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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Amigo Arc A Truly Universal FM solution

Amigo Arc is the latest addition to the Oticon Amigo FM family. Arc offers the highest speech bandwidth of any neckloop receiver, for better clarity. • Cost effective with extreme flexibility • Easy FM connectivity for teachers and children • Works with almost any hearing instrument • Compatible with cochlear implants • Connects to headphones for children with auditory processing difficulties Learn more about Amigo Arc: Contact Oticon Pediatrics at 1-888-684-7331, [email protected] or visit www.amigofm.com.

November/december 2011 VOLUME 18 ISS U E 6

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Features

Voices from AG Bell

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3 Your 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

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Tips for Parents 26 Hear Our Voices

VERSIÓN EN ESPAÑOL

2 Want to Write for Volta Voices?

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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

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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

4 Hear Their Voices

5 voices Contributors

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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

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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 n Technology – related to hearing loss, new technology, improvements to or problems with existing technology, or how people are using existing technology, accommodations. n Education – related to public or private schools through post-secondary education, new approaches and teaching methods, legal implications and issues, etc. n Advocacy – information on legislation, hearing health, special or mainstream education, and accessibility. n Health – 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).

n Action – 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: [email protected] 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

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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

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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

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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 [email protected]. 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: [email protected] Or online: www.agbell.org/VoltaVoices

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EDITOR’S NOTE

Hear Their Voices

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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 [email protected] with your comments and suggestions. Best regards,

Melody Felzien Editor, Volta Voices [email protected]

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

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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

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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 [email protected]. 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 [email protected]. 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 [email protected]

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: [email protected] Like us on Facebook.

UC 65452.5215 9.11

VOLTA VOICES • NOVEMBER /DECEMBER 201 1

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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.

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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!

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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

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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

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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

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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. VOLTA VOICES • NOVEMBER/ DECEMBER 201 1

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

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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

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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

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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. • Birth to 3

• Mainstreaming Services

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• Educational Evaluations

• School Programs • Summer Programs • Professional Development and Trainings • Audiological Services

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LOFT 2011 Changing Lives, One Teen at a Time By Wendy Will and Ken Levinson

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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.

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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. VOLTA VOICES • NOVEMBER/ DECEMBER 201 1

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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.

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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.

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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!

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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

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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.”

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“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.

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“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

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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.

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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.

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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

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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

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VOLTA VOICES • NOVEMBER/ DECEMBER 201 1

