NY
10010 • 646-438-7801 (voice). Comprehensive
diagnostic and rehabilitative services for infants,
children and adults including audiology services,
amplification and FM evaluation and dispensing,
cochlear implants, auditory/oral therapy,
otolaryngology, and counseling, early intervention
services, and educational services (classroom
observation, advocacy, and in-service session).
Rochester School for the Deaf, 1545 St. Paul
Street, Rochester, NY 14621; 585-544-1240 (voice/
TTY), 866-283-8810 (Videophone); info@RSDeaf.
org, www.RSDeaf.org. Harold Mowl, Jr., Ph.D.,
Superintendent/CEO. Serving Western and Central
New York State, RSD is an inclusive, bilingual
school where deaf and hard of hearing children and
their families thrive. Established in 1876, RSD goes
above and beyond all expectations to provide quality
Pre-K through 12th grade academic programs,
support services and resources to ensure a satisfying
and successful school experience for children with
hearing loss.
The Children’s Hearing Institute, 380
Second Avenue at 22nd Street, 9th floor, New York,
NY 10010 • 646-438-7819 (voice). Educational
Outreach Program – provides continuing education
courses for professionals to maintain certification,
with accreditation by American Speech-LanguageHearing Association (ASHA), American Academy
of Audiology (AAA), and The AG Bell Academy for
Listening and Spoken Language. Free parent and
family programs for children with hearing loss. CHI’s
mission is to achive the best possible outcome for
children with hearing loss by caring for their clinical
needs, educating the professionals that work with
them, and providing their parents with the pertinent
information needed for in-home success.
Expanding Children’s Hearing Opportunities (ECHO)
at Carle Foundation Hospital
ECHO’s family-CEntErEd prOgram EnCOmpassEs:
tHE pEdiatriC HEaring CEntEr
• Providingaudiologic&speech/languageservicesforchildrenwith
hearingloss,frombirthto21years.
• FirstpediatriccochlearimplantprograminIllinois.
• Established1989.
CarlE auditOry Oral sCHOOl
(formerly known as the St. Joseph Institute for the Deaf at Carle)
• IllinoisStateBoardofEducationapprovedauditoryoralschool.
• Preschoolthrough2ndgrade.
•Parent/infantprogramincludingcenterandhome-basedservices.
• Established1997.
carle.org/echo
611W.ParkStreet|Urbana,IL61801|(217)383-4375|echo@carle.com
n
North Carolina
BEGINNINGS For Parents of Children Who
Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing, Inc., 302
Jefferson Street, Suite 110, PO Box 17646, Raleigh,
NC 27605, 919-715-4092 (voice) – 919-715-4093
(fax) – Raleigh@ncbegin.org (email). Joni Alberg,
Executive Director. BEGINNINGS provides
emotional support, unbiased information, and
technical assistance to parents of children who are
deaf or hard of hearing, deaf parents with hearing
children, and professionals serving those families.
BEGINNINGS assists parents of children from
birth through age 21 by providing information and
support that will empower them as informed decision
makers, helping them access the services they need
for their child, and promoting the importance of
early intervention and other educational programs.
BEGINNINGS believes that given accurate, objective
information about hearing loss, parents can make
sound decisions for their child about educational
placement, communication methodology, and related
service needs.
52 CASTLE- Center for Acquisition of
Spoken Language Through Listening
Enrichment, 5501-A Fortunes Ridge Drive, Suite
A, Durham, NC 27713 • 919-419-1428 (voice) •
www.uncearandhearing.com/pedsprogs/castle An
auditory/oral center for parent and professional
education. Preschool and Early intervention services
for young children including Auditory Verbal parent
participation sessions. Hands-on training program
for hearing-related professionals/ university students
including internships, two week summer institute and
Auditory Verbal Modules.
n
Ohio
Auditory Oral Children’s Center (AOCC),
5475 Brand Road, Dublin, OH 43017 • 614-5987335 (voice) • auditoryoral@columbus.rr.com (email)
• http://auditoryoral.googlepages.com (website).
AOCC is a non-profit auditory and spoken language
development program for children with hearing loss.
We offer a blended approach by combining an intensive
therapy-based pre-school program integrated into a
NAEYC preschool environment. Therapy is provided
by an Auditory-Verbal Therapist, Hearing–Impaired
Teacher, and Speech-Language Pathologist. Birth to three
individual therapy, toddler class, and parent support
services also available.
