September / October 2010 EARLY HEARING DETECTION AND INTERVENTION: NOW IS THE TIME DIMENSIONS OF CARE MODEL SOLAR EAR VOL 17, ISSUE 5

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1 VOICES V O L T A Alexander Graham Graham Bell Bell Association for for the the Deaf Deaf and and Hard Hard of of Hearing Hearing VOICES September / October 2010 EARLY HEARING DETECTION AND INTERVENTION: NOW IS THE TIME DIMENSIONS OF CARE MODEL SOLAR EAR VOL 17, ISSUE 5 Winner of The Communicator Award and The APEX Award

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3 SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2010 VOLUME 17 ISSUE 5 VOICES V O L T A In Every Issue 2 Want to Write for VV? 5 voices Contributors 46 Directory of Services 52 List of Advertisers Departments Voices from AG Bell 3 Moving Forward and Moving On 38 Conversations With Alex Graham 40 Psychosocial Potential Maximization: Potential Maximization 42 Tips for Parents: Building Your Child s Self-Advocacy Skills in this issue 4 Editor s Note 6 Sound bites Hear Our Voices 44 Collin s Journey Features 16 Early Hearing Detection and Intervention: Now Is the Time! By Catherine Murphy Learn about the important implications of this legislation from the bill s two leading co-sponsors, Sens. Tom Harkin (D-IA) and Olympia Snowe (R-ME). 20 Dimensions of Care Model and Pediatric Audiology By Nannette Nicholson, Ph.D., CCC-A; Kathy L. Shapley, Ph.D., CCC-SLP; and Patti F. Martin, Ph.D., CCC-A This article provides ideas and groundwork for a model of care that is multi-dimensional and provides comprehensive early hearing detection and intervention services. 24 A Closer Look at Solar Ear By Josh Swiller Learn more about Howard Weinstein and his mission to provide environmentally friendly and inexpensive hearing aids to individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing all over the world. VERSIÓN EN ESPAÑOL 28 Solar Ear Más de Cerca Por Josh Swiller Sepa más sobre Howard Weinstein y su misión de suministrar audífonos respetuosos con el medio ambiente a bajo costo a personas sordas o con dificultades de audición en todo el mundo. 32 What the Research Shows By Melody Felzien A continuation of an ongoing article series highlighting research published in the most recent issues of The Volta Review. 36 AG Bell Convention: A First-Timer s Perspective By Amanda DeForest-Vogelsong, B.A. Hear first-hand how the AG Bell 2010 Biennial Convention affected one newcomer to the association. Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing 3417 volta place, nw, washington, dc

4 V O L T A 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 Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing 3417 Volta Place, NW, Washington, DC v o i c e t t y fa x Volta Voices Staff Production and Editing Manager Melody Felzien Director of Communications and Public Affairs Catherine Murphy Manager of Advertising and Exhibit Sales Garrett W. Yates Design and Layout Sheila Gagen and Jason Watkins 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) Cheryl Dickson, M.Ed., LSLS Cert. AVT (Australia) Catharine McNally (VA) Want to Write for 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 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. 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. 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 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). Submit Articles/Items to: Volta Voices Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing 3417 Volta Place, NW Washington, DC editor@agbell.org Submit online at V O L T A 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 and select About AG Bell for advertising information. Volta Voices (ISSN ) is published six times a year. Periodicals postage is paid at Washington, DC, and other additional offices. Copyright 2010 by the Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Inc., 3417 Volta Pl., NW, Washington, DC Postmaster: Send address changes to Volta Voices, Subscription Department, 3417 Volta Pl., NW, Washington, DC 20007, 202/ (voice) or 202/ (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 $95 domestic and $118 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 Return Undeliverable Canadian Addresses to: P.O. Box 503, RPO West Beaver Creek, Richmond Hill, ON L4B 4R6 Cover Photo Credit: istockphoto

5 VOICES FROM AG BELL Moving Forward and Moving On In just a short amount of time since I took over as AG Bell President, great strides have been made in several key initiatives for our community. First was the recent signing by President Obama of an executive order for federal agencies to serve as a model for the hiring of people with disabilities. We all know the great discrepancy that exists between overall employment levels and levels for those with disabilities, and the federal government has been no exception just 5 percent of federal workers are individuals with disabilities, far below the national average. But it s encouraging to see our government recognize the importance of employment for this segment of our population and launch a full-court press to reach out to potential employees with disabilities. The time is now for our government and the private sector to look at potential employees for their abilities rather than their disabilities. The second major step forward was the agreement by the U.S. Access Board to undertake rulemaking for classroom acoustics and adopt guidelines set forth by ASNI/ASA as standards as part of the Americans with Disabilities Act. As a person with hearing loss who listens through the use of advanced hearing technology, and as a public school administrator, I know first-hand the importance of good classroom acoustics for students of all hearing abilities. It may be hard to believe, but the petition to address this important issue was first filed with the Access Board 13 years ago. Recently, the International Code Council voted against adoption of the standard for inclusion in the International Building Codes that serve as guidelines for construction of residential and commercial buildings, including homes and schools. It was a relief when the U.S. Access Board agreed to take up this important issue. If anyone thought we were going to have a breather after the convention, we were wrong. Things have been nonstop and progressing faster than ever. As we gear up for another school year, we are reminded yet again of how far we ve come, but also how far we have to go. As of this writing, the Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Act of 2010 is still under deliberation by the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Happily, parents today have a variety of opportunities available committee. It is my strong hope that it will soon pass the Senate and be signed into law so that we can improve the current early intervention system we have in place in the United States. In addition, federal agencies are still constructing what will be mandated for coverage under the Affordable Care Act, and the Federal Communications Commission continues to review efforts to accommodate those with hearing loss in movie theaters, in accessing 911 emergency services and captioning on the Internet. AG Bell continues to monitor those efforts and get involved when it s appropriate. On a final note, in July, organizers of the International Congress of the Education of the Deaf (ICED) 2010 meeting in Vancouver, Canada, issued a public statement that it regretted the actions of the organizers of the 1880 ICED meeting in Milan, Italy, who issued resolutions indicating the oral method as the preferred method of instruction for students who are deaf or hard of hearing. For many years, those resolutions caused much controversy within deaf education between the oral and signing camps. Unfortunately, a lot of energy and time has been put into this debate much to the detriment of students on both sides. Happily, parents today have a variety of opportunities available to them as they make decisions related to the education of their child with hearing loss. AG Bell will remain focused on the future for those children who are deaf and hard of hearing who are seeking a listening and spoken language outcome. With that said, we are hopeful that the recently released ICED principles will put to rest some of the issues related to differences of opinions as far as communication and language approaches for children who are deaf and hard of hearing so that the community can collectively address the important issues facing these children and their families, such as early identification and intervention and access to qualified professionals. It s time to leave the debate where it belongs in another century and move on. Sincerely, Kathleen Treni President QUE S TIONS? COMMENTS? CONCERNS? Write to us: AG Bell 3417 Volta Place, NW Washington, DC Or us: editor@agbell.org VOLTA VOICES SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER

6 EDITOR S NOTE Now Is the Time This issue of Volta Voices focuses on initiatives, products and programs that are working to advance listening and spoken language communication to the next level. First, in Early Hearing Detection and Intervention: Now Is the Time! AG Bell Director of Communications and Public Affairs Catherine Murphy interviews the two lead Senate sponsors of the Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) Act of The article discusses the importance of this legislation and how it will improve communication outcomes for all children who are born deaf and hard of hearing. Dimensions of Care Model takes EHDI a step further by introducing a model of care for children who are deaf and hard of hearing that is multi-dimensional, focusing on all aspects of a child s development, and promotes comprehensive EHDI services. We switch gears to technology with A Closer Look at Solar Ear. AG Bell member and best-selling author Josh Swiller interviews Howard Weinstein about his mission to provide environmentally friendly and inexpensive hearing aids to individuals who are deaf and hard of hearing all over the world. Harnessing solar power, these hearing aids could open the door to a wide range of possibilities in countries that may not have resources available for hearing technology. What the Research Shows highlights the most recent literature published in AG Bell s preeminent scholarly journal, The Volta Review, including the newest monograph, which focuses on preparing the next generation of professionals to provide services to individuals who are deaf and hard of hearing and using listening and spoken language to communicate. Finally, A First-Timer s Perspective is a new member s take on the recent AG Bell 2010 Biennial Convention. You won t want to miss reading about her experience and how it will shape her future practice as a listening and spoken language professional. This issue s columns once again provide a wealth of information, insights and practical advice. Dr. Paul Jacobs wraps up his award-winning series with Potential Maximization where he puts all of the themes learned over the last year together to help individuals who are deaf and hard of hearing and struggling with social adaption learn how to deal with these challenges and remove barriers to social inclusion. All of Dr. Jacobs columns are available online at Tips for Parents includes a summary of just some of the advice and guidance provided throughout the AG Bell 2010 Biennial Convention. Hear Our Voices features the story of Collin Tastet and his role in advocating for hearing aid insurance legislation in North Carolina. We encourage and welcome all submissions from children, teens and young adults for this special space dedicated just to them. If you have something to say, please us at editor@agbell.org. Volta Voices Receives Multiple Awards Volta Voices was recently honored with three Communicator Awards of Distinction for cover design (the January/February 2010 issue featuring Lee Woodruff), special-themed issue (the November/December 2009 issue on professional development) and column writing (Paul Jacobs ongoing series Psychosocial Potential Maximization). The awards are distributed by the International Academy of the Visual Arts. In addition, the magazine received two 2010 APEX Awards for Publication Excellence for two writing series: Paul Jacobs s series Psychosocial Potential Maximization and the Individualized Education Program feature series. The awards are distributed by Communications Concepts. To access these columns and all back issues of Volta Voices, visit the AG Bell website at (please note you must be a member and logged in to view the archives online). Thank you for reading. As always, if you have a story idea or would like to submit an article for publication, please contact AG Bell at editor@agbell.org with your comments and suggestions. Best regards, Melody Felzien Editor, Volta Voices 4 VOLTA VOICES SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2010

7 Voices contributors Amanda DeForest- Vogelsong, author of AG Bell Convention: A First- Timer s Perspective, is a graduate student at the University of Southern Mississippi working toward a master s degree in early oral intervention. She graduated from the University of South Florida with a bachelor s degree in communication sciences and disorders. She joined AG Bell in June DeForest loves spending time with her husband and two children, who have supported her decision to pursue her passion in this field. Alexander T. Graham, author of Conversations, is the executive director of AG Bell. He has a bachelor s degree from Lynchburg College in Lynchburg, Va., and masters degrees in organizational effectiveness and business administration from Marymount University in Arlington, Va. His late mother had a hearing loss as a result of a childhood illness. He can be contacted at agraham@agbell.org. Pamela Hill, author of Tips for Parents, is a freelance journalist, national award-winning former newspaper reporter and mother of three, including a 17-year-old son with a severe, bilateral hearing loss. She has a bachelor s degree in journalism and has been a professional writer for 20 years. She previously served on the board of directors for the Arkansas Association for Hearing-Impaired Children. She later was the association s newsletter editor. She can be contacted at PHillReporter@att.net. Paul Gordon Jacobs, Ph.D., author of Psychosocial Potential Maximization, has been profoundly deaf since age 5. He is the author of Neither-Nor: A Young Australian s Experience with Deafness (available from Gallaudet University Press). Please visit Dr. Jacobs columns and discussion forums online at Psychosocial_Potential_Maximization. Patti F. Martin, Ph.D., CCC-A, co-author of Dimensions of Care Model and Pediatric Audiology, is the director of audiology and speech pathology at Arkansas Children s Hospital and an holds an adjunct appointment in the Department of Audiology and Speech Pathology, a consortium program at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences/University of Arkansas at Little Rock. She can be contacted at MartinPF@archildrens.org. Catherine Murphy, author of Early Hearing Detection and Intervention, is director of communications and public affairs at AG Bell. Murphy received her bachelor s in communications from Ohio State University. Her brother, Michael, was born profoundly deaf and recently received a cochlear implant. She can be contacted at cmurphy@agbell.org. Nannette Nicholson, Ph.D., CCC-A, co-author of Dimensions of Care Model and Pediatric Audiology, is an associate professor and director of audiology in the Department of Audiology and Speech Pathology, a consortium program at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences/ University of Arkansas at Little Rock. She can be contacted at NN@uams.edu. Kathy L. Shapley, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, co-author of Dimensions of Care Model and Pediatric Audiology, is an assistant professor in the Department of Audiology and Speech Pathology, a consortium program at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences/University of Arkansas at Little Rock. She can be contacted at klshapley@ualr.edu. Josh Swiller, author of A Closer Look at Solar Ear, was born with a moderate hearing loss and was deaf by age 4. In 2007, Swiller published a New York Times bestseller, The Unheard: A Memoir of Deafness and Africa, about his experiences as a Peace Corps volunteer in Zambia. A New York City native, Swiller now lives in Washington, D.C., where he works with foundations focusing on the disabled in the developing world. VOLTA VOICES SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER

8 SOUND NEWS BITES ADA Celebrations Abound in Washington, D.C. AG Bell participated in a wide range of events commemorating the 20th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Highlights included: On Thursday, July 15, AG Bell Public Affairs Council Chair John Stanton and AG Bell Director of Communications and Public Affairs Catherine Murphy attended a briefing hosted by Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius on the benefits of the recent passage of Affordable Care Act on people with disabilities. Because of that legislation, as of this fall no child can be denied health insurance coverage under their parents policy for a preexisting condition. Sebelius said with the passage of the Affordable Care Act, the final piece of ADA was put in place. The White House also announced a new website, that serves as an information resource and shopper s guide to learn more about various health care coverage options. AG Bell President Kathleen Treni celebrates the 20th Anniversary of the ADA at a Capitol Hill event with Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA) and the first deaf Miss America, Heather Whitestone McCallum. On Monday, July 19, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the U.S. Department of Commerce and the White House hosted a program entitled Empowering Americans with Disabilities Through Technology. The event featured exhibits and a program on accessibility and innovation. During the program, Oklahoma s Hearts for Hearing, an early intervention program that focuses on listening and spoken language, was recognized as an example of a service delivery model to rural areas that utilizes advanced technologies such as videoconferencing. The FCC also announced the award of a $15 million grant to Communications Services for the Deaf to expand broadband access for people with disabilities, and enhance 911 emergency and public safety services. On Wednesday, July 21, AG Bell Board Member Catharine McNally and Murphy attended an event on Capitol Hill hosted by the American Association of People with Disabilities. U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder gave a keynote presentation in which he stated that as a result of the landmark Olmstead ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court, the Department of Justice (DOJ) has a renewed focus on ADA and has settled several lawsuits recognizing the rights of people with disabilities. Holder also announced the formation of a new position within the DOJ entitled Special Assistant for Disability Resources, which is part of the DOJ diversity initiative it announced earlier this year to employ more people with disabilities. Finally, on Monday, July 26, AG Bell President Kathleen Treni and Murphy attended a White House event commemorating ADA. Prior to signing an executive order directing federal agencies to become a model employer of people with disabilities, President Barack Obama stated, Today, only 5 percent of the federal workforce is made Calendar of Events 12/ The AG Bell Listening and Spoken Language Workshop Series debuts at the Doubletree Hotel Chicago-Oak Brook in Oak Brook, Ill. Visit for more information or to register. 7/ Save the Date! The AG Bell 2011 Listening & Spoken Language Symposium will be held July 19-23, 2011, at the Omni Shoreham in Washington, DC. Stay tuned to as more details are announced. up of Americans with disabilities far below the proportion of Americans with disabilities in the general population. Equal access to the classroom, the workplace and the transportation required to get there. Equal opportunity to live full and independent lives the way we choose. Not dependence but independence. That s what the ADA was all about. Visit to read the executive order. Prior to the White House event, Treni and Murphy attended a ceremony commemorating ADA in Statuary Hall in the U.S. Capitol hosted by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi along with House Majority Leader 6 VOLTA VOICES SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2010

9 BITES Steny Hoyer, Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner (R-WI) and Rep. Jim Langevin (D-RI), who is the first quadriplegic to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives. ICED Addresses 1880 Milan Conference On July 19 at its meeting in Vancouver, Canada, the International Congress on the Education of the Deaf (ICED) issued a statement to address events that occurred at the 1880 Milan ICED conference, which determined that the pure oral approach was the preferred method of instruction for children who are deaf. According to ICED, This statement A New Era: Deaf Participation and Collaboration was introduced to Congress participants as the beginning of a dialogue to promote healing and set the path for future collaboration. In part, the statement calls upon all nations to ensure that educational programs for the Deaf accept and respect all languages and all forms of communication. Visit for more information. AG Bell Academy Announces New Board Members The AG Bell Academy for Listening and Spoken Language, the certification authority for Listening and Spoken Language Specialists (LSLSs), has announced two new members to its board of directors. Teri Ouellette, M.S.Ed, LSLS Cert. AVEd, director of St. Joseph Institute for the Deaf in Indianapolis, Ind.; and Anita Bernstein, M.Sc., Dip. Spec Ed., LSLS Cert. AVT, director of therapy and training programs for VOICE for Hearing Impaired Children in Ontario, Canada, will serve on the AG Bell Academy board for the term. Their appointments demonstrate the AG Bell Academy s continuing mission toward promoting the number of qualified professionals so we can meet the needs of children and families in their journey toward a listening and spoken language outcome and ensure that each child achieves his or her full potential to that end, said AG Bell Academy President Cheryl L. Dickson, M.Ed., LSLS Cert. AVT. Visit for more information and to read the press release. The Volta Review Publishes Special Issue on Professional Preparation The Volta Review recently published a special monograph issue entitled Professional Preparation for Listening and Spoken Language Practitioners. Some of the key factors that impact the communication development of a child with hearing loss include the knowledge, skills and experience of the professionals serving the child and family. As technology and early intervention services have improved, programs preparing professionals to work with children who are deaf and hard of hearing and their families have had to adapt to keep pace. Without access to well-trained and competent professionals, children with hearing loss will not fully achieve the communicative potential that is now possible. This monograph is a focused text, providing a blueprint to preservice and in-service training of professionals in the fields of audiology, speechlanguage pathology and education of the deaf who seek to provide listening and spoken language outcomes. Visit the journal online at TheVoltaReview to access the full text (you must be a member and logged in to access the monograph online). Visit the Compiled by: Melody Felzien and Catherine Murphy AG Bell bookstore at bookstore to purchase additional copies. Hamilton CapTel Now Offers Captioning for Blackberry Last week, Hamilton CapTel announced availability of their mobile captioned telephone solution for use with the BlackBerry browser. Now, individuals with hearing loss can place and receive captioned telephone calls directly from their BlackBerry smartphone. Our new solution for the BlackBerry browser ensures that users never have to miss a word of a telephone conversation again, said Dixie Ziegler, vice president of Hamilton Relay, provider of the Hamilton Mobile CapTel service. It s free and easy to use on your BlackBerry smartphone, making it possible to see what is being said during your telephone conversation. Visit com for more information and to sign up for the service. Delaware Legislature Passes Deaf Child s Bill of Rights On June 30, the Delaware State Senate unanimously passed a bill entitled Deaf Child s Bill of Rights which, among other things, states that it is essential that deaf or hard of hearing children, like all children, have an education in which the child s communication mode, as chosen and defined by the child and his/her parents, is respected, utilized, and developed to an optimal level of proficiency. The bill now awaits the governor s signature. Visit for more information about the bill. VOLTA VOICES SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER

