Volta Voices May-June 2010 Magazine by Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing

AA le AA nn dd er rr AA hh AA mmB B el c icAt i oi o n nf o r rt h f fh e lx ex e rGG el l lA s Asso so i At fo te h eD e DA ef A fA n AD n Dh A hr AD r Do o hA er A irni g ng

May/June 2010

W W W. A G B E L L . O R G • V O L 17, I S S U E 3

Oticon Safari – Natural sound, without compromise

Parents of children with hearing loss want them to develop speech and language in pace with their normal hearing peers. Safari’s 8,000-10,000 Hz extended bandwidth supports speech and language development by providing maximum access to important high

frequency cues. The extra perceptual information along with the DSL v5.0a prescriptive formula make speech more audible, more natural and more intelligible.

“It’s really changed the CLARITY of how he speaks.” “With his old aids, Frankie had difficulty pronouncing words because he couldn’t hear the higher-pitched sounds. I was worried whether he ever would, but within a few months of getting his new aids, he started producing those sounds. It was amazing. He speaks so much more clearly now. It’s really changed the clarity of how he speaks. He’s also asking more questions because he’s hearing more.

Samantha, mother of 6-year-old Frankie

It’s the most wonderful thing for him to be able to understand other people and for other people to be able to understand him. I want him to be able to speak as clearly as possible and be as independent as possible.”

Learn more about Oticon Safari – the first truly dedicated family of hearing instruments for children of all ages! Contact your hearing care professional or visit www.oticonusa.com/children.

may/june 2010 V O L UME 1 7 I S S UE 3

VOICES V

Features 16

Connect with Kathleen Treni

In Every Issue 2 6 40 52

Want to Write for VV? voices Contributors Directory of Services List of Advertisers

Capacity Building and the AG Bell Academy

By Melody Felzien

By Jennifer Smith

Meet AG Bell’s incoming president, Kathleen Treni, and learn about her goals for the future of AG Bell.

Read about the AG Bell Academy’s plans to expand knowledge about listening and spoken language and increase the number of professionals qualified to work in auditory-based environments.

Parent Advocacy Training

By Dipika Chawla

AG Bell Chapters: Community Building

Learn more about AG Bell’s Parent Advocacy Training program, which teaches parents how to advocate for the most effective mainstream educational environment for their child with hearing loss.

Compiled by Melody Felzien

VERSIÓN EN ESPAÑOL

Four AG Bell Chapters share how they are building listening and spoken language communication opportunities in their local communities.

30 Honors of the Association 2010 Recipient: Inez K. Janger

22 Formación de apoyo para padres Por Dipika Chawla

Conozca más sobre el programa de AG Bell de formación de apoyo para padres, que enseña a los padres cómo presionar para que haya un ambiente educativo normal más eficaz para sus niños con problemas de audición.

By Catherine Murphy

Read about how Inez K. Janger’s dedication to AG Bell earned her the 2010 Honors of the Association award.

32 The Volta Award 2010 Recipient: Joanna Nichols and CHF By Catherine Murphy

Learn about the late Joanna Nichols and the Children’s Hearing Foundation, which offers a listening and spoken language option to countless children with hearing loss in Taiwan and China.

Alex ander Graham Bell Asso c i a t io n f o r t h e D e a f a n d H a r d o f H e a r i n g

3417 volta pl ace, nw, was hington, dc 20 0 07 • w w w. agbell .org

VOICES Advocating Independence through Listening and Talking

— Adopted by the Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Board of Directors, November 8, 1998

Ale x ander Gr aham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing

3417 Volta Place, NW, Washington, DC 20007 www.agbell.org | voice 202.337.5220 tty 202.337.5221 | fax 202.337.8314

Volta Voices Staff 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 Alix Shutello and Jake Needham EEI Communications AG Bell Board of Directors President John R. “Jay” Wyant (MN) President-Elect Kathleen S. Treni (NJ) Secretary-Treasurer Christine Anthony, M.B.A., M.E.M. (IL) Immediate Past President Karen Youdelman, Ed.D. (NY) Executive Director Alexander T. Graham (VA) Corrine Altman (NV) Holly Clark (VA) Meredith K. Knueve, Esq. (OH) Donald M. Goldberg, Ph.D. (OH) Catharine McNally (VA) Michael A. Novak, M.D. (IL) Peter S. Steyger, Ph.D. (OR)

Want to Write for Volta Volta Voices? Voices? Submissions to Volta Voices Volta Voices welcomes submissions from both AG Bell members and nonmembers. The magazine is published six times annually. Its audience consists of individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing, parents of children who are deaf or hard of hearing and professionals in fields related to hearing loss (audiology, speech-language pathology, psychology, otology, social services, education). Visit the Volta Voices page at www.agbell.org for submission guidelines and to submit content. Subjects of Interest n Technology – related to hearing loss, new technology, improvements to or problems with existing technology, or how people are using existing technology, accommodations. n Education – related to public or private schools through post-secondary education, new approaches and teaching methods, legal implications and issues, etc. n Advocacy – information on legislation, hearing health, special or mainstream education, and accessibility. n Health – audiology issues relating to children or adults with hearing loss and/or their families and friends.

Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing cannot issue or disseminate reprints, authorize copying by individuals and libraries, or authorize indexing and abstracting services to use material from the magazine. Art Submission Guidelines

Volta Voices prefers digital images over original artwork. When submitting electronic files, please provide them in the following formats: TIF, EPS or JPG (no BMP or GIF images). Digital images must be at least 300 dpi (at size).

n Action – stories about people with hearing loss who use spoken language as their primary mode of communication; deafness need not be the focal point of the article.

Submit Articles/Items to: Volta Voices Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing 3417 Volta Place, NW • Washington, DC 20007 Email: editor@agbell.org Submit online at www.agbell.org

Editorial Guidelines The periodicals department reserves the right to edit material to fit the style and tone of Volta Voices and the space available. Articles are selected on a space-available and relevancy basis; submission of materials is not a guarantee of use. Transfer of Copyright The revised copyright law, which went into effect in January 1978, provides that from the time a manuscript is written, statutory copyright is vested with the author(s). All authors whose articles have been accepted for publication in Volta Voices are requested to transfer copyright of their articles to AG Bell prior to publication. This copyright can be transferred only by written agreement. Without copyright ownership, the Alexander

VOICES Letters to the Editor

Let us know how we are doing. Write a Letter to the Editor, and you could see your comment in the next issue.

Media Kit Visit www.agbell.org and select “About AG Bell” for advertising information.

Volta Voices (ISSN 1074-8016) is published six times a year. 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 20007. Postmaster: Send address changes to Volta Voices, Subscription Department, 3417 Volta Pl., NW, Washington, DC 20007, 202/337-5220 (voice) or 202/337-5221 (TTY). Claims for undelivered issues must be made within 4 months of publication. Volta Voices is sent to all members of the association. Yearly individual membership dues are $50. Volta Voices comprises $30 of membership dues. Subscriptions for schools, libraries and institutions are $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. 40624074 Return Undeliverable Canadian Addresses to: P.O. Box 503, RPO West Beaver Creek, Richmond Hill, ON L4B 4R6

On the cover: Jay Wyant (L) will hand over the reigns of leadership to Kathleen Treni (R) during this year’s AG Bell Biennial Convention in Orlando. Photo Credit: Darren Higgins Photography

VOICES FROM AG BELL

Continued Volunteerism

n this, my final installment for “Voices from AG Bell,” I’d like to focus on one of the main themes I’ve tried to promote throughout my tenure as President of AG Bell – volunteerism. When I attended my first AG Bell Biennial Convention in Rochester in 1996 and subsequently became involved at the Section and Chapter level and then in AG Bell national, I was pleasantly surprised by the number of families and professionals with strong, long-term connections to the association. Professionals often brought their “parents” with them to conven-

for college-aged members, and Leadership Opportunities for Teens. They then worked with professional members and other volunteers on various committees within AG Bell, with some ultimately serving as board members. It’s fair to say that in many cases we have two to three generations of family members active in AG Bell at one time – and it all probably started years ago with a couple of young (and nervous) parents who attended their first AG Bell convention with a child newly identified with hearing loss. In most cases, people volunteer because we have a shared commit-

We all have something in common - a strong belief in the tremendous benefits of listening and spoken language for individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing. tions and other AG Bell activities. Those parents then became committed volunteers and supporters and, in many cases, critical to the organization’s survival and “thrival.” In turn, their children became involved, building upon the valuable experience they gained through participation in programs such as LEAP, AG Bell’s leadership program VOLTA VOICES • MAY / JU NE 201 0

ment and a connection. We all have something in common – a strong belief in the tremendous benefits of listening and spoken language for individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing. That’s why I am appealing to all of you to consider what you can do to contribute to AG Bell’s mission of Advocating Independence for Listening and Talking now and into the future.

For argument’s sake, let’s take a moment and put a price tag on volunteerism. According to the Corporation for National and Community Service (www.VolunteeringinAmerica.gov), in 2008, 61.8 million Americans or 26.4 percent of the adult population contributed more than eight billion hours of volunteer service. The Independent Sector, a national organization that studies volunteerism in the United States, places the dollar value of a volunteer hour at $20.25, which means volunteers contributed $162 billion worth of services – in addition to any financial contributions they may have made. Think of how much can be accomplished with those kinds of resources! Let’s look at it another way. If every one of our approximately 4,000 members volunteered an average of one hour a week, that would total 208,000 volunteer hours, at a value of $4,212,000! That’s more than AG Bell’s annual budget. I’d like to make a personal appeal to you – our members – to ask how you see yourselves contributing to AG Bell’s volunteer environment. I also ask you for ideas on how AG Bell can make it easier for you as individuals to become more active in the organization. Even if it is just a few hours a month serving on a committee, submitting an article for Volta Voices or participating in one of our Shared Interest Groups (SIGs), please let me know how AG Bell can make that easier for you. My email is jwyant@agbell.org. I’m serious about this. AG Bell’s staff and volunteers are continuously evaluating and revamping our online system, member relations programs and volunteer management

VOICES FROM AG BELL services based on your feedback. Over the next 12 to 18 months, we will be rebuilding our Web-based services from the ground up, and community engagement will be a core part of that effort. Your input is critical. As you can see, the time you give to AG Bell is valuable to both you and AG Bell, so we want to make sure your services are “spent” in the best way possible. Although my term as AG Bell president may be ending, I am not going anywhere. I will still remain on the executive committee of the board of directors for the next two years as immediate past president. I will also be taking over as chair of the board’s governance and human resources committee, which is the committee responsible for recruiting volunteers. So you will be hearing from me time and again as I continue

to advocate for your active participation in AG Bell. On a final note, when I look at the next generation of AG Bell leaders coming into their own, I’m excited to see the ease with which they interact with other generations of volunteers, from long-time parent members to “old-timer” DHHS leaders, and professionals who are now working with the children and grandchildren of their first students and patients. It is the diversity of our volunteer leadership that enriches and adds value to AG Bell and the volunteer experience, and I will be working hard to increase that diversity in a variety of ways. Thank you for the opportunity to serve as your president. It has been an honor, a privilege and an enormous pleasure. See you in Orlando!

Sincerely,

Jay Wyant President Questions? Comments? Ideas? Send me an email! jwyant@agbell.org.

QUESTIONS? C O MMEN T S ? C O N C ERN S ? Write to us: AG Bell 3417 Volta Place, NW Washington, DC 20007 Or email us: editor@agbell.org.

VOLTA VOICES • M AY / JU NE 201 0

EDITOR’S NOTE

Association Goals and Leadership

he cover of this issue of Volta Voices features AG Bell’s current president, Jay Wyant, and incoming president, Kathleen Treni. With the AG Bell 2010 Biennial Convention almost here, Volta Voices wanted to showcase AG Bell’s leadership and how the AG Bell community is working to meet the association’s four goals: Advocacy, Capacity Building, Community Building and Leadership and Management. First, we introduce you to Kathleen Treni. A long-time member, Kathleen has been involved in AG Bell as both a professional and an individual with hearing loss. Read about her journey, her success with the Bergen County Special Services program in New Jersey and her goals for AG Bell’s future. Parents will not want to miss the opportunity to learn about a program designed to help them navigate the Individualized Education Program process in “Parent Advocacy Training.” The training program is being relaunched this summer and will make its debut at the AG Bell 2010 Biennial Convention, June 25-28, in Orlando, Fla. In “Capacity Building and the AG Bell Academy,” AG Bell Certification and Professional Programs Manager Jennifer Smith discusses a crisis of capacity facing those who seek listening and spoken language outcomes and how the AG Bell Academy plans to address this issue through partnerships and increased learning opportunities. “AG Bell Chapters: Community Building” reveals the activities and driving force behind four of AG Bell’s state chapters and how you can implement the same types of activities in your own state. In addition, this issue features several leaders in the AG Bell community and the field of listening and spoken language. AG Bell Director of

VOLTA VOICES • MAY / JU NE 201 0

Communications and Public Affairs Catherine Murphy highlights the recipient of the 2010 Honors of the Association award, Inez Janger, as well as the late Joanna Nichols and the Children’s Hearing Foundation (CHF), the 2010 Volta Award recipients. Both Janger and CHF will receive their awards during the AG Bell 2010 Biennial Convention. In “Conversations,” AG Bell Executive Director Alex Graham talks with Corrine Altman, the current co-president of AG Bell’s Nevada chapter and newly appointed AG Bell board member. Altman discusses her philosophy behind leadership and the important role volunteers play in the AG Bell community. This issue closes with two regular columns. With summer around the corner, “Tips for Parents” provides great information about how parents can help their child learn to swim, including how to best work with the instructor to meet the child’s needs. In “Around the World,” we introduce you to Harrison Hansen, who writes about his hearing loss and how he copes in a mainstream educational setting. We are always excited to receive submissions

for “Around the World,” so feel free to encourage your child with hearing loss to write about their experience and submit it to editor@agbell.org for publication. AG Bell 2010 Biennial Convention programming expands on all the themes you read about in Volta Voices. Registration ends June 11, and you won’t want to miss this amazing opportunity. Visit www.agbell2010convention.org to register or learn more. Thank you for reading. As always, if you have a story idea or would like to submit an article for publication, please contact me at editor@agbell.org with your comments and suggestions.

Best regards,

Melody Felzien Editor, Volta Voices

VOICES FROM AG BELL Voices contributors Dipika Chawla, author of “Parent Advocacy Training” and co-author of “SoundBites,” is an editorial assistant at AG Bell. She is a senior in Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service and is working toward a degree in international culture and politics with a focus on social sciences. Alexander T. Graham, author of “Conver sations,” 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. Harrison Hansen, author of “Around the World,” is an eighth grader living in Boise, Idaho. He lives with his father, Jim, his mother, Joan, his older sister, Samantha, and the family pet rabbit,

Winslo. He was born with a conductive hearing loss and uses hearing aids to access sound. He loves sports, history and science and plays on his school’s basketball and tennis teams as well as playing the viola in his school’s orchestra.

and Hearing School and getting to know the families, she recognized the need for better swim lesson services for children with hearing loss and began teaching swim lessons on the weekends.

Catherine Murphy, author of “Honors of the Association 2010 Recipient,” and “The Volta Award 2010 Recipient,” 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.

Jennifer Smith, author of “Capacity Building and the AG Bell Academy,” is the certification and professional programs manager for AG Bell and the AG Bell Academy for Listening and Spoken Language. Prior to joining AG Bell, Smith managed certification preparation and professional development programs for the Society for Human Resource Management. Smith has a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of South Florida. She can be reached at jsmith@agbell.org.

Stephanie Ortner, M.S., CCC-SLP, author of “Tips for Parents,” is a speech-language pathologist at Nemours Children’s Clinic in Jacksonville, Fla. She has 12 years of experience in teaching swim lessons and coaching swim teams, and is a Level 2 Stroke Coach certified by the American Swim Coaches Association. While working at Clarke Jacksonville Speech

VOLTA VOICES • M AY / JU NE 201 0

Build your Listening and Spoken Language Library Today!