Letters To AG Bell t-Infant am of our a gift to om the Paren fr d and the dre ar nor and such aw an o h h an ith at e an N iv r as ce fo w re e Nathan w earing Goss. It rilled to ue to provid o years of h n ti tw We were th son, Nathan n g r n co u ti o to r ra b le fo e ab e cele id Program tion, we wer letter, we ar Financial A us contribu I write this o as er n ay ge d o l’s T el t. B he be a recipien Through AG wasn’t until d spea k ing. an e. g ag n u ri g n , however it ea la h ss meant lo s en g son k n ew o n ri sp e ea ted, as th ilateral h to achieve b ta s d as ie n it ev u n d u fo e rt ro er o p w a opp eloped. We gnosed with s had not dev han was dia ve at er N n s, ry th o n it o aud f4m search t. d Nathan’s At the age o lear implan months of re we discovere ch er at ft co th A a . s k m th o ea n fr o sp r and 15, 2008, benefit was 11 m ld never hea t be able to I). On April u o B o n w (A ld t u an n o h la w at p for im ieve N Nathan Pennsylvania ory brainstem fused to bel it m re o d e fr au y W al an s. It g n o in to gard rned p therapy. er opti ilan, Italy, re research oth nds! We retu , for follow-u u M if to al so in t C an ti rs s, eg fi et le b ll is o e ge h W An Dr. C heard itute in Los talk! n, I contacted April 29, 2008, Nathan esearch Inst R uld hear us se u co n and discussio o O an H I. h e B at th A N to is t, h g h in ig ed el el iv d trav Nathan rece l, mapping Imagine our 2008 began oken words! g audiologica d in August sp in g d an n u g ri cl in ea in p h ap es m rvic began follow-up se that Nathan f the Institute for It was then A portion o h y. rc il ea m es fa R r u l se o u o y b H lo e ed io r aud gica incurr rly to th ard to pay fo A ll costs are avels regula . tr aw y an e il h th m at d fa N se r r Ou so u uations fo s, and we al therapy eval ortation cost sp an and speech tr r fo sed to pay rporated award was u become inco . as es h ic e rv ag se u g g lan ss his wants and mappin s. His spoken is able to verbally expre es gr ro p t n ifica rbally proat he to make sign g, Nathan ve st pleased th in es o u en m n ti ev e n ar is co e th W e y daughter tine. Nathan g hom is request. M were drivin h his daily rou e f at o w is s ts se A ri ec p l. rp as ve ve le perfect in h e my su into all ore progressi McDonald ’s!” Imagin lthough not A m a . t ft n ge o gi s to s d u e o and nee und car, at a preci oken languag mmy turn ro d then I into tears. W h er of using sp ions and are excited w o p e tested, “Mo th an s d r stan press into laughte clearly under nderstand his speech ex the House and I burst igibilit y, he u ll ly ake trips to te g m in n d si to ea e an u cr n n o in ti ti n to la co le cu e ti ar .W s are ab with Nathan ross. Other become nversations his point ac co . in es e ic at ol. He has p rv o ci se h ti l sc ar ca p gi ew n to lo acher! audio in his to be able g very well ack to the te for Nathan’s b in o te d u em it is th st d g In n an ti h uage to repea garten Researc spoken lang and even is arted k inder is s st h n o st se ti u ju ec ir to as d h y ilit llow ld. He gress. His ab arning to fo ow 5 years o l at this pro ass. He is le ve cl Nathan is n ar in m h I it . w ay n his d articipatio e s me about a leader in p icate from th Nathan tell l, hta k ing. o o at h re sc b r to commun is te s g ed af in ea in h id ay m et d d er m ry an et Eve has so nces nad e his experie . He has bee him. Nathan fa mily are at an ic at h n k at u o N m lo m an to co th n my attentio voca lization and extended y arm to get ’s big sister stening and li m an h d at te at er at N d p . ar e ce h h s ld chan No one work nt when at 2 months o he gets that fa mined that in er fa mily. r et an d u o e as w ar to e e s ely gratetime h fe and w l support li fu is er th d n in o We are extrem e w . er d ey h rn an s u u t jo en to ’s m han to say develop as part of Nat by AG Bell. is language ave AG Bell h ed d to integral in h vi ed ro ll p ri t d are th l suppor han’s story an ieve due to the wonderfu at N e ar sh ed to n able to ach We are bless athan has bee N s es gr ro p ful for the through rs ages birth , le ly d re d ce to in d S an y Ver fants for their families of in athan Goss age outcome  to N t gu n or & la pp ie b en su b d o ok B ai sp services, in pursuit of ides financial loss who are rogram prov itory support g d P n au id ri A ea as h al ch d ci n su es ofou Infant Finan taining servic oderate to pr The Parentated with ob ed with a m ci os e program. so gn th as t ia s d se ou n en ab ee b arn more st with exp le si 3 who have as to g to or l. ed d el .agb are awar c. Visit www child . Grants y, tuition, et ap er th e ag speech-langu

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College Transitions

By Melody Felzien

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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 [email protected].

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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VOLTA VOICES • NOVEMBER/ DECEMBER 201 1

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.

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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 [email protected] for more information.