Millridge Center/Mayfield Auditory Oral
Program, 950 Millridge Road, Highland Heights,
OH 44143-3113 • 440-995-7300 (phone) • 440995-7305 (fax) • www.mayfieldschools.org • Louis
A. Kindervater, Principal. Auditory/oral program
with a ful continuum of services, birth to 22 years of
age. Serving 31 public school districts in northeast
Ohio. Early intervention; preschool with typically
developing peers; parent support; individual speech,
language, and listening therapy; audiological services;
cochlear implant habilitation; and mainstreaming
in the general education classrooms of Mayfield City
School District.
Ohio Valley Voices, 6642 Branch Hill Guinea
Pike, Loveland, OH 45140513-791-1458 (voice) • 513-791-4326 (fax) • mainoffice@ohiovalleyvoices.
org (e-mail) www.ohiovalleyvoices.org (website). Ohio
Valley Voices teaches children who are deaf and hard
of hearing how to listen and speak. The vast majority
of our students utilize cochlear implants to give
them access to sound, which in turn, allows them
to learn and speak when combined with intensive
speech therapy. We offer birth-to-age three program, a
preschool through second grade program, a full array
of on-site audiological services, parent education and
support resources. Ohio Valley Voices is a Certified
Moog Program.
n
Oklahoma
Hearts for Hearing, 3525 NW 56th Street,
Suite A-150, Oklahoma City, OK. • 73112 • 405548-4300 • 405-548-4350(Fax) • Comprehensive
hearing healthcare program which includes pediatric
audiological evaluations, management and cochlear
implant mapping. Auditory-Verbal therapy, cochlear
implant habilitation, early intervention, pre-school,
summer enrichment services and family support
workshops are also provided. Opportunities for
family, professional education and consultations are
provided. www.heartsforhearing.org
INTEGRIS Cochlear Implant Clinic at the
Hough Ear Institute, 3434 NW 56th, Suite 101,
Oklahoma City, OK 73112 • 405-947-6030 (voice) •
405-945-7188 (fax) • Amy.arrington@integris-health.
com (email) • www.integris-health.com (website) • Our
team includes board-certified and licensed speechlanguage pathologists, pediatric and adult audiologists,
as well as neurotologists from the Otologic Medical
Clinic. Services include hearing evaluations, hearing
aid fittings, cochlear implant testing and fittings,
newborn hearing testing, and speech/language therapy.
The Hearing Enrichment Language Program (HELP)
provides speech services for children and adults who
are deaf or hard of hearing. Our speech-language
pathologists respect adults’ and/or parents’ choice in
(re) habilitation options that can optimize listening and
language skills.
n
Oregon
Tucker-Maxon Oral School, 2860 SE Holgate
Boulevard, Portland, OR 97202 • (503) 235-6551
(voice) • (503) 235-1711 (TTY) • tminfo@tmos.
org (email) • www.tmos.org (website). Established
in 1947, Tucker-Maxon provides an intensive
Listening and Spoken Language (auditory/verbal
and auditory/oral) program that enrolls children
with hearing loss and children with normal hearing
in every class. Programs for children with hearing
loss start at birth and continue through elementary.
Tucker-Maxon provides comprehensive pediatric
audiology evaluations; cochlear implant management;
habilitation and mapping; early intervention; and
speech pathology services.
Center for Childhood Communication at
The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia,
3405 Civic Center Boulevard, Philadelphia 19104
• (800) 551-5480 (voice) • (215) 590-5641 (fax) •
www.chop.edu/ccc (website). The CCC provides
Audiology, Speech-Language and Cochlear Implant
services and offers support through CATIPIHLER,
an interdisciplinary program including mental
health and educational services for children with
hearing loss and their families from time of diagnosis
through transition into school-aged services. In
addition to serving families at our main campus in
Philadelphia, satellite offices are located in Bucks
County, Exton, King of Prussia, and Springfield,
PA and in Voorhees, Mays Landing, and Princeton,
NJ. Professional Preparation in Cochlear Implants
(PPCI), a continuing education training program
for teachers and speech-language pathologists, is also
headquartered at the CCC.