10 SOUND BITES Photo Credit: Craig Huey Photography CHAPTERS On Friday, June 25, Chapter representatives from Colorado, Florida, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, New Jersey, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and West Virginia attended the Chapter Leadership Meeting during the AG Bell 2010 Biennial Convention in Orlando, Fla. Jay Wyant, AG Bell s past president, and Kathleen Treni, AG Bell s president, were also among the attendees. Andy Bopp, director of regulatory affairs of the Hearing Industries Association, presented an update on the status of the hearing aid tax credit legislation, Catherine Murphy, AG Bell director of communications and public affairs, provided a public policy update, and Chapter leaders previewed the revised Parent Advocacy Training (P.A.T.) program. In addition, several Chapters were recognized for their hard work in supporting AG Bell s mission: Advocating Independence through Listening and Talking! HEAR Indiana, the Indiana Chapter of AG Bell, was honored for its public awareness outreach effort, Doing Deaf Differently. The slogan has appeared on stationery, brochures, press releases, t-shirts, websites and Facebook. The Facebook page has well over 450 members. As a result of the Chapter s efforts, May 1, 2010, has now been declared Doing Deaf Differently Day by the Mayor of Lawrence, Ind. The Nevada Chapter was also honored for their community building activities for parents through their volunteer efforts and encouragement group. One of the programs, En*Courage*Mint, is a special evening focused on creating a safe and healthy environment for parents to understand the facts and emotions of parenting a child with hearing loss. This program offers parents and their extended family an opportunity to meet each other and share their journey. The New Jersey Chapter was also honored for their community building efforts. The Chapter collaborates with the Bergen County Hearing Impaired Program (H-I-P), Summit Speech School and Lake Drive School in hosting dinners throughout the year. These dinners provide parents, professionals and adults with hearing loss the opportunity to socialize in an informal setting. The Chapter has been very successful in keeping members connected and encouraging new members to join AG Bell. Finally, the Pennsylvania Chapter received the Come Back Chapter honors for their efforts to revitalize the chapter. AG Bell commends this group of volunteers for having the vision and energy to restart chapter activities in their area. Scientists Create Functional Inner-Ear Cells Hair cells deep inside the ear detect vibrations in the air and translate them into sound. Ten years ago, Stefan Heller, Ph.D., professor of otolaryngology at Stanford University School of Medicine, came up with the idea that if you could create these cells in the laboratory from stem cells, it would go a long way toward helping scientists understand the molecular basis of hearing in order to develop better treatments for deafness. In the May 14 issue of Cell, researchers in Heller s lab reported they have found a way to develop mouse cells that look and act just like the animal s inner-ear hair cells. Researchers believe if they can further perfect the method to generate hair cells by the millions, it could lead to significant scientific and clinical advances to treating deafness. Heller, along with Andy Groves, Ph.D., and Jian Zuo, Ph.D., presented information about stem cell research and hearing loss during AG Bell s 2010 Research Symposium, June 27 in Orlando, Fla. U.S. Access Board to Conduct Rulemaking on Classroom Acoustics On July 28, the U.S. Access Board voted unanimously in support of rulemaking to address the issue of implementing ANSI/ASA standards to promote classroom acoustics for students of all hearing abilities in regards to determining Americans with Disabilities Act Accessibility Guidelines. AG Bell thanks all those who wrote letters in support of this important issue. AAP Issues Statement on Cochlear Implants The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has issued a policy statement recommending that an up-to-date immunization record should be a prerequisite for cochlear implant surgery. The statement cites a heightened risk for otitis media and bacterial meningitis infection as cause to ensure children with severe-to-profound hearing loss have all recommended vaccinations at least two weeks prior to cochlear implant surgery. The full policy statement was published in the August 2010 issue of Pediatrics. 8 VOLTA VOICES SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2010

11 AG Bell July Omni Shoreham Hotel 2500 Calvert Street, NW Washington, D.C. W H AT T O E X P E C T: Short courses and presentations on the latest advances in intervention for infants and children who are deaf or hard of hearing. CE credits towards professional certification. Public policy briefings about the growing demand of families seeking a listening and spoken language outcome and the need for policy to support that outcome. Learn how your clinical and educational skills can effect change far beyond your own practice. Interact with providers of hearing technology and hearing assistive devices for classroom/therapeutic settings. W HO SHOULD AT T EN D : Listening and Spoken Language Specialists (LSLS Cert. AVEds and LSLS Cert. AVTs) Educators of the Deaf Speech-Language Pathologists Audiologists Early intervention and special education specialists and administrators Parents of children who are deaf or hard of hearing, and adults with hearing loss Public policy professionals concerned with early intervention and education of individuals who are deaf and hard of hearing The premier professional development opportunity for teachers, therapists and early interventionists who support listening and spoken language for children with hearing loss.

12 SOUND BITES People in the News The July issue of Good Housekeeping magazine features an excerpt from the book If a Tree Falls by AG Bell member Jennifer Rosner, a touching memoir of her family s journey after she and her husband learned their two daughters are deaf. Rosner hosted a book signing of If a Tree Falls at the AG Bell convention and was profiled in the July/ August issue of Volta Voices. Visit for more information about the book. AG Bell member Grace Consacro and her partner, Steve Scher, recently received the national Cued Family Award from the National Cued Speech Association. The award recognizes dedicated parenting or support of youth who are deaf or hard of hearing using Cued Speech. Consacro and Scher, who are themselves deaf and use spoken language, have three children with hearing loss: twins Lola and Ella, age 5, and Max, age 3. All children have cochlear implants and use spoken language and Cued Speech to communicate. According to Scher, it was an honor to be nominated What we did was not special from what anybody else would do in our position, and what any parent would do for their children. New Book Supports Family-Centered Auditory- Verbal Practices AG Bell members Ellen A. Rhoades and Jill Duncan recently published a new text, Auditory-Verbal Practice: Toward a Family-Centered Approach. Families who learn that one of its members has a hearing loss will experience varied reactions. To best serve these families, practitioners must provide family assessment, support and information. This text examines the theoretical and practical bases of family therapy models, and the development of a systemic viewpoint that is crucial to practitioners who must evolve to serve more than just the parent-child dyad. The book discusses essential family therapeutic strategies, 10 VOLTA VOICES SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2010

13 current auditory-verbal practices and related ethical issues. Varied family-based intervention models are also discussed. The strategies and discussions contained will be of special interest to Listening and Spoken Language Specialists, speech-language pathologists, educational audiologists and teachers of children with hearing loss as well as early intervention service providers and social workers. For more information, visit Coalition for Global Hearing Health Hosts Inaugural Meeting On June 14-15, the Coalition for Global Hearing Health hosted its first-ever meeting at the offices IN MEMORIAM On July 8, 2010, Robert Bob Wilson passed away. He was 86 years old. Bob was one of 20 charter members of the Oral Deaf Adults Section (ODAS) of AG Bell. Wilson enjoyed a long career in rehabilitative medicine as a research scientist developing specialized orthotic and prosthetic devices. He was a member of American Congress of Rehabilitative Medicine, American Professional Society of the Deaf and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. He had retired t from the Rusk Institute of Rehabilitation in New York City, N.Y., to Chapel Hill, N.C. He is survived by his wife of 47 years, Joan Ferguson Wilson, his sister, Nancy Wilson Kohlhepp, 11 nieces and nephews, and 20 great-nieces and great-nephews. of the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery Foundation in Alexandria, Va. Stakeholders from more than 15 countries as far away as India, South Africa and Nigeria gathered to discuss topics such as feasibility of newborn hearing screening in developing countries, technology for field testing, ethics of humanitarian hearing health and World Health Organization (WHO) programs to combat hearing loss. WHO estimates there are 78 million children Dry & Store lets kids be kids. My son is your typical boy very active in sports We were having all sorts of problems with the hearing aids due to excessive moisture which would require the aids going in for repeated repair work. Since we began using the Dry & Store this has no longer been a problem. ~ C.B., Green Forest AR Find out how your child can start enjoying better sound quality, dependability, and comfort today. Call or visit us at & Dry Store e VOLTA VOICES SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER

14 SOUND BITES worldwide who have a moderate to profound hearing loss; half of all cases are estimated to have been avoidable. Stay tuned to AG Bell Update and Volta Voices as more information becomes available about this important effort. SSA Issues Final Rules on Medical Criteria for Evaluating Hearing Loss On June 2, the Social Security Administration (SSA) published its final rules on medical criteria for evaluating hearing loss in the Federal Register. The SSA will use these final rules to evaluate hearing loss parameters in both adults and children who apply for, or receive, Social Security disability benefits or Supplemental Security Income payments based on disability. These rules went into effect on August 2. The electronic version of these final rules is available at edocket.access.gpo.gov/2010/pdf/ pdf. National Leadership Consortium in Sensory Disabilities Fellowships The National Leadership Consortium in Sensory Disabilities (NLCSD) has announced new applications for study beginning in the fall of NLCSD is funded by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs. The consortium consists of 25 universities with doctoral programs that have an emphasis in one or more of the three sensory impairment areas: blind/visually impaired, deaf/ hard of hearing, and deaf blindness. Completed applications must be postmarked by December 31, Visit for more information and to access the application. Lack of Preventive Screening Services for Children in Medicaid A report, Most Medicaid Children in Nine States are Not Receiving All Required Preventive Screening Services, published by the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General, found that in 2007, three out of four children in nine selected U.S. states were not receiving all the medical, hearing and vision screenings required by Medicaid. Forty-one percent of children did not receive any Where every child has a voice. Early Intervention Preschool Elementary On-site Audiology & Speech Language Pathology 2860 SE Holgate Boulevard Portland, Oregon VOLTA VOICES SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2010

15 required medical screenings and more than half did not receive any required vision or hearing screenings. Individual states selected for the study were not named. Visit reports/oei pdf to download the report. MED-EL Launches New Resources for Therapists and Parents The MED-EL Corporation has launched two new resources for teachers, therapists and parents of children with cochlear implants (CIs). The materials debuted at the AG Bell 2010 Biennial Convention, June 25-28, in Orlando, Fla. Musical Ears is a music therapy program intended for professionals working with young children. It consists of a set of child-friendly musical instruments and a CD containing a series of PowerPoint presentations with embedded videos that teach therapists techniques for teaching music to children with hearing loss as well as evaluation forms to measure and track a child s music behaviors both pre- and post-music therapy. Music and Young Children with CIs is a companion piece to Musical Ears that is designed for parents of young children with CIs. This free resource introduces parents to ways that they can work with children at home to further develop listening skills and includes a discussion about the benefits of music. Visit for more information about these resources. Financial Aid and Scholarship Awards for Academic Year Announced AG Bell provides financial aid and scholarships to infants, preschoolers, children, teens and young adults who are deaf or hard of hearing who are pursuing a listening and spoken language communication outcome. The following awards were recently distributed for the academic year: y AG Bell Arts & Sciences Award this award is for students ages 6 to 19 who are participating in programs focused on developing skills in the arts or sciences. This year, awards ranged from $200 to $2,450 and were distributed to 17 U.S. states and Canada. y AG Bell College Scholarship Award this award is for full-time students VOLTA VOICES SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER

16 SOUND BITES y who are pursuing an undergraduate or graduate degree. This year, awards totaling $90,000 were distributed to 18 out of 144 applicants. George H. Nofer Scholarship Award this award is for full-time graduate students who are attending an accredited law school or pursuing a masters or doctoral degree in public policy or public administration. This year, three students shared a total award of $15,000. Visit for more information about AG Bell s financial aid and scholarship programs. New Book Offers Hope to Parents of Children with Hearing Loss A new book, Breaking the Sound Barriers: 9 Deaf Success Stories, offers parents of children who are deaf and hard of hearing a source of advice, insights and hope. Author Julie Postance provides a collection of interviews capturing the struggles and successes of parents who have broken barriers in terms of raising their children who are deaf or hard of hearing, and adults with hearing loss who have achieved remarkable things in their lives. Each interview explores what helped and what hindered them and offers a wealth of practical advice to other families of children who are deaf and hard of hearing about navigating the challenges of hearing loss. Packed with invaluable strategies to tackle barriers related to early intervention services, education and communication, this book demonstrates that individuals with hearing loss can, with the right support, be, do and have anything they want in their lives. Visit com for more information. Technology Watch Research Proves Ear Tubes Safe for Children with Cochlear Implants Research published in the June issue of Archives of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery shows that using ear tubes to treat ear infections does not appear to adversely affect children with cochlear implants. The results showed that all 78 eardrums studied healed after the ear tubes were removed, regardless of whether the tubes were left in place during or removed before implantation. FDA Approves Cochlear Nucleus 5 Rechargeable Battery System Cochlear Americas, a leading manufacturing of cochlear implants and implantable hearing technology, has announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the Nucleus 5 rechargeable battery system for use with Nucleus 5 sound processors. Rechargeable batteries offer patients a cost-effective and environmentally friendly alternative to traditional disposable battery technology, says Teresa Adkins, vice president of marketing for Cochlear Americas. In addition, when using rechargeable batteries, the Nucleus 5 sound processor is the world s only submergible sound processor. According to Chris Smith, president of Cochlear Americas, This represents a fundamental leap forward for those who benefit from our cochlear implant technology. No other cochlear implant system has ever come close to providing patients with this level of confidence around water. Starkey Introduces New Pediatric Program and Invisible Hearing Aid Starkey Laboratories, Inc., one of the world s leading hearing technology companies, recently launched Starkey Pediatrics, a new program designed to help health care professionals work with parents to make critical decisions about their children s hearing loss. The program combines Starkey technology with kid-friendly materials to help make the process of getting hearing aids smoother and easier. Starkey Pediatrics hearing aids accommodate a range of ages for the best possible hearing experience. And, Starkey is the only hearing aid manufacturer authorized to feature Nickelodeon characters from the network s most popular TV shows on its earmolds and accompanying materials. In addition, Starkey has also introduced the world s first invisible-in-thecanal (IIC) hearing aid. The S Series iq OtoLens is a custom-molded hearing aid built using Starkey s Comfort Fit process and lives in the second bend of the ear, meaning that it is truly 100 percent invisible. OtoLens features the advanced technology of Starkey s leading product family, S Series iq, which includes Voice iq, a new noise reduction and speech preservation system that is designed to reduce noise between syllables of speech along with a feedback canceller. Visit for more information about both of these products. 14 VOLTA VOICES SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2010

17 Presenting the AG Bell Listening and Spoken Language Workshop Series December 13-14, 2010 Doubletree Hotel Chicago Oak Brook Oak Brook, IL s Continuing Education Credits offered for the AG Bell Academy for Listening and Spoken Language and pending for the American Speech-Language Hearing Association and the American Academy of Audiology. If you are an early interventionist, classroom teacher, speech-language pathologist, audiologist, program or school administrator, member of a state EHDI team or play any role in supporting the education and development of children who are deaf or hard of hearing this workshop series is for you. Designed for professionals to build their foundational knowledge about hearing loss and to develop strategies that will support an infant or child who listens, learns and talks with the help of hearing aids, FM systems and/or cochlear implants, this workshop features four 3-hour sessions with the leading experts in the field of listening and spoken language development in children with hearing loss. Workshop Sessions Keynote presentation by AG Bell President Kathleen Treni, M.Ed., M.A. Kathleen Treni is the principal of the Hearing Impaired Program for Bergen County (N.J.) Public Schools. Listening, Language and Learning for Infants and Children Who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing This workshop will present foundational information on audiology, hearing technology, and the connection between hearing and spoken language so participants can begin to understand the critical role they can play for infants or children who listen with hearing aids, cochlear implants and/or FM systems. We will explore the exciting opportunities for children who are deaf or hard of hearing as a result of universal newborn hearing screening, advanced hearing technologies and qualified professionals. Play it By Ear! Current Trends in Teaching Children who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing to Listen and Talk This workshop will discuss practical strategies and intervention techniques to develop auditory skills from detection to conversation. Videotape segments will demonstrate strategies for targeting various auditory skill levels. Practical suggestions for collaboration between team members will be shared and the needed information exchange between audiologists, early interventionists, teachers, speech-language pathologists, and parents will be specified. We are in position today to dramatically expand the opportunities for children born with hearing loss to develop exceptional conversational abilities, literacy skills, academic competencies and professional flexibility if we play it by ear! Classroom Strategies for Hearing Aids, FM s and Cochlear Implants Infants and children who listen with hearing aids, FM s and/or cochlear implants have access to remarkable technology that allows them to hear like never before. However, technology continues to have some limitations. This session will help participants learn the basics about hearing technology and address repair strategies that teachers and interventionists can use with confidence to make sure a child is listening as best as he or she possibly can. Literacy Development for Students Who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing This session will address the components of literacy development and how to enhance reading and comprehension for students who listen with the assistance of hearing aids, cochlear implants and or FM systems. In addition, we will briefly address some of the federal education guidelines familiar to all of us No Child Left Behind, for example and learn how to make sure we include those guidelines in assessing the progress of our students who are deaf or hard of hearing. s Presenter: Donald M. Goldberg, Ph.D., CCC-SLP/A, LSLS Cert. AVT Donald M. Goldberg is the co-director of the Hearing Implant Program at the Cleveland Clinic s Head and Neck Institute, and past president of the AG Bell Academy for Listening and Spoken Language. For more information or to register, visit or call Presenter: Teresa Caraway, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, LSLS Cert. AVT Teresa Caraway is the co-founder and executive co-director of Hearts for Hearing in Oklahoma City, Okla., and founding president of the AG Bell Academy for Listening and Spoken Language. Presenter: Rebecca Kooper, Au.D. Rebecca Kooper is an educational audiologist who provides consultant services to New York Eye and Ear Infirmary s Ear Institute, Lexington School for the Deaf, as well as school districts in the New York City area. Presenter: Judy Horvath, M.A., LSLS Cert. AVEd Judy Horvath is an experienced teacher of the deaf, and holds a professional certificate in elementary education, special educationhearing impaired and educational leadership in the state of Florida.