Don’t forget to visit AG Bell’s Bookstore in the Exhibition Hall! Convention attendees will receive a 25% discount and FREE shipping on every purchase.

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 202.337.5220 EMAIL PUBLICATIONS@AGBELL.ORG WEB VOLTA VOICES • MAY / JU NE 201 0

WWW.AGBELL.ORG

SOUND AG Bell 2010 Biennial Convention

6/25-28 2010

The AG Bell 2010 Biennial Convention offers something for everyone, including: • 11 intensive Short Courses • More than 75 Concurrent Sessions for families, individuals with hearing loss and professionals • 60-plus Exhibitors in the areas of hearing technology, educational institutions and materials suppliers • 3 Super Sessions on Parent Advocacy, Career Transitions and Hearing Loss, and Professional Preparation in Listening and Spoken Language • 3 1/2 days of programming for children and teens including trips to exciting venues such as SeaWorld and Disney Quest • Research Symposium featuring world-renowned scientists in the field of hearing health and research. • A complimentary copy of keynote speaker Lee Woodruff’s bestseller “Perfectly Imperfect: A Life in Progress” • CEUs for speech language pathologists, audiologists and teachers of the deaf through the AG Bell Academy, ASHA and AAA. To register, view education program offerings and make hotel reservations, visit www.agbell2010convention.org. Don’t miss this amazing opportunity! The deadline to register is June 11. Stay Connected – Follow the AG Bell 2010 Biennial Convention on Twitter

In order to provide attendees with the most up-to-date information, AG Bell will be tweeting AG Bell 2010 Biennial Convention updates, program information and deadline reminders as well as important information while in Orlando. Make sure you don’t miss an opportunity and follow the convention on Twitter. Visit http://twitter.com/AGBell2010Conv to sign up for tweets. AG Bell is also pleased to offer online communities for members and supporters through other popular social networking Web sites. Visit www.agbell.org to access AG Bell Shared Interest Groups, Facebook Group, Tweets, LinkedIn network and YouTube videos.

NEWS BITES AG Bell Board of Directors Meets at the Volta Bureau On March 6 and 7, 2010, the AG Bell board of directors met at AG Bell national headquarters, the Volta Bureau, in Washington, D.C. The meeting kicked off with a review of the end-of-year 2009 financial statements, and the board found AG Bell to be in a secure financial position following a reduction in operating expenses and a proactive outreach to a more diverse donor base. In addition, the AG Bell Bookstore has significantly increased sales through new marketing initiatives and reduced costs as a result of bringing operations in-house last year. The AG Bell board previewed the new online version of AG Bell’s acclaimed Parent Advocacy Training program, to be officially re-launched at the AG Bell 2010 Biennial Convention, June 25-28 in Orlando, Fla. (for a preview, turn to pages 20 and 22 is spanish). The board also received an update on the progress of the new online Listening and Spoken Language Knowledge Center, which is in the final planning stages and is soon to enter the implementation phase, and discussed current trends within membership-based associations as well as how to promote member participation in AG Bell. Along those lines, the AG Bell board encourages members who are interested in participating at higher levels of volunteer engagement, such as on a committee or on the board of directors itself, to please contact info@agbell.org for more information.

Health Care Reform Update On March 21, 2010, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 3590, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care

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BITES Act, and a companion bill, H.R. 4872, also known as the Reconciliation Act. Both pieces of legislation pertain to sweeping health care reform. President Obama signed H.R. 3590 into law on March 23, the same day the Senate passed the Reconciliation Act, which was signed into law on March 29. Throughout the health care reform legislative process, AG Bell has been advocating on behalf of its membership on two specific items: first, to include a well baby and well child care provision related to screening and hearing-related services, equipment and supplies; and second, to block an attempt to impose a device tax on hearing aids to help pay for health care reform. Both issues were initially addressed in the Reconciliation Act when it was referred to the House last week. Unfortunately, language pertaining to well baby and well child care did not survive to the final bill that passed. However, an exemption specifically excluding hearing aids from a device tax did survive and will become law once it is signed by the president. “Although we are disappointed that a well baby and well child care provision did not make it in the final health care reform package, we are pleased that hearing aids will be exempt from an additional tax that would have adversely impacted individuals with hearing loss who use hearing aids,” said Catherine Murphy, AG Bell director of communications and public affairs. Several aspects of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act may be of interest to members: yy Outlaws an insurer’s attempt to refuse coverage because of a preexisting condition – for children this VOLTA VOICES • MAY / JU NE 201 0

will take effect on September 23, 2010. This prohibition also extends to adults, but not until 2014. yy Allows dependent children up to age 26 to stay on their parents’ family health insurance policy. yy Maintains eligibility for the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), which helps lower-income families and, in many states, covers hearingrelated services for children.

AG Bell Meets with White House Personnel Staff On January 29, 2010, AG Bell Public Affairs Council Chair John Stanton and Director of Communications and Public Affairs Catherine Murphy attended a White House briefing on the presidential appointments process. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss ways to encourage individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing to apply for presidential appointments as well as for other federal employment opportunities. White House staff offered several tips for individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing and who are interested in presidential appointments or other federal job opportunities. For a full list of the recommendations, please view the January 29, 2010, edition of AG Bell Update available at http://nc.agbell.org/netcommunity/ AGBellUpdate. Research Access at Your Fingertips AG Bell is pleased to offer online access for members to recent issues of The Volta Review. For 110 years, The Volta Review has been the preeminent scholarly research and scientific journal in the field of hearing loss and spoken language development. As one reader noted, “I look forward to reading and sharing information in The Volta Review with the families with whom I work. I feel assured that the information has been

Compiled by: Dipika Chawla and Melody Felzien

reviewed with the scrutiny of peer review and is valid and up-to-date. I view it as a major source of influence and education for all professionals and families dealing with or with interests in issues related to hearing loss.” To access the online archives, visit www.agbell.org/ TheVoltaReview.

FCC Moves Forward on Policies to Help Individuals with Disabilities Federal Communications Commission (FCC) regulations require most digital wireless handset manufacturers and wireless service providers to make available a minimum number of hearing aid-compatible handsets as well as information on the availability of this technology via periodic status reports and public Web sites. The FCC has urged wireless service providers and handset manufacturers to review compliance. For more information, visit www.fcc.gov/eb/Enforcement_ Advisories/Welcome.html. The FCC has also announced new rules for filing complaints on captioning-related issues, including quality and availability of captioning for television programming. Video programming distributors are required to submit their contact information for the handling of immediate closed captioning concerns and written complaints to the FCC for posting on the FCC’s Web site. For more information, visit www.fcc.gov/cgb/ consumerfacts/closedcaption.html. The FCC has released its National Broadband Plan, a collection of policy recommendations for how to make

SOUND BITES CHAPTERS The Colorado Chapter is creating a drive to increase awareness and membership in 2010. It will be hosting a number of low-cost mini-events for families in conjunction with the Scientific and Cultural Facilities District, which includes the Denver Zoo, the Butterfly Pavilion and the Wildlife Experience, among others. The Chapter looks forward to fun times of learning and networking together. For more information about these events, please contact Sheryl Muir at sheryldrmom@aol.com. The Hear Indiana Youth Leadership Camp, July 18-23, 2010, offers children and teenagers with hearing loss who are mainstreamed and using listening and spoken language the opportunity to further their leadership and assertiveness skills in a structured atmosphere of “fun with a purpose.” The exciting camp experience is for youth ages 8-18. Great care has been given to tailoring activities and supervision to each age group, ensuring a safe, fulfilling and fun experience. The use of positive coping skills is stressed in discussions as well as activities. Campers will participate in dialogue and outdoor activities specifically designed to provide them with opportunities to develop leadership skills and build self-confidence. For more information., visit www.hearindiana.org/camp.

SHARED INTEREST GROUPS New Shared Interest Group (SIG) Available for Public Schools. The purpose of this SIG is to provide a forum for school

administrators, teachers of children who are deaf or hard of hearing, speech-language pathologists and other professionals who provide services in public schools to stay current on issues affecting the education of children with hearing loss in public schools and to share ideas of best practice. All current AG Bell members have access to this discussion. Come join the community by logging into the Web site! Visit www.agbell.org. Please contact Elizabeth Reed-Martinez, AG Bell director of association relations and administration, at ereed-martinez@agbell.org, if you have questions. broadband Internet technology accessible to all Americans, including those with disabilities. “We must make clear that building in accessibility at the design and development stage is costeffective, and that all of society benefits from the widespread use of accessibility features such as captioning, speech recognition and speech output,” said FCC chairman Julius Genachowski. The recommendations in the plan include a government-wide accessibility initiative and the establishment of a Broadband Accessibility Working Group, an ongoing Accessibility and Innovation Forum at the FCC, and authorization by Congress

for limited use of the Universal Service Fund for assistive technology users and developers. To learn more about the plan, visit www.broadband.gov.

Study Shows Cochlear Implants Improve Quality of Life A study published in the February 2010 edition of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery shows that the quality of life of children with cochlear implants is equal to that of their peers with typical hearing. In the past, researchers have found that children who are deaf or hard of hearing have more difficulty

making friends and generally feel less socially comfortable than their peers. Cochlear implants improve speech perception and language development and thus have dramatic effects on psychosocial behaviors and adjustment. In this particular study, children with cochlear implants, children with typical hearing and each child’s parents were asked to fill out a generic questionnaire about the child’s quality of life. The results found no overall difference between the two groups’ overall reported quality of life.

CHC to Offer 100 Days of Free Hearing Screening In celebration of its 100 year anniversary, the Center for Hearing and Communication (CHC) is designating 100 days of free hearing screenings between now and December 31, 2010, at its locations in New York City, N.Y., and Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. Patients can make an appointment by phone or online, or they can have their hearing screened at the Mobile Hearing Test Unit on select dates with no appointment needed. For more information, visit www.chchearing.org/ free-hearing-screenings. Benefits of Music Class for Kids with Cochlear Implants A new study published in the April 2010 issue of Pediatrics suggests that music class may help improve certain types of sound perception in children who are deaf or hard of hearing and use cochlear implants. The research team found that overall, the longer the children in the study had taken music classes, the better their pitch perception. According to the team, the current study appears to be the first linking music classes to better pitch perception in children who became deaf before acquiring language. “Since music can be the most complicated style of sound in the world,” said one of the team’s members, “improvements VOLTA VOICES • M AY / JU NE 201 0

of pitch perception surely will not only affect their experience of music, but their perceptions of other types of sound as well.”

YouTube Expands Captioning of Its Online Content YouTube has announced that it is expanding auto-captions for its online content with the same technology used in Google’s Voice Search to automatically generate video captions when requested by a viewer. Just like any speech recognition application, auto-captions require a clearly spoken audio track. YouTube said it plans to add automatic captions to all of its nine million English-language videos, with other languages following in the coming months. YouTube also said there would be a “request processing” button that

People in the News On March 26, 2010, AG Bell member Sylvia Rotfleisch, LSLS Cert. AVT, was quoted in a People article on the son of former “New Kids on the Block’s” Joey McIntyre and his wife, Barrett, who was identified with a hearing loss in December through newborn hearing screening. The McIntyres are seeking a listening and spoken language outcome for their son, Rhys, who was fitted with hearing aids by the time he was one month old and attends weekly sessions with Rotfleisch. “You put his hearing aids in, and his little eyes just widen,” People quoted Rotfleisch. “He’s so tuned in.” To read the entire article, visit http://celebritybabies.people.com. Twenty-one year-old AG Bell member Mike Wonoski of Mass., and 17-year-old David Reid of N.J., participated in the EveryBody Skates program to help raise awareness for disabled hockey programs in New Jersey. Wonoski and Reid represented the deaf and hard of hearing component of the team, traveling along with their teammates to 54 ice rinks in 54 hours. Wonoski was born with severe-to-profound hearing loss and communicates with listening and spoken language. He won a Gold Medal as a member of the United States Deaf Ice Hockey Team at the 2007 Deaflympics in Salt Lake City, Utah. Currently, Wonoski is a student at Rochester Institute of Technology, National Technical Institute for the Deaf (RIT/NTID). For more information, visit www.everybodyskates.com.

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SOUND BITES IN MEMORIAM One of AG Bell’s outstanding volunteer leaders, Sid Arfa, passed away at the age of 66 on February 26, 2010, just two years after being diagnosed with non-Hodgkins Lymphoma. Arfa is survived by his wife, Nancy, and his children, Rachel and Michael. Twenty-eight years ago, following the diagnosis of their daughter, Rachel, with a profound hearing loss, Arfa and Nancy joined AG Bell and formed a parents support group in their local community in Chicago, Ill. They attended their first AG Bell Biennial Convention in Toronto in 1982. Arfa was the education program chair for the AG Bell 1986 Biennial Convention and was very active in the Parents Section, serving on its board of directors. Nancy was the chair of the AG Bell 2008 Biennial Convention in Milwaukee, Wisc. Rachel currently serves on the AG Bell Public Affairs Council and on the Education Committee for the upcoming AG Bell 2010 Convention in Orlando, Fla. Michael is also a longtime AG Bell member and has hosted several panels for siblings at AG Bell Biennial Conventions. “He loved AG Bell…the AG Bell family was like a second family for all of us, including my father,” said Rachel, who spoke at her father’s service. The family asks that donations be made in his name to the Legal Aid Society of Milwaukee, 521 N. 8th St., Milwaukee, WI 53233, or to AG Bell at www.agbell.org. On February 7, 2010, Marcia Dugan, a former publicist for the Rochester Institute of Technology, National Technical Institute for the Deaf (RIT/NTID), long-time AG Bell supporter and advocate for people who are deaf and hard of hearing, died at the age of 78 after a year-long battle with leukemia. As chairperson of AG Bell’s Public Relations Committee in 1989, Dugan helped promote many AG Bell events, including the Most Lipreadable Lips contest. She also served nine years on the national board of trustees of Self Help for Hard of Hearing People (now called the Hearing Loss Association of America [HLAA]) and was its president from 1996 to 1998. In addition she was president of the International Federation of Hard of Hearing People from 2001 to 2006. In 1997, she authored “Keys to Living with Hearing Loss,” followed by “Living with Hearing Loss” in 2003, books that are still popular guides for individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing. Dugan was a representative to the international alliance that was instrumental in drafting the 2008 United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. She is survived by her son, Michael, daughters Elizabeth and Maggie, and four grandchildren. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in her memory to the Hearing Loss Association of America’s Marcia Dugan Memorial Fund, 7910 Woodmont Ave., Suite 1200, Bethesda, MD 20814; or to Keuka College, P.O. Box 98, Keuka Park, N.Y. 14478. Dr. Eleanor Rosenfield, associate dean for Student and Academic

Services at RIT/NTID, died on March 7, 2010, in her Brighton, N.Y., home after a two-year battle with lymphoma. She was 57 years old. Last year, Dr. Rosenfield was nominated for the Isaac L. Jordan Sr./Staff Pluralism Award at RIT. On her nomination form was written: “Ellie is someone who is committed to the deaf community, advocating for them, fighting for them.” Senior Editor of The Volta Review Katie Schmitz said, “She was a great ambassador for the students. She was able to help the students find their own solutions and make sure students understood what the faculty and administrative position was.” Dr. Rosenfield is survived by her mother, Sally Rosenfield, sisters Nancy Sogg and Carol Weiss, four nieces and a nephew, and a dear friend, Julie Beckley.

allows Web users to request a video be captioned. Visit the YouTube blog at http://youtube-global.blogspot.com for more information.