Pennsylvania, 455 South Roberts Road, Bryn
Mawr, PA 19010 • 610-525-9600 (voice/tty). info@
clarkeschools.org • www.clarkeschools.org. Judith
Sexton, MS, CED, LSLS Cert AVEd, Director. A
member of the Option Schools network, Clarke
Schools for Hearing and Speech provides children
who are deaf and hard of hearing with the listening,
learning and spoken language skills they need
to succeed. Comprehensive listening and spoken
language programs prepare students for success in
mainstream schools. Locations in Bryn Mawr and
Philadelphia.
Services include early intervention, preschool,
parent education, individual auditory speech and
language services, cochlear implant habilitation
for children and adults, audiological services, and
mainstream services including itinerant teaching and
consulting. Specially trained staff includes LSLS Cert.
AVEd and LSL Cert. AVT professionals, teachers
of the deaf, special educators, speech language
pathologists and a staff audiologist.
Northampton and Jacksonville.
Delaware County Intermediate Unit # 25,
Hearing and Language Programs, 200 Yale
Avenue, Morton, PA 19070 • 610-938-9000, ext. 2277
610938-9886 (fax) • mdworkin@dciu.org • Program
Highlights: A publicly funded program for children with
hearing loss in local schools. Serving children from birth
through 21 years of age. Teachers of the deaf provide
resource room support and itinerant hearing therapy
throughout Delaware County, PA. Services also include
audiology, speech therapy, cochlear implant habilitation
(which includes LSLS Cert. AVT and LSLS Cert.
AVEd), psychology and social work.
DePaul School for Hearing and Speech,
6202 Alder Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15206 •
(412)924-1012 (voice/TTY) • ll@depaulinst.com
(email) • www.speakmiracles.org (website). Lillian
r. Lippencott, Outreach Coordinator. DePaul,
western Pennsylvania’s only auditory-oral school,
has been serving families for 101 years. DePaul is
a State Approved Private School and programs are
tuition-free to parents and caregivers of approved
students. Programs include: early intervention
services for children birth to 3 years; a center-based
toddler program for children ages 18 months to 3
years; a preschool for children ages 3-5 years and a
comprehensive academic program for grades K-8.
Clinical services include audiology, speech therapy,
cochlear implant mapping/habilitation services,
physical and occupational therapy, mainstreaming
support, parent education programs and support
groups. AV services are also available.
Western Pennsylvania School for the Deaf,
300 East Swissvale Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15218 –
412-371-7000 (voice) – vcherney@wpsd.org (email)
- www.wpsd.org (website). The Western Pennsylvania
School for the Deaf (WPSD) provides tuition free
educational and extracurricular programs in an
all inclusive communication environment. With
campuses in Pittsburgh and Scranton, WPSD serves
over 300 deaf and hard-of-hearing children, birth
through twelfth grade, from 124 school districts and
44 counties across Pennsylvania. WPSD is the largest
comprehensive center for deaf education in the state.
n
Pennsylvania
Bucks County Schools Intermediate Unit
#22, Hearing Support Program, 705 North
Shady Retreat Road, Doylestown, PA 18901 • (215)
348-2940 x1679 (voice) • (215) 340-1639 (fax)
mvasconcellos@bucksiu.org (email) • Marguerite
Vasconcellos, LSLS Cert. AVT, Director of Itinerant
Services. A publicly-funded regional services
agency for students who are deaf or hard of hearing
(birth–21). Our continuum of services include
itinerant support, resource rooms, audiology, speechlanguage therapy, auditory-verbal therapy, C-Print
captioning and cochlear implant habilitation.
n
South Carolina
The University of South Carolina Speech
and Hearing Research Center, 1601 St. Julian
Vanderbilt Bill Wilkerson Center - National
Center for Childhood Deafness and Family
Communication, Medical Center East South
n
South Dakota
Tower, 1215 21st Avenue South, Nashville, TN
37232-8718 • 615-936-5000 (voice) • 615-9361225 (fax) • nccdfc@vanderbilt.edu (email) • www.
mc.vanderbilt.edu/VanderbiltBillWilkersonCenter
(web). Tamala Bradham, Ph.D., Director. The
NCCDFC Service Division is an auditory learning
program serving children with hearing loss from
birth through 21 years. Services include educational
services at the Mama Lere Hearing School at
Vanderbilt as well as audiological and speech-language
pathology services. Specifically, the Service Division
includes audiological evaluations, hearing aid services,
cochlear implant evaluations and programming,
speech, language, and listening therapy, educational
assessments, parent-infant program, toddler program,
all day preschool through kindergarten educational
program, itinerant/academic tutoring services, parent
support groups, and summer enrichment programs.