18 Early Hearing Detection and Intervention: Now Is the Time! Photo Credit: Craig Huey Photography By Catherine Murphy When Congress authorized the Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) Act in 2000, less than half of all infants born in the U.S. were screened for hearing loss. This meant that many children who were born with a hearing loss were not identified until the age of 2½ to 3 years old, sometimes as old as 5 or 6 years old, leading to significant delays in language and communication development in many children who were born deaf or hard of hearing. The passage of EHDI dramatically changed the landscape of childhood hearing loss in the United States. The legislation, and subsequent funding, helped establish state-administered EHDI programs nationwide to identify children who are deaf and hard of hearing and direct them to early intervention services. EHDI programs include the initial test of infants for hearing, audiological diagnostic evaluation for infants referred from the initial screen, and early intervention such as medical services, early intervention programs and family support. Today, more than 93 percent of newborns are screened at birth for hearing loss. Each year, thousands of infants who are deaf and hard of hearing are identified and are provided with early intervention services because of this important legislation. It s because of this legislation that parents today have the opportunity to make timely and informed decisions about their child s communication and language development. Although this initial legislation was a giant first step, EHDI programs still require periodic reauthorization by Congress. The Deaf and Hard of Hearing Alliance (DHHA), a consortium of 14 national consumer and professional nonprofit organizations that advocate on behalf of the deaf and hard of hearing community, took this opportunity to shore up some of the gaps that have emerged in the implementation of state EHDI programs, particularly the loss to follow-up between the initial screen to diagnosis and timely referral to intervention services. The Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Act of 2010 (H.R. 1246/S. 3199) provides new authority to allow improvement in areas such as family-to-family support, additional research and study in the areas of hearing detection and intervention, and address the shortage of trained professionals and personnel. It also increases annual budget appropriations for the program from about $19 million to $30 million per year. In terms of the Federal budget, that is a drop in the bucket. And the payback is enormous when compared with the estimated cost savings of about $380,000 per child in special education expenses that would otherwise not be required if a child is 16 VOLTA VOICES SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2010

19 identified and given appropriate intervention early, this program pays for itself many times over (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2003). Let s put it this way: In the United States, 33 babies are born each day with a hearing loss. If those children continue to be identified early and provided with comprehensive, appropriate and immediate intervention services, the Federal government would make up the cost of implementing the program in less than three days. Three days. EHDI reauthorization passed the U.S. House of Representatives in April 2009, and was introduced in the Senate by the bill s two co-sponsors, Sens. Olympia J. Snowe (R-Maine) and Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), this past April. The DHHA has been working diligently on gathering enough sponsors from the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) committee members for the legislation to be considered by the committee and ultimately be voted on by the full Senate. Recently, AG Bell had the pleasure of interviewing the bill s Senate co-sponsors on why they think EHDI reauthorization should be a priority. Volta Voices: By introducing this bill you have taken on reauthorization of EHDI as a priority. Why? Sen. Harkin: Each year in the United States more than 12,000 children are born with a hearing impairment [sic]. And like so many health issues, early detection is a critical component. We have made great progress in the past 10 years in helping ensure that our children get the hearing screening, follow-up care and early intervention services they need to be successful. This bill will improve and expand these services, and will help our children develop communication and language skills that will last a lifetime. Sen. Snowe: As a staunch advocate for children s health, I firmly believe that the quality of the health care that one receives as a child can have dramatic implications later in life. Chairman Harkin and I are also co-chairs of the Senate Prevention Coalition, which emphasizes early detection and access to screenings, so this was a logical pairing. We joined together on the first EHDI bill 10 years ago and could not be more pleased with the difference it has made in the lives of young children and their families. And today, with a renewed focus on early childhood education and school readiness in our country, the benefit of identifying newborns and infants who are deaf and hard of hearing as early as possible is even more apparent. VV: In your view, what are the primary benefits of this legislation? Sen. Harkin: The Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Act of 2010 would authorize funding for early hearing loss detection and intervention activities at the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for fiscal years 2010 through It supports the development of efficient models to ensure that newborns and infants who are identified with a hearing loss through screening receive follow-up by a qualified health care provider and includes the establishment and fostering of family-to-family support mechanisms that are critical in the first months after a child is identified with hearing loss. It would also require the director of the National Institutes of Health to establish a postdoctoral research program to foster research and development in the area of early hearing detection and intervention. Sen. Snowe: First and foremost, it reaffirms that universal newborn hearing screening programs are essential to good child development and emphasizes follow up care as a critical component to preventing speech and language delays. We also focus on family-to-family support mechanisms, which is an aspect that is often overlooked but is extraordinarily helpful for parents in order to gain knowledge and confidence in navigating health care systems as well as educational and program placements. Families that have gone through similar challenges are an excellent source of information as well as inspiration. VV: So far, this bill hasn t had any opposition; but, it s been under consideration by the HELP Committee since early Why? Sen. Harkin: Health care reform and education reauthorization have dominated the Committee s schedule this year, Sen. Tom Harkin Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) was first elected to Congress from Iowa s Fifth Congressional District. In 1984, he was elected to the U.S. Senate and has since won re-election four times. During his first term, he was tapped by Sen. Ted Kennedy to craft legislation to protect the civil rights of millions of Americans with disabilities. Sen. Harkin knew the challenges that face individuals with disabilities because his brother, Frank, became deaf at a young age as a result of illness. The Americans with Disabilities Act became the Senator s signature legislation and was signed into law by President George H.W. Bush on July 26, When Sen. Kennedy passed away in 2009, Sen. Harkin became the Chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) committee. Sen. Harkin received the AG Bell Award of Distinction in 2008 for his continuing commitment to hearing lossrelated issues. Learn more about Sen. Harkin at Sen. Olympia J. Snowe In 1994, Sen. Olympia J. Snowe (R-Maine) became only the second woman ever to serve in the U.S. Senate and has since then built a reputation as one of the Senate s leading moderates. Prior to serving in the Senate, she served for 16 years in Congress from Maine s Second Congressional District. Key issues for Sen. Snowe include budget and fiscal responsibility, education, national security, women s issues, health care, welfare reform, oceans and fisheries, and campaign finance reform. Learn more about Sen. Snowe at and as the decks clear we are starting to move to other important priorities. Photo Credit: Senator Tom Harkin Photo Credit: Senator Olympia Snowe VOLTA VOICES SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER

20 Early Hearing Detection and Intervention: Now Is the Time! Key Points of the Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Act of 2010 y Addresses those children who are falling through the cracks and not receiving necessary and timely follow-up and referral to confirmatory testing as a result of an initial screening that may indicate the presence of a hearing loss. Based on what has been learned since 2000, there is an urgent need to develop better systems to reduce the number of children who don t receive follow-up and encourage states to replicate successful models. y Provides for federal agencies to support and disseminate family-to-family programs that are working for parents and their children. It is clear that this type of program is critical in the first months after a child is identified. y Provides for more research and study in the area of hearing detection and intervention, and enables NIH to establish a post-doctoral research fellowship program to effectively recruit researchers to become involved in early hearing detection and intervention. y Addresses the shortage of trained professionals and other personnel necessary to make certain that every child gets access to appropriate diagnosis and intervention programs needed to succeed. What Can You Do? Contact your U.S. Senators via mail or and ask them to support the Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Act of 2010 (S. 3199). A sample letter is available for download as a word document at Page.aspx?pid=591. If you don t know your U.S. Senators, or where to contact them, go online at and select the state in which you reside. Members of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Alliance AG Bell American Academy of Audiology American Society of Deaf Children American Speech-Language- Hearing Association National Center for Accessible Media at WGBH Conference of Educational Administrators of Schools and Programs for the Deaf Council of American Instructors of the Deaf Hands & Voices Hearing Loss Association of America National Association of the Deaf National Court Reporters Association National Cued Speech Association Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf Telecommunications for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Inc. Sen. Snowe: At the moment, the largest obstacle ahead of us is the legislative calendar. We are towards the end of the legislative session, which means we need to redouble our efforts to gain co-sponsors in order to demonstrate the depth of support for this bipartisan bill. The Deaf and Hard of Hearing Alliance, including the Alexander Graham Bell Association, has done a remarkable job in reaching out to its membership at a grassroots level so that constituents can turn around and educate their Senator(s) about this critical piece of legislation. I cannot stress enough what a difference that letters and calls from constituents make in demonstrating the effectiveness of this program. Together, we can build on your efforts and hopefully pass this bill by the end of the year. VV: When original EHDI legislation passed in 2000, it literally changed the landscape of newborn hearing screening by increasing the number of newborns being screened at birth from under 50 percent to over 90 percent today. The legislation to reauthorize EHDI puts more emphasis on loss to follow-up. Why do you see that as important? Sen. Harkin: We have made major progress in screening young children for hearing loss over the past 10 years, but there are still too many babies who are not referred to early intervention services after being diagnosed. Focusing on follow-up is the next step in ensuring children receive appropriate and effective treatment. Sen. Snowe: There is no disputing the value of providing better screening for America s children, and without question we have made tremendous progress in that endeavor but that is just the first step. As tennis legend Billie Jean King once observed, Champions keep playing until they get it right. According to the Centers for Disease Control, nearly half of all children who failed the newborn screening test did not have documented repeat testing and treatment. We have our work cut out for us, but by explicitly emphasizing follow-up care in our legislation, as well as taking steps to bolster our health care workforce in this area, I am confident that we will make tremendous progress by the next reauthorization. Reference Center for Disease Control and Prevention. (2003). MMWR Weekly, VOLTA VOICES SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2010

21 Parent advocacy training Know your rights [ ] AG Bell s acclaimed Parent Advocacy Training program is now available free online! More than 700 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 and make sure 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) plan. P.A.T. also features demonstrations on how IEP meetings are conducted, and provides examples of effective negotiation strategies. Join the hundreds of parents of children who are deaf or hard of hearing who have completed P.A.T. and make sure you know your rights when working with your child s school district so that everyone comes out a winner especially your child. 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 a free service offered by AG Bell and made possible by the generous support of the Oticon Foundation. To access P.A.T., visit Registration is required.

22 Dimensions of Care Model and Pediatric Audiology By Nannette Nicholson, Ph.D., CCC-A; Kathy L. Shapley, Ph.D., CCC-SLP; and Patti F. Martin, Ph.D., CCC-A Camille was referred for assessment following her newborn hearing screening and diagnoses at age 1 month with a moderate sensorineural hearing loss bilaterally, which has progressed to a severe loss. She was fitted with bilateral amplification at age 2 months and is now a 4-year-old with age-appropriate speech and language skills. Photo Credit: Nannette Nicholson With the advent of universal newborn hearing screening programs as a standard of care and continuing technological advances, enhanced early intervention experiences for children who are deaf and hard of hearing and their families may be an attainable goal. The last two decades have brought much progress, but parents still have a range of experiences with newborn hearing screening. Family difficulties challenge us to strive for continuous quality improvement in the implementation of early hearing detection and intervention (EHDI) processes. Assessing Quality of Services The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ, 2003) defines quality in health care as safe, timely, patientcentered, efficient and equitable service delivery with full consideration of a patient s preference and values and certainly this is our goal as audiologists, speech-language pathologists (SLPs), and Listening and Spoken Language Specialists (LSLSs). In a broad sense, this definition applies to patient interactions and relationships as well as to the continuum of clinical services provided by professionals. The ultimate goal of our diagnostic and/or intervention plan is to provide the right services at the right time and in the right way. The classic Donabedian structureprocess-outcomes model provides a framework for assessing the quality of health care, with each component having a direct influence on the next. Simply stated, highly qualified providers (structure) affect best practices (process) and result in improved health status (outcomes). However, this linear model fails to integrate the dynamic, interdependent and interrelated dimensions of health care that affect quality of services and outcomes (e.g., personal belief systems, family dynamics, interpersonal relationships and cultural norms). The need to include these other dimensions is especially true in the case of complex multidisciplinary systems of care, such as EHDI services/programs. Dimensions of Care Model The Dimensions of Care model (figure) provides a paradigm for conceptualizing diagnostic and management outcomes in early intervention. This paradigm explores the balance of three critical interdependent and interrelated dimensions of care that affect quality of services: y Systems of care y Clinical decision skills y Experiential/relational processes 20 VOLTA VOICES SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2010

23 We offer an expanded Dimensions of Care quality model that posits interpersonal process aspects of care for use as a quality tool for assessing EHDI services. This expanded model theorizes that interpersonal process aspects of care are dimensions that influence quality of care (i.e., outcomes) and that can be evaluated by examining them within the three nested components. As an example, a systems conceptualization focuses on the structure and organization of EHDI and highlights how the processes are operationalized. Experiential aspects of the EHDI process include cultural sensitivity, environment of care and familycentered practices. Clinical considerations inform the science of service delivery and include evidence-based practices, protocol development and test selection, and individual professional competencies. It is important that audiologists, SLPs and LSLSs recognize the impact of these relational components in order to understand the multifaceted complexity of service delivery required to ensure continuity of care, enhance family satisfaction and improve outcomes. Systems Dimension Screening, diagnosis, intervention and education are the systems of care components necessary to consider when evaluating EHDI using the Dimensions of Care model. The implementation of these EHDI components is a complex process with multiple levels. At the national level are the Joint Committee on Infant Hearing (JCIH), composed of representatives from professional organizations with an interest in children with hearing loss; the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC); and the National Center for Hearing Assessment and Management (NCHAM). For the past 41 years, JCIH has issued position statements regarding early identification of children with hearing loss. The CDC provides funding and collaborates with federal, national and state agencies as well as with organizations to develop, modify and implement EHDI programs. NCHAM is a multidisciplinary center that serves as the national resource for providing technical assistance for the implementation and improvement of comprehensive and effective EHDI systems. The Dimensions of Care model accounts for the multiple levels and individual elements that have the potential to influence health outcomes and that must be considered when evaluating quality of care. At the state level, advisory boards assist in the implementation of state guidelines regarding their EHDI program. Screening, diagnosis, intervention and education at the state level require coordination and collaboration across a number of professionals working in a variety of settings (Alberg, Wilson, & Roush, 2006). Viewing the EHDI system of care through this model would not only give insight into the EHDI component processes, but also capture the collaborative efforts among agencies. In Arkansas, for example, the EHDI program is housed in the department of health. Medical, audiology and speechlanguage pathology services for children who are deaf and hard of hearing are accessed through the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Part C (for children from birth to 3 years of age), a division of Developmental Disability Services within the department of human resources. In Arkansas, if children are Medicaid-eligible, funding for these services is processed through Medicaid first; if these children are not eligible for Medicaid, then Part C becomes the funding source for services after other sources of funding have been exhausted. Education and intervention services under IDEA Part B (for children ages 3 to 21 years old) are under the purview of the department of education. Although other states may be organized differently, navigation through state systems is a common challenge and recognized as a barrier to timely and appropriate services. This daunting challenge can be overwhelming for seasoned professionals and even more so for parents who have just embarked on a journey with a very steep learning curve. A single point of entry with a seamless system of service delivery is an admirable target. One entry point into the system that is empowered to share information quickly and efficiently with all service providers has the potential to streamline the process for families, reducing their frustration as well as Dimensions of Care Model Systems EHDI Components Clinical Medical Home Experiential Family Support hearing or deaf Figure1. Dimensions of Care Model for Assessing Quality in EHDI Programs enhancing the potential for service coordination to achieve the best outcomes. North Carolina and Connecticut have systems in place to facilitate this process. For example, the BEGINNINGS program in North Carolina works with the state EHDI/early intervention programs and educational systems to accomplish this goal. Families in Connecticut may choose one of three centers that specialize in the coordination, management and provision of services to children with hearing loss ages birth to 21 (American School for the Deaf, CREC/Soundbridge and the New England Center for Hearing Rehabilitation). Clinical Dimension Who coordinates collaboration among clinical providers the otolaryngologist, audiologist, SLP, LSLS, occupational therapist (OT), physical therapist (PT), developmental therapist, early childhood educator, general educator, special educator or primary care physician? Management of various elements of clinical care including provider qualifications, implementation of standards of care, development of practice guidelines for establishing partnerships and maintenance of communication VOLTA VOICES SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER

24 Dimensions of Care Model and Pediatric Audiology Putting Theory into Practice The true value of a theory is in its application. In our clinical practices, we have attempted to use the proposed model as a framework for quality improvement initiatives. For one of our quality improvement projects, Parental Perceptions of the Hearing Aid Fitting and Adjustment Process, we elicited parental perspectives across systems, clinical and experiential aspects of diagnosis through the initial hearing aid fitting. We specifically wanted to focus on parent knowledge, skill and feelings of self-efficacy. From a systems perspective, we addressed concepts related to benchmarks established by JCIH, such as time from diagnosis to initial hearing aid fitting, as well as quality of the EHDI and early intervention information and materials shared with the family at diagnosis and during the first few weeks of adjustment to the hearing aids. Clinically, we wanted to know the parental perception of the qualifications of the provider, the family-friendly feeling of the clinical environment, and the parents take on information, expectations and understanding of the hearing loss and potential benefit of amplification. Finally, the parent experience was paramount. We wanted to measure parental self-efficacy through the constructs of how comfortable, concerned or confident a parent was about an aspect of his or her experience. For example, we asked: How confident were parents that their child would benefit from hearing aids? How comfortable were they placing and removing the hearing aid/earmold from their child s ear? How concerned were they about what other family members and friends might say or think? Developing our survey around the Dimensions of Care model allowed us to delve further into the parent experience and perspective rather than calling our program successful based only on how competently we were able to plot an audiogram from an auditory brainstem response study or how savvy we might be with programming strategies for infants. Rather, it allowed us to incorporate additional opportunities for parents to practice skills hands-on while in the clinic with us, reminded us that parents don t start out seeing their relationship with the audiologist as an equal partnership and encouraged us to work toward providing additional opportunities for parents to interact with other families from the outset. between and among providers and patients has proven to be an ongoing challenge. Families continue to receive services from multiple providers with little, if any, communication or collaboration among the professionals. To deliver true quality of care, all providers involved with a patient must, at a minimum, be aware of one another and the services being provided. The ultimate goal would be coordinated services with a long-term multidisciplinary plan designed to maximize outcomes aligned with family choice. The term medical home refers to a patient-centered approach to comprehensive care (AAP, 2002). A quality improvement initiative, the idea is for pediatricians and parents to act as collaborative partners to identify and secure access to all the medical and non-medical services needed to help children and their families achieve their maximum potential. Care provided through a medical home is considered accessible, family-centered, continuous, comprehensive, coordinated, compassionate and culturally competent (AAP, 2002). In an expansion of the idea of a traditional medical home from the perspective of allied health professionals, the parameters of evaluation and treatment would be addressed. As depicted in the figure, the idea of a medical home would include systems of care, wrap-around services and evidence-based practice. In this context, systems of care refers to team dynamics (transdisciplinary, interdisciplinary, multidisciplinary) as well as methods (face-to-face, phone/ , reports) and frequency of communication among the various allied health professionals (audiologist, LSLS, PT, OT, SLP, etc.) involved in the client s care. Wrap-around is a team-based planning process intended to provide individual, coordinated, family-driven care to meet the complex needs of children who are involved with several child- and family-serving systems (e.g., mental health, child welfare, juvenile justice, special education) and who are at risk for or may be experiencing emotional, behavioral or mental health difficulties. Through the wrap-around process, a family and its team develop, implement and fine tune an individual plan of care to achieve positive outcomes for the family. Regardless of the discipline or service model, the goal is to deliver services that are evidence-based. Experiential Dimension Experiential aspects encompass cultural sensitivity, family-centered practices and the environment of care (i.e., homebased versus center- or school-based services). The experiential component recognizes that the patient/family experience begins upon entry into the building and does not end until exit. It includes every aspect of the family and patient experience, including their relationship with the provider, supports in the community and involvement with other families and peers. Some aspects of quality can best be assessed when viewed through a patient s eyes; patient experience surveys may be more informative than patient satisfaction surveys because they may uncover concerns that could bring quality improvement needs to light. How did the patient/ family feel during the visit? Were they treated with understanding, respect and consideration? How did they feel when the visit was over? If the visit was diagnostic and test results were not what the family had hoped, did the family feel that all their questions had 22 VOLTA VOICES SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2010

25 been answered and did they know the next step in the process? Clients may observe and articulate deficiencies that busy providers do not notice. Experiential aspects of EHDI focus on service provision that recognizes the potential disconnect between the priorities of health care and educational agencies and the priorities of families of children with hearing loss, and attempt to fill this gap. Professionals can enhance their experiential perspective in activities that promote shared learning opportunities and connections with families. Participating in groups or activities, such as Hands & Voices, AG Bell, the EHDI conference hosted by NCHAM or Investing in Family Support, help strengthen the partnership between families and professionals. Tools for Families More than 12,000 children with hearing loss will be born in the United States in Fortunately, children born today will reap the benefits of the improvements in both processes and outcomes for children who are deaf or hard of hearing (White, 2006). For example, the number of infants screened annually in the United States has increased from 38 percent in 2000 to 95 percent in 2007 (JCIH, 2007). The effectiveness of early intervention services depends a great extent upon the family s (Young et al., 2009). In addition to being qualified and competent, providers need to be sensitive to family and generational learning styles. Current tools and technologies social networks, electronic formats, and face-to-face and written communication should be used to communicate with and provide support for families. Audiologists, SLPs and LSLSs play an integral part in assuring continuous quality improvement in EHDI. Valuing the importance of supporting families through active participation and communication with everyone involved in the care of the client leads to compassionate, family-focused, multidisciplinary care and results in enhanced outcomes for children identified with hearing loss and their families. As EHDI components and References/Additional Reading services continue to be refined over the next decade, the focus toward quality improvement will continue to evolve. Tools such as the Dimensions of Care model proposed in this article may offer one framework for assessing quality of care. Editor s Note: Reprinted with permission from Dimensions of Care Model and Pediatric Audiology by N. Nicholson, K. L. Shapley, and P. F. Martin. The ASHA Leader, 15(7), Available from the website of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association: leader.aspx. It has been edited from its original version for length. AHRQ, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2003). Infants tested for hearing loss United States, MMWR, 52(41), Alberg, J., Wilson, K., & Roush, J. (2006). Statewide collaboration in the delivery of EHDI services. The Volta Review, 106(3), American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) (2002). Medical home initiatives for children with special needs project advisory committee. Policy Statement: The Medical Home. Pediatrics, 10(1), Donabedian, A. (1966). Evaluating the Quality of Medical Care. Milbank Memorial Fund Quarterly, 44(3, Part 2), Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004, Pub. L. No , 118 Stat Joint Committee on Infant Hearing (2000). Year 2000 position statement: principles and guidelines for early hearing detection and intervention programs. Pediatrics, 106(4), Joint Committee on Infant Hearing (2007.) Year 2007 position statement: principles and guidelines for early hearing detection and intervention programs. Pediatrics, 120(4), Schmeltz, L.R. (2009). Parent counseling in the Internet age: The rules and roles have changed. In NCHM E-Book: A Resource Guide for Early Hearing Detection and Intervention. pp Retrieved from Young, A., Gascon-Ramos, M., Campbell, M., & Bamford, J. (2009). The design and validation of a parentreport questionnaire for assessing the characteristics and quality of early intervention over time. Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education 14(4), White, K. (2006). Early intervention for children with permanent hearing loss: Finishing the EHDI revolution. Volta Review, 106(3), FALL COURSES (Hattiesburg, Miss.) THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI A phonetic, multisensory approach to teaching language and speech to children with hearing loss, language disorders, severe speech disorders and dyslexia Basic Course September and October 19-21, 2010 (six-day, two-part course) Missing Links in Academics November 4-5, dubard@usm.edu IMSLEC Accredited AA/EOE/ADAI VOLTA VOICES SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER

26 A Closer Look at Solar Ear Photo Credit: AG Bell By Josh Swiller Solar Ear offers a low-cost opportunity for individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing to have access to hearing aids and sound. Howard Weinstein has led a remarkable life. And he d be the first to tell you it just keeps getting more interesting. Now living in Sao Paolo, Brazil, Weinstein s originally from Canada. After a long and successful management career in Montreal, personal tragedy led him to join a nonprofit that focused on helping the disabled in rural Botswana, Africa. There in 2002, Weinstein founded Godisa, a nongovernment organization (NGO) that develops and builds low-cost hearing aids. Godisa endeavors to provide hearing technology for people who cannot afford it. Five years later he moved to Brazil to start the Solar Ear company along the same model. The key to the Godisa and Solar Ear hearing aid technology is that it s rechargeable. Users simply place the hearing aid batteries inside a palm-sized solar charger and after about six to eight hours they re ready to go. In addition to deriving their power from a clean, renewable energy source, the batteries boast a two- to three-year lifespan; traditional hearing aid batteries need to be replaced weekly. This technology is certainly good news for the earth, but perhaps more importantly, those who previously could not afford batteries or those without access to electricity can now use hearing aids. And the low price tag (about $100 per hearing aid) puts it in reach of vast populations who could not afford such devices. Solar Ear s operations also create jobs for members of the local deaf community; all of the employees that work on Solar Ear s devices are deaf. Plus, the actual product itself is not patented, meaning other companies could adopt Solar Ear s design and manufacture a similar green, low-cost hearing aid. In 2009, the innovative device was designated as a Tech Award Laureate (the Tech Awards honor innovators from around the world who are applying technology to benefit humanity). Solar Ear products are currently available in Brazil and Botswana, with plans to expand construction and marketing to Canada, China, Haiti, India, Mexico, Palestine, the United States and Vietnam within the next few years. Eight years after leaving Canada with great uncertainty, technology and battery products created by Weinstein s enterprises have helped tens of thousands of people in developed and developing countries to hear. Dozens of people with hearing loss are employed making these products, inspiring and educating thousands of people to what those who are deaf can accomplish. Volta Voices asked Weinstein s friend, author and AG Bell member Josh Swiller, to learn more about Weinstein s incredible life and current endeavor. 24 VOLTA VOICES SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2010

27 Josh: Hi Howard. Thanks for speaking with me. I know you re busy, so I don t want to waste your time going over stuff that s available on various websites Howard: Ok. Great. Bye. Josh: Well, I do have some questions. Howard: Fire away. Josh: Where are you right now? Howard: My office in Sao Paulo. I have a view of palm trees, banana trees and apartment rooftops. My beautiful, brilliant wife is in her office next door. Josh: And what s happening in the factory today? Howard: We are training our workers on manufacturing the first rechargeable open fit hearing aid. This training is being done by Sarah, a technician who is deaf and from Botswana, for 10 Brazilian workers who are also deaf. Also, one of the Brazilian workers is trying to solve an electrical connection problem for the U.S. market. He is trying different connectors to figure out what modifications are needed for the solar charger casing. We let the workers find the solutions. The employees are amazing, creative and want to do the work. Josh: How is the training done? Howard: It s remarkable, really. Last year, 10 workers came here from Botswana and led the training in microsoldering [a method of joining materials together that uses low temperature and solder/braze materials to avoid melting the adjoining parts]. This is an intensive, difficult training you can t make hearing aids that break and expect to have a successful business. But no interpreters were necessary they figured it out. Josh: How did you get started in all this? In international micro-soldering training and everything else? Howard: I often joke that when I started I didn t know the difference between a decibel and Tinkerbelle. But I had 25 years experience running a company in Montreal and recognized the importance of a sustainable business model. In Botswana, I saw a need. The chance to hear the voices of one s parents, the chance to hear music, the Howard Weinstein with three workers from Godisa. chance to hear the laughter of another child these are chances not everyone is afforded. There are over 300 million people worldwide who need a hearing aid, according to the World Health Organization, but only 16 million aids produced each year. Of these, only 12 percent are sold to developing countries, where two-thirds of the people who need hearing aids live. Josh: Why so few? Howard: Most consumers in developing countries simply can t afford the aids. Plus, you have the cost of batteries, roughly a dollar a battery, which is prohibitive in many places of the world. When people in developing countries receive a hearing aid, it s all too often not used after the first week because the battery power has expired. That s where the idea of making rechargeable batteries came from. The market is there; the need is there. Since we started in Botswana in 2002, we have sold 10,000 hearing aids, 20,000 solar chargers and 50,000 rechargeable batteries. Josh: In Botswana, Godisa [which in the local language means doing something to help others grow ] was thriving, turning out hearing aids, solar chargers and rechargeable batteries. Godisa s workers were all deaf and the company s success led to immediate benefits for these workers. Yet in 2006, you moved to Brazil and started from scratch. Why did you move? Photo Credit: Howard Weinstein VOLTA VOICES SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER

28 A Closer Look at Solar Ear Howard: Too many deaths. There was a funeral every week because of AIDS, most of them children. I went back to Canada but after two months there I decided to go to Brazil to begin the next stage of my life. While I still stay very involved in Godisa s operations, we ve started all over again in Sao Paulo developing a new rechargeable digital hearing aid (the previous version was analog), a second generation solar charger and two new low-cost rechargeable batteries. We founded Solar Ear and raised hundreds of thousands of dollars in grant money. In January of this year, we finished training, a six-month heavy-duty theoretical and practical micro-soldering course, so we ve only been selling for a few months. But in April, we sold over 2,000 digital rechargeable hearing aids, 3,600 solar chargers and 10,000 batteries. Josh: What are your long-term goals? Howard: We hope to help open three factories a year for the next five years, creating jobs for over 500 workers who are deaf and the producing 25,000 to 36,000 low-cost rechargeable hearing aids a month. Next up are China, Haiti, Mexico and Palestine. Josh: Do you worry about the big hearing technology companies coming in and taking your market? Howard: It would be great if they did that! It would be great if they copied our inventions. Their power of distribution is much bigger than ours will ever be, and the end result would be more people getting a low-cost hearing aid plus saving hundreds of millions of zinc air batteries from being thrown out every year. We have not patented any of our technology it s there for whomever wants it. Josh: Finally, what can Volta Voices readers and the deaf and hard of hearing community in the United States do to help? Howard: I often use the quote from Karl Jung, who says, you want to let people see their shadow and then realize the light is coming from them. We at Solar Ear are an example of what can be accomplished when people (anyone hearing or deaf) are given an opportunity. So the key is to get involved! First, at any level, in any organization, do what you dream of doing. Second, be patient. Third, love unlocks many doors, so love yourself, love your fellow man and do not beat up or pity yourself. And finally, work hard. You do not have to be intelligent or have a master s degree from a university...just work hard. We re Hear for the Future! Sunshine Cottage School for Deaf Children is proud to announce the completion of our new 57,000 square foot campus. On a beautiful hilltop, our one-story multitextured building, has accents of cypress, skylights and expanses of glass to usher in light. Twenty classrooms along three wings are specially insulated from extraneous outside noises and complimented with dramatic views. We continue to offer the very best programs and comprehensive educational environment for infants and school-aged children with hearing impairment. We invite you to visit! Other campus highlights are: Early Childhood and Elementary Programs Parent-Infant Cottage Speech Pathology Audiology Center with five testing booths Outdoor and Discovery classrooms Music and Art classrooms 603 E. Hildebrand Ave. San Antonio, Texas (210) 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. 26 VOLTA VOICES SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2010

29 Advance Your Career as a Certified Listening and Spoken Language Specialist The AG Bell Academy for Listening and Spoken Language offers an expanded certification program for professionals interested in becoming a Listening and Spoken Language Specialist Certified Auditory-Verbal Educator or Therapist (LSLS Cert. AVEd or LSLS Cert. AVT). The demand for Listening and Spoken Language Specialists has never been higher. Due to advances in hearing technology and early hearing detection and intervention legislation, there is a critical need for credentialed professionals to help the increasing numbers of families who are choosing listening and spoken language for their children who are deaf or hard of hearing. Propel your career by expanding the skills, expertise and education critical to your professional success and to the ever-changing needs of the LSLS profession. Demonstrate to families and employers that you have met the highest level of qualifications available in the field. Join the community of your certified peers on our registry of credentialed professionals allowing employers and families to contact you directly. NEW! Continuing Education Credits As a LSLS Cert. AVEd or LSLS Cert. AVT or professionals seeking certification, your continuous professional development is driven by the dynamic field of hearing loss. The Academy provides approval of continuing education (CE) credits to a wide range of workshops, conferences, seminars and courses. Information about these exciting new programs is available at professional-edu.htm. I encourage all professionals in the fields of speech-language pathology, audiology and education of children with hearing loss to pursue this important certification. LSLS is the standard parents of children with hearing loss look for when selecting spoken language specialists. Donald M. Goldberg, Ph.D., LSLS Cert. AVT, President, AG Bell Academy Advance Your Career. Pursue LSLS Certification Today. To Learn More:

30 Solar Ear Más de Cerca Photo Credit: AG Bell Por Josh Swiller Solar Ear ofrece una oportunidad a bajo coste para las personas sordas o con dificultades de audición para acceder a audífonos y al sonido. Howard Weinstein ha llevado una vida excepcional. Y él es el primero que te va a explicar que va a volverse más interesante todavía. Actualmente vive en Sao Paulo, en Brasil. Weinstein es originario de Canadá. Tras una carrera de éxito como directivo en Montreal, una tragedia personal le hizo incorporarse a una institución sin ánimo de lucro dedicada a ayudar a los discapacitados en Botswana, en África. Allí, en 2002, Weinstein fundó Godisa, una organización no gubernamental (ONG) que desarrolla y fabrica audífonos de bajo costo. El compromiso de Godisa es suministrar tecnología para la audición a personas que no cuentan con los medios necesarios. Cinco años más tarde se trasladó a Brasil para iniciar la empresa Solar Ear, conservando el mismo esquema. La clave de la tecnología de Godisa y de Solar Ear para ayudar a la audición consiste en ser recargable. Los usuarios no tienen más que colocar las pilas del audífono dentro de un cargador solar del tamaño de la palma de una mano. Al cabo de seis a ocho horas, estará listo para volver a ser utilizado. Aparte de que su energía proviene de una fuente energética limpia y renovable, las pilas tienen una duración de dos a tres años. Las pilas tradicionales de los audífonos necesitan ser cambiadas todas las semanas. Esta tecnología es sin duda una buena noticia para el globo terráqueo, pero lo que es aún más importante, aquellas personas que anteriormente no podían permitirse comprar pilas o que no tenían acceso a la electricidad, pueden ahora utilizar audífonos. El bajo precio (alrededor de 100$ por audífono) le hace estar al alcance de amplios sectores de la población que antes no podían adquirir esos dispositivos. El funcionamiento de Solar Ear crea además puestos de trabajo para miembros de las comunidades locales de sordos. Todos los empleados que trabajan en los aparatos de Solar Ear son sordos. Además, el producto no está patentado en la actualidad, lo cuál significa que otras empresas pueden adoptar el diseño de Solar Ear y fabricar audífonos similares, ecológicos y de bajo coste. En 2009, este dispositivo innovador recibió el galardón Tech Award Laureate (un premio que reconoce a innovadores de todo el mundo que apliquen tecnologías en beneficio de la humanidad). Los productos de Solar Ear están disponibles actualmente en Brasil y Botswana, y existen planes para ampliar su fabricación y comercialización a Canadá, China, Haití, India, México, Palestina, Estados Unidos y Vietnam en los próximos años. A los ocho años de haber salido de Canadá cargado de incertidumbres, los productos tecnológicos y las pilas creados por las empresas de Weinstein han ayudado a oír a decenas de miles de personas 28 VOLTA VOICES SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2010