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Letters To AG Bell money from , scholarship am h p la C l therapists n, Pau f wonderful o arding our so p aw el r h fo e s th rt with along our hea holic school ess ever y year at e bottom of gr C th ro a p m in g o l fr in au u az P yo We enrolled ke to thank p Paul adjust l has made am could to hel azingly well. We would li Program. Pau ey am id th id l A d al al e h ci ed d n an en an y lear Paul’s hearol-Age Fin f kindergart thusiasticall understand o en ld ar e u d the Prescho ye co t Ju rs d ey fi th an imon This was his the teacher so s at Saints S and teachers. h myself and it The teacher . w g ah n ar ti S , ee er sist ial m ed in the use cluded a spec were instruct with his twin l in al is ey Th Th t. y. en rdingl r ever yvironm stments acco help Paul hea to his new en ju to ad al m ti o n o se sr s es make clas ne of the key ing loss and and that is o r te it sm an tr of Paul’s FM achers. so ted by the te n se re p g g ht. We are n ei thing b l he get s it ri ti n is u e g h in h w e k no somet e success w w il l pu rsue th e H ve . ie er h n ac ar d to id le ork extra har Pau l is an av ack . abilit y to w is h hold him b d ss an l lo g au n P ri f o ea d h u pro not let his tu rned 3, and he does he and Sarah capable of, en h w , o S c. helping him in mu si er fu l aid in an interest d n ed o ss w re a p as ex ays comal let w ce teachers Pau l has alw s. At first, b an n d o s ss l’ le au P ce . l. Wel l, g sk il ls em in dan as wonder fu w w it h listenin n I enrolled th so io al at d in an ce ord ance issues His con fiden d that his co w it h his bal d hip-hop. up steps an an ed k zz ic ja p , e p h ta l let, wel ow ta kes bal mented how t! ar and he n ye h say the leas rt u to fo g ptivatin this is his ca is g in rm en per fo g Pau l on stage wh l in provid in fu p el h so n cu rricuas bee s. His extrafrom you h ve ed lo iv e h ce t re en e m w n The money in an enviro ie s. tion we ca n ca u ts and abilit ed n t le es b ta is h p o el w it h the dev also help him la r activities ag ain, Th an k you gspot.com / lli Clapham anspla nt.blo tr g n K at hi Nove lu le b u o al ommyhadad ovide financi http://my m blished to pr ta es s a w h it w gram n diagnosed cial Aid Pro who have bee l-Age Finan n oo re h age d sc gu il re n ch P la e ge Th ool-a spoken ilies of presch in pursuit of m re fa a ted o to h ia t w oc or d ss ss an enses a aid supp nd hearing lo ist with e xp ss ou y, a of to pr ed to th e rd a wa guage erap a moderat es, speech-lan d . Grants are il ic ch rv r se t ei or th . r pp m su ra education fo as auditor y out the prog arn more ab services, such le g to in g in or ta l. el ob with isit www.agb ition , etc. V preschool tu

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Collaborative Efforts, Creative Solutions Working Together on Your Child’s IEP

By Susan Boswell, CAE, and Sarah Stern

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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-

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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),

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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

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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.

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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).

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VOLTA VOICES • NOVEMBER/ DECEMBER 201 1

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. Consonants are more important than vowels.

Consonants are more important than vowels.

Consonants are more important than vowels.

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. VOLTA VOICES • NOVEMBER /DECEMBER 201 1

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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

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Esfuerzos colaborativos, soluciones creativas Trabajando juntos en el PEI de su niño

Por Susan Boswell, CAE, y Sarah Stern

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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

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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

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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

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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.

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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

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• 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.

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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

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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.

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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 your child

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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VOLTA VOICES • NOVEMBER /DECEMBER 201 1

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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 [email protected] • www.deafkidstalk.org

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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-

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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.

d i A g n i r a e H n o i t c e t Pro 1.800.525.7936 www.soundaid.com VOLTA VOICES • NOVEMBER /DECEMBER 201 1

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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

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VOLTA VOICES • NOVEMBER/ DECEMBER 201 1