South Dakota School for the Deaf (SDSD),
n
Texas
Place, Columbia, SC 29204 • (803) 777-2614 (voice)
• (803) 253-4143 (fax) Center Director: Danielle
Varnedoe, daniell@mailbox.sc.edu. • The center provides
audiology services, speech-language therapy, adult aural
rehabilitation therapy, and Auditory-Verbal Therapy.
Our audiology services include comprehensive diagnostic
evaluations, hearing aid evaluations and services,
and cochlear implant evaluations and programming.
The University also provides a training program for
AVT therapy and cochlear implant management for
professional/university students. Additional contacts
for the AVT or CI programs include Wendy Potts, CI
Program Coordinator (803-777-2642), Melissa Hall (803777-1698), Nikki Herrod-Burrows (803-777-2669), Gina
Crosby-Quinatoa (803) 777-2671, and Jamy Claire Archer
(803-777-1734).
2001 East Eighth Street, Sioux Falls, SD 57103 605-367-5200, ext 103 (V/TTY) - 605-36705209
(Fax) www.sdsd@sdbor.edu (website). Marjorie
Kaiser, Ed.D., Superintendent. South Dakota School
for the Deaf (SDSD) serves children with hearing
loss by offering the Bilingual Program located in
the Harrisburg Public Schools, with the Auditory
Oral Program located at Fred Assam Elementary
and Brandon Elementary with the Brandon
Valley School District, and through its Outreach
Program. Academic options include a Bilingual
Program offering American Sign Language with
literacy in English preschool through twelth grade
and an Auditory/Oral Program for students using
listening, language and speech for preschool through
fifth grade. SDSD utilizes curriculum specific to
meeting the needs of individual students with the
goal of preparing students to meet state standards.
Instructional support in other areas is available as
dictated by the IEP, speech-language pathology,
auditory training, dual enrollment and special
education.
Outreach Consultants provides support to
families across the state with newborns and children
through the age of three while continuing to work
with the families and school district personnel of
children through age 21 who may remain in their
local districts. Any student in South Dakota with a
documented hearing loss may be eligible for services
through Outreach, Bilingual or Auditory Oral
Programs including complete multidisciplinary
assessments.
n
Tennessee
Memphis Oral School for the Deaf, 7901
Poplar Avenue, Germantown, TN 38138 • 901-7582228 (voice) • 901-531-6735 (fax) • www.mosdkids.
org (website) • tschwartz@mosdkids.org (email). Teresa Schwartz, Executive Director. Parent-infant
program, auditory/oral day school (ages 2 to 6),
speech-language and cochlear implant therapy,
mainstream services.
54 Bliss Speech and Hearing Services, Inc.,
12700 Hillcrest Rd., Suite 207, Dallas, TX 75230 •
972-387-2824 • 972-387-9097 (fax) • blisspeech@
aol.com (e-mail) • Brenda Weinfeld Bliss, M.S.,
CCC-SLP/A, Cert. AVT®. Certified Auditory-Verbal
Therapist® providing parent-infant training, cochlear
implant rehabilitation, aural rehabilitation, school
visits, mainstreaming consultations, information, and
orientation to deaf and hard-of-hearing children and
their parents.
Callier Center for Communication
Disorders/UT Dallas - Callier-Dallas
Facility 1966 Inwood Road, Dallas, TX, 75235
• 214-905-3000 (voice) • 214-905-3012 (TDD)
• Callier-Richardson Facility: 811 Synergy Park
Blvd., Richardson, TX, 75080 • 972-883-3630
(voice) • 972-883-3605 (TDD) • cpiloto@utdallas.
edu (e-mail) • www.callier.utdallas.edu (website).
Nonprofit Organization, hearing evaluations, hearing
aid dispensing, assistive devices, cochlear implant
evaluations, psychology services, speech-language
pathology services, child development program for
children ages six weeks to five years.