Temporary Hearing Loss May Rewire Kids’ Brains A study recently published in the March 2010 edition of Neuron suggests that temporary hearing loss, even in one ear, may have lasting effects on a child’s neurological development. The researchers, working with rats, found that hearing loss in one ear during critical periods of brain development can rewire the auditory cortex, changing the way it processes sound. Having the use of only one ear can limit one’s ability to locate the position of a sound in space or to identify a particular sound against background noise. CDC Report Shows Increase in EHDI The identification of infants with hearing loss may have significantly improved nationwide, according to a report published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Researchers analyzed 1999 to 2007 surveillance data from the Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) programs in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and U.S. territories. Available data suggest that 97 percent of infants were screened for hearing loss in 2007 versus 46.5 percent in 1999. “However, challenges remain in providing and documenting receipt of recommended EHDI services,” the researchers write. “To address these challenges, federal funds are being used to enhance EHDI surveillance systems to capture more complete data, increase education and outreach efforts, and, in some states and territories, employ follow-up coordinators to ensure infants receive services.” To learn more, visit www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/ mmwrhtml/mm5908a2.htm. VOLTA VOICES • M AY / JU NE 201 0

BHI Publishes Guide to Buying Hearing Aids The Better Hearing Institute (BHI) has published a consumer guide to buying hearing aids, which is available on their Web site. The guide is divided into six key phases: gathering information and scheduling the first appointment; arriving for your first appointment; what to expect during your first appointment – interview phase; what to expect during your first appointment – assessment phase; what to expect during the hearing aid fitting; and what to expect during the post-fitting follow-up and after care. To access the guide, visit www.betterhearing.org/hearing_ solutions/buy_hearing_aids.cfm.

Students Win Entrepreneurship Competition for Speech Therapy Program Two Princeton University students, Caroline Clark and Jennifer King, entered one of the winning submissions of the annual TigerLaunch Business Competition, which awards cash prizes to the best business plans related to business and social entrepreneurship. Their project, entitled Cocherapy, will provide free videos of speech therapy for cochlear implant users and function as a social networking tool that allows members of the community to connect and learn from each other. “It can cost up to $52,000 a year for speech therapy,” notes Clark. “I have a cochlear implant, and I

was extremely fortunate to have the resources for it, so I wanted to step in and offer it to others.”

Aspen Camp Becomes a YearRound Resort for Deaf Community In previous years, Aspen Camp for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing in Aspen, Colo., has primarily been a children’s summer camp providing fun recreational and educational activities in the Colorado wilderness. Now, from October to April, the camp is open to private bookings for family vacations, spring break, retreats and reunions. Groups can spend a weekend at Aspen Camp and participate in skiing, snowshoeing, snowmobiling and lots

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SOUND BITES of other fun outdoor activities. For more information or to book a reservation, visit www.aspencamp.org.

Hotels.com Adds New Features for Travelers with Disabilities Hotels.com has recently added new features to its Web site that allow users to easily search for and reserve hotel rooms online with specific accessibility needs in mind. Travelers can now search for lodgings in the U.S. that offer telephone equipment for individuals who are deaf, wheelchair-accessible pathways, accessible showers and/ or Braille signage. Customers can also request a room with one or more specific accessibility features on the online reservation page. To check out the new features, visit www.hotels.com.

GoodShop’s GoodSearch Adds Toolbar to Support Nonprofits GoodSearch is a search engine powered by Yahoo! that donates 50 percent of its revenue to charities and schools designated by users. The money GoodSearch donates comes from its advertisers – the users and the organizations do not spend a dime. Now you can generate a donation to AG Bell every time you search the Internet. Simply visit GoodSearch at www.goodsearch.com and look up “Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing-National.” You can add the AG Bell logo to your toolbar so that when you’re on the Web site of one of the 1,300 participating GoodShop merchants, it will light up and display

the percentage of your purchase that will be donated to AG Bell, which can be anywhere from 3 to 20 percent. With the toolbar installed, your purchases will generate donations even without visiting the GoodShop homepage.

Technology Watch New Care Kits for Kids with Hearing Aids Oticon’s Safari hearing aids, specifically designed for children from infancy through the teen years, now come with new age-appropriate Care Kits. Care Kits are available for three age groups: infancy to 4 years, 5 to 10 years and 11 to 18 years. In addition to the durable, waterproof Otterbox and fun accessories, each kit also contains age-

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appropriate brochures, an LED key ring, Safari-themed Ear Gear, listening tubes and an OtiCare Clean and Dry Kit.

FDA Approves First Completely Implantable Hearing Aid The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced it has approved the Esteem – an implanted hearing system, manufactured by Envoy Medical Corporation, used to treat moderate to severe sensorineural hearing loss. The device is surgically implanted and consists of external testing and programming instruments and three implantable components: a sound processor, sensor and driver. It has no readily visible external components. For more information, visit www.envoymedical.com.

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Unitron Introduces New Hybrid of BTE and CIC Hearing Aids Hearing aid manufacturer Unitron has recently released its new Fuse line of hearing aids, which attempt to incorporate the pros of both behindthe-ear (BTE) and completely-in-thecanal (CIC) options while avoiding the cons. While many users prefer BTE’s because they are lightweight, compact and deliver a more natural listening experience, the downside is that they are not completely invisible from the outside. On the other hand, although CICs provide 100 percent invisibility, users have complained that they are less physically comfortable and provide lower sound quality. The new Fuse hearing aids are designed to be invisible, feel more comfortable and provide

more natural sound than CICs, and be flexible enough for an instant fitting. For more information, visit www.unitron.com.

Oticon Releases New “Agil” Line of Hearing Aids Oticon has introduced Agil, a new line of hearing aids that attempts to reduce the cognitive effort needed to understand speech. New audiological concepts in Agil are designed to preserve the natural characteristics of speech while enriching the sound quality to enable the brain to use fewer of its resources for listening purposes. As a result, the end-user should have more residual energy for other important tasks such as full social interaction. To learn more, visit www.oticonusa.com

Connect with Photo Credit: Darren Higgins Photography

Kathleen Treni By Melody Felzien

n June 26, 2010, Kathleen Treni will begin her twoyear term as president of AG Bell’s board of directors. A member of AG Bell for 38 years as both an individual with hearing loss and, later, a professional, Kathleen is uniquely positioned to help expand and support AG Bell’s programs and activities. Treni was born deaf to hearing parents. Both she and her brother, Mark, who is also deaf, were raised in Cincinnati, Ohio, and attended public schools. Her mother, Jean Angus, wrote a book titled “Watch My Words” in the 1970s, which is an account of Treni and Mark’s lives as children. Graduating from the University of Miami with two degrees, Treni taught in Miami, Boston and New Jersey. She began as a teacher of the deaf and hard of hearing, teaching all ages and all levels from early intervention through 12th grade. After finishing a second master’s in school psychology, Treni was a school psychologist for several years before becoming the director of the Bergen County Special Services District. As director, she has earned a reputation for high educational standards and outcomes and for her vision of deaf education. In both Midland Park and Hackensack, N.J., she helped establish a complete kindergartenthrough-12th-grade collaborative educa-

tion program for children with hearing loss, called HIP and SHIP, which are considered a model of inclusion. Considered to be a “model program,” the Bergen County programs demonstrate best practices in deaf education. They offer a continuum of communication support services including listening and spoken language. The professional staff consists of two audiologists, 11 speechlanguage pathologists, 25 teachers of the deaf, seven interpreters, seven CART staff and 8.5 itinerant teachers. Eleven of these professionals are certified by the AG Bell Academy for Listening and Spoken Language as specialists in their field (LSLS Cert. AVEd or LSLS Cert. AVT). The program serves more than 300 students who are deaf or hard of hearing; about half of those students are completely mainstreamed and receive support in their home districts. The remainder are served at one of four central locations, depending on their grade level and chosen communication method: 110 in the listening and spoken language program and 45 in the total communication program. The Bergen County programs owe their success to the hard work and foresight of Treni. In 1997, just 16 percent of elementary level and no secondary level students in the program were pursuing a spoken language outcome. Today, 73

percent of elementary and 68 percent of secondary level students are learning through spoken language. That’s a dramatic shift to occur over just one generation, and that’s just within the centerbased programs. “We actually have another 150 students attending classes in their own home districts because of readiness and having all the skills necessary to be mainstreamed,” said Treni. Treni often credits her dedication to the listening and spoken language model in her program to her own experience in 1992 when she received a cochlear implant. “I myself was born with a profound hearing loss and when I was a child, it was a long and laborious process to learn to talk. I had very dedicated parents and I learned to lipread and rely on visual and tactile cues to develop language,” said Treni. “When I received my first cochlear implant, I was stunned by how much hearing access I gained from it. It was this awesome experience that reframed my entire teaching philosophy with children who are deaf.” In November of 2004, she received her second cochlear implant and now listens bilaterally. As a result of her experience, when Treni became the principal of the Bergen County programs in 1998 she implemented an intensive professional development training program aimed toward listening and VOLTA VOICES • M AY / JU NE 201 0

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Photo Credit: Darren Higgins Photography

spoken language in anticipation of the increasing number of children entering the school district with cochlear implants. In the following years, 50 to 60 percent of the student body had cochlear implants and the rest of the students came in with very sophisticated digital hearing aids. The success of this program can be demonstrated in two ways: 1) the number of students who have “graduated” from the program and are attending school in their own home school districts, and 2) the increased interactions between students with hearing loss and peers with typical hearing in classrooms, during specials, at lunchtime and at recess. Students increase confidence through communicating with one another. The development of conversation skills is a major area of concentration in the Bergen County programs. As president, Treni hopes that “for the next two years we can continue to forge ahead with creating endless opportunities for individuals with hearing loss. As a public school administrator, I have witnessed the amazing evolution today’s kids are experiencing in accessing listening and

AG Bell President Jay Wyant shares a moment with President-Elect Kathleen Treni outside AG Bell’s historic national headquarters, the Volta Bureau, during a recent board meeting. Wyant will hand over the leadership reigns of AG Bell during the 2010 Biennial Convention.

spoken language. But all this would not have been possible without those of us who came before them, who blazed through seemingly insurmountable odds and barriers to prove that we could learn to listen and speak. Without them, our kids today would not have these opportunities, and the kids today are creating the opportunities for those who will come tomorrow.”

Outside of school, Treni has been a member of AG Bell since 1972. She is a past recipient of the Volta Award and the Elsie Grosvenor scholarship from AG Bell and has been active in the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Shared Interest Group, served on the AG Bell board of directors and functioned as a mentor to young students who are deaf and

Connect with Kathleen Treni What Is the AG Bell Board of Directors and What Do They Do? The AG Bell board of directors comprises professionals with expertise in listening and spoken language outcomes, parents of children with hearing loss and adults who are deaf or hard of hearing. AG Bell’s Executive Director Alexander Graham serves as an ex-officio member as well. Board members act in the broad interest of an association or organization, not as representatives of specific constituencies. The powers, duties and responsibilities of a board of directors is typically detailed in an association’s bylaws. At AG Bell, the 11-member body is empowered to collectively set the broad policies and goals of AG Bell; establish policies that support the long-term vision and goals of AG Bell; authorize the executive director to implement them in the day-to-day management of the organization; develop and strategically implement long-range planning for the organization; and adopt key operating policies and procedures. In addition, the board identifies funding sources and, in coordination with staff, solicits funding for the organization, approves the annual budget and monitors the overall financial health of AG Bell. Board members generally serve three-year terms, are able to attend quarterly in-person meetings and are dedicated to AG Bell’s mission of “Advocating Independence through Listening and Talking.” The executive committee, which consists of the president-elect, president, past president and secretary-treasurer, serves two-year terms per office. If you are interested in serving on the board or as a committee member, please contact Elizabeth Reed-Martinez, director of association relations and administration, at ereed-martinez@agbell.org.

hard of hearing. As a professional, she was an active member and leader of the International Professional Section and Public School Caucus. Treni lives in Ramsey, N.J., with her husband, Michael, and their family dog, Neeka, who fills an empty nest while Morgan, the youngest daughter, is away at Ohio Wesleyan University. Ashley, the middle daughter, graduated from the Art Academy in Boston, Mass., and is job hunting for a career in graphic design while she is waiting tables at the famous NOPA restaurant in San Francisco, Calif. Tiffany, the eldest daughter, is a gifted teacher of music in the Parsippany School District in New Jersey. Michael is best remembered for providing the music for the AG Bell 1986 Biennial Convention in Chicago, Ill., called “You Share the World With Me,” and the musical, “BELL,” which was showcased at the AG Bell 2000 Biennial Convention in Philadelphia, Penn.

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oin friends, colleagues, advocates and families

in Orlando, Fla., June 25-28, 2010, for an exciting experience. Advance your knowledge and skills, learn about the latest products and services, and expand your network of people committed to listening and spoken language for all children with hearing loss.

endless possibilities Advocating Independence through Listening and Talking!

Attend the AG Bell 2010 Biennial Convention JUNE 25-28, 2010 HILTON ORLANDO BONNET CREEK HOTEL ORLANDO, FLORIDA

By Dipika Chawla

he process of guiding a child who is deaf or hard of hearing in a mainstream educational setting can be overwhelming. You want your child to be in the best learning environment possible, and you know that she has certain rights that must be respected by the school – but what exactly are those rights? And what is the best way to discuss them with school administrators? What should you do if a disagreement arises? By answering important questions such as these, AG Bell’s Parent Advocacy Training (PAT) program helps parents learn how to advocate for the most effective educational environment for their child. PAT began about 10 years ago and was designed and developed by AG Bell parents and attorneys. Their wealth of experience in advocating for their children and sharing their successes and failures has often helped

The re-launch of the acclaimed PAT program includes an online learning component for those parents unable to attend an in-person workshop.

other parents achieve better educational services for their children. “First IEP/IFSP meetings can be scary. Ours was. But we quickly learned that a keen knowledge of the laws and regulations around services along with solid negotiation skills were key to getting positive outcomes for our child,” said Inez Janger, a parent and former AG Bell president who spearheaded the design of the program. “PAT is designed to provide parents with tools to negotiate the system. It is a program designed by parents and for parents who are, after all, a child’s primary advocate until their child can take over the role himself or herself.”

PAT Relaunched The training program was originally delivered through in-person workshops. Now, AG Bell is relaunching the program at the AG Bell 2010 Biennial

Convention June 25-28 in Orlando, Fla. PAT will be presented as one of the convention’s two-hour “Super Sessions” where parents will gain a working knowledge of the sometimes complicated process of developing what’s known as an Individualized Education Program (IEP) for their child receiving a public school education. The convention presentation will be enhanced by a two-hour online version of PAT, which will be available free of charge to families everywhere who have children who require accommodation in an educational setting, regardless of ability. The PAT program centers on the process of creating your child’s IEP as he or she transitions into public school and then modifying the IEP as the child progresses. During the face-to-face program, such as the session in Orlando, a facilitator provides useful information that parents should know in order to VOLTA VOICES • M AY / JU NE 201 0

Photo Credit: AG Bell

Parent Advocacy Training

PAT Development Committee

create and maintain smooth working relationships with the rest of the IEP team. Facilitators discuss the scope of the parents’ role in the special education process both before and after the IEP meeting, the legal basis for parents’ participation in developing and implementing their children’s educational plans, and how to handle disagreements between parents and school districts. Parents learn how to prepare for an IEP meeting, effective techniques for negotiating during the meeting and ways to follow up afterwards. Legal terminology is also explained to help families understand the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA), which establishes a procedural framework for parents and educators to work together to ensure that each child with a disability is provided with a free, appropriate public education (FAPE). It is important to know that the law does not entitle your child to the best education possible, only an appropriate education. Knowing beforehand what constitutes “appropriate” – that is, which services your child has a right to expect and which services she does not – will better enable you to advocate effectively on her behalf. For example, parents may want to know if the school district is required to accommodate their child’s choice of communication method, or if it is up to administrators to decide whether they will support the use of American Sign Language (ASL), cued speech or listening and spoken language. Other considerations include acoustical modifications in the classroom, assistive technology such as a personal or soundfield FM system or Communication Access Realtime Transliteration (CART), and hearingrelated services such as audiology, speech language pathology, counseling, and transportation services. The PAT program also discusses who bears what responsibilities as far as VOLTA VOICES • MAY / JU NE 201 0

Photo Credit: AG Bell

AG Bell would like to thank Bill Corwin, Inez Janger and Bruce Goldstein, Esq., for their hard work in preparing the PAT program for its relaunch.

additional expenses, placement alternatives, the possibility of an extended school year, standardized testing options and the degree to which your child will be with children who have typical hearing. The IEP must also take into account your child’s present level of academic performance in order to determine her educational level and appropriate goals. As participants in PAT will learn, the parents’ role in the IEP process does not end once the IEP has been determined. IDEA requires that parents receive regular reports detailing their child’s progress towards his or her goals as set forth in the IEP. In addition, parents have a right to call IEP meetings whenever they feel that the IEP is not meeting their child’s needs. PAT teaches parents how to negotiate effectively throughout implementation of their child’s IEP. The creation of an IEP brings together faculty, school administrators and parents in an extremely unique situation. Tactics and word usage that would be convincing and normal in some contexts can bring a halt to the discussion in the IEP context. PAT draws on a wide range of parents’ prior experience and negotiation expertise to outline the “dos and don’ts” of IEP negotiation. There are only two certain elements in the team hierarchy. First, the school has the ultimate responsibility for providing the education and therefore must

have one member of the team who has the authority to make the final decision. Parents, in turn, retain the ability to challenge the team’s IEP through due process hearings if they feel that it does not provide an appropriate education. That is, parents can hire an attorney and bring their case before a judge if they feel that their school district is not living up to IDEA standards. PAT will explain how due process works, its risks and benefits, and in what kinds of situations parents should resort to due process. Sending one’s child off to school for the first time is a nerve-wracking period for any parent, but the special and complicated circumstances that come with educating a child who is deaf or hard of hearing can make the process all the more daunting. PAT is AG Bell’s contribution to help parents be fully informed and prepared for the transition, which will ease a lot of the pressure parents are sure to experience during this stressful time. Parents who know how to effectively advocate for their child have a much better chance of securing for him or her an appropriate and rewarding educational experience. PAT is a free service to families provided by AG Bell with the generous support of the Oticon Foundation. Registration is required to view the online presentation, which will be available later this summer.