Letters To AG Bell y cumulat success. M ea gr a as w iversity diversity, Colgate Un ecolog y and , at n o ar ti ye lu t o rs ev fi log y of , my udied ar, and socio an year. I st e Scholarship w m eg h & ll o es ce fr C l y ea p el m B as s in obal generous AG sociolog y, gl d hard work quired credit Thanks to a ese studies, severance an ted all the re in er le h p p C a m ed ), g co in ry n I ti tu ga d cen mple but I 3.44 an (18th & 19th mfort zone, y as well as co g re co lo y tu tive GPA was o m ra p f te ro o li t th u n ch A arn o lculus, Fren ciolog y and ged me to le statistics, ca ajoring in So m that challen s e b ct l je il b w su I e and som a great deal war. I chose em inspired me s er my FM syst th g y. O . lo it io f as a g litch in ajor) in B a result o w m e d er n d Th co . ee se n n a ow n ot possibly fness on my when I d id minor (and l class sizes w it h my dea al g in sm p f du ring that o co s e ie g to d ifficu lt st ment adva nta y e ju m th ad e f ad o at h d ar o I , er comm been a ye ester. Howev e able to ac Th is has also the first sem friend s wer f y o m t d ar st an e to th g staff The teachin two week s in rd ing ly. o professors. y m r a in the cell adapted acco ea d h an to ce M en F li ty Orchestr y si si m re er t iv llo u n o ce U ab e e k C olg at y to ta . I learned play in the opportu nit e to th short period ed ad ct h le I se . g ng llin on d nother thri year was bei .Y., and bey g hts of the amilton, N Cit y area. A li H h rk f o ig o Y omen’s h y w y it ew e n an u N m e C olg at om the e comm fr Th th s e. st to One of the tl s ti ti rt ar ip t ce ues nsh con e Champio cians and g played fou r w it h atriot L ea g u ssional mu si P section. We fe g ro in p d traveling iv h an it D g w & y in g la et p in p m m so al co im ce Sw lessons and u s experien 11 Women’s a tremendo ning the 20 ad h in I w d as an w s t even h open arm med me w it as wel l team welco and Florida io h O , ia an nsylv them to Pen emy. ilitar y Acad M . .S U e th as ancial G Bel l’s fi n ag ain for A u e been yo k t an o Th ou ld n hav w I h ic h w t ate it hou udy at C olg assistance w rivi lege to st p e th ote m rd o ro le to p able to aff ave been ab h I se p o h p I ts and rofe University. fellow studen y m ng g ri n o ea d of h awareness am e dea f or har ar o h w av ts den ho h e sors that stu h students w it w y d u st e other able to of u s gives th ca n and are e n o ch ea ng , and perience. ty pic al hea ri r college ex u o to in t h g a bet ter insi rsuing an d who are pu an g n ri ea h arship prohard of it-based schol re deaf and er a m o h a w is ts is en ed to receive e stud sity. Th ts were select s for full-tim ege or univer an ll ip ic h co pl rs a ap am ol h re of sc st ain year to 0 -12% s several accredited m s varies from three years 1 rd an a st AG Bell off er at w a pa e e re of th e eg d lu er va w. ate ; ov ate or g radu number and 0 0. Visit ww y competitive undergradu . While the 0 0 to $10,0 ng extremel n ,0 ei io 1 b $ ct n le io se om ct fr rd le d wa ge ward se impact on a s, which ran gram with a need has no for 18 award al ci ed an ew n vi fi re d e er an award an plications w 2 eligible ap 14 , 11 0 s prog ram . 2 rd a in w year, t the a ou ab e or m learn agbell.org to Sincerely, ton Hannah Fit

VOLTA VOICES • NOVEMBER /DECEMBER 201 1

41

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.

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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

VOLTA VOICES • NOVEMBER/ DECEMBER 201 1

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.

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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

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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!

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Directory of Services

Directory of Services n 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) • [email protected] (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.

n 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) • [email protected] (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.

n California Auditory-Verbal Services, 10623 Emerson Bend, Tustin, CA 92782. 714-573-2143 (voice) - [email protected] (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.

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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 · [email protected] · 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) [email protected] (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, [email protected], 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.