The Center for Hearing and Speech, 3636
West Dallas, Houston, TX 77019 • 713-523-3633
(voice) • 713-874-1173 (TTY) • 713-523-8399 (fax) info@centerhearingandspeech.org (email)
www.centerhearingandspeech.org (website) CHS
serves children with hearing impairments from birth
to 18 years. Services include: auditory/oral preschool;
Audiology Clinic providing comprehensive hearing
evaluations, diagnostic ABR, hearing aid and FM
evaluations and fittings, cochlear implant evaluations
and follow-up mapping; Speech-Language Pathology
Clinic providing Parent-Infant therapy, AuditoryVerbal therapy, aural(re) habilitation; family support
services. All services offered on sliding fee scale and
many services offered in Spanish.
Denise A. Gage, MA, CCC, LSLS Cert.
AVT - Certified Auditory-Verbal Therapist,
Speech-Language Pathologist - 3111 West
Arkansas Lane, Arlington, TX 76016-0378 - 817460-0378 (voice) - 817-469-1195 (fax) - denise@
denisegage.com (email) - www.denisegage.com
(website). Over twenty-five years experience providing
services for children and adults with hearing loss.
Services include: cochlear implant rehabilitation,
parent-infant training, individual therapy, educational
consultation, onsite and offsite Fast ForWord training.
Sunshine Cottage School for Deaf Children,
603 E. Hildebrand Ave., San Antonio, TX 78212;
210/824-0579; fax 210/826-0436. Founded in 1947,
Sunshine Cottage, a listening and spoken language
school promoting early identification of hearing loss and
subsequent intervention teaching children with hearing
impairment (infants through high school.) State-of-theart pediatric audiological services include hearing aid
fitting, cochlear implant programming, assessment of
children maintenance of campus soundfield and FM
equipment. Programs include the Newborn Hearing
Evaluation Center, Parent-Infant Program, Hearing
Aid Loaner and Scholarship Programs, Educational
Programs (pre-school through fifth grade on campus and
in mainstream settings), Habilitative Services, Speech
Language Pathology, Counseling, and Assessment
Services. Pre- and post-cochlear implant assessments
and habilitation. Accredited by the Southern Association
of Colleges and Schools Council on Accreditation and
School Improvement, OPTIONschools International,
and is a Texas Education Agency approved nonpublic school. For more information visit www.
sunshinecottage.org
n
Utah
Sound Beginnings at Utah State University,
1000 Old Main Hill, Logan, UT 84322-1000 •
435-797- 9235 (voice) • 435-797-7519 (fax) • www.
soundbeginnings. usu.edu • kristina.blaiser@usu.edu
(email) • Kristina Blaiser, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, Sound
Beginnings Director todd.houston@usu.edu (email)
• K. Todd Houston, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, LSLS Cert.
AVT, Graduate Studies Director. A comprehensive
auditory learning program serving children with
hearing loss and their families from birth through age
five; early intervention services include home- and
centerbased services, parent training, toddler group,
pediatric audiology, tele-intervention and individual
therapy for children in mainstream settings. The
preschool, housed in an innovative public lab school,
provides classes focused on the development of
listening and spoken language for children aged three
through five, parent training, and mainstreaming
opportunities with hearing peers. The Department of
Communicative Disorders and Deaf Education offers
the interdisciplinary Auditory Learning and Spoken
Language graduate training program in SpeechLanguage Pathology, Audiology, and Deaf Education
that emphasizes auditory learning and spoken
language for young children with hearing loss. Sound
Beginnings is a partner program of the Utah School
for the Deaf and Blind.
Utah Schools for the Deaf and the Blind
(USDB), 742 Harrison Boulevard, Ogden UT
84404 - 801-629-4712 (voice) 801-629-4701
(TTY) - www.udsb.org (website). USDB is a state
funded program for children with hearing loss (birth
through high school) serving students in various
settings including local district classes and direct
educational and consulting services throughout the
state. USDB language and communication options
include Listening and Spoken Language. USDB
has a comprehensive hearing healthcare program
which includes an emphasis on hearing technology
for optimal auditory access, pediatric audiological
evaluations, and cochlear implant management.
Services also include Early Intervention, full-day
preschool and Kindergarten, intensive day programs,
and related services including speech/language
pathology and aural habilitation.
n
Wisconsin
I NTERNATIONAL
Center for Communication, Hearing &
Deafness, 10243 W. National Avenue, West Allis,
n
Australia
WI 53227 414-604-2200 (Voice) 414-604-7200 (Fax)
www.cdhh.org (Website) Amy Peters Lalios, M.A.,
CC-A, LSLS Cert.AVT, as well as five LSLS Cert.