Photo Credit: AG Bell

Formación de apoyo para padres Por Dipika Chawla

l proceso de guiar a un niño sordo o con problemas para oír dentro de un sistema educativo normal puede ser abrumador. Usted quiere que su hijo se encuentre en el mejor entorno educativo posible, y sabe que él tiene ciertos derechos que tienen que ser respetados en la escuela. ¿Pero cuáles son exactamente esos derechos? ¿Y cuál es la mejor manera de hablar sobre ellos con la administración de la escuela? ¿Qué se debería hacer en caso de que surja alguna discrepancia? El programa de AG Bell de Formación de apoyo para padres (PAT, por sus siglas en inglés), responde a preguntas importantes como estas y ayuda a los padres a presionar para que haya el entorno educativo más eficaz para sus hijos. El programa PAT comenzó hace 10 años y fue diseñado y desarrollado por los padres y abogados de AG Bell. La experiencia que tienen en la lucha por los derechos de sus hijos y compartir sus éxitos y fracasos ha ayudado a otros padres a obtener mejores servicios educativos para sus hijos. “Las primeras reuniones del PEI/ PISF pueden dar miedo. La nuestra sí

que nos dio. Rápidamente aprendimos que un conocimiento profundo de las leyes y reglamentos que rodean a los servicios junto con unas habilidades de negociación sólidas eran claves para conseguir unos resultados positivos para nuestro hijo”, dijo Inez Janger, madre y ex presidente de AG Bell que dirigió el diseño del programa. “El programa PAT está diseñado para proporcionar a los padres las herramientas que les permitan negociar con el sistema. Es un programa diseñado por padres y para padres que son, después de todo, los principales defensores de sus hijos hasta que ellos puedan asumir ese papel por sí mismos”.

Relanzamiento del programa PAT El programa de formación se daba al principio a través de talleres presenciales. Ahora, AG Bell vuelve a lanzar el programa en la Convención Bianual AG Bell 2010, del 25 al 28 de junio en Orlando, Florida, EE.UU. El programa PAT será presentado en una de las “Súper sesiones” de dos horas. En esta sesión los padres obtendrán conocimientos sobre el terreno

del proceso a veces complicado de desa rrollar lo que se conoce como Programa de Educación Individualizada (PEI) para su hijo que está asistiendo a una escuela pública. La presentación en la convención se enfatizará con una versión en línea de dos horas del programa PAT, que estará a disposición, en forma gratuita, de todas las familias que tienen hijos que requieran una plaza dentro de un entorno educativo, sin tener en cuenta su capacidad. El programa PAT se centra en el proceso de crear el PEI para su hijo a medida que empieza a asistir a una escuela pública y luego a modificar el PEI a medida que el niño progresa. Durante el programa presencial, como es el caso de la sesión en Orlando, un facilitador proporciona a los padres información útil que ellos deben saber para poder crear y mantener una relación de trabajo fluida con el resto del equipo del PEI. Los facilitadores hablan sobre el papel que juegan los padres en el proceso de educación especial tanto antes como después de la reunión del PEI, la base legal para la participación de los padres en el desarrollo e implementación del plan educativo para sus hijos, y cómo VOLTA VOICES • M AY / JU NE 201 0

Comité de Desarrollo del programa PAT

gestionar los desacuerdos que existan entre los padres y los distritos escolares. Los padres aprenden como deben de prepararse para una reunión del PEI, las técnicas de negociación eficaces que tienen que utilizar en las reuniones y las maneras para hacer el seguimiento después. También se explica la terminología legal para ayudar a las familias a comprender la Ley de Personas con Discapacidades (IDEA, por sus siglas en inglés), la cual establece un marco conceptual para que los padres y los educadores trabajen juntos para garantizar que cada niño con una discapacidad tenga una educación pública y gratuita adecuada (FAPE, por sus siglas en inglés). Es importante saber que la ley no le otorga a su hijo la mejor educación posible, sino sólo una educación adecuada. Saber de antemano lo que constituye “adecuado”, es decir qué servicios tiene su hijo derecho a esperar y qué servicios no, le permitirá presionar de manera más eficaz en su nombre. Por ejemplo, los padres querrán saber si un distrito escolar tiene la obligación de acomodar el método de comunicación elegido por su hijo, o si son los administradores los que deciden si apoyarán el uso de la Lengua de Signos Americana (ASL, por sus siglas en inglés), signos complementados o escuchar y la lengua hablada. Otras cosas que hay que tener en cuenta incluyen la modificación acústica del aula, la tecnología asistencial tal como un sistema FM personal o de campo o Acceso a la Comunicación a través de la Transliteración a Tiempo Real (CART, por sus siglas en inglés), y servicios relacionados a la audición como la audiología, la patología de la lengua hablada, el asesoramiento y los servicios de transporte. El programa PAT también habla sobre quien carga con la responsabilidad de los gastos adicionales, las alternativas de colocación, la posibilidad de ampliar el año escolar, las opciones de evaluaciones estándar y el grado en el que su hijo VOLTA VOICES • MAY / JU NE 201 0

Photo Credit: AG Bell

AG Bell quiere agradecer a Bill Corwin, Inez Janger and Bruce Goldstein, por su arduo trabajo en el desarrollo del relanzamiento del programa PAT.

estará con niños que oyen. El PEI también debe tener en cuenta el nivel actual de rendimiento académico de su hijo para poder determinar su nivel educativo y unas metas adecuadas. Los padres, como participantes en el PAT, aprenderán que su papel de dentro del proceso del PEI no termina una vez que se haya determinado el mismo. IDEA requiere que los padres reciban informes regulares que detallen los progresos de su hijo hacia las metas que se estable cieron en el PEI. Además, los padres tienen derecho de convocar reuniones del PEI siempre que sientan que el PEI no está cumpliendo las necesidades de su hijo. El PAT les enseña a los padres cómo negociar de manera eficaz a lo largo de la implementación del PEI de su hijo. La creación de un PEI reúne al profesorado, la administración de la escuela y a los padres en una situación extremadamente única. Las tácticas y el uso de ciertas palabras que serían convincentes y normales en algunos contextos podrían detener las conversaciones dentro del contexto del PEI. El PAT utiliza la amplia experiencia previa de los padres así como la experiencia en negociación para deli near lo que “se debe y no se debe hacer” en una negociación del PEI. Sólo existen dos elementos seguros dentro de la jerarquía del equipo. Primero, la escuela tiene la responsabilidad final de proporcionar la educación por lo que debe haber un miembro del equipo que tenga autoridad para tomar decisiones. Los padres, en cam-

bio, tienen la capacidad de cuestionar al equipo del PEI a través de un debido proceso de audiencias si sienten que su hijo no está recibiendo una educación adecuada. Es decir, los padres pueden contratar a un abogado que puede llevar su caso ante un juez si ellos sienten que su distrito escolar no está cumpliendo las normas de IDEA. El programa PAT explicará cómo funciona el debido proceso, sus riesgos y ventajas, y en qué tipos de situaciones pueden recu rrir los padres a este proceso. Para cualquier padre enviar a su hijo por primera vez a la escuela es un periodo de muchos nervios, pero las circunstancias especiales y complicadas que conlleva educar a un niño sordo o con problemas para oír pueden hacer que el proceso sea mucho más sobrecogedor. El programa PAT es la contribución de AG Bell para ayudar a los padres a estar completamente informados y preparados para la transición, lo cual ayudará a eliminar parte de la presión que sienten durante este periodo de estrés. Los padres que saben cómo presionar de manera eficaz a favor de sus hijos tienen más posibilidades de garantizar para ellos una experiencia educativa adecuada y enriquecedora. AG Bell proporciona el programa PAT como un servicio gratuito para las familias y cuenta con el apoyo generoso de la Fundación Oticon. Para poder ver la presentación en línea se tiene que estar inscrito, la inscripción estará disponible este verano. Una versión en español también está en desarrollo.

Capacity Building AG Bell Academy

By Jennifer Smith

stablished in 2005, the AG Bell Academy for Listening and Spoken Language’s primary goal is to set professional standards in the field of listening and spoken language. To this end, the AG Bell Academy offers an expanded certification program for professionals interested in becoming a Listening and Spoken Language Specialist (LSLS) Certified AuditoryVerbal Educator or Therapist (LSLS Cert. AVEd or LSLS Cert. AVT). By providing a benchmark for excellence, the AG Bell Academy ensures that parents seeking a listening and spoken language outcome for their child with hearing loss have a standard by which to measure the professionals with whom they work. The AG Bell Academy’s primary goal is to build a large contingent of qualified professionals to work with children and families seeking a listening and spoken language outcome. In 2010, the AG Bell Academy will engage in myriad tactics to help build the capacity necessary to meet this goal.

“Crisis of Capacity” Currently, there is an extreme lack of qualified professionals trained specifically to provide support for a listening and spoken language outcome. Advances in hearing technology and early identification through universal newborn hearing screening have greatly improved opportunities for children who are deaf or hard of hearing to listen and talk. But these

children can only master listening and spoken language with the assistance of a qualified professional. Currently, there are over 550 certified listening and spoken language specialists in the world – a great start, but significantly less than what is needed to meet the increasing demand for spoken language outcomes. Only a limited number of the world’s children who are deaf or hard of hearing and who would like to have a spoken language outcome have access to a qualified professional in the auditory-verbal field. A global saturation of professionals is desperately needed for those families who choose listening and spoken language to communicate and to meet the needs of generations to come. To meet the needs of today’s children who are deaf or hard of hearing, the model professional should have working knowledge of the nine domains of listening and spoken language. Found at www.agbellacademy.org, the domains are defined by the AG Bell Academy as core competencies for LSLS. This includes a background in education of the deaf, speech-language pathology and/or audiology; knowing how to help a child maximize his or her listening skills and apply them to developing spoken language; being skilled in intervention techniques; providing parent guidance/support; knowing how to troubleshoot equipment such as hearing aids and cochlear implants; and engaging in an intensive mentorship with other certified professionals.

Unfortunately, research shows that the supply of qualified LSLS does not meet the demand for their services. For instance, of the approximately 70 teacher of the deaf training programs in the U.S., just 12 emphasize listening and spoken language. As recently as 2007, only 64 out of 572 graduates from teacher of the deaf training programs received instruction that emphasized auditory-based learning. When compared to the existing data that shows parents are choosing listening and spoken language outcomes upwards of 90 percent of the time, it is clear that the necessary skill set for LSLS to serve these children is under-represented.

Your Knowledge Is Essential In order to expand the Academy and the number of certified LSLS and to improve services offered to parents of children with hearing loss seeking a listening and spoken language outcome, the Academy is launching an outreach campaign in 2010. The first wave of this campaign is to complete an industry scan of certified LSLS professionals, those seeking the LSLS certification, employers of LSLS professionals and the families whom they serve. The Academy has authored a robust and comprehensive survey to gather as much accurate information as possible about the certification process, the crisis of capacity and the growing field of listening and spoken language. Results of the VOLTA VOICES • M AY / JU NE 201 0

Photo Credit: FunTup Productions.

and the

survey will be shared with policy makers, hearing device manufacturers, families and individuals interested in a career in helping these children achieve a positive spoken language outcome. Since the Academy began managing the certification five years ago, the need to know more about the value of the certification as well as the trends in the field of listening and spoken language acquisition has never been more pressing. This information will help the AG Bell Academy expand parent education and resources, support and advocate for the LSLS profession, and articulate the importance of a LSLS role in the life cycle of individuals with hearing loss. If you are interested in being a part of this survey, please visit https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/ LSLSCertificationSurvey to participate. The survey will close June 11, 2010.

Creating Partnerships On the heels of outreach to the LSLS community, the second phase of the campaign is to develop partnerships with hearing device manufactures. As the AG

Bell Academy continues its mission to grow the number of certified professionals available to assist families seeking a listening and spoken language outcome, hearing technology manufacturers will be an essential partner in those efforts. The AG Bell Academy plans to educate hearing device manufacturers about the rising need for LSLS-certified professionals as a critical component in the ability of users to achieve the maximum benefits of their products. These partnerships are crucial to streamline the gap between when a child receives access to sound and when a qualified, certified therapist (LSLS Cert. AVT) or educator (LSLS Cert. AVEd) begins working with the child and family. Increasing awareness of the importance of involving an LSLS professional in a child’s early stages of intervention and gaining access to sound is a high priority for the AG Bell Academy, and for the professionals and families whom it supports.

Additional Outreach In addition to continuing its monthly e-newsletter, the AG Bell Academy has

also formed a publications review panel. The purpose of the panel will be to review current titles recommended for reading in preparation for the LSLS certification exam as well as discuss new titles that could be added to this list and sold through the AG Bell bookstore. The AG Bell Academy continues to expand its certification program and approving quality continuing education opportunities to certified LSLS and those seeking certification. Continuing education opportunities are of high value to any professional working with individuals with hearing loss to develop listening and spoken language. Anyone seeking certification should contact the Academy with questions or comments about eligibility requirements, or to request an application packet. The AG Bell Academy is also interested in hearing from established professionals willing to serve as mentors to those seeking certification. More information about the AG Bell Academy and LSLS certification can be found at www.agbellacademy.org.

Futures Are Bright Sunshine Cottage School for Deaf Children offers specially designed, comprehensive educational programs for children with hearing loss.  Newborn Hearing Evaluation Center  Parent-Infant Program  Early Childhood Program  Elementary Program  On-campus mainstream program  Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology  Cochlear Implant Programming  Graduate Program in Deaf Education and Hearing Science

103 Tuleta Drive • San Antonio, Texas 78212 (210) 824-0579 • www.sunshinecottage.org

Teaching children with hearing impairment to listen, talk & participate in a hearing world. It’s been our tradition since 1947.

Sunshine Cottage, a listening and spoken language school, is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Council on Accreditation and School Improvement, OPTIONSchool International, and is a Texas Educaion Agency approved non-public school. We accept students of any race, color, national or ethnic origin. Program ad 2010a.indd 1 VOLTA VOICES • MAY / JU NE 201 0

3/10/2010 10:31:29 AM

Evan Hine (left) talks with Nick Lamb (right) during a Hear Indiana event.