VOLTA VOICES • NOVEMBER/ DECEMBER 201 1

Directory of Services n Colorado

n Florida

n 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 [email protected] (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.

n 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). [email protected] • 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) • [email protected] (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.

n 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) • [email protected] (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) • [email protected] (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.

n Illinois Alexander Graham Bell Montessori School (AGBMS) and Alternatives in Education for the Hearing Impaired www.agbms.org (website)

• [email protected] (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) • [email protected] (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.

n 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.)

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Directory of Services n 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 • [email protected]. 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.)

n 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: [email protected] • 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.

n Massachusetts Clarke Schools for Hearing and Speech/ 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. Clarke Schools for Hearing and Speech has locations in Boston, Bryn Mawr, Philadelphia, Jacksonville, New York City and Northampton.

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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. Clarke Schools for Hearing and Speech has locations in Boston, Bryn Mawr, Philadelphia, Northampton, New York City, and Jacksonville.

SoundWorks for Children, 18 South Main

Street, Topsfield, MA 01983 • 978-887-8674 (voice) • [email protected] (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.

n 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.

n 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 [email protected]. • 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.

n Mississippi DuBard School for Language Disorders,

The University of Southern Mississippi, 118 College Drive #5215, Hattiesburg, MS 39406-0001 • 601.266.5223 (voice) • [email protected] (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.

n Missouri CID – Central Institute for the Deaf, 825 S. Taylor Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63110 314-977-0132 (voice) • 314-977-0037 (tty) • [email protected] (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.

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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 [email protected] • WEB WWW.AGBELL.ORG/BOOKSTORE

Directory of Services 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, [email protected]. 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 • [email protected] • 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.)

n 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) • [email protected] (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) • [email protected] (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.

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Center for Hearing and Communication,

Clarke Schools for Hearing and Speech/ 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. Clarke Schools for Hearing and Speech has 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.

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Directory of Services 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) • [email protected] (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 • Providing audiologic & speech/language services for children with hearing loss, from birth to 21 years. • First pediatric cochlear implant program in Illinois. • Established 1989. CarlE auditOry Oral sCHOOl (formerly known as the St. Joseph Institute for the Deaf at Carle)

• Illinois State Board of Education approved auditory oral school. • Preschool through 2nd grade. • Parent/infant program including center and home-based services. • Established 1997.

carle.org/echo

611 W. Park Street | Urbana, IL 61801 | (217) 383-4375 | [email protected]

VOLTA VOICES • NOVEMBER /DECEMBER 201 1

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Directory of Services 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) – [email protected] (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.

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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) • [email protected] (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.

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Directory of Services 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. Clarke Schools for Hearing and Speech/ 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. Clarke Schools for Hearing and Speech has locations in Boston, Bryn Mawr, Philadelphia, 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) • [email protected] • 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) •  [email protected] (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) – [email protected] (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) [email protected] (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.

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Directory of Services 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) • [email protected] (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, [email protected]. • 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) [email protected] (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) •  [email protected] (email).  Teresa Schwartz, Executive Director. Parent-infant program, auditory/oral day school (ages 2 to 6), speech-language and cochlear implant therapy, mainstream services.

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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) [email protected] (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 • [email protected] (email) • Kristina Blaiser, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, Sound Beginnings Director [email protected] (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.

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Directory of Services 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 [email protected]

VOLTA VOICES • NOVEMBER /DECEMBER 201 1

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Directory of Services Telethon Speech & Hearing Centre for Children WA (Inc), 36 Dodd Street, Wembley WA

6014, Australia • 61-08-9387-9888 (phone) • 61-089387-9888 (fax) • [email protected] • 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) • [email protected] (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 • [email protected] • 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) • [email protected] (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.

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AG Bell - Bookstore............................................................................................49 AG Bell - Leadership Opportunities for Teens (LOFT)......................................16 AG Bell - Parent Advocacy Training (P.A.T.)...................................................... 36

VOLTA VOICES • NOVEMBER/ DECEMBER 201 1

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

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