AVEds. Nonprofit agency located in the Milwaukee
area provides comprehensive auditory programming
to individuals with hearing loss, from infants to the
elderly. The Birth to Three program serves children
from throughout Southeastern Wisconsin, including
education in the home, toddler communication groups,
and individual speech therapy. AV Therapy is also
provided to school age children locally as well as through
an interactive long-distance therapy program. Pre- and
post-cochlear implant training is provided for adults and
communication strategies and speech reading is offered
to individuals as well as in small groups.
The Shepherd Centre, 391-401 Abercrombie
Street, Darlington, NSW, Australia 2012 • (voice)
61 2 9351 7888 • (TTY) 61 2 9351 7881 • (website)
www.shepherdcentre.com.au. Helping children who
are deaf and hearing impaired and their families since
1970. An early intervention and cochlear implant
program for families of children between birth-6yrs
with all levels of hearing loss to develop spoken
language working with a team of Auditory-Verbal
Therapists, Audiologists, and Family Therapists.
Centre based one-on-one sessions, preschool and
child care visits, home visits, babies, toddler and
school readiness group sessions, playgroup, parent
information sessions, standardized/formal speech and
language assessments, professional seminar series,
New Families programs, internal and external AVT
mentoring programs, Cochlear Implant program in
conjunction with the Sydney Children’s Hospital.
Intensive workshop programs and distance services for
families from regional Australia and overseas.
THEATRE GROUP
Join a one of a kind
performing arts program!
www.kidswithnolimits.org
To participate in a professional, original production or to bring
No Limits Theatre Group to your hometown, contact No Limits
at 310•280•0878 or email info@kidswithnolimits.org
Telethon Speech & Hearing Centre for
Children WA (Inc), 36 Dodd Street, Wembley WA
6014, Australia • 61-08-9387-9888 (phone) • 61-089387-9888 (fax) • speech@tsh.org.au • www.tsh.org.
au • Our oral language programs include: hearing
impairment programs for children under 5 and school
support services, Talkabout program for children with
delayed speech and language, audiology services, Ear
Clinic for hard to treat middle ear problems, Variety
WA Mobile Children’s Ear Clinic, newborn hearing
screening and Cochlear Implant program for overseas
children.
n
Canada
Montreal Oral School for the Deaf, 4670 St.
Catherine Street, West, Westmount, QC, Canada
H3Z 1S5 • 514-488-4946 (voice/ tty) • 514-4880802 (fax) • info@montrealoralschool.com (email)
• www.montrealoralschool.com (website). Parentinfant program (0-3 years old). Full-time educational
program (3-12 years old). Mainstreaming program
in regular schools (elementary and secondary).
Audiology, cochlear implant and other support
services.
Children’s Hearing and Speech Centre
of British Columbia (formerly, The Vancouver
List of Advertisers
Auditory Verbal Center, Inc (Atlanta)................................................................. 44
Central Institute for the Deaf..............................................................................40
Children’s Hearing Foundation..........................................................................14
Clarke Schools for Hearing and Speech...........................................................11
DuBard School for Language Disorders.............................................................5
Ear Gear..............................................................................................................10
Ear Technology Corporation/Dry and Store......................................................29
Expanding Children’s Hearing Opportunities - Carle Foundation Hospital.....51
Fontbonne University.........................................................................................23
Gallaudet University...........................................................................................28
Oral Centre for Deaf Children), 3575 Kaslo Street,
Vancouver, British Columbia, V5M 3H4, Canada,
604-437-0255 (voice), 604-437-1251 (tty), 604-4370260 (fax) - www.childrenshearing.ca (website). Our
auditory-oral program includes: on-site audiology,
cochlear implant mapping, parent-infant guidance,
auditory-verbal therapy, music therapy, preschool, K,
Primary 1-3; itinerant services.
Harris Communications.....................................................................................24
VOICE for Hearing Impaired Children, 161
Jean Weingarten School................................................................................... 38
Eglinton Avenue, East, Suite 704, Toronto, Ontario,
Canada, M4P 1J5 • info@voicefordeafkids.com •
866-779-5144 (Toll Free) • www.voicefordeafkids.
com (website) • VOICE for Hearing Impaired
Children is a Canadian pediatric hearing association
for children with hearing loss whose parents have
chosen to help them learn to HEAR, LISTEN and
SPEAK. VOICE provides parent support, parent
guide publications, advocacy and an auditory-verbal
therapy and mentorship training program. VOICE
is the largest organization in Canada supporting
children with hearing loss and their families. In
addition to its parent mentor program, regular parent
group meetings and educational workshops, the
VOICE Auditory-Verbal Therapy Program offers the
expertise of 18 certified Auditory-Verbal Therapists.