Compiled by Melody Felzien

G Bell state chapters play a crucial role in building community and creating opportunities for AG Bell members. Through state chapters, members can become and stay involved at the local level in expanding the opportunities for children with hearing loss to listen and talk. The first state chapter was founded in 1983 and since then, the importance of state chapters has continued to increase. Through active chapters, members gain access to important state resources and network with other families who are also seeking a spoken language outcome for their children with hearing loss. Chapters also play an important role at a national level, often generating program ideas and initiatives that come from the very members AG Bell is dedicated to serve. In an effort to expand the role of state chapters and to provide others with ideas for community building opportunities, Volta Voices asked

four state chapters to describe their activities and efforts to promote listening and spoken language outcomes.

Nevada By Arnie and Corrine Altman, Co-Presidents For the AG Bell Nevada chapter (AGBNV), we find that annual special events blended with community-related activities work well to improve opportunities for our families to network and share experiences. Planning successful events and community activities is, without a doubt, no easy task and requires a lot of energy and effort. On the other hand, the most heartfelt rewards have revealed themselves at these events. Events bring together family and friends, parents and professionals, people in the community, and our chapter members. These are priceless opportunities to share stories, laughter and talents, and engage in playful competition in a purpose-driven

environment. And for our children, the events are also a chance to use their listening and spoken language skills in a setting that accepts, encourages and enhances their growth. One look at the photo gallery of our Web site, www.agbellnv.com, shows the major emphasis we put on our communitybuilding mission of special events and community-related activities. Our annual events begin in January on the campus of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV). The UNLV Runninâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Rebels basketball team invites the children who are deaf and hard of hearing and their siblings to participate in a hands-on clinic. Other events throughout the year include an Annual Bowl-a-Thon, Spring Fling picnic and a Take Me Out to the Ball Game family night with the Las Vegas 51â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Semi Pro Baseball Team. These community-sponsored events have allowed many in the local community to contribute and participate in BIG ways. VOLTA VOICES â&#x20AC;˘ M AY / JU NE 201 0

Photo Credit: Hear Indiana

AG Bell Chapters: Community Building

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members and those special parents that need, more than ever, encouragement through example in supporting children with hearing loss.

Pennsylvania – On the Move

Photo Credit: Rainbow Media

For example, for our bowling event, a local bowling center and pro shop helps with reduced lane pricing and bowling related giveaways. Aside from the fun, the best moments are seeing new parents interact with the more experienced parents. They share hearing and speakingrelated achievements, challenges and, often, helpful tips that only parents of children with hearing loss know. We have been told more than once about the insight gained and hope parents feel after this event (and we thought we were just hosting a bowl-a-thon). In addition, a corporate sponsor adopted our Annual Spring Fling Picnic as their community project after one of their employees read a newspaper article about AGBNV and our mission. They provide, prepare and serve bottled water, hamburgers and hot dogs, chips, cookies and a variety of other popular picnic favorites. “This has provided us with a wonderful opportunity, and we feel blessed to participate,” says Kim Heffner, the corporate organizer. Their team also helps with all the outdoor games and activities that we organize for the kids. Perhaps because of our connection to Las Vegas, one might sense we have an advantage, and that entertainment is all we have to offer. However, workshops, conferences, exhibits and legislative activities also play a role in our efforts to raise awareness and advocate for listening and spoken language opportunities. We have participated in the annual Baby Expo, the Nevada Speech Language Hearing Association Convention, Cochlear Connect with the Community Workshops and monthly N*Courage*Mint Parent Support gatherings. AGBNV is also actively involved with the Hearing Industries Association (HIA) to encourage the passage of H.R. 1646, Hearing Aid Tax Credit Act. Last August, we organized a brunch for over 200 people to honor Representative Dina Titus (D-NV), who is a co-sponsor of the bill. Seven-year-old Samuel Grant of Henderson, Nev., was one of our speakers. “My hearing aids help me hear and understand what people say,” he said. “If I did not have them, I think I would fail in school. I do not want that to happen…I love my hearing aids and not just because

Corrina Giambattista and her son, Tommy, age 5 years old, and the AGBNV 2009 Family Holiday Christmas Party.

they glow in the dark. I want children with hearing loss to have a good life like me.” The year ends with the best-attended event and community participation activity of all – the Annual Holiday Christmas party. The party is designed with several intentional language experiences. A Holiday Activity Card is given to the children, which directs them to visit the several booths around the room. At each booth, the children are greeted by volunteers and (in most cases) encouraged to return the verbal greeting. Each activity presents opportunities that require decisions to be made and vocalized. After the children finish each activity, they know to ask to have their Holiday Activity Card stamped. Another very significant part of this event is having two children with hearing loss read a short Christmas story from a book they are seeing for the first time. All the children with hearing loss and their families are gathered around the two readers and listening with such attention that you could hear a pin drop. We hope that by sharing these ideas we help you in planning your activities as purpose-driven events that improve chances for a spoken language outcome for children with hearing loss. We guarantee that you will be creating awareness for your community, your chapter

By Judith S. Sexton M.S., C.E.D., Secretary, and Mary Beth Kernan, Treasurer Exciting new things are happening with the AG Bell Pennsylvania chapter. Although the chapter has been quiet in recent years, things are changing as a group of AG Bell members has decided to make it a vibrant and active chapter once more. As many of the state’s members will recall, the chapter was quite active in the past, most recently in 2005 when it held several events, including two state-wide conferences, picnics and a winter social. The chapter also won the Membership Award at the AG Bell 2006 Biennial Convention in Pittsburgh, Penn. Unfortunately, chapter activity in the past few years declined. Recently, a group of members from across Pennsylvania contacted AG Bell’s national headquarters for assistance to jumpstart their chapter. AG Bell’s Executive Director Alexander T. Graham proposed a pilot program where AG Bell staff could guide these members in their efforts. A meeting was held in Harrisburg, Penn., with AG Bell staff, several current state chapter officers and other interested members from throughout the state. A planning committee was formed and a strategy was enacted to get the once-active chapter back on track. Shortly after the meeting, an electronic needs assessment survey was distributed to potential Pennsylvania chapter members. The response was great, with 126 individuals completing the survey. Responses highlighted a statewide need to provide information to families about services for children with hearing loss, and opportunities for social networking and support. Professionals from throughout the state expressed interest in collaborating with colleagues and adults with hearing loss and conveyed their desire for more information about services and social networking. These needs have

Photo Credit: Hear Indiana

AG Bell Chapters: Community Building

Participants in Hear Indiana’s annual Talk-Walk-Run are cheered on their way to completing the 5K race.

been echoed in anecdotal information communicated to planning committee members, and the information is being used to plan activities and events for the coming year. In addition to the survey, the committee decided to revamp the chapter Web site, develop an electronic newsletter and sponsor a booth at the Pennsylvania Speech and Hearing Association (PSHA) convention in State College, Penn., in April. Regional social events are also being planned for the Pittsburgh, Philadelphia and Harrisburg areas. The planning committee continues to meet on a regular basis to further their goal of bringing the Pennsylvania chapter back to life. Pennsylvania members can look forward to receiving information about chapter social events, the updated Web site and the new electronic newsletter in the coming months. Any members interested in helping the committee may contact the chapter via email at pachapter@agbell.org.

Hear Indiana By Anthony Gigli, President Hear Indiana is the Indiana chapter of AG Bell, advocating independence through listening and talking in our state. For 40 years, we have promoted

the use of amplification and mainstream education for Hoosier children who are deaf and hard of hearing. This May, in honor of “Better Hearing and Speech Month,” more than 600 individuals from across Indiana gathered for the 7th annual Talk-Walk-Run (5K) to raise awareness of hearing loss and spoken language options. Funds for Hear Indiana are raised through sponsorships, booth fees, entry fees and an online “Friends Asking Friends” campaign. This year’s lead supporter was Peyton Manning Children’s Hospital at St. Vincent in Indianapolis, Ind., with Phonak and the Indy Racing League also contributing. The goal for this year’s Talk-Walk-Run was to raise $50,000 to support ongoing programming (i.e., advocacy, support, educational programming and a weeklong Youth Leadership Camp). To help offset camp registration fees, campers attending the Youth Leadership Camp can collect pledges via the Talk-WalkRun event. The Talk-Walk-Run is also a great chance for families to meet other families and adults affected by hearing loss. This year’s post-race festivities will include a proclamation by the mayor, a visit from the Indianapolis

Colts’ cheerleaders, an interactive rhythm ensemble, kids’ games, free food from Noodles and Co. and a speech by former Indianapolis TV news anchor Patty Spitler. As Hear Indiana’s spokesperson, Spitler is speaking publicly about her personal journey with hearing loss: “When I lost my hearing due to Meniere’s disease in 2004, I thought my life was over. Today I am profoundly deaf, but my new digital hearing aids have greatly improved my ability to communicate again. Hear Indiana has helped me realize that my life is not over.” In July, over 30 campers will attend our 20th annual week-long Youth Leadership Camp to foster trust, strength, courage and independence. Our program is the only camp in Indiana designed specifically for children with hearing loss who primarily use spoken language to communicate. Through collaboration with the Indiana University Therapeutic Recreation Department, activities are developed to foster trust among peers, increase campers’ courage to try new things and encourage independence along the way. Among other activities, attendees participate in rock climbing, fishing, canoeing, archery, high-ropes courses and horseback riding. Camp chaperones, who are also deaf or hard of hearing, are independent and productive members of society and serve as role models to the campers. Many campers return year after year, forming lifelong friendships. At Hear Indiana’s inaugural “NotSo-Silent” Auction this past February, Sally Tanselle, a founding member of our chapter, concluded, “Our ongoing purpose remains just as important now as when we first began our advocacy work in Indiana 40 years ago. Despite technological, educational and legislative advances, the immediate needs of the parents of a newly diagnosed child remain the same: an understanding and compassionate source of support and information. Hear Indiana is VOLTA VOICES • M AY / JU NE 201 0

uniquely positioned to continue as that source.” For more information, visit www.hearindiana.org.

Florida By Dennis Filloon, President The leadership of the Florida chapter of AG Bell includes parents, adults who are deaf and hard of hearing, and professionals who work with individuals seeking a listening and spoken language outcome. Board members also represent the Florida listening and spoken language community, including the Bolesta Center, Tampa; Clarke Jacksonville Center for Hearing and Speech; All Children’s Hospital, St. Petersburg; and the University of Miami Debbie Institute. The Florida chapter has held annual conferences and raised funds to provide scholarships for families who want their children with hearing loss to have access to spoken language. However, after our 2008 April Annual Conference, the board decided to revitalize our chapter activities and temporarily table our annual conference. So, in place of our annual conference in 2009, we instead participated in the September Florida Summit on Childhood Deafness, held in St. Augustine, Fla., where we had an exhibit booth and also held our annual meeting for our chapter membership. This venue gave us the opportunity to raise awareness of spoken language for children with hearing loss in Florida and to share information about AG Bell and AG Bell Florida. Aside from the annual conference, the Florida chapter continues to provide scholarships to assist families and professionals. The family-related scholarship provides assistance for the purchase of ear molds, hearing aids, assistive listening devices, assistance with repairs or preliminary cochlear implant evaluation costs for children with hearing loss. For professionals, we provide a scholarship to help defray the cost of listening and spoken languagerelated training coursework. Applicants must be teachers or therapists of the deaf and hard of hearing, speech language-pathologists or audiologists currently employed in the state of Florida. Applicants are also required to VOLTA VOICES • MAY / JU NE 201 0

be a member of AG Bell. A recipient of this assistance must provide a review article for the AG Bell Florida Web site or chapter newsletter following completion of coursework. Another scholarship is geared toward parent education and provides assistance to offset the costs of attending workshops, seminars and conferences. This includes a maximum of one night’s hotel expense and registration costs. To help make our chapter more visible to people in Florida with hearing loss and parents of children with hearing loss, the chapter hired a professional firm to revamp our Web site. We are very happy with the final product, which you can view at www.agbellflorida.org. Our biggest challenge will be keeping the information as up-to-date as possible. We are also developing a strategic plan that will contain our current and five-year goals. This plan will focus the chapter on what is important and will give us the opportunity to aim our efforts and resources in the right direction. In addition, the strategic plan helps to drive the development of the chapter annual budget and will include fundraising goals to help the chapter meet its mission. Fundraising is really becoming a key element to the chapter’s success. Fundraising should include bringing in more members; conducting an annual campaign; grant writing; special events (such as an annual conference, etc.); and other special fundraising events. Currently, all efforts are being made to make sure the chapter has a fundraising plan in place to meet our financial needs. Increasing membership is another key element that the chapter is targeting. Having the AG Bell 2010 Biennial Convention in our state provides us with a great opportunity to implement a membership drive. We look forward to assessing our results by the end of the year. As you can tell, the Florida chapter of AG Bell is going through many changes that other chapters may be experiencing now or will in the near future. If you would like to discuss our strategies further, please contact us at dfilloon@agbellflorida.org.

Inez K. Janger

Honors of the Association 2010 Recipient

By Catherine Murphy

n Friday, June 25, as part of the AG Bell 2010 Biennial Convention, AG Bell President John R. “Jay” Wyant will present Inez K. Janger with the 2010 Honors of the Association award. The award recognizes individuals who are directly involved in the hearing loss community and dedicated to the goals and purpose of AG Bell. Past recipients include former AG Bell President Kathleen Sussman, Mildred Oberkotter, Dr. Stephen Epstein, Doreen Pollack, Helen Beebe, Bruce A. Goldstein, Esq., and Ken Levinson, among others. All recipients have contributed greatly to the efforts of AG Bell to promote awareness of listening and spoken language for children who are deaf or hard of hearing. Janger and her husband, Allen, have been actively involved with AG Bell for more than 30 years – since their youngest son, Michael, was born profoundly deaf. She was first elected to the AG Bell board of directors by a membership vote in 1992. In 2000, she was chair of what was then known as the Parent Section and then served on the board as president-elect, president from 2002-2004, and immediate past president, leaving the board in 2008. Janger’s many accomplishments on behalf of AG Bell include founding the AG Bell New York Chapter; the strategic anal-

ysis, restructuring and streamlining of AG Bell’s membership and chapter operations; overseeing the merger of AuditoryVerbal International, resulting in the development of the AG Bell Academy for Listening and Spoken Language; and leading the design and development of AG Bell’s acclaimed Parent Advocacy Training (PAT) program, which has provided more than 700 parents with the resources to guide their children’s public education. The PAT program is being relaunched at the AG Bell 2010 Biennial Convention (for a preview, turn to pages 20 and 22 is same article in Spanish). “Inez was selected to join this group of distinguished honorees because of her outstanding efforts on behalf of individuals with hearing loss, and her steadfast leadership at AG Bell,” said Wyant. “In addition, she served on the executive committee during a period of extensive transition for AG Bell as it was moving from a traditional to a streamlined governance model and results-oriented approach to the management of the association.” Professionally, Janger is a human resources consultant with a record of achievement as a senior human resources executive in financial services, consulting and nonprofit organizations. Her experience spans management and

consulting positions with Citibank, KPMG, and in private practice. She and her husband currently live on Martha’s Vineyard, where she is President of the Martha’s Vineyard Donors Collaborative and on the board of The Yard. Inez graduated from Simmons College and completed graduate work in personnel administration and finance at Cornell University and Columbia University. AG Bell Director of Communications and Public Affairs Catherine Murphy had the pleasure of interviewing Janger about her tremendous commitment to AG Bell. Volta Voices: When did you first hear about AG Bell? Tell us about the first AG Bell event you attended. Inez Janger: I first heard about AG Bell from longtime AG Bell parent member and volunteer Jinny Stern, whom I met while waiting for our first hearing aid fitting at the Lexington School for the Deaf in New York City, N.Y. I later learned more about AG Bell from Leo Conner, the executive director of Lexington School where my son, Michael, was in the infant program. Leo was about to become the president of the AG Bell board and was promoting his philosophy, a bill of rights for deaf children to talk, which was pretty radical at that time. The first