31 en países desarrollados y en países en vías de desarrollo. Docenas de personas con pérdida de audición están empleadas en la fabricación de esos productos, sirviendo de inspiración y educando a miles de personas sobre lo que los sordos son capaces de conseguir. Volta Voices solicitó a Josh Swiller, amigo de Weinstein, escritor y miembro de AG Bell, que profundizara para conocer más sobre la vida increíble y la tarea actual de Weinstein. Josh: Hola Howard. Gracias por conversar conmigo. Sé que estás muy ocupado, así que no quiero hacerte gastar tu tiempo sobre temas que uno puede encontrar en las diversas páginas web existentes Howard: Muy bien. Estupendo. Hasta luego. Josh: Bueno, quiero hacerte algunas preguntas. Howard: Pues dispara. Josh: Dónde estás viviendo ahora? Howard: Mi oficina está en Sao Paulo. Tengo ante mi vista palmeras, bananeras y tejados de viviendas. Mi guapa y brillante esposa tiene su oficina en la puerta de al lado. Josh: Y qué se está haciendo en la fábrica al día de hoy? Howard: Estamos formando a nuestros trabajadores para fabricar el primer audífono recargable. La formación la imparte Sarah, una empleada técnica, sorda, de Botswana, a 10 trabajadores brasileños que también son sordos. Además, uno de los trabajadores brasileños está intentando resolver un problema de conexión eléctrica para el mercado estadounidense. Está probando diversos conectores para establecer qué modificaciones hay que introducir en la carcasa del cargador Dejamos que sean los trabajadores quienes encuentren las soluciones. Los empleados son fantásticos, creativos y están deseando trabajar. Josh: Cómo se imparte la formación? Howard: Es verdaderamente notable. El año pasado vinieron 10 trabajadores de Botswana e impartieron la formación en microsoldadura (un método para unir Howard Weinstein con tres trabajadores de Godisa. materiales a baja temperatura y soldar/ fundir materiales sin afectar a las piezas adyacentes). Se trata de una formación intensiva, difícil: no se puede esperar hacer un negocio de éxito con audífonos que se rompan. Pero no son necesarios intérpretes: todos se comprenden. Josh: Cómo empezaste con todo esto? Lo de la formación internacional en microsoldadura y todo lo demás? Howard: A menudo gasto la broma de que yo no sabía la diferencia entre un decibelio y Tinkerbelle. Pero poseía 25 años de experiencia manejando una empresa en Montreal y supe darme cuenta de la importancia de desarrollar un modelo de negocio sostenible. En Botswana, detecté una necesidad. La suerte de poder escuchar la voz de los padres, la suerte de escuchar música, la suerte de poder oír las risas de otros niños: se trata de alegrías que no todos pueden disfrutar. De acuerdo con la organización Mundial de la Salud, son más de 300 millones de personas en todo el mundo las que necesitan un audífono, pero únicamente se fabrican 16 millones de audífonos al año. De todos ellos, solamente el 12 por ciento se venden en países en desarrollo, que es donde viven los dos tercios de las personas que necesitan un audífono. Josh: Por qué son tan pocos? Howard: La mayoría de los consumidores en los países en vías de desarrollo simplemente no pueden permitírselo. A esto hay que agregar el coste de las pilas, del orden de un dólar cada pila, que resulta prohibitivo en muchos lugares en este mundo. Cuando las personas en los países en desarrollo reciben audífonos, la mayoría de las veces lo utilizan únicamente durante la primera semana, hasta que se agota la pila. De ahí proviene la idea de fabricar pilas recargables. El mercado estaba ahí, y la necesidad también. Desde que empezamos en Botswana en 2002, hemos vendido audífonos, cargadores solares y pilas recargables. Josh: En Botswana, Godisa (que en el idioma local significa hacer algo para ayudar a que los demás crezcan ) era próspera, agotando sus audífonos, sin cargadores solares y sin pilas recargables. Los trabajadores de Godisa eran todos sordos y el éxito de la empresa produjo inmediatamente beneficios para esos trabajadores. Pero en 2006, te trasladas a Brasil para volver a empezar de cero. Por qué te trasladaste? Howard: Demasiadas muertes. Todas las emanas había algún funeral por algún fallecido de SIDA, la mayoría niños. Regresé a Canadá, pero dos meses después decidí ir a Brasil para iniciar la fase siguiente de mi vida. Al Photo Credit: Howard Weinstein VOLTA VOICES SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER

32 Solar Ear Más de Cerca tiempo que continúo muy implicado en el funcionamiento de Godisa, hemos vuelto a empezar todo en Sao Paulo, desarrollando un nuevo audífono digital recargable (la versión anterior era analógica), una segunda generación de cargadores solares y dos nuevos modelos de pilas recargables de bajo costo. Hemos fundado Sola Ear y conseguido subvenciones de varios cientos de miles de dólares. En enero de este año, hemos finalizado la formación consistente en un curso semestral intenso, teórico y práctico, de microsoldadura, así que solo llevamos vendiendo unos pocos meses. Pero en abril, hemos vendido ya más de audífonos digitales recargables, cargadores solares y pilas. Josh: Cuáles son tus objetivos a largo plazo? Howard: Esperamos ayudar a abrir tres fábricas al año durante los próximos cinco años, creando puestos de trabajo para más de 500 trabajadores sordos y producir entre y audífono recargables de bajo costo al mes. En la cola están China, Haití, México y Palestina. Josh: Temes que las grandes empresas de tecnología de la audición desembarquen y se hagan con tu mercado? Howard: Sería fantástico que lo hicieran! Sería magnífico que copiaran nuestros inventos. Su fuerza a nivel de distribución es mucho mayor de la que podamos alcanzar nunca nosotros, y el resultado final sería que más personas conseguirían audífonos de bajo costo, además de ahorrar tener que desechar millones de pilas de cinc-aire al año. No hemos patentado ninguna de nuestras tecnologías. Las tenemos a disposición de todo el que quiera. Josh: Por último, Qué pueden hacer para echar una mano los lectores de Volta Voices y las comunidades de sordos y de personas con dificultades de audición en Estados Unidos? Howard: Cito a menudo a Karl Jung, cuando dijo: Quieres que la gente vea su sombra, y luego te das cuenta que en realidad la luz sale de ellos. En Solar Ear somos un ejemplo de lo que se puede conseguir cuando a las personas (cualquier persona, ya oiga o sea sorda) se les da una oportunidad. La clave es comprometerse! En primer lugar, a cualquier nivel, dentro de cualquier organización, haz lo que soñabas hacer. En segundo lugar, ten paciencia. En tercer lugar, el amor abre muchas puertas, así que valórate a ti mismo, quiere a tus amigos y no te vapulees ni te compadezca de ti mismo. Y por último, trabaja duro. No hace falta ser inteligente ni tener un master de ninguna universidad basta con trabajar duro. For one week in Pittsburgh, learn about the medical device that is dramatically changing the lives of more than 200,000 deaf individuals throughout the world. 30 VOLTA VOICES SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2010

33 Build your Listening and Spoken Language Library Today! AG Bell members receive a 15% discount. Bulk purchases are also available for a discount. Visit the AG Bell Bookstore online today! AG Bell offers reading materials recommended by the AG Bell Academy for Listening and Spoken Language for LSLS Cert. AVT and Cert. AVEd written test preparation and for professionals working with children with hearing loss. In addition, the AG Bell bookstore carries a wide selection of books, videos and resource materials on deafness and spoken language for parents of children with hearing loss. Featured titles include: Auditory-Verbal Therapy and Practice* Speech and the Hearing Impaired Child* Listen to This Volume 1 & 2 Now available on DVD SMILE Structured Methods in Language Education Learn to Talk Around the Clock: An Early Interventionists Toolbox* Hear & Listen! Talk & Sing! 50 FAQs About AVT* Songs for Listening! Songs for Life!* ABCs of AVT* Now available on DVD Six Sound Song Book/CD Copies of a brand new, The Volta Review monograph and of a special Volta Voices issue both focused on Professional Preparation and Development. *These items are recommended for reading by the AG Bell Academy TEL PUBLICATIONS@AGBELL.ORG WEB

34 What the Research Shows Professional Preparation, Speech Recognition and Maximizing Potential Photo Credit: AG Bell By Melody Felzien For over 110 years, researchers have explored questions about spoken language communication, publishing their findings in The Volta Review, a scholarly journal founded by Alexander Graham Bell to provide professionals with information about the ways in which hearing technology, health care, early intervention and education contribute to listening and spoken language development. Because best practices now focus on family-centered intervention, parents increasingly need access to research in order to make informed decisions about the health care and education options available to their children. With busy professionals and parents in mind, AG Bell is continuing an ongoing article series that highlights and summarizes research published in the most recent issues of The Volta Review. Professional Preparation Some of the key factors that impact the communication development of a child with hearing loss include the knowledge, skills and experience of the professionals serving the child and family. As technology and early intervention services have improved, programs preparing professionals to work with children who are deaf or hard of hearing and their families have had to adapt to keep pace. Children with hearing loss who seek a spoken language outcome will not fully achieve the communicative potential that is now possible without access to well-trained and competent professionals. In June 2010, The Volta Review published a special monograph issue, Professional Preparation for Listening and Spoken Language Practitioners. This monograph is a focused text, providing a blueprint to preservice and in-service training of professionals in the fields of audiology, speech-language pathology and education of the deaf who seek to provide listening and spoken language outcomes. It combines articles that address the development of preservice and in-service programs emphasizing listening and spoken language with profiles of innovative programs that represent a broad perspective on current training models and best practices. The guest editors have endeavored to provide a launching pad of discussion to meet the growing dearth of appropriately trained professionals to provide listening and spoken language services. AG Bell members can log-in to the website to view the full issue, and additional copies can be purchased from the AG Bell bookstore. Visit org/thevoltareview for more information on accessing this important text. Speech Recognition An important aspect of classroom access for students with hearing loss is the use 32 VOLTA VOICES SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2010

35 Dr. Jacobs model of Psychosocial Potential Maximization. of FM systems to help the student follow the teacher s instruction. However, past research does indicate that the use of an FM system with hearing aids can decrease speech recognition (Hawkins, 1984; Lewis, 2002), especially when the user is trying to listen to the instructor and his or her peers simultaneously. In A Pilot Investigation Regarding Speech- Recognition Performance, Samantha Lewis, Ph.D., CCC-A, FAAA, and colleagues evaluate the effect of using FM systems with hearing aids on speech recognition performance in adults. To accomplish this, Dr. Lewis and her colleagues analyzed two separate scenarios in which the effect of hearing aid input levels were manipulated: 1) when speech was presented to the FM transmitter microphone (simulating a primary speaker s speech) and 2) when speech was presented to the hearing aid microphone (simulating a peer s speech or secondary conversation). The results verified the correlation between increased noise in the room to poorer speech recognition from the primary speaker. However, the data suggests that the higher the hearing aid attenuation, the more difficult it was for the listener to recognize speech from a primary speaker. This verified previous findings that an equal ratio of input (both FM and hearing aid set at +15 db) improved speech recognition in noise over an equal output (both set at 0 db) (Boothroyd and Iglehart, 1998). The results of this study provide a recommendation for hearing aid settings that can maximize the audibility in both scenarios, allowing the user to listen to a primary speaker as well as understand the secondary conversations of his or her peers. Maximizing Potential Over the last year, Volta Voices has published a series of columns by Paul Jacobs, Ph.D. Earlier this year, The Volta Review VOLTA VOICES SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER

36 What the Research Shows Photo Credit: AG Bell published the research that guides these columns. In Psychosocial Potential Maximization, Dr. Jacobs outlines a systematic and comprehensive framework of proactive psychosocial attributes and tactics that individuals who are deaf can use to maximize their professional and social potential. These attributes and tactics are control, desire, goal orientation, reframing, persistence, goodness of fit, learned creativity and social ecologies. Current research related to deafness appears to lack a systematic and comprehensive framework related to these eight attributes and tactics. This can be particularly harmful as the best practices guiding the education and social development of young children with hearing loss is qualified by research and data. Through an intricate literature review, Dr. Jacobs presents a framework for Psychosocial Potential Maximization, adapted from a previous study on successful individuals with a learning disability and put into a deafness context (figure) (Reiff et al., 1995). The result is a footstep to a wider and 34 VOLTA VOICES SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2010

37 more intricate study of how individuals who are deaf and hard of hearing can achieve their utmost potential. To review the literature and Dr. Jacobs accompanying columns, please visit The Language of Labels There is often a wide range of descriptors for individuals with hearing loss that relate to stigma, stereotypes and expectation levels. In Revisiting Labels: Hearing or Not? Ellen A. Rhoades, Ed.S., LSLS Cert. AVT, provides an insightful commentary about what types of labels researchers should use for today s children with hearing loss who can listen and talk. She starts by discussing labels in terms of stigma and stereotyping, moving to self-fulfilling prophecy, which she defines as a situation where a person s expectation of an event causes the actual occurrence of that event (Jones, 1977). Dr. Rhoades uses the literature and terminology to then make a call for change in the way professionals define and label individuals with hearing loss, particularly noting that comparison to children with typical hearing inaccurately indicates that the children with hearing loss do not hear. Her commentary is an evidenced-based appeal to change the way professionals and parents label individuals with hearing loss, therefore adjusting the expectations placed by the implications of the labels. Conclusion The studies and research published by The Volta Review provide parents, clinicians, educators and therapists with the tools they need to navigate today s climate of education and intervention services. Much of this research is complimented by commentary and book reviews. The Volta Review is available electronically to members through the AG Bell website. I encourage you to log-on to TheVoltaReview to review this important research for yourself. References Boothroyd, A., & Iglehart, F. (1998). Experiments with classroom FM amplification. Ear & Hearing, 19, Hawkins, D. (1984). Comparisons of speech recognition in noise by mildly-to-moderately hearing-impaired children using hearing aids and FM systems. Journal of Speech and Hearing Disorders, 49, Houston, K.T., & Perigoe, C.B. (eds.) (2010). Professional preparation for listening and spoken language practitioners. The Volta Review, 110(2), Jacobs, P.G. (2010). Psychosocial potential maximization: A framework of proactive psychosocial attributes and tactics used by individuals who are deaf. The Volta Review, 110(1), Lewis, M.S. (2002). Speech perception in noise: Directional microphones versus frequency modulation (FM) systems. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of Florida, Gainesville. Lewis, M.S., Gallun, F.J., Gordon, J., Lilly, D.J., & Crandell, C. (2010). A pilot investigation regarding speech-recognition performance in noise for adults with hearing loss in the FM+HA listening condition. The Volta Review, 110(1), Reiff, H.B., Ginsberg, R., & Gerbe, P.J. (1995). New perspectives on teaching from successful adults with learning disabilities. Remidial and Special Education, 16(1), Rhoades, E.A. (2010). Revisiting labels: Hearing or not? The Volta Review, 110(1), VOLTA VOICES SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER

38 AG Bell Convention A First-Timer s Perspective Photo Credit: Craig Huey Photography By Amanda DeForest-Vogelsong, B.A. Sitting in the back of the crowded ballroom, sipping fresh lemonade to calm my nerves, I glanced around at the other attendees of the first timers orientation. Like me, many of them seemed unsure of what to expect. I caught a glimpse of the crowd outside the doors consisting of those who were not fortunate enough to find space in the room, though it sounded as though a staff member was filling them in on what they were missing. I was quite impressed by the number of communication methods made available: closed captioning, sign language interpretation and oral transliteration. I had done my research on the AG Bell 2010 Biennial Convention I knew the concurrent sessions I wanted to attend, who I wanted to hear speak, what booths I would visit. What I didn t know was how much this convention would change me. As a first-year graduate student studying early oral intervention at the University of Southern Mississippi, I already had a solid foundation as I prepared for the convention. My excitement nearly overtook me as I sat down to my first session, realizing that I was surrounded by educators and researchers whose books and materials I had been studying all summer: Flexer, Dornan, Simser, Goldberg, Yoshinaga- Itano and Moog Brooks, to name just a few. While I noticed that not everyone stayed for the opening session the first evening, I was truly grateful I had. What a privilege to be able to hear what AG Bell has accomplished under the direction of the President John R. Jay Wyant. As a new member, it was exciting to hear of the goals he had set out for this organization and how they had been fulfilled. The LOFT class of 2010 spoke confidently as they presented the Honors of the Association Award to Inez Janger s son, Michael, on her behalf. Michael read his mother s remarks of just how much the organization had supported them for the last 35 years and I began to feel that this was more than just a convention it was a family reunion. A family made up of parents who all want the best for their children, professionals who strive daily to accomplish that, and adults and children who are deaf and hard of hearing who have made or are making that long journey toward spoken language with them. During the welcome reception, I was introduced to the members of this unique family from all over the world. It was comforting and empowering to know that just about every person in that room shared the same passion I did for listening and spoken language and we were all here as advocates and students, longing to learn what was 36 VOLTA VOICES SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2010