The VOICE annual conference is held in Ontario,
Canada, the first weekend in May, attracting as
many as 300 parents and professionals. A popular
family summer camp near Toronto, Canada, is
enjoyed by VOICE members annually in August.
A complimentary first-year VOICE membership is
available to parents and professionals.
Hamilton Captel..................................................................................................18
House Research Institute...................................................................................22
National Cued Speech Association.................................................................. 53
National Technical Institute for the Deaf/RIT.....................................................52
No-Limits Theatre Group...................................................................................55
Oticon Pediatrics..................................................................... Inside Front Cover
Phonak, LLC....................................................................................... Back Cover
Silent Call........................................................................................................... 45
Sound Aid Hearing Aid Warranties................................................................... 39
St. Joseph Institute for the Deaf..................................................................21, 43
Sunshine Cottage School for Deaf Children.................................................... 30
n
England
Tucker-Maxon School..........................................................................................7
The Speech, Language and Hearing Centre
– Christopher Place, 1-5 Christopher Place,
AG Bell - 2012 Convention...................................................... Inside Back Cover
Chalton Street, Euston, London NW1 1JF, England •
0114-207-383-3834 (voice) • 0114-207-383-3099 (fax)
• info@speechlang.org.uk (email) • www.speech-lang.
org.uk (website) • Assessment, nursery school and
therapeutic centre for children under 5 with hearing
impairment, speech/language or communication
difficulties, including autism. • We have a Child
Psychologist and a Child Psychotherapist. • AuditoryVerbal Therapy is also provided by a LSLS Cert. AVT.
56 AG Bell - Bookstore............................................................................................49
AG Bell - Leadership Opportunities for Teens (LOFT)......................................16
AG Bell - Parent Advocacy Training (P.A.T.)...................................................... 36
AG Bell 2012 Convention
June 28–July 2 • Westin KierlAnd resort • sCottsdAle, ArizonA
The largest gathering of families, professionals and adults with hearing loss
dedicated to a listening and spoken language outcome.
HiGHliGHts:
• Keynote address by Dr. Dale Atkins,
a psychologist, former teacher of the
deaf, author and frequent contributor
to NBC-TV’s “Today Show” whose
focus is on living a balanced life
• 80+ education sessions for professionals,
families and adults with hearing loss
• Parent programs and
networking opportunities
• Children’s program
• NIH-funded Research
Symposium
• Exhibit hall with the latest technology
and education information
• Fun social events for all ages
• CEU opportunities
• Exciting southwest desert environment
with economical hotel rates–perfect
for a family vacation
“The AG Bell Convention
literally changed our lives.
When we learned our son
was born deaf, we ventured
to the convention to learn
about listening and speaking.
When we returned for our
second convention, we
couldn’t have been more
proud of how far he’s come.
Thank you AG Bell!”
WHo sHould Attend:
• Families raising children
with hearing loss
• Adults who are deaf and
hard of hearing
• Listening and Spoken
Language Specialists
• Teachers of the deaf
• Speech-language pathologists
• Audiologists
• Students in speech-language
pathology, audiology and
deaf education
CAll For PAPers
Short course call for submissions: August 2-September 27
Concurrent session call for submissions: August 17-October 12
Registration will open in early 2012 • www.agbell.org
Amplified speech
every student can understand
A new era in classroom amplification
Dynamic SoundField by Phonak offers all the benefits of classroom amplification, such as improved student
attention and better teacher vocal health, without any of its traditional problems. Its cutting-edge sound
performance ensures there are no distracting echoes or feedback, while its three transmission modes guarantee
every student can hear, whether they have normal or impaired hearing. Best of all, Dynamic SoundField is seriously simple to use; its single loudspeaker removes installation headaches and its
automated settings simplify the teacher’s job. Just plug it in and teach!
www.Phonak-us.com
www.DynamicSoundField.com

PDF edition - Alexander Graham Bell Association

Transcription

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