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convention we attended was in Boston in 1974. Michael was around 6 years old. It was an eye opener. V.V.: When you chose to pursue the listening and spoken language option for Michael, what expectations did you have? What impact has his ability to hear and speak despite his deafness had on your family? I.J.: The story about how I found out children who were deaf could learn to speak is a “small world” story. In Chicago, my sister-in-law became a teacher of the deaf and worked in an oral public school

and Leo, I became involved with the AG Bell Parent Section and found an incredible support system there. The members were from all over the United States but all had similar stories about diagnosis, educational choices and finding services, and although we all had advocated for our own kids, collectively we wanted to help other families negotiate the system so their kids could also learn to listen and talk. These parents became good friends, mentors and important resources of information. Through my involvement with the Parent Section I also met a fabulous group of professionals, leaders

There were no other parents of kids who were deaf on the “park bench” in my neighbor hood. AG Bell became our “park bench.” program. When I became engaged to my husband, Allen, I visited her preschool class and was amazed. And several years later…well, the rest is history. As soon as Michael was diagnosed at around 15 months of age, I started looking for programs in the New York City area that promoted learning to speak and was told there were none, but it didn’t matter anyway. I couldn’t believe it. I didn’t take no for an answer and went on a hunt. It took a while, but I eventually found the Lexington School. Our expectations were related to the achievements we saw in the kids we met – at AG Bell and at my sister-in-law’s school program. V.V.: What motivated you to become more involved in AG Bell? Who were some of your mentors? I.J.: Jinny and I worked together at the Lexington School for the Deaf where, at the time, I was the director of volunteers and developed a statewide advocacy effort related to parents’ rights to choose the oral option. Jinny talked a lot about the AG Bell Parent Section and the support she received working with them when she lived in Washington, D.C. Through Jinny

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in the field, who were always there with ideas, insights and suggestions. And of course, the adult members who were deaf or hard of hearing – our kids were a major source of inspiration. We all used to joke about the “park bench.” With children who had typical hearing, parents sit at the playground, meet other parents and learn from each other. There were no other parents of kids who were deaf on the “park bench” in my neighborhood. AG Bell became our “park bench.” I also joined a New York state-based group, which later morphed into the AG Bell New York Chapter. There I met (former AG Bell president) Bruce Goldstein and his wife, Betsy, and together we were involved in the group for a number of years and organized several state conventions. V.V.: What do you feel are some of the obstacles that are still in place for families who wish to pursue the listening and spoken language approach? How do you think those can be overcome? I.J.: It is so different today. When Michael was growing up, TTY’s were just

becoming available, behind-the-ear hearing aids were just becoming powerful enough to benefit the profoundly deaf, there was no captioning, no Internet, and of course no implants or programmable hearing aids, FM systems, etc. Technology, new learning strategies and the law have made the potential for our kids to learn to listen and speak from an early age so much greater. The precursor to the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA) was passed in 1976. Michael was born in 1968. There was no legal basis for choice and so it became a toss of the dice for most parents, or about who you knew or what you could afford. It’s very hard to compare our experience to what parents can do today. But the issue of informed choice, lack of awareness among professionals, school district politics and cost still present barriers to parents. Education of the public, of those professionals who first connect with our kids, and ensuring that new parents have access to good information about the law and about choices is critical. Additionally, there is a real shortage of trained professionals to work with our kids even when an informed choice for listening and spoken language has been made. Bottom line – parents will always be the primary advocate and case manager for their child and they need access to resources, professionals and networks to help guide them. V.V.: As a parent of a child with hearing loss, what would be your advice to another parent with a child newly identified with a hearing loss? I.J.: Get as much information as you can about educational choices and outcomes for your kid(s). Try to meet other parents and their kids. If you are in an isolated setting, then seek folks elsewhere. AG Bell is a perfect place to start – its Web site is loaded with wonderful stories and role models. Many professionals helped us, worked with Michael and were terrific advocates, but it was the other parents who were key. The AG Bell Biennial Convention was an incredible shot in the arm. We learned so much, made such good friends and enjoyed meeting new parents. I know that for Michael, the friends he made there are still today a major part of his life.

2010 Recipient By Catherine Murphy

arlier this year, the AG Bell Board of Directors voted unanimously to honor Joanna Nichols and the Children’s Hearing Foundation (CHF) in Taiwan as the recipient of the 2010 Volta Award. The Volta Award is given to individuals and/or organizations that have made a significant contribution to increasing public awareness of the challenges and potential of individuals with hearing loss and the listening and spoken language option. Nichols and CHF join other notable award recipients such as worldrenowned audiologist Marion Downs of the Marion Downs Hearing Center; Hearing Loss Association of America’s Rocky Stone; the Oberkotter Foundation; Jim Garrity of the John Tracy Clinic; and Karl R. White, Ph.D., founder and director of the National Center for Hearing and Assessment Management at Utah State University; among others. CHF is widely credited with revolutionizing deaf education in Taiwan by being the first organization to offer a listening and spoken language alternative to children with hearing loss in that country.

(Clockwise from lower left) Alana, Kenny Cheng, Joanna and Joy Nichols pose for a family photo.

“This award posthumously recognizes Ms. Nichols for her life work and the Children’s Hearing Foundation for their role as an example of one of the most successful efforts to facilitate access to listening and spoken language for children who are deaf or hard of hearing through the application of listening and spoken language practice and the use of qualified professionals,” said AG Bell President John R. “Jay” Wyant. “Through her vision, and the continuing efforts of the Children’s Hearing Foundation, there is greater public awareness throughout Asia of the listening and spoken language option for children with hearing loss. In fact, many children who would not have otherwise had the opportunity are listening and talking today because of Ms. Nichols and the Children’s Hearing Foundation.” A California native, Nichols moved to Taiwan in 1977 and married Taiwanese native Kenny Cheng in 1983. The discovery that the younger of their two daughters, Alana, had a profound hearing loss led them on a journey in exploration of the myriad communication and language options available for children with hearing loss.

In 1993, they attended their first AG Bell event in Denver, Colo. Soon after, Alana received a cochlear implant and was raised using listening and spoken language. Nichols and Cheng founded CHF in 1996 with the mission of helping children with hearing loss learn spoken language through listening, as well as to train therapists to make listening and spoken language possible throughout Taiwan. Since then, CHF has established teaching and research centers in Taipei, Kaohsiung, I Lan and Chung Yuan Christian University. CHF is the only organization worldwide that has applied auditory-verbal practice in Mandarin. Nichols passed away in 2001. Volta Voices recently had an opportunity to interview Mr. Cheng about her life and their shared legacy. Volta Voices: When did you first hear about AG Bell? Tell us about the first AG Bell event you and, Ms. Nichols attended. Kenny Cheng: In 1993. After receiving Alana’s prognosis, Joanna sought out AG Bell as it was and still is the VOLTA VOICES • M AY / JU NE 201 0

Photo Credit: Kenny Cheng and CHF

Joanna Nichols and CHF The Volta Award

V.V.: When you and Ms. Nichols chose to pursue the listening and spoken language option for Alana, what expectations did you have? What impact do you think that, despite Alana’s deafness, her ability to hear and speak has had on your family? K.C.: Regarding our expectations, we purposely didn’t have any expectations or goals for that matter. We just made a commitment to do our best! The cause of Alana’s hearing loss is a common cavity, which is a malformation of the inner ear and the most severe case. At that time, we hadn’t found any successful examples of such a case. As far as impact on our family, for Alana to be able to hear and speak has been HUGE! It changed the entire lives of all of our family members. Each member of the family had to change their lifestyle to help teach Alana to listen and speak. Joanna was the key. She was such a great mother and brilliant person. She, herself, was a language genius and fluently knew seven different languages including Mandarin and Taiwanese. Joanna gave up her business career in order to search the world and find the experts in this field that would help Alana listen and speak. Joanna became Alana’s full-time teacher. Joanna also included Alana’s big sister, Joy, to help teach Alana. Everybody was involved. Because of this, Alana can live a relatively normal life! In fact, she is excelling in her senior year at Taipei American School. She will graduate this month and received high academic awards and scored within the top 4 percent on her recent ACT college entrance exams. This is really a miracle and shows you that hard work on everybody’s part will pay off! V.V.: What was the spark that led Ms. Nichols to establish CHF? K.C.: The spark that led Joanna to establish CHF was seeing the results of auditory-verbal therapy with Alana. Joanna saw so many Taiwanese children who were deaf or hard of hear-

VOLTA VOICES • MAY / JU NE 201 0

ing struggling. From our experience, before founding CHF, we didn’t see one child who was deaf talk. Joanna could speak Mandarin like a TV reporter and so she had the ability to relay Alana’s story to others in Taiwan, and took on the burden for all Taiwanese children with hearing loss to listen and speak like Alana. V.V.: What is your hope for the future of CHF? Do you see it expanding beyond its current four locations? How many children have benefitted from the programs at CHF? K.C.: To date, over 2,500 Taiwanese kids have been helped by CHF. The majority of them can speak fluent Mandarin Chinese. Many of them are also learning English. In 2008, we started collaborations with the China Rehabilitation and Research Center for Deaf Children (CRRCDC), which is a Chinese government-owned organization that helps mainland Chinese children who are deaf or hard of hearing. CHF is giving all its auditory-verbal Mandarin “Know How” programs free of charge to the CRRCDC. CHF is also funding some of its programs. The “Know How” program includes: yy Teaching Training – CHF and CRRCDC are sending teachers back and forth for training. yy Distance Learning – Teleconferencing capabilities have been set up for distance learning. yy Mandarin Curriculum – CHF now has 14 years of developed Mandarin curriculum. We have given this free of charge to help China’s children engage in auditory-verbal therapy. yy Computer Management Systems – CHF also has 14 years of developed computer infrastructure systems that can immediately help CRRCDC. The impact in China will be big because China has over 1,000,000 children with hearing loss who are served by CRRCDC’s 86 centers.

Photo Credit: Kenny Cheng and CHF

most renowned U.S. organization for the hearing loss and spoken language community.

Joanna Nichols, seen here with a child from CHF, is credited with introducing listening and spoken language to countless children with hearing loss in Taiwan and China.

K.C.: Many obstacles are still in place for families. These obstacles include money for hearing aids and hearing aid maintenance, caregivers’ time with children, quiet environments for learning, finding the correct therapy methods and having a good audiologist. To overcome these obstacles, caregivers need a strong will, time and the ability to obtain financial resources. Trust me, it is all worth it when these obstacles are overcome and results are achieved. It is such a good feeling to see your child live a happy, abundant life and become a fully engaged and contributing member of society. V.V.: As a parent of a child with hearing loss, what would be your advice to another parent with a child newly identified with a hearing loss? K.C.: No matter how hard it may seem – NEVER GIVE UP ON YOUR CHILD!

V.V.: What do you feel are some of the obstacles that are still in place for families who wish to pursue the listening and spoken language approach? How do you think those can be overcome?

tips for parents

Swim Lessons and Your Child with Hearing Loss By Stephanie Ortner, M.S., CCC-SLP

Tips for Parents: 1. You do not need to seek out a swim instructor who specializes in work1

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (2005). Swimming and Recreational Water Safety. In: Health Information for International Travel 2005-2006. Atlanta, GA: US Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service.

Photo Credit: istockphoto.com

s summertime approaches, many children and families look forward to spending time at pools and beaches, or participating in other fun water activities. For children with hearing loss, swimming can be more challenging than for children who have typical hearing. Children who use cochlear implants or hearing aids to listen are unable to wear their technology in the water. They are suddenly left without the ability to communicate as they do in their daily lives with their auditory devices. And as fatal drowning remains the secondleading cause of unintentional injuryrelated death for children ages 1 to 14 years (CDC, 2005 1), the need to ensure proper swimming techniques increases. From my experience as a swim instructor and speech-language pathologist, I have found that very few programs offer adequate assistance for these children. Swim instructors are often not prepared to teach children with hearing loss and are unsure about how to communicate with that child. This can cause frequent communication breakdowns, making swim lessons unproductive and often frustrating for all parties. The following suggestions are for both parents and instructors. Parents should discuss these suggestions with the instructor and make adjustments as necessary.

ing with children who have hearing aids and/or cochlear implants. 2. Help your child’s instructor help your child. The most important conversation you need to have with the instructor is to explain your child’s deafness, the cochlear implant or hearing aid, and your child’s mode of communication. He or she needs to understand that your child can communicate with spoken language and most likely does not sign.

Tips for the Instructor: 1. Create and laminate a picture checklist of each activity that will be covered during the swim lesson. A copy of the checklist should be sent home.

2 Each lesson should be conducted in the same order as the previous one, with the newest activity added on to the end. As the child improves, the old activities will take less time, making room for the new ones. The consistency and predictability of the lesson leaves the child with less questions, wonder and fear. 3. Discuss the checklist with the child before stepping in the water, while he can wear his cochlear implant or hearing aids and have appropriate access to sound. For example, the instructor may want to explain to the child that he will be practicing floating on his back and the instructor will be holding him. The instructor can even practice this VOLTA VOICES • M AY / JU NE 201 0

activity on land, showing the child where his arms and legs should be, and exactly how he will be held. If the instructor makes a promise to not let go, he must keep it. Learning to swim is all about trust in your instructor and confidence in yourself. 4. Discuss important gestures and even a few functional signs or signals that may be necessary for communication while without amplification. The instructor may want to learn signs or signals for words and phrases such as “wait,” “stop,” “watch me,” “try again,” “three more tries,” “I will help you,” “try by yourself,” etc. This is also a good opportunity to discuss behavioral expectations and water safety. 5. Once in the water, use and follow the visual checklist to help the child understand what is coming next. After showing the child which activity is next on the list, demonstrate it. Many children can pick up on an activity after seeing it modeled just once. Then, assist the child by holding him in the correct body position or moving his arms or legs for him before allowing him to try the activity independently. Use as many gestures and signs or signals as necessary to explain what the child should be doing.

6. Remember, stick to what was discussed before the lesson. If the instructor promised he wouldn’t let go, then he shouldn’t. As mentioned before, consistency and predictability are comforting for children. For my lessons, we stick to the “Rule of Five.” At the beginning of each session, we always do five bobs with bubbles. We count to five when we float on our back, we hold our breath under water for five seconds, we pick up five rings from the bottom of the pool and we attempt an activity or stroke five times before we move on to something else. 7. (Attention Parents: You may need to explain this theory to your instructor in further detail.) In the listening and spoken language world, we are all familiar with the “Auditory Sandwich.” This theory of using auditory cues first, then visual cues, followed by auditory cues again holds true for swim lessons. 1) The instructor discusses everything through audition prior to the lesson. 2) The instructor uses visual demonstrations, gestures and signs during the lesson. 3) To finish the “sandwich,” the instructor ends the lesson with an auditory recap of everything worked on. 8. Make sure to leave enough time to review the checklist and discuss what was easy (or mastered) and what was hard (or still needs work).

Discuss any breakdowns that may have occurred with the gestures, signs or signals, review techniques on land (similar to what might have been done prior to the lesson), confront any behavioral issues and set the tone for the following lesson.

Outside of the Pool Much like listening and spoken language therapy, carry-over at home is essential. The days between each lesson can be used to discuss the previous lesson, review the checklist and even practice the activities out of the water. This reinforces everything learned and prepares the child for the pre-lesson discussion with the instructor at the next lesson. Learning to swim can be a slow process for any child. Imagine trying to learn something new and scary without being able to hear reassuring words and confidence boosters. Teaching the instructor to maximize auditory time out of the water and become a visual instructor in the water will help make the experience more pleasant for everyone involved. The more enjoyable the experience, the faster the child will learn. Learning to swim properly and early may save your child’s life! Author’s note: Special thanks to Alisa Demico, M.S., CCC-SLP, LSLS Cert. AVT, at the Clarke School for Hearing and Speech, Jacksonville, Fla., for her guidance and mentorship.

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VOICES FROM AG BELL

Conversations With Alex Graham

n case you haven’t noticed, leadership is the theme of this edition of Volta Voices. As the executive director, I feel very fortunate to work with so many talented volunteer leaders from all aspects of the AG Bell community. For this column, I would like to introduce you to Corrine Altman – a long-time AG Bell member and co-president of the AG Bell Nevada Chapter, and now a new AG Bell national board member.

member and I’m glad I did. When you become a parent of child who is deaf, there are emotional and educational needs to be met. The personal testimonies and stories in the association’s newsletter and Volta Voices gave me hope and a “stick with it, you can do it attitude.” So here I am, 26 years later!