39 new in the field and how it would affect us. The resources being handed out soon overflowed my arms and convention bag as I tried to determine how many times they would let me come back and get more without being too obvious. Saturday morning, the Floridian Salon was packed as I eagerly listened to the inaugural address of AG Bell s new president, Kathleen Treni, who conveyed excitement at continuing the advances that the association has been making for over a century. Lee Woodruff brought nearly everyone to tears as she spoke of her journey with her daughter, Nora s, severe hearing loss. Many of us remember hearing of Bob Woodruff s injuries while in Iraq back in 2006, but I had no idea that she had a child with hearing loss and how that experience prepared her for all the struggles she has faced since then. It was a great starting point for the day as we went our separate ways to the day s sessions. The research symposium on Sunday morning presented hope as the speakers discussed regeneration of hair cells in birds and their plans for future research in the area. Sunday also brought a tremendous session for me: a parent panel on anxiety over their children s hearing loss. To hear the stories of emotions, struggles, healing and joy was truly touching and I found myself once again pulling out the tissues. By this time, my notebook was almost full as I scrambled to jot down all those tips, resources, websites, associations, schools, skills, tricks and pointers that I knew I would not remember simply because there were so many. By the end of the day, I was exhausted as I sat by the pool and thought about the many wonderful people I had met that weekend and how the talks we had would stay with me forever. By Monday, I had bought my textbooks for the fall (at a nice 25 percent discount), gathered resources from seemingly every booth in the exhibition hall and was wondering if my suitcase would be able to close for my 12-hour drive home. However, the things that were truly valuable couldn t be packed the people I met, the conversations I had with them, what I learned at the sessions, and the respect I gained for the parents of children with hearing loss and for the professionals who work so hard to help them. By lunchtime, I felt as though any limits that had once been set for individuals who are deaf and hard of hearing had been broken through and they had a new world of opportunities for them. Technology, science, education and advocacy are clearly greater now than ever before and I feel truly honored to have been able to attend this event. Thank you, members of the Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, for allowing me into your family, teaching me its history and putting on such a wonderful convention. I cannot wait to see you at our next family reunion in Scottsdale, Ariz., in 2012! VOLTA VOICES SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER

40 VOICES FROM AG BELL Conversations With Alex Graham Last April, I visited the Denver, Colo., area for a series of meetings and one of the high points of the trip was a gathering of AG Bell Colorado Chapter members at the home of Mary Mosher- Stathes. An award-winning educator, I found her dedication to the field of listening and spoken language and to children with hearing loss truly exceptional. Over the last several months, I ve had the great pleasure to get to know Mary better, and AG Bell was pleased to have her showcase her latest project at the AG Bell convention in Orlando, Fla., the equine therapeutic center Rosie s Ranch in Parker, Colo. The ranch provides a place where children with special needs can expand their verbal, listening and reading skills through equine connections. I hope my conversation with Mary both inspires and informs you as much as it has me. Alex Graham: How did you get involved in supporting kids with hearing loss? Mary Mosher-Stathes: As a youth, I met a friend of my aunt who was a teacher of the deaf. I was amazed to learn that deaf children could learn to talk. I was drawn to the idea of teaching deaf children to speak, so that later in life they would have choices in lifestyle, occupation and daily living encounters. Poems like Robert Frost s The Road Less Traveled and The Starfish Parable guided me. In hindsight I guess it was a calling. A.G.: What is the biggest change in education of the deaf and hard of hearing that you ve seen? M.M.S.: In 1995, when I interviewed for my teaching position with Denver Public Schools, the interview committee saw I had attained my certification in Auditory Verbal Therapy. They asked me do you think that having your AVT credential will be a problem? You realize, these children are profoundly deaf, they need to lip read. Today, my 38 VOLTA VOICES SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2010

41 Meet Mary Mosher-Stathes, Ma. CED, LSLS Cert. AVT Mary Mosher-Stathes has dedicated 32 years to educating deaf/hard-of-hearing children and helping them learn to speak. She has received numerous statewide and national awards for her work, including the 2007 Wal-Mart Teacher-of-the-Year Award. She is a therapist with the Listen Foundation in Englewood, Colo. For more information about Rosie s Ranch visit Mary Mosher-Stathes working with two of her ranch hands at Rosie s Ranch in Parker, Colo. Photo Credit: Mary Mosher-Stathes credential as a Listening and Spoken Language Specialist Certified Auditory Therapist (LSLS Cert AVT) would be considered the brass ring. The major change has been in the realization that listening skill development supersedes all else. A.G.: What are the biggest gaps in the K-12 public system for kids with hearing loss who are seeking a listening and spoken language outcome? M.M.S.: The Grand Canyon of education for students who are deaf and hard of hearing is the home-to-school connection. Parents and teachers need to work together to find a daily communication system that works. For years I have worked with my students to write a daily letter home to parents with the three most important events of the day from the children s perspective. It is an effort to help parents and kids have a conversation when they arrive home. It is not just during the 0 to 3 years that we should bathe them in sound. It is really until fifth grade that we need to have the carpe diem attitude of hands-on learning. A.G.: What advice would you give a young professional? M.M.S.: Seek out a mentor. Doreen Pollack was my mentor from 1979 until her passing. She would consult with me, challenge me and inspire me to look at the big picture. Find someone with your passion and many more years of experience. That person will help you see down the road when you are questioning a child s progress, lend moral support when you are frustrated with politics and give advice to further your professional development. Find someone who will be honest with you and provide you with constructive criticism. You will know you have found the right person when after meeting, texting or ing with them, you feel a little pissed off or irritated. You will feel this way because they will have pushed you to look at deeper within yourself than is probably comfortable and that is invaluable. A.G.: Tell me about Rosie s Ranch. M.M.S.: My husband, Kirk, and I bought a 10-acre ranch in Parker, Colo. We are converting it into a therapeutic riding center for children who are deaf and hard of hearing as well as for children with spoken language challenges. A.G.: Why equine therapy for kids with hearing loss? M.M.S.: At Rosie s Ranch, we combine auditory verbal strategies with equine therapy to take both techniques to the next degree. Our data collection is just beginning, but so far the statistics are proving that it works. The riders have increased their spoken vocabulary, personal narrative skills and felt personal growth. I encourage anyone with an interest to visit a national organization dedicated to equine therapies. VOLTA VOICES SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER

42 Psychosocial potential maximization Potential Maximization By Paul Jacobs, Ph.D. The maximization of social and career potential occurs through taking risks and being resilient. An individual achieves this by putting a series of cognitive (thinking) and social skills into action over time. Each theme in my column has defined strategies specific to dealing with challenges related to deafness. This framework is not a hierarchy or a one-way process. The themes combine to influence each other. Each, together, contain practical life skills that help us to become the best friend, romantic partner, classmate or work colleague. Life is difficult without these skills. We can forget that children become adults. Life does not end when school finishes. Human potential develops over a lifetime. Remember Ellen and Tristan in my previous columns? Time has passed. They are now both young adults about to meet each other in college. This short story of their first meeting shall act as an example of how each theme in my column is related to each other. The themes will appear in brackets. Both Ellen and Tristan are becoming skilled in talking with different people about a great range of topics they have clocked many hundreds of hours of social interaction (Persistence). Although they have not yet met, their compatibility is very high (Goodness of Fit). They have similar temperaments, ages and life experiences. Tristan began his morning by checking his to find an invitation to see a band tonight (Learned Creativity and Social Ecologies) and responds that he will go (Desire). Ellen learned of tonight s band through word of mouth in her dorm (Social Ecologies). She feels reluctant to attend but she reframes negative thoughts such as I hardly know anyone into I could meet new people (Reframing). They first meet in the university dorm common room before going to see the band. Tristan was adding to and directing the flow of gossip. Having missed the start of the conversation, Ellen noted the group was talking about archaeology, environmental issues and Iceland. It seemed a strange combination for a conversation topic, but it interested her. The group then walked to the band venue. On the way, Ellen and Tristan made small talk with a polite hello and goodbye. Their paths crossed again in the venue an hour later. Ellen suggested they talk outside the venue where it was lighter and sound was softer (Goodness of Fit). Tristan agreed. When outside she asked, Did you mention Iceland before? (Desire). Yes, I have just come back from Iceland. Have you been there? No. Would you like to go there? I haven t thought about it. Tristan was nervous because he was attracted to Ellen. He thought her negative response could end the conversation (Control). But, he then thought a positive affirmation She has shown interest in me (Reframing). Ellen was nervous too. She had a view to see out the conversation to an end (Goal Orientation) and continued with, What was the connection between archaeology and environmental issues? He focused on the issue and not on his nervousness (Control): Archaeological evidence is showing that the early Icelandic people exploited the natural resources to their limits. It s a lesson today s nations can learn from. Cool, she said before guiding the stream of conversation towards her own strengths (Learned Creativity and Goodness of Fit), Have you heard Björk s music? The Icelandic singer? Yeah. I like the song Human Behavior. Once he said this, they had a strong shared link and lost all fear of conversing with each other. This conversation became their first of many to come. They soon dated. His friends became her friends, her friends his too (Social Ecologies). This romance, however, would have been impossible if neither person had engaged their proactive thinking strategies and social skills. By knowing their strengths and limitations, and by taking risks and being resilient, each person created opportunities for the other and for themselves. Develop a Fearless Aptitude The process of Potential Maximization demands constantly overcoming fears. The more people we meet, the more chances for new fears to arise and to master. As people who are deaf, we are often uncertain of what others have said, how others perceive and react to our deafness, or whether we are using the right social strategies. Dealing with these unique circumstances can cause anxiety. Consider this: our fears are like a cage that restricts our range of actions. Examples of deafness-related fears are in my Reframing and Social Ecologies columns. Each one of these negative thoughts is enough to prevent social interaction and to trap us inside ourselves. Yet, the more we master proactive thoughts and create positive social outcomes for ourselves, the more we will be equipped to fear less of others. We come to understand how to accommodate the interests and needs of others. We understand negative events as feedback and not as failures. We become desensitized to rejection. We understand strategies that work for us and those that don t. These skills cannot be read in books or learned through a mentor. Only we alone can discover the beauty of our own potential: out there, in the world. Through exposure to as many people in numerous circumstances as possible we become less fearful of others and of our future. With greater self-knowing, 40 VOLTA VOICES SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2010

43 Employment, Friends and Love Today, there are three main areas of focus when understanding deafness and listening and spoken language: 1) technology, 2) speech and language (re)habilitation and 3) the removal of barriers to social inclusion. Each of these aspects significantly aids the maximization of potential by people who are deaf with their peers who have typical hearing. However, a person s social inclusion is significantly defined by the presence and quality of three crucial lifestyle factors: y Employment y Friends and acquaintances y Romantic relationships Each must be earned by the individual. This respect and mutual gain from others happens through the force of personality. The individual puts proactive thinking strategies and social skills into action when this happens. It is my view that there is a serious lack of social support to promote successful relationships and careers across the broad spectrum of people who are deaf. Most of us have learnt by trial and error often with unnecessarily painful romantic, social or financial costs. This can lead to needless isolation, frustration, depression and financial difficulties. Practical lifestyle skills are therefore required to prevent or to improve these issues. My columns presented just a few examples. There are many more deafness-specific skills for dealing with social and career challenges. It is the responsibility of academics and teaching professionals in our field These skills cannot be read in books or learned through a mentor. Only we alone can discover the beauty of our own potential: out there, in the world. our power comes from within. We do not seek the approval of others as much. We are better able to decide our fate in numerous situations. In turn, we gain respect from others and for ourselves. Eventually, we may develop an aptitude of fearlessness. Fearlessness is not a crash-throughwalls, Just do it! attitude. It is an aptitude, a skill we develop and use. Fearlessness is simply being lost in what we are doing. When we are fearless we forget our fears and future worries. We feel without fear when focusing on and enjoying basic tasks, such as an interesting conversation, a new project and tackling a new challenge. These small tasks ultimately lead to the maximization of our career, social or romantic desires. to further explore this new frontier in deafness. If not, many people who are deaf will struggle to maximize their social and career potential. Proactive life skills lead to social inclusion. Research feeds education. Without quality education, there can be no enrichment of human potential. Quote All truths are easy to understand once they are discovered; the point is to discover them. Galileo Galilei Author s Note: The author appreciates AG Bell s continued support and allowing his work to be published in Volta Voices and on He is thankful to Dale Sindell for the Spanish translations of the column at The author also wishes to thank Myriam Tena. He further extends a special gratitude to Melody Felzien for her excellent editorship and views that shaped this column. Lastly, he wishes readers well in their endeavours. Editor s Note: All of Dr. Jacobs columns are available on the AG Bell website at www. agbell.org/voltavoices. AG Bell encourages you to discuss this and all columns with Dr. Jacobs through AG Bell s online community. VOLTA VOICES SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER

44 tips for parents Building Your Child s Self- Advocacy Skills By Pamela Hill Like most parents, my husband, Bobby, and I want to protect our children from life s difficulties. So when our eldest son, Colton, was diagnosed at age 19 months with a severe bilateral hearing loss, our first instinct was to try to shelter him. We wanted to be a barrier between him and any problems he might face, any ridicule he might endure, any discrimination he might encounter. Thankfully, the urge to try to solve all his problems for him passed in the months following his diagnosis. We realized he couldn t live an independent life if we did all the work for him. Just like any child with typical hearing, he would have to learn the ways of the world. Unlike a child with typical hearing, he would also have to make adjustments and sometimes ask even demand accommodations and modifications to allow him to participate fully in this complicated society. In short, he needed to be a good self-advocate. Advocacy skills can start in those early language-learning days when a child is prompted and learns to ask for, rather than merely grab, a sippy cup of milk or a favorite toy. But advocacy skills of a much higher order were a hot topic this summer in Orlando, Fla. Teens and adults with hearing loss as well as parents of children with hearing loss shared their experiences during the AG Bell 2010 Biennial Convention. Their tips on building selfadvocacy skills? Build confidence in your child, be knowledgeable of your access needs and the law, and set the bar high. Build Confidence Bob Bush, a Philadelphia college student, spoke at a session on building social and self-advocacy skills. He said accepting Colton Hill, right, visits a Pensacola, Fla., beach with his brother, Dakota Hill, during his family s trip home from the AG Bell 2010 Biennial Convention in Orlando this June. one s deafness and learning about it is key to being a good self-advocate and having good self-esteem. You need to be comfortable with it, Bush said, and be able to explain it. Lee Rech of The Woodlands, Texas, said her daughter, 13-year-old Anna, has been doing a presentation for her class since she was in second grade. It s sort of just addressing the elephant in the room, Rech said. According to Rech, Anna teaches her classmates about her hearing loss and cochlear implant and provides tips for them to communicate with her. The information helps other kids understand and feel comfortable around her and helps Anna build peer relationships. It also helps Anna learn about her deafness and gain confidence. Karen Rothwell-Vivian, a LSLS Cert. AVT, said when students come to her with a problem, she always asks them, What do you think you could do? They need to have someone to talk to. Not to tell them what to do, Rothwell- Vivian said, but to coach them. While children who are deaf and hard of hearing and who use spoken language do have special needs, parents say they shouldn t get special treatment at home. Treat them like a normal child. Don t let it [hearing loss] be a crutch. Don t let them get away with stuff, said parent Sharon Strong of Connecticut. If they know how to be well behaved, they re going to be more confident in public. Martha dehahn of Northampton, Mass., agrees. You can t ever forget, kids are kids. Don t treat them differently. She and her husband, Chris, have two teens with hearing loss. They believe in setting the bar high and allowing their kids to seek their dreams, Photo Credit: Hill Family 42 VOLTA VOICES SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2010

45 even ones that might seem out of reach for a child with hearing loss. If they want to do something you don t think they can, find a way to help them do it, dehahn said. And that s what the dehahns did when their son, Patrick, now age 19 and a college student, expressed interest in theatre and dance. Rather than discouraging him, they talked about ways he could succeed. He follows the action, sometimes takes cues to know when something occurs that he may not have heard and reacts to other characters as any actor would. It worked out. He plans to pursue performing arts in college. Colton Hill, second from right, visits Disney World with his family while in Orlando for the AG Bell 2010 Biennial Convention in June. Also pictured (from left): Colton s dad, Bobby Hill; his sister, Audrey Hill; and his brother, Dakota Hill (far right). Colton is wearing a captioning device around his neck to help him understand dialogue on some of the theme park s rides. The device is one of the accommodations the park provides for people with special needs. Be Persistent Ally Sisler-Dinwiddie knows the importance of being a self-advocate. She has a hearing loss, uses spoken language and is also an audiologist. Sisler-Dinwiddie said the real start of her self-advocacy was when she became involved in the Individualized Education Program (IEP) process during her middle school years. She began to feel ownership over her situation and to see how her input could affect it, learning more effective ways to advocate. For instance, in college she asked dormitory officials to equip her room with a strobe light to alert her if there was a fire at night. She gave them relevant information and made a presentation. At first they said, No. And I had to learn No is not acceptable, Sisler- Dinwiddie said. She persisted, went back to officials with additional information and arguments, and eventually got a strobe light. Life after high school is great. It s been about me having a voice for myself, Sisler-Dinwiddie said. It s no one s responsibility but my own to ask for what I need. Jay Wyant, past president of AG Bell and an adult with hearing loss who listens and talks, presented a session on self-advocacy for adults. All individuals with hearing loss need to know the tenets of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and other laws, including the limits of those laws, and be able to express how it applies to a particular situation, Wyant said. As an adult advocate, you should be able to define what a reasonable accommodation is, Wyant said. Practice defining what you need and work with your employer (or city, organization, etc.) to get what you need. For instance, just because a city council provides an American Sign Language interpreter for its meetings doesn t necessarily mean it meets the needs of an adult with hearing loss who listens and talks. CART might be a more appropriate option for some. Self-advocacy is knowing what s out there, noted Wyant. Research and understand what you re asking for. Rothwell-Vivian also commented that it s sometimes easier to attain accommodations than people think and they shouldn t be intimidated to try. Most of the time, if you let people know your needs, they ll do it. Set Expectations Seventeen-year-old Julie LePore is one of the well-spoken teens who presented Teen Speak: Skill Building Made Fun! In her speech, LePore talked about living with hearing loss, having a sense of humor and the importance of being expected to achieve. Learning to function in a hearing world is hard work from the moment you receive your first hearing aids or cochlear implant. Eventually, you realize you re different from others, but not in a bad way, LePore said. Like everyone else, you have hopes and dreams, and if you re fortunate enough, the people in your life will not lower their standards and expectations for what you can achieve. Julie s dad, Tim LePore, advises parents not to downplay a child s disability, but not to exaggerate it or let it be an excuse for not meeting set expectations. Karen Kirby of San Antonio is deaf and uses spoken language. She said her parents reared her to believe she could be whatever she wanted to be. So when a college counselor encouraged her to switch from an education major to P.E. because he didn t think she could make it in the classroom, she was taken aback but more determined than ever. She went on to become a lauded long-time educator. There are still times when I wish I could solve all of Colton s problems present and future. But I can t. Now a high school senior, he is the one who will have to navigate and negotiate the challenges that face all of us, in addition to the dilemmas that will exist because of his hearing loss. The best I can hope for is that we ve given him the skills to be an outspoken advocate for himself and others. Photo Credit: Hill Family VOLTA VOICES SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER

46 Hear Our Voices Collin s Journey A 9-year-old s Story about Being an Advocate By Collin Tastet Recently, people have asked me to tell them what it was like to be an advocate to help get hearing aid insurance legislation passed in North Carolina. There was one problem. I am 9 years old and did not understand the word advocate until I looked it up in the dictionary. It said advocate means one that supports or promotes the interests of another. To me it was that, along with teamwork! At times it was fun and at other times I would get nervous and frustrated. This whole journey started when Ms. Joni (Dr. Joni Alberg, executive director of BEGINNINGS for Parents of Children who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing) got in touch with me in May of She asked if I would come to Raleigh, N.C., and attend a North Carolina General Assembly House of Representatives meeting to talk to state legislators about my hearing loss and let them know how my hearing aids helped me. I said, Sure, because I d heard stories about other kid s parents not being able to afford hearing aids and I wanted to help other kids. After that first meeting, I was introduced to different state representatives and senators. I quickly became good friends with Sen. William R. Purcell (D) and Reps. Laura I. Wiley (R) and Bob England (D), who were co-sponsors of the bill. My dad, Arthur, and I later met with Sen. Phil Berger (R), who represents us. He is the senate minority leader and has a very busy schedule. My dad and I had to wait about four hours before I got to speak with him. In the end it was well worth the wait because I was able to tell him why this bill was important to children with hearing loss in North Carolina, Collin Tastet looks on as North Carolina Gov. Bev Perdue signs into law a bill mandating hearing aid insurance coverage for children under the age of 22. and as a bonus I received a senator pin from him. Trying to catch up and speak with the different representatives and senators was frustrating at times, but in the end it was nice to talk with them because they made me feel like I was one of their friends! After that first day at the General Assembly, Ms. Joni asked if I would like to come back again and speak at a committee meeting. I said, Yes! By the end of the summer I had spoken at four different committee meetings. I was a little nervous to speak at first, but each time it got easier and easier. People started to recognize me and stop to talk with me in the hallways. I think that is why Rep. England likes to joke with me about either taking his job or Sen. Purcell s! I was lucky enough to get private tours of the General Assembly building and even got to go out on the senate and house chamber floors. There are big gold doors leading into each chamber. During the sessions, I sat in the seats on the second floor called the gallery. I could see down into the first floor where the legislators sit. I felt very special to have been able to go onto the floor in this room, especially when I saw the public tours could only see the room from the second floor. One of the funniest memories I had was right before a senate session began; Sen. A.B. Swindell (D) yelled up to me in the gallery and said, Hey Collin, buddy! How are you doing? and everybody looked at me. I asked my mom, Is he allowed to do that? She said Yep, he s a senator! During the floor votes, I liked to watch the voting board from the gallery to see if anybody voted no for the bill and after the bill passed, I gave the legislators a Photo Credit: Tastet Family 44 VOLTA VOICES SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2010

47 thumbs up sign. I felt really honored when North Carolina s Lt. Gov. Walter Dalton recognized me from the senate floor and the Speaker of the House Rep. Joe Hackney (D) recognized me from the house floor for my efforts in helping to get the bill passed. When the bill finally passed both the house and senate, it was amazing how many reporters wanted to talk with me. On June 7, 2010, when I was going to go to the public signing to see North Carolina Gov. Bev Perdue sign the bill, television reporters showed up at my school to talk with me. At the public signing I really felt honored. At the beginning of the ceremony, I walked into the room right beside Gov. Perdue. I was allowed to speak after the governor gave her speech. I was even given the first pen she used to sign the bill and presented with a Governor s Student Excellence Award. The governor told everyone how I really made a difference in getting this bill passed, but in my eyes it was really teamwork! It involved the senators and representatives taking their time to listen to me and other kids speak about why this bill was important, along with Ms. Joni keeping me updated on everything. During this journey I made a lot of new friends and learned a lot about how the North Carolina state government works. Rep. Wiley even spoke to my class and presented me with a certificate from the North Carolina House of Representatives that acknowledged my advocacy work for the bill. But my favorite thing I learned is when my parents ask me to help clean the house I like to tell them, Senators do not work in the House! Collin Tastet is 9-years-old and is in the 4th grade. He has a moderate-to-severe hearing loss and has been wearing hearing aids since 8 weeks of age. He enjoys taking Taekwondo, where he is a probationary black belt, and playing football. He gained statewide media coverage as a leading advocate behind North Carolina House Bill 589. In July, he received an award from the Alliance of Disability Advocates, Center for Independent Living, for helping break communication barriers through legislation. Collin Tastet speaks during the public signing of the North Carolina law he advocated for while the Gov. Perdue and other special guests look on. Collin Tastet poses with Reps. England and Wiley during the public signing of hearing aid legislation in North Carolina. Photo Credit: Tastet Family Photo Credit: Tastet Family save the date! Annual Fall Conference on MAinstreAMing students with hearing Loss Connecting the dots... Academically and socially To be held at: The Springfield Sheraton Springfield, Ma october 14 15, 2010 For more information call barbara Rochon at v/tty or brochon@clarkeschools.org. clarkeschools.org/mainstream Mainstream Services at Clarke Center for Hearing and Speech ConFerenCe highlights a Special ShoRT course FeaTuRing: david sindry and the Listening room using The listening Room to create listening and language opportunities for children with hearing loss KeynoTeS by: Patricia Chute, ed.d. Mercy College Technology & communication in the new Millennium irene Leigh, Ph.d., deaf Psychologist, gallaudet university connecting the dots academically & Socially: pathway to the Future FoR STudenTS: Making Connections! a special day-long program designed for mainstreamed students with hearing loss who are currently attending grades Special guest: stephen hopson, inspirational speaker, Author and deaf Pilot how to Turn adversity into a university of possibilities! VOLTA VOICES SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER

48 Directory of Services Directory of Services 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. n Alabama Alabama Ear Institute, 300 Office Park Drive, Suite 210, Birmingham, AL ( voice) ( fax) 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. n Arizona Desert Voices, 3426 E. Shea Blvd., Phoenix, AZ (voice) (fax) info@desertvoices.phxcoxmail.com ( ). 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 Oral School of San Francisco, 1234 Divisadero, San Francisco, CA (voice) (fax) Offers auditory-oral day classes for toddlers, PreKindergarten and K-2 levels with daily individual therapy. Also consultation and itinerant teacher of the deaf services; aural rehabilitation for children and adults; family education groups; and workshops. Our experienced staff includes credentialed teachers of the deaf and speech therapists, all with specialized training in CI technologies. Contact Janet Christensen, M.A., at jan@auditoryoralsf.org. Auditory-Verbal Services, Emerson Bend, Tustin, CA (voice) KarenatAVS@aol.com Karen Rothwell-Vivian, M.S.ED. M.A. CCC-A. LSLS-Cert.AVT. Listening and Spoken Language Specialist - Certified Auditory-Verbal Therapist providing Auditory-Verbal Therapy and both audiological and educational consultation for children from infancy through college age. Auditory Rehabilitation is also provided for adults. Extensive expertise with amplification, cochlear implants, and FM systems. Children s Choice for Hearing and Talking, CCHAT Center Sacramento, Coloma Road, Rancho Cordova, Ca (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, parentinfant program, on-site audiological services and mainstreaming support services. The school is staffed with credentialed teachers, licensed speech-language pathologists and a licensed audiologist. Echo Horizon School, 3430 McManus Avenue, Culver City, CA (voice) (fax) (tty) org/schools/echo/index.html 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. HEAR Center, 301 East Del Mar Blvd., Pasadena, CA (voice) (fax) Specializing in audiological services for all ages. Auditory-Verbal individual therapy, birth to 21 years. HEAR to Talk, 547 North June Street, Los Angeles, CA (voice) Sylvia@hear2talk. com ( ) Sylvia Rotfleisch, M.Sc.A., CED, CCC, Certified Auditory-Verbal 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 (voice) jwposd@jwposd. org ( ) (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 Blvd., L.A., CA (parents) Since 1942, free worldwide Parent Distance Education Program and onsite comprehensive audiological, counseling and educational services for families with children ages birth thru 5 years. Intensive 3-week Summer Sessions (ages 2-5) with Sibling Program. Online and on-campus options for accredited Master s and Credential in Deaf Education. Lets Talk About It 207 Santa Anita Street, #300, San Gabriel, CA (voice) bklaus. avt@gmail.com ( ) Bridgette Klaus, M.S.Ed., LSLS Certified Auditory-Verbal Therapist. Providing Auditory-Verbal therapy for children with a hearing loss and their families. Services for individuals with hearing aids and/or cochlear implants, infancy through adulthood. Listen and Learn, 4340 Stevens Creek Blvd., Suite 107, San Jose, CA Marsha A. Haines, M.A., CED, Cert. AVT, and Sandra Hamaguchi Hocker, M.A., CED Auditory-verbal 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 Speech and Language Educational Center and Theatre Program, 9801 Washington Blvd., 2nd Floor, Culver City, CA , Free individual auditory, speech and language therapy for DHH children between the ages of five-and-eighteen as well as a biweekly literacy program, computer training, weekly parent classes and a nationwide theatrical program. Oralingua School for the Hearing Impaired, North Campus 7056 S. Washington Avenue, Whittier, CA (voice) (fax) info@oralingua.org ( ) (website) South Campus 221 Pawnee Street, San Marcos, CA (voice) (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. Training and Advocacy Group for Deaf & Hard of Hearing Children and Teens (TAG), San Vicente Blvd. #559, Los Angeles, CA 90049, , tagkids@aol.com, 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. n Colorado Bill Daniels Center for Children s Hearing, The Children s Hospital - Colorado, Department of Audiology, Speech Pathology and Learning Services, East 16th Avenue, B030 Aurora, CO org (website) (voice) (TTY). We provide comprehensive audiology and speech-language services for children who are deaf or hard-of-hearing (ages birth through 21years). 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 (voice) (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. 46 volta VOICES SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2010

49 Directory of Services n Connecticut CREC Soundbridge, 123 Progress Drive, Wethersfield, CT (voice/ TTY) (fax) (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 (voice) (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. n Florida Bolesta Center, Inc, 7205 North Habana Avenue, Tampa, FL (voice) (fax) jhorvath@bolestacenter.org ( ) www. bolestacenter.org (website) Non-profit Listening and Spoken Language Center dedicated to teaching children who are deaf and hard of hearing to listen and speak. No family turned away based on ability to pay. Services provided to families, professionals, and school districts. Specializing in auditory-verbal therapy, educational outreach, and professional development programs. Kids and professionals immersion and summer programs available. Talk to us about our success with late implanted children! Contact Judy Horvath, LSL Cert. AVEd. Clarke Schools for Hearing and Speech/ Jacksonville, 9857 St. Augustine Rd., Jacksonville, FL / (voice/tty) info@ clarkeschools.org, Susan G. Allen, Director. Serving families with children with hearing loss, services include early intervention, toddler, preschool, PreK/kindergarten, primary, parent support, individual listening, speech and language services, and cochlear implant habilitation and mainstream support. n Georgia Atlanta Speech School Katherine Hamm Center, 3160 Northside Parkway, NW Atlanta, GA ext (voice/tty) (fax) scarr@atlspsch.org ( ) 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 language-rich lessons and highly individualized 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 Auditory-Verbal Center, Inc - Atlanta, 1901 Century Boulevard, Suite 20, Atlanta, GA 30345, (voice) (fax) listen@ avchears.org ( ) (website). Auditory-Verbal Center, Inc - Macon, 2720 Sheraton Drive, Suite D-240, Macon, GA (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. Georgia Relay, (voice) garelay@ hamiltonrelay.com ( ) (website). Georgia Relay provides services that enable people who are deaf, hard of hearing, deaf-blind and speech impaired to place and receive calls via a standard telephone. Free specialized telephones are available to applicants who financially and medically qualify through the Georgia Telecommunications Equipment Distribution Program (TEDP). Georgia Relay is easily accessed by dialing and is overseen by the Georgia Public Service Commission. n Idaho Idaho Educational Services for the Deaf and the Blind, 1450 Main Street, Gooding, ID (V/TTY) (fax) isdb@isdb. idaho.gov ( ). 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), (voice) agbms1@comcast.net ( ). Alternatives in Education for the Hearing Impaired (AEHI) (website) (voice) info@aehi.org ( ) 2020 E. Camp McDonald Road, Mount Prospect, IL AGBMS is a Montessori school educating children ages 3-12 who are deaf or hard of hearing or have other communicative challenges in a mainstream environment with hearing peers. Teacher of Deaf/ Speech/Language Pathologist/ Reading Specialist/ Classroom Teachers emphasize language development and literacy utilizing Cued Speech. AEHI, a training center for Cued Speech, assists parents, educators, or advocates in verbal language development for children with language delays or who do not yet substantially benefit from auditory technology. Child s Voice School, 180 Hansen Court, Wood Dale, IL 60191, (630) (voice) (630) (fax) - info@childsvoice.org ( ) 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 parent-infant and toddler classes and home based services offered. Parent Support/Education classes provided. Child s Voice is a Moog Curriculum school. n Indiana St. Joseph Institute for the Deaf Indianapolis, 9192 Waldemar Road, Indianapolis, IN (317) (voice) (317) (fax) touellette@sjid.org ( ) Teri Ouellette, M.S. Ed., Director. St. Joseph Institute for the Deaf Indianapolis, a campus of the St. Joseph Institute system, serves hearing impaired children, birth to age six. Auditory-oral programs include early intervention, toddler and preschool classes, cochlear implant rehabilitation and daily speech therapy. Challenging speech, personal development and academic programs are offered in a nurturing environment. (See Kansas, and Missouri for other campus information.) n Kansas St. Joseph Institute for the Deaf - Kansas City Campus, 8835 Monrovia, Lenexa, KS (voice) (fax) www. sjid.org Jeanne Fredriksen, M.S., Ed., Director jfredriksens@sjid.org. St. Joseph Institute for the Deaf - Kansas City, a campus of the St. Joseph Institute system, serves hearing-impaired children, birth to age 6. Auditory-oral programs include early intervention, toddler and preschool classes, cochlear implant rehabilitation and daily speech therapy. Challenging speech, personal development and academic programs are offered in a nurturing environment. (See Indiana, and Missouri for other campus information.) n Maryland The Hearing and Speech Agency s Auditory/ Oral Center, 5900 Metro Drive, Baltimore, MD (voice) (TTY) (fax) hasa@hasa.org Website: Jill Berie, Educational Director, Olga Polites, Clinical Director, Heather Eisgrau, Teacher of the Deaf/Director. Auditory/Oral education and therapy program for infants and young children who are deaf or hard of hearing. Self-contained, state-ofthe-art classrooms located in the Gateway School approved by the Maryland State Department of Education. Additional services include speech-language therapy, family education and support, pre- and 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 Area, 1 Whitman Road, Canton, MA (voice) (tty) info@ clarkeschools.org, Cara Jordan, Director. Serving families of young children with hearing loss, services include early intervention, preschool, kindergarten, parent support, cochlear implant habilitation, and mainstream services (itinerant and consultation). VOLTA VOICES SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER

50 Directory of Services Clarke Schools for Hearing and Speech/ Northampton, 47 Round Hill Rd, Northampton, MA (voice/tty) org, Bill Corwin, President. Early intervention, preschool, day and boarding school through 8th grade, cochlear implant assessments, summer programs, mainstream services (itinerant and consultation), evaluations for infants through high school students, audiological services, and graduateteacher-education program. SoundWorks for Children, 18 South Main Street, Topsfield, MA (voice) ( ) 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, in-service training, and consultation available. n Michigan Monroe County Program for Hearing Impaired Children, 3145 Prairie St., Ida, MI (voice/tty) (fax) whitman@ida.k12.mi.us ( ) Kathleen Whitman, Supervisor. Auditory/oral program, full continuum of services, birth to 25 years. Staff: 21. Redford Union Oral Program for Children with Hearing Impairments, Beech Daly Rd. Redford, MI (voice) (fax) (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, , (voice), (fax), director@northernvoices.org ( ), Kristina Blaiser, 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 Moog Curriculum School. n Mississippi DuBard School for Language Disorders, The University of Southern Mississippi, 118 College Drive #10035, Hattiesburg, MS (voice) dubard@usm.edu ( ) edu/dubard Maureen K. Martin, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, CED, Director The school is a clinical division of the Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences and serves children from birth to age 13 in its state-of-the-art facility. Working collaboratively with 22 public school districts, the school specializes in coexisting language disorders, learning disabilities/dyslexia and speech disorders, such as apraxia, through its non-graded, 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. AA/EOE/ADAI Magnolia Speech School, Inc., 733 Flag Chapel Rd., Jackson, MS (voice) (fax) sullivandirector@comcast.net ( ) Anne Sullivan, M.Ed. Family Services (age 0 to 3 served free), Auditory/oral classrooms, association method classroom, audiological services, mainstream services, evaluations and outpatient services available in an 11-month school year. n Missouri CID Central Institute for the Deaf, 825 S. Taylor Avenue, St. Louis, MO (voice) (tty) lberkowitz@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. The Moog Center for Deaf Education, South Forty Drive, St. Louis, MO (voice) (fax) org (website) Betsy Moog Brooks, Director of School and Family School, bbrooks@moogcenter.org. Services provided to children who are deaf and hard-ofhearing 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 Moog Curriculum School. The Moog School at Columbia, 3301 West Broadway, Columbia, MO (voice) (fax) Judith S. Harper, CCC SLP, Director jharper@moogschool.org ( ). Services provided to children who are deaf and hard-of hearing from birth to kindergarten. Programs include the Family School (birth to 3). School (3 years to kindergarten). Mainstream services (speech therapy/ academic tutoring),educational evaluations, parent education, support groups, and student teacher placements. The Moog School Columbia is a Moog Curriculum School. St. Joseph Institute for the Deaf St. Louis, 1809 Clarkson Road, Chesterfield, MO 63017; (636) (voice/tyy); (636) (fax); org; mdaniels@sjid.org, Mary Daniels, M.A., Principal mdaniels@sjid.org. An independent, Catholic auditoryoral school serving hearing impaired children birth through the eighth grade. Auditory-oral programs include early intervention, toddler and preschool classes, K-8th grade, I-Hear tele-therapy services, on-site audiology clinic, full evaluations, mainstream consultancy, summer education and student teacher placements. Mainstream academic accreditations (ISACS and NCA). Approved private agency of Missouri Department of Education. (See Indianapolis and Kansas for other campus information.) n Nebraska Omaha Hearing School for Children, Inc N. 66 St., Omaha, NE ohs@ hearingschool.org An OPTIONschools Accredited Program offering auditory/oral education for birth to three, preschool and K 3rd grades. Serving Omaha and the surrounding region. n New Jersey HIP and SHIP of Bergen County Special Services - Midland Park School District, 41 E. Center Street, Midland Park, N.J (voice) kattre@bergen.org ( ) 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. The Ivy Hall Program at Lake Drive, 10 Lake Drive, Mountain Lakes, NJ (voice/tty) (fax) 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. Speech Partners, Inc. 26 West High Street, Somerville, NJ (voice) (fax) nancy@speech-partners.com ( ). Nancy V. Schumann, M.A., CCC-SLP, Cert. AVT. Auditory- Verbal Therapy, Communication Evaluations, Speech- Language Therapy and Aural Rehabilitation, School Consultation, Mentoring, Workshops. Summit Speech School for the Hearing- Impaired Child, F.M. Kirby Center is an exclusionay auditory-oral/auditory-verbal school for deaf and hard of hearing children located at 705 Central Ave., New Providence, NJ (voice/tty) (fax) info@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 (voice) (fax) Contact: Dawn Sandoval, Co-Lead Teacher. A cochlear implant center, auditory/oral school for deaf and hard-of-hearing children and parent infant program. Exists to assist people with hearing loss to better listen and speak and integrate into mainstream society. n New York Anne Kearney, M.S., LSLS Cert. AVT, CCC- Speech Language Pathology, 401 Littleworth Lane, Sea Cliff, Long Island, NY (voice). Auditory/Oral School of New York, 2164 Ralph Avenue & 3321 Avenue M, Brooklyn, NY (voice) (fax) info@ auditoryoral.org ( ) Pnina Bravmann, Program Director. A premier auditory/oral early intervention and preschool program servicing hearing impaired children 48 volta VOICES SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2010

51 Directory of Services 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. Center for Hearing and Communication (formerly the League for the Hard of Hearing), 50 Broadway, 6th Floor, New York, NY (voice) (TTY) (fax) (website). Florida Office: 2900 W. Cypress Creek Road, Suite 3, Ft. Lauderdale, FL (Voice) (TTY) (Fax). A leading center for hearing and communication services for people of all ages who are hard of hearing or deaf. Comprehensive array of services include: audiology, otology, hearing aid evaluation, fitting and sales, communication therapy, cochlear implant training, assistive technology consultation, emotional health and wellness, public education, support groups and Mobile Hearing Test Units. Visit to access our vast library of information about hearing loss and hearing conservation. For more information or to make an appointment, contact us at info@chchearing.org. Clarke Schools for Hearing and Speech/ New York, 80 East End Avenue, New York, NY / (voice/tty) info@clarkeschools.org, www. clarkeschools.org Meredith Berger, Director. Serving families of children with hearing loss, services include early intervention, preschool, evaluations (NY state approved Committee on Preschool Education Services; early intervention, Audiology, PT, OT and speech), hearing aid and FM system dispensing and related services including occupational and physical therapy in a sensory gym and speech-language therapies. Long Island Jewish Medical Center: Hearing & Speech Center, 430 Lakeville Road, New Hyde Park, NY (voice) (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 (voice) Mark R. Prowatzke, Ph.D., Executive Director, Francine Bogdanoff, Assistant Superintendent. Publicly-funded integrated preschool program, serving Deaf and hard of hearing children (ages 3-5) on Long Island. Literacy-based program with auditory/oral approach, curriculum aligned with NY State Preschool Standards, art, music, library, audiology, speech, language therapy, related support services and family programs. Nassau BOCES Program for Hearing and Vision Services, 740 Edgewood Drive, Westbury, NY (Voice) (TTY) (Fax) (Web) JMasone@mail.nasboces.org ( ). 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. 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. New York Eye & Ear Cochlear Implant and Hearing & Learning Centers, (formerly Beth Israel/New York Eye Ear program). New Location: 380 Second Avenue at 22nd Street, New York, NY (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. n North Carolina CASTLE- Center for Acquisition of Spoken Language Through Listening Enrichment, 5501-A Fortunes Ridge Drive, Suite A, Durham, NC (voice) 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 (voice) auditoryoral@columbus.rr.com ( ) 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 (phone) (fax) 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 (voice) (fax) mainoffice@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. n Oklahoma Hearts for Hearing, 3525 NW 56th Street, Suite A-150, Oklahoma City, OK (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. INTEGRIS Cochlear Implant Clinic at the Hough Ear Institute, 3434 NW 56th, Suite 101, Oklahoma City, OK (voice) (fax) Amy.arrington@integris-health.com ( ) (website) Our team includes board-certified and licensed speech-language 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 S.E. Holgate, Portland, OR (voice) (TTY) tminfo@tmos.org ( ) org (website) Established in 1947, Tucker-Maxon is an intensive auditory-oral school that co-enrolls children with hearing loss and children with normal hearing in every class. Each class is taught by a regular educator or early childhood specialist and a teacher of deaf children. Programs for children with hearing loss start at birth and continue through 5th grade. Tucker-Maxon provides comprehensive pediatric audiology evaluations, cochlear implant management, habilitation and mapping, early intervention, and speech pathology services. n Pennsylvania Bucks County Schools Intermediate Unit #22, Hearing Support Program, 705 North Shady Retreat Road, Doylestown, PA x1240 (voice) (fax) kmiller@ bucksiu.org Kevin J. Miller, Ed.D., CCC-SP, CED, Supervisor. A publicly-funded program serving local school districts with deaf or hard of hearing students (birth -12th Grade). Services include itinerant support, resource rooms, audiology, speech-language therapy, auditory-verbal therapy, C-Print captioning, and cochlear implant habilitation. VOLTA VOICES SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER

52 Directory of Services Center for Childhood Communication at The Children s Hospital of Philadelphia, 3405 Civic Center Boulevard, Philadelphia (800) (voice) (215) (fax) 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 Rd., Bryn Mawr, PA (voice/tty) info@ clarkeschools.org, Judith Sexton, Director. Serving families with young children with hearing loss, services include early intervention, preschool, parent support, individual auditory speech and language services, cochlear implant habilitation, audiological services, and mainstream services (itinerant and consultation). Delaware County Intermediate Unit # 25, Hearing and Language Programs, 200 Yale Avenue, Morton, PA , ext (fax) mdworkin@dciu.org Program Highlights: A publicly funded program for children with hearing loss in local schools. Serving children from birth through 21 years of age. Teachers of the deaf provide resource room support and itinerant hearing therapy throughout Delaware County, PA. Services also include audiology, speech therapy, cochlear implant habilitation (which includes LSLS Cert. AVT and LSLS Cert. AVEd), psychology and social work. DePaul School for Hearing and Speech, 6202 Alder Street, Pittsburgh, PA (412) (voice/tty) ll@depaulinst.com ( ) 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 (voice) (fax) vcherney@wpsd.org ( ) (website). The Western Pennsylvania School for the Deaf (WPSD) is a non-profit, tuition-free school with campuses in Pittsburgh and Scranton, PA. Founded in 1869, WPSD provides quality educational services and a complete extracurricular program in an all inclusive communication environment to over 320 deaf and hard-of-hearing children from birth through twelfth grade. WPSD is the largest comprehensive center for deaf education in Pennsylvania serving 138 school districts and 53 counties across the state. n South Carolina The University of South Carolina Speech and Hearing Center, 1601 St. Julian Place, Columbia, SC (voice) (fax) Center Director: Danielle Varnedoe, daniell@sc.edu ( ). The center provides audiology services, speechlanguage therapy, adult aural rehabilitation therapy and Auditory-Verbal therapy. Our audiology services include comprehensive evaluations, CAPD evaluations, and cochlear implant evaluations and programming. The University also provides a training program for AVT and cochlear implant management for professional/ university students. Additional contacts for the AVT or CI programs include: Nikki Burrows ( ), Wendy Potts ( ) or Cheryl Rogers ( ). n South Dakota South Dakota School for the Deaf (SDSD), 2001 East Eighth Street, Sioux Falls, South Dakota 57103, (phone) or Video Relay or (Fax) (website). South Dakota School for the Deaf (SDSD) serves children with hearing loss by offering services onsite for the Bilingual Program, 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 Get Connected Daily communication made easy. Welcome to the world of Sorenson Communications. Now more than ever it s easy for the deaf and hard-ofhearing to communicate with hearing individuals even in emergencies. Sorenson VRS and SIPRelay services are free and available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year with no scheduling ever needed. And because Sorenson Communications is one of the world s largest employers of deaf individuals, you can count on us to develop other exciting ways to improve your daily communication. Simply put, Sorenson makes connecting easy. For more information visit Sorenson Communications, Inc. All rights reserved. For more information about local 10-digit numbers and the limitations and risks associated with using Sorenson s VRS or IP Relay services to place a 911 call, please visit Sorenson s website at: 50 volta VOICES SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2010

53 Directory of Services American Sign Language with literacy in English preschool through sixth 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 (voice) (fax) (website) tschwartz@mosdkids.org ( ). Teresa Schwartz, Executive Director. Parent-infant program, auditory/oral day school (ages 2 to 6), speech-language and cochlear implant therapy, mainstream services. Vanderbilt Bill Wilkerson Center - National Center for Childhood Deafness and Family Communication, Medical Center East South Tower, st Avenue South, Nashville, TN (voice) (fax) nccdfc@vanderbilt.edu ( ) 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, parentinfant program, toddler program, all day preschool through kindergarten educational program, itinerant/ academic tutoring services, parent support groups, and summer enrichment programs. n Texas Bliss Speech and Hearing Services, Inc., Hillcrest Rd., Suite 207, Dallas, TX (fax) blisspeech@aol.com ( ) 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. The Center for Hearing and Speech, 3636 West Dallas, Houston, TX (voice) (TTY) (fax) - info@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, Auditory- Verbal therapy, aural(re) habilitation; family support services. All services offered on sliding fee scale and many services offered in Spanish. Denise A. Gage, M.A., CCC, Cert. AVT - Certified Auditory-Verbal Therapist, Speech-Language Pathologist, 3111 West Arkansas Lane, Arlington, TX (voice) (metro/fax) denise@ denisegage.com ( ) Over 25 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/ ; fax 210/ 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-ofthe-art 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 non-public school. For more information visit n U tah Sound Beginnings of Cache Valley, Utah State University, 1000 Old Main Hill, Logan, UT (voice) (fax) lauri. nelson@usu.edu ( ) Lauri Nelson, Ph.D., Sound Beginnings Director todd.houston@usu.edu ( ) 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 center-based services, parent training, a weekly toddler group, pediatric audiology, and Auditory-Verbal Therapy. The preschool, housed in an innovative public lab school, provides self-contained Auditory-Oral classes for children aged three through five, parent training, and mainstreaming opportunities with hearing peers. The Department of Communicative Disorders and Deaf Education offers an interdisciplinary graduate training program in Speech-Language Pathology, Audiology, and Deaf Education that emphasizes auditory learning and spoken language for young children with hearing loss. Utah Schools for the Deaf and the Blind, 742 Harrison Boulevard, Ogden, UT / (voice) for the Associate Superintendent for the Deaf 801/ (tty) (website) A state-funded program for children with hearing loss (birth through high school) serving students in various settings including local district classes throughout the state and residential options. Audiology, speech instruction, auditory verbal development and cochlear implant habilitation provided. n Washington The Listen For Life Center at Virginia Mason, th Ave. MS X10-ON Seattle, WA (voice) (TTY) (fax) lsnforlife@vmmc.org ( ) (website) Non-profit organization offering comprehensive diagnostic and rehabilitation services from infancy through senior years. Audiology, Otolaryngology, hearing aids, implantable hearing aids, cochlear implants, assistive listening devices, Aural Rehabilitation, counseling, support groups, school consultations, professional training workshops, community days, library. Three sites: Seattle, Federal Way, Issaquah. n Wisconsin Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, W. National Avenue, West Allis, WI (Voice) (Fax) (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 speechreading is offered to individuals as well as in small groups. VOLTA VOICES SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER

54 Directory of Services INTERNATIONAL n Australia Telethon Speech & Hearing Centre for Children WA (Inc), 36 Dodd Street, Wembley WA 6014, Australia (phone) (fax) speech@tsh.org.au 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. University of Newcastle, Graduate School. GradSchool, Services Building, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, 2308, Australia (voice) (fax) gs@newcastle.edu.au ( ) (website). Master of Special Education distance education through the University of Newcastle. Program provides pathways through specialisations in Generic Special Education, Emotional Disturbance/Behaviour Problems, Sensory Disability, Early Childhood Special Education. The Master of Special Education (Sensory Disability Specialisation) is available through the Renwick Centre and is administered by the Australian Royal Institute for Deaf and Blind Children. Program information and application is via GradSchool: , or gs@newcastle.edu.au. n Canada Montreal Oral School for the Deaf, 4670 St. Catherine Street, West, Westmount, QC, Canada H3Z 1S (voice/ tty) (fax) info@montrealoralschool.com ( ) www. montrealoralschool.com (website). Parent-infant 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 Oral Centre for Deaf Children), 3575 Kaslo Street, Vancouver, British Columbia, V5M 3H4, Canada, (voice), (tty), (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. n England The Speech, Language and Hearing Centre, Christopher Place, 1-5 Christopher Place, Chalton Street, Euston, London NW1 1JF, England (voice) (fax) info@ speechlang.org.uk ( ) Assessment, nursery school and therapeutic centre for children under 5 with hearing impairment or speech/ language difficulties. List of Advertisers Advanced Bionics... Inside Back Cover Auditory-Verbal Center, Inc (Atlanta)... 5 Central Institute for the Deaf Clarke Schools for Hearing and Speech DePaul School for Hearing and Speech DuBard School for Language Disorders Ear Technology Corporation Harris Communications Jean Weingarten Peninsula Oral School for the Deaf Moog Center for Deaf Education... 13, 41 National Cued Speech Association National Technical Institute for the Deaf/RIT Oticon Pediatrics...Inside Front Cover Phonak, LLC...Back Cover St. Joseph Institute for the Deaf... 10, 39 Sophie s Tales Sorenson Communications SoundAid Hearing Aid Warranties Sunshine Cottage School for Deaf Children Tucker-Maxon Oral School AG Bell Academy for Listening & Spoken Language AG Bell Bookstore AG Bell LSL Workshop Series AG Bell LSL Symposium AG Bell Parent Advocacy Training volta VOICES SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2010

55 AB has Answers for Your Child s Hearing Loss We were worried about Ryland s future without hearing. Now with AB, she s hearing just like other children her age. Her future is so bright! Jeff Whittington, father of Ryland, bilaterally implanted at age 19 months Real People Choose the Real Performance Leader Jeff is a hero. He fights fires and saves lives. He s also a dad and demands the best for his daughter. As a firefighter focused on safety, Jeff needs a reliable, high-performing cochlear implant system that will help his daughter hear sirens, horns, and alarms, which is why he chose AB. If your child failed a newborn screening test or isn t benefiting from hearing aids, then it s time to consider a cochlear implant from Advanced Bionics, the Real Performance Leader. At home, in school, and on the playground, many children hear their best with AB s Harmony HiResolution Bionic Ear System, the world s most advanced cochlear implant system. Contact AB for a FREE Bionic Ear Kit! Published studies available upon request HEAR (4327) hear@advancedbionics.com AdvancedBionics.com 2010 Advanced Bionics, LLC and its affiliates. All rights reserved

56 Amplified speech every student can understand A new era in classroom amplification Dynamic SoundField by Phonak offers all the benefits of classroom amplification, such as improved student attention and better teacher vocal health, without any of its traditional problems. Its cutting-edge sound performance ensures there are no distracting echoes or feedback, while its three transmission modes guarantee every student can hear, whether they have normal or impaired hearing. Best of all, Dynamic SoundField is seriously simple to use; its single loudspeaker removes installation headaches and its automated settings simplify the teacher s job. Just plug it in and teach!