Alex Graham: How did you first get involved in AG Bell?

C.A.: After so many years involved with hearing loss and families it is hard to pick just one. Cochlear implants and hearing aides are incredible tools. However, there is a lot more to making them work for you than just having them. My wisdom would come in the form of a mandatory action list for parents: do your best to accept your child’s hearing loss; make sure that you have regularly scheduled audiology appointments to monitor progress and the effectiveness

Corrine Altman: Two professionals, Cathy Cottle, teacher of the deaf in the Clark County School District in Las Vegas, Nev., and Pam Hansen, a speech therapist, recommended that I get involved. My two oldest children were diagnosed with severe to profound hearing loss. As a family, we chose spoken language as our desired outcome. I took their suggestion and became an AG Bell

A.G.: If you could share one piece of wisdom for a parent who has just received their child’s diagnosis, what would it be?

Photo Credit: Rainbow Media Productions, Inc.

Meet Corrine Altman Patricia “Corrine” Altman is co-president of the AG Bell Nevada Chapter. She and her husband, Arnie, own Rainbow Media Productions, Inc., a video production, photography and event coordination company in Las Vegas, Nev. She is the mother of five children; her eldest two, now adults, were born profoundly deaf and learned to listen and talk. Altman was instrumental Corrine Altman in front of the Volta Bureau, AG Bell’s historic national headquarters, in Washington, D.C. in the passage of newborn hearing screening legislation in Nevada, which took effect in 2002. Since 2006, along with a team of volunteers, she has helped revive the AG Bell Nevada Chapter, which received the Chapter Education Award at the AG Bell 2008 Biennial Convention. With the guidance of the John Tracy Clinic she started and runs a monthly support group for parents of children with hearing loss.

of your child’s device, such as updates to mapping for a cochlear implant; take guidance and direction from qualified educators; continue on-going speech therapy; and get involved in a support group that connects you to others on the same journey. Support groups help both the child and the family. Also, if listening and spoken language is your outcome, it is time sensitive, so get busy! While the first few years will feel non-stop, the pace won’t last forever and the rewards are worth it. For me, AG Bell and the John Tracy Clinic were the best resources for these early years. A.G.: What’s it like to be a leader at the grassroots level? C.A.: Two words come to mind when I think of volunteer grassroots leadership: disheartened and awakened. First, disheartened. We live in a “quick fix” society and everyone from parents to hearing specialists to educators need to be reminded that listening and language will not have instant results. Everyone involved in the journey needs to be dedicated to the work ethics that produce the proven results for a child with hearing loss. For example, in the 1990s when a family went through the candidacy evaluation for receiving the cochlear implant, follow-up therapy was mandatory, almost as important as the surgery itself. This type of counseling is not consistently happening today. We need to paint the whole picture for families and professionals. Hearing technologies are not a quick fix. They offer ongoing solutions that allow individuals to reach their potential, but along the way there will be many hills to climb. But it is so worth the climb! As a leader, I feel awakened. 2010 is a different age for families, individuals and professionals who deal with hearing loss. The sky is really the limit for opportunities and options as early detection and intervention are VOLTA VOICES • M AY / JU NE 201 0

producing amazing results. At times it is exhausting, but when you see lives being changed and potential being reached, it’s rewarding! A.G.: To what do you attribute the success of the Nevada Chapter? C.A.: Passion, relationships and hard work – in that order! Passion drives the relationships and hard work. The Nevada Chapter was originally founded in 1997 and in 2006, Cathy Cottle and Kim Sorenson (a mother of a daughter with hearing loss and professional in our local school district) approached my husband, Arnie, and me about rekindling the Chapter. It was the combined passion, talents and gifts of the above individuals that turned this spark into a flame. It’s not a one-man show and it’s not about a title or position. It’s about embracing a worthy cause and working together to make something happen. We let the mission statement of AG Bell, “Advocating Independence through Listening and Talking,” be our guide. Everything we do, from educa-

tion to purpose-driven events and support meetings, reflects the mission statement. Tap into your community for support by forming relationships and educating others about AG Bell’s mission. You will be amazed how many caring people and companies will partner along side of you. And don’t forget those seasoned families, the ones that have been on the journey for a while. Their lives might be a little more flexible to help here or there. Lastly, our Chapter looks different than it did four years ago. We just keep adjusting to meet the needs of our local Chapter members. A.G.: Are there any issues on the horizon for families living in the presence of hearing loss that AG Bell should address? C.A.: During this journey of raising and educating our children with hearing loss, there will always be issues. For the past 100+ years AG Bell has reached out to the professionals, individuals and families affected by hearing loss. What can AG Bell the organization do and

continue to do to help in this area? Just recently, being appointed to the board of directors, I attended my first board meeting at the Volta Bureau building, AG Bell’s historic national headquarters in Washington, D.C. There was something very magical about sitting in the building that Alexander Graham Bell built. For me, it was a reminder to never forget where we came from and to look with great anticipation on where we are going. So, back to the question…I say keep doing what you are doing! AG Bell has been providing resources and quality information that brings about education, hope and change. The AG Bell Academy is vital because it equips and certifies educators and therapists to work with our children in this everchanging area. Please, don’t lose the passion this organization was built on and continues to thrive on. Editor’s Note: To learn more about the AG Bell Nevada Chapter, read “AG Bell Chapters: Community Building” on page 24 or visit www.agbellnv.com.

Are you tired of saying “What?” while on the phone? Free Captioned Telephone Services by Sprint CapTel® enables individuals with hearing loss to read what their caller says, while they speak and listen on the phone. Come to Booth #215. Try our Sprint CapTel® 800i and Sprint WebCapTel®. You will be amazed! For more information about Sprint Captioned Telephone products and services, visit: sprintrelay.com/captioned_telephone

Although CapTel can be used for emergency calling, such emergency calling may not function the same as traditional 911/E911 services. By using CapTel for emergency calling, you agree that Sprint is not responsible for any damages resulting from errors, defects, malfunctions, interruptions or failures in accessing or attempting to access emergency services through CapTel; whether caused by the negligence of Sprint or otherwise. Other restrictions apply. ©2010 Sprint. Sprint and logos are trademarks of Sprint. CapTel is a registered trademark of Ultratec, Inc. Other registration marks are the property of their respective owners.

VOLTA VOICES • MAY / JU NE 201 0

kid's zone

Around the World By Harrison Hansen

The Lone Sounds of Life My life as the only student who is hard of hearing in my school can sometimes feel like a bottomless pit of confusion. It is not

Photo Credit: Hansen Family

y son, Harrison, is 14 years old, has mild-to-moderate hearing loss in one ear and a moderate loss in the other, and uses bilateral hearing aids to access sound. He has always been the only kid in his school with a hearing loss, first in preschool, then elementary school and now junior high school. Having a hearing loss hasn’t slowed him down. He is active in sports, has good friends and does well in school. He was the first student with hearing loss in memory to be accepted into the gifted and talented program while in elementary school. He now attends East Junior High and the Treasure Valley Math and Science Center in Boise, Idaho, and hopes to be a marine biologist or veterinarian someday. He gets good grades, but has to work hard to do things that his friends who have typical hearing take for granted. The stress and frustration can be overwhelming. With each new school year, he faces the challenges of unfamiliar teachers who probably have never worked with a student who is deaf or hard of hearing before, and classmates who have never had a peer with a hearing loss. Classroom amplification systems have helped, but haven’t always worked. In general, he has been lucky. Most of his teachers are supportive and have gone above and beyond to accommodate his hearing loss. But every year, new problems pop up and he has to learn to cope. And, as has been true his whole life, he starts each year as the only kid in school with a hearing loss. This year, his English teacher, Gloria Webb, assigned his class to write an article or essay for submission to an outside publication. Harrison decided to write about the isolation he sometimes feels in his own life. – Joan Hansen, Harrison’s mother

(From L to R): Samantha, Harrison (holding Winslo), Jim and Joan Hansen.

always that bad, but it is a struggle. I miss a lot of sounds. I often don’t even know if I have missed a sound, sometimes at my own expense. My life at school is defined by what I hear, what I don’t hear and how I learn to cope with the differences. When I meet new people, they do not always notice my hearing aids. They often do not understand why I do things in a different way, and it may seem weird to them. They will shout at me because they think I am doing something wrong, even though it is just the way I do things. Sometimes, even when they do notice my hearing aids, they will still shout at me. They think I am just being “difficult” or I am lying about my hearing loss. They think I am dumb or don’t have any “feelings” because I can’t hear well. In school, I struggle with how some teachers act. They cannot seem to adjust to having a student who is hard of hearing. For example, even though my par-

ents and I have asked them not to, they will do things like speak facing the board and not toward the class. The sound just bounces off the board and away from me. I can only hear a bit of what they say. I can’t understand those lone bits of sound if they don’t talk to me. Teachers will also sometimes change assignments orally and I will miss what they say. Then, when I turn in the assignment, I get marked down or get an “incompletion” grade, even if I have everything else correct. This makes me feel sad and confused because I try so hard, but I don’t seem to meet their standards. It is not that I cannot do the work, but I need to do it my way. It takes a lot of extra energy to do simple things, like listen to a lecture or take notes on a video that is not closed-captioned. If I cannot see the notes or the information the teachers are trying to pass on to me, I find it harder to understand. VOLTA VOICES • M AY / JU NE 201 0

Photo Credit: Hansen Family

I have learned how to cope with the frustrations of being hard of hearing. I spend time with family and friends who understand me. I am also active in sports, like basketball, soccer and tennis, and that helps, but it is not without problems. Occasionally while playing basketball, I will receive a technical foul because I can not hear the referee, and once a soccer coach threatened to kick me off the team because I couldn’t hear him. Surprisingly, there are some advantages to being hard of hearing. When I sleep without my hearing aids, noises don’t wake me up. I sleep well and have lots of energy when I wake up. The only bad part, of course, is actually having to get up. In school, I find it easy to focus when I take my hearing aids out. Also, I can turn my hearing aids off if my parents are nagging me. Of course that just makes them mad but, after all, I am a little bit of a teenager (but not too much of one). There are advantages and disadvantages to being the only student who is hard of hearing in my school. Once I explain my hearing loss, most people understand

Harrison Hansen performs on the viola at a school concert. Harrison has a moderate hearing loss and uses hearing aids to access sound.

and treat me fairly. Good teachers, good coaches and other school officials have helped me thrive. I have challenges to overcome, but so does everyone else, each

in their own way. I may be the only kid who is hard of hearing in my school, but as I listen to the lone sounds of my life, they tell me I am not alone.

New Name

Formerly Clarke School for the Deaf/Center for Oral Education, we recently changed our name to Clarke Schools for Hearing and Speech. This change reflects our distinct mission of teaching children who are deaf and hard of hearing how to listen and talk; and it also highlights our multiple locations—which continue to grow!

New Look

We have also changed our logo to a vibrant mark celebrating the growth and success of Clarke children. Each day, we watch and listen to them as they blossom—gaining confidence and acquiring the ability to reach their full potential.

Same Mission

While Clarke has a new name and a new look, our mission remains unchanged: Providing children who are deaf and hard of hearing with the listening, learning and spoken language skills they need to succeed.

clarkeschools.org

Boston • Jacksonville • New York • Northampton • Philadelphia

VOLTA VOICES • MAY / JU NE 201 0

Directory of Services

Directory of Services n Alabama Alabama Ear Institute, 300 Office Park Drive, Suite

210, Birmingham, AL 35223 • (205-879-4234 – voice) • (205-879-4233-fax) – www.alabamaearinstitute.org AEI Auditory-Verbal Mentoring Program - Training in spoken language development utilizing the A-V approach w/ continuing education workshops & mentoring by LSLS Cert AVTs. AEI Summer Institute in AuditoryVerbal 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

85028 • 602-224-0598 (voice) • 602-224-2460 (fax) • info@desertvoices.phxcoxmail.com (email). Emily Lawson, Executive Director. Oral school for deaf and hard-of-hearing children from birth to nine years of age. Programs include Birth to Three therapy, Toddler Group, and full day Educational Program. Other services include parent education classes, speech and language evaluations, parent organization and student teacher placements. Desert Voices is a Moog Curriculum school.

n California Auditory Oral School of San Francisco, 1234

Divisadero, San Francisco, CA 94115 • 415-921-7658 (voice) • 415-921-2243 (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, 10623 Emerson

Bend, Tustin, CA 92782 • 714-573-2143 (voice) • email 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.

Auditory-Verbal Therapy Services, 980 E.

Mountain Street, Pasadena, CA 91104 • 626-798-3903 (voice) • bsackett_certavt@live.com (e-mail). Beatriz Sackett, M.S. Ed., LSLS Cert AVT, bilingual English and Español. Offering Auditory-Verbal Therapy services to children ages six and above and their families. Services provided to children with hearing aids and/or cochlear implants. Llámeme para hablar de su hijo(a) y de cómo la terapia Auditiva-Verbal les podría ayudar.

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.

Children’s Choice for Hearing and Talking, CCHAT Center – Sacramento, 11100 Coloma

Listen and Learn, 4340 Stevens Creek Blvd., Suite

Echo Horizon School, 3430 McManus Avenue, Culver City, CA 90232 • 310-838-2442 (voice) • 310838-0479 (fax) • 310-202-7201 (tty) • www.oraldeafed. org/schools/echo/index.html • www.echohorizon.org • 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.

No Limits Speech and Language Educational Center and Theatre Program, 9801 Washington

Blvd., 2nd Floor, Culver City, CA 90232 • 310-280-0878, 800-948-7712 • www.nolimitsspeaksout.org • 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.

HEAR Center, 301 East Del Mar Blvd., Pasadena,

Oralingua School for the Hearing Impaired,

Road, Rancho Cordova, Ca 95670 • 916-361-7290 (voice). Laura Turner, Principal. An auditory/oral day school educating children and their families from birth through early elementary grades. Other programs include adult cochlear implant support, 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.

CA 91101 • 626-796-2016 (voice) • 626-796-2320 (fax) • Specializing in audiological services for all ages. Auditory-Verbal individual therapy, birth to 21 years.

HEAR to Talk, 547 North June Street, Los Angeles,

CA 90004 • 323-464-3040 (voice) • Sylvia@hear2talk. com (e-mail) • www.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 94062 • 650-365-7500 (voice) • jwposd@jwposd. org (e-mail) • www.oraldeafed.org/schools/jwposd (website) Kathleen Daniel Sussman, Executive Director; Pamela Musladin, Principal. An auditory/oral program where deaf and hard of hearing children listen, think and talk! Cognitive based program from birth through mainstreaming into 1st or 2nd grade. Students develop excellent language, listening and social skills with superior academic competencies. Cochlear Implant Habilitation, mainstream support services and Family Center offering special services for infants, toddlers and their families.

John Tracy Clinic, 806 West Adams Blvd., L.A., CA 90007 • 213-748-5481 • 800-522-4582 (parents) • www.jtc.org • 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.

107, San Jose, CA 95129 • 408-345-4949 • 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.

North Campus – 7056 S. Washington Avenue, Whittier, CA 90602 – 562-945-8391 (voice) 562-945-0361 (fax) info@oralingua.org (email) www.oralingua.org (website) South Campus – 221 Pawnee Street, San Marcos, CA 92078 – 760-471-5187 (voice) 760-591-4631 (fax) Where Children are Listening and Talking! An auditory/oral program serving children from infancy to 11 years old. Audiological, Speech, Itinerant, AVI Therapy, and other related Designated Instructional Services available. Contact Elisa J. Roche, Executive Director.

Training and Advocacy Group for Deaf & Hard of Hearing Children and Teens (TAG), 11693 San

Vicente Blvd. #559, Los Angeles, CA 90049, 310-339-7678, tagkids@aol.com, www.tagkids.org. Leah Ilan, Executive Director. Offers free group meetings for ddh children and teens from 5th grade through high school to provide socialization and advocacy training. Half-day workshops for high school seniors are given to prepare students for college or employment. Groups are held in schools during weekdays and in the community during the weekends. The sessions are each two hours long with 8-12 participants. Parent workshops and special extracurricular outings are also offered throughout the school year.

West Coast Cued Speech Programs, 348 Cernon St., Suite D, Vacaville, CA 95688 • 707-4484060 (voice/TTY) • www.cuedspeech.org • A resource center serving deaf and hard-of-hearing children and their families. Cued Speech training available to schools/agencies.

Let’s Talk About It 207 Santa Anita Street, #300,

San Gabriel, CA • 91776 - 626-695-2965 (voice) • bklauss.avt@gmail.com (email) • Bridgette Klaus, M.S. Ed., LSLS Cert. AVT. 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.

40 VOLTA VOICES • M AY / JU NE 201 0

Directory of Services n Colorado

n Connecticut

Bill Daniels Center for Children’s Hearing, The Children’s Hospital - Colorado, Depart ment of Audiology, Speech Pathology and Learning Services, 13123 East 16th Avenue,

CREC Soundbridge, 123 Progress Drive,

B030 Aurora, CO 80045 • www.thechildrenshospital. org (website) • 720-777-6531(voice) • 720-777-6886 (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 80113 • 303-783-9220 (voice) • 303-806-6292 (fax) • www. rockymountainearcenter.com (website). We provide a full range of neurotology and audiology services for all ages, ranging from infants to seniors. Using a multidisciplinary approach, our board-certified otologist and doctors of audiology test and diagnose hearing, balance, facial nerve and ear disorders and we provide full-service hearing aid, cochlear implant and BAHA services. We offer medical and surgical treatment as well as language therapy and support groups, and are actively involved in various research studies.

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Wethersfield, CT 06109 • 860- 529-4260 (voice/ TTY) • 860-257-8500 (fax) • www.crec.org/soundbridge (website). Dr. Elizabeth B. Cole, Program Director. Comprehensive audiological and instructional services, birth through post-secondary, public school settings. Focus on providing cutting-edge technology for optimal auditory access and listening in educational settings and at home, development of spoken language, development of self advocacy – all to support each individual’s realization of social, academic and vocational potential. Birth to Three, Auditory-Verbal Therapy, integrated preschool, intensive day program, direct educational and consulting services in schools, educational audiology support services in all settings, cochlear implant mapping and habilitation, diagnostic assessments, and summer programs.

New England Center for Hearing Rehabilitation (NECHEAR), 354 Hartford

Turnpike, Hampton, CT 06247 • 860-455-1404 (voice) • 860-455-1396 (fax) • Diane Brackett. Serving infants, children and adults with all degrees of hearing loss. Speech, language, listening evaluation for children using hearing aids and cochlear implants. Auditory-Verbal therapy; Cochlear implant candidacy evaluation, pre- and post-rehabilitation, and creative individualized mapping. Post-implant rehabilitation for adults with cochlear implants, specializing in prelingual onset. Mainstream school support, including onsite consultation with educational team, rehabilitation planning and classroom observation. Comprehensive audiological evaluation, amplification validation and classroom listening system assessment.

n Florida Bolesta Center, Inc, 7205 North Habana Avenue, Tampa, FL 33614 • 813-932-1184 (voice) • 813-9329583 (fax) • jhorvath@bolestacenter.org (email) • 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.

D I R E C T O R Y

O F

S E R V I C E S

Directory ofUniversity Services of Michigan Cochlear Implant

SoundWorks for Children, 18 South Main Street, Topsfield, MA 01983 • 978-887-1284 (voice) • soundworksforchildren@verizon.net (e-mail) • Jane E. Driscoll, MED, program Clarke Schools for Director. HearingSatellite and Speech/ serving Southern9857 Maine. Katelyn Driscoll, MED, St. Augustine Rd., Jacksonville, Jacksonville, Program A comprehensive non-profit FL 32257 Coordinator. • 904/880-9001 (voice/TTY)• info@ program dedicated to the development of •auditoryclarkeschools.org, • www.clarkeschools.org Susan oral skillsDirector. in children who families are deafwith or hard-of-hearing. G. Allen, Serving children Specializing in cochlear implant habilitation and with hearing loss, services include early intervention, offering preschool, a full continuum of inclusionary support toddler, PreK/kindergarten, primary, modelssupport, from preschool through highspeech school. Early parent individual listening, and Intervention services social/self-advocacy groups language services, and and cochlear implant habilitation for mainstreamed students are offered at our Family and mainstream support. Center. Summer programs, in-service training, and consultation available. Orange County Auditory-Oral Program for the Hearing Impaired, Kaley Elementary School, 1600 East Kaley St., Orlando, FL 32806 • 407-897-6420 n Michigan (voice) • 407-897-2407 (fax) • www.eak.ocps.k12.fl.us • Monroe Available toCounty residentsProgram of Orangefor andHearing Lake Counties. We 3145 Prairie Ida, MI grade Impaired Children, have self-contained classes PreK (3 & 4St., yrs) to 5th 48140-9778 • 734-269-3875 (voice/TTY) • with partial and full-time mainstream options. 734-269-3885 (fax) • whitman@ida.k12.mi.us (e-mail) • www.misd.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, 18499 Beech Daly

Rd. Redford, MI 48240 • 313-242-3510 (voice) • 313-242-3595 (fax) • 313-242-6286 (tty) • Dorothea B. French, Ph.D., Director. Auditory/oral day program serves 80 center students/250 teacher consultant students. Birth to 25 years of age.

Program, 475 Market Place, Building 1 Suite A,

Ann Arbor, MI 48108 • 734-998-8119 (voice/tty) • 734-998-8122 (fax) • www.med.umich.edu/oto/ci/ n Georgia (website) • Terry Zwolan, Ph.D. Director • zwolan@med.umich.edu (email). A multidisciplinary Atlantathat Speech School – Katherine Hamm program provides audiology, speech-language Parkway, Atlanta, Center, 3160 pathology, and Northside medical services toNW children with GA 30327 - 404-233-5332 3119 (voice/TTY) severe to profound hearingext. impairment. Services 404-266-2175 (fax) scarr@atlspsch.org http:// include pre-operative determination of(email) candidacy, www.atlantaspeechschool.org (website)programming A Listening surgical management, post-operative and audiological Spoken Language program serving children and management, speech-language who are deafand or hard of hearing from infancy totherapy, evaluations provision of Auditory-Verbal elementary school age. Children receive provided languageand educational outreach and support rich lessons andfrom highly individualized by a joint grant the University ofinstruction Michigan in a nurturing environment. Teachers Department of Otolaryngology andand thestaff Statework of closely with parents instill the knowledge and Michigan - our SoundtoSupport program: confidence children need to reach their full potential. www.med.umich.edu/childhearinginfo/. Early intervention programs, audiological support services, auditory-verbal therapy, mainstreaming n Minnesota opportunities, and independent educational evaluations. Metro Established in 1938. Northeast #916 Auditory / Oral Program, 701 West County Road “B”, Roseville, Auditory-Verbal Center, Inc -(voice). Atlanta, Minnesota 55113 • 651-415-5399 The1901 Century of Boulevard, Suiteis20, mission the program toAtlanta, provide GA an 30345, intensive 404-633-8911 • 404-633-6403 (fax)hearing. • listen@ oral education (voice) to children with impaired avchears.org (email) • www.avchears.org (website). Centered-based services are provided in a least Auditory-Verbal - Macon, 2720 Sheraton restrictive publicCenter, schoolInc environment, combining Drive, Suite D-240, Macon, GA 31204 • 478-471-0019 oral specific early intervention services within the (voice). A comprehensive Auditory-Verbal program for mainstream setting for students pre-school through children with age. hearing impairments andand their families. kindergarten Birth to 3 services parent/child Home Center and Practicum programs provide groups are tailored to meet Site identified needs. Parent intensive A-V training for families and professionals. and professional workshops are offered. Referrals Complete audiological servicesdistrict for children and the adults. are through the local school in which Assistive listening devices demonstration center. family live.

Northern Voices, 1660 West County Road B,

Roseville, MN 55113-1714 • 651-639-2535 (voice) • 651-639-1996 (fax) • director@northernvoices.org (e-mail) • Kristina Executive Director. Georgia Relay, Blaiser, 866-787-6710 (voice) • garelay@ Northern Voices is a(email) nonprofit early education center hamiltonrelay.com • www.georgiarelay.org focused on creating a positive environment (website). Georgia Relay provides services thatwhere enable children withare hearing lossofand their families learn people who deaf, hard hearing, deaf-blind and to communicate through the use of spoken language. speech impaired to place and receive calls via a standard Our goal is for to become fluent oral telephone. Freestudents specialized telephones are available communicators and to join their hearing peers in a to applicants who financially and medically qualify traditional classroom at their neighborhood schools. through the Georgia Telecommunications Equipment Distribution Program (TEDP). Georgia Relay is easily by dialing 7-1-1 and is overseen by the Georgia naccessed Mississippi Public Service Commission. DuBard School for Language Disorders,

The University of Southern Mississippi, 118 College n Idaho Drive #10035, Hattiesburg, MS 39406-0001 • 601-266-5223 (voice) • Services dubard@usm.edu • Idaho Educational for the(e-mail) Deaf and www.usm.edu/dubard Maureen K. Martin, Ph.D., Gooding, ID 83330 • the Blind, 1450 Main•Street, CCC-SLP, CED, (V/TTY) Director••208 The934 school a clinical 208 934 4457 8352is(fax) • isdb@isdb. division of (e-mail). the Department of Speech and idaho.gov IESDB serves birth to 21Hearing year old Sciences and serves children from birth to ageon-site, 13 in youth with hearing loss through parent-infant, itsand state-of-the-art facility. Working collaboratively outreach programs. Options include auditory/oral with 22 public school districts, the school specializes programs for children using spoken language birth inthrough coexisting language disorders, speech learning disabilities/ second grade. Audiology, instruction, dyslexia and speech disorders, such as apraxia, auditory development, and cochlear implant through its non-graded, habilitation is provided. 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

V OLTA V OIC E S • M A CAY H/ /AJU P RNE I L 2009 VOICES • RM 201 0 44 VOLTA 42

Directory of Services n Illinois Alexander Graham Bell Montessori School (AGBMS), www.agbms.org • 847-297-4660 (voice) • agbms1@comcast.net (email). Alternatives in Education for the Hearing Impaired (AEHI) • www.aehi.org (website) • 847-

297-3206 (voice) • info@aehi.org (email) • 2020 E. Camp McDonald Road, Mount Prospect, IL 60056 • 847-297-4660. 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) 595-8200 (voice) (630) 595-8282 (fax) - info@childsvoice.org (email) http://www. childsvoice.org (website). Michele Wilkins, Ed.D., LSLS Cert. AVEd., Executive Director. A Listening and Spoken Language program for children birth to age 8. Cochlear implant (re) habilitation, audiology services and mainstream support services provided. Early intervention for birth to age three with parent-infant and toddler classes and home based services offered. Parent Support/Education classes provided. Child’s Voice is a Moog Curriculum school.

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n I ndiana

n Maryland

St. Joseph Institute for the Deaf – Indianapolis, 9192 Waldemar Road, Indianapolis,

The Hearing and Speech Agency’s Auditory/ Oral Center, 5900 Metro Drive, Baltimore, MD

IN 46268 • (317) 471-8560 (voice) • (317) 471-8627 (fax) • www.sjid.org; touellette@sjid.org (email) • 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 66215

• 913-383-3535 (voice) • 913-383-0320 (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.)

21215 • (voice) 410-318-6780 • (TTY) 410-318-6759 • (fax) 410-318-6759 • Email: hasa@hasa.org • Website: www.hasa.org. 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.

Directory of Services n Massachusetts

n Michigan

Auditory-Verbal Communication Center (AVCC), 544 Washington Street, Gloucester, MA,

Monroe County Program for Hearing Impaired Children, 3145 Prairie St., Ida, MI 48140-

01930 • 978-282-0025 (phone) • avcc@avcclisten.com (e-mail) • www.avcclisten.com • Listening and Spoken Language Specialists: James G. Watson, MSc, CED, Cert. AVT, and Lea D. Watson, MS, CCC-SLP, Cert. AVT. AVCC is a husband-wife team offering parent guidance for infants and preschoolers, school support, adult therapy, world-wide consultation for programs, distance (online) therapy for families, supervision and training (online) for professionals aiming at certification from the AG Bell Academy for Listening and Spoken Language.

Clarke Schools for Hearing and Speech/ Boston Area, 1 Whitman Road, Canton, MA 02021

• 781-821-3499 (voice) • 781-821-3904 (tty) • info@ clarkeschools.org, www.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).

Clarke Schools for Hearing and Speech/ Northampton, 47 Round Hill Rd, Northampton, MA

01060 • 413-584-3450 (voice/tty) • info@clarkeschools. org, www.clarkeschools.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 01983 • 978-887-8674 (voice) • soundworksforchildren@verizon.net (e-mail) • Jane E. Driscoll, MED, Director. A comprehensive, non-profit program dedicated to the development of auditoryverbal skills in children who are deaf or hard-ofhearing. 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.

9778 • 734-269-3875 (voice/TTY) • 734-269-3885 (fax) • whitman@ida.k12.mi.us (e-mail) • www.misd.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, 18499 Beech Daly Rd.

Redford, MI 48240 • 313-242-3510 (voice) • 313-2423595 (fax) • 313-242-6286 (tty) • Dorothea B. French, Ph.D., Director. Auditory/oral day program serves 80 center students/250 teacher consultant students. Birth to 25 years of age.

n Minnesota Northeast Metro #916 Auditory / Oral Program, 701 West County Road “B”, Roseville,

Minnesota 55113 • 651-415-5399 (voice). The mission of the program is to provide an intensive oral education to children with impaired hearing. Centered-based services are provided in a least restrictive public school environment, combining oral specific early intervention services within the mainstream setting for students pre-school through kindergarten age. Birth to 3 services and parent/child groups are tailored to meet identified needs. Parent and professional workshops are offered. Referrals are through the local school district in which the family live.

Northern Voices, 1660 W. County Road B, Roseville,

MN, 55113-1714, 651-639-2535 (voice), 651-639-1996 (fax), director@northernvoices.org (email), 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 39406-0001 • 601-2665223 (voice) • dubard@usm.edu (e-mail) • www.usm. 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 39209 • 601-922-5530 (voice) • 601-922-5534 (fax) • sullivandirector@comcast.net (e-mail) • www.oraldeaf.org • 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 63110 314-977-0132 (voice) • 314-977-0037 (tty) • lberkowitz@cid.edu (email) • www.cid.edu (website) Lynda Berkowitz/Barb Lanfer, co-principals. Child- and family-friendly learning environment for children birth-12; exciting adapted curriculum incorporating mainstream content; Family Center for infants and toddlers; expert mainstream preparation in the CID pre-k and primary programs; workshops and educational tools for professionals; close affiliation with Washington University deaf education and audiology graduate programs. The Moog Center for Deaf Education, 12300

South Forty Drive, St. Louis, MO 63141 • 314-6927172 (voice) • 314-692-8544 (fax) • www.moogcenter. org (website) • Betsy Moog Brooks, 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 65203 • 573-4461981(voice) • 573-446-2031 (fax) • Judith S. Harper, CCC SLP, Director • jharper@moogschool.org (e-mail). 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.

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Directory of Services St. Joseph Institute for the Deaf – St. Louis, 1809 Clarkson Road, Chesterfield, MO 63017;

(636) 532-3211 (voice/TYY); (636) 532-4560 (fax); www.sjid.org; mdaniels@sjid.org, Mary Daniels, M.A., Principal • mdaniels@sjid.org. An independent, Catholic auditory-oral school serving hearing impaired children birth through the eighth grade. Auditoryoral 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.

1110 N. 66 St., Omaha, NE 68132 402-558-1546 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 Hampshire HEAR in New Hampshire, 11 Kimball Drive, Suite

103, Hooksett, NH 03106 • 603-624-4464 (voice) • www.HEARinNH.org • Lynda S. French, Director. New Hampshire’s only auditory-oral school for children who are deaf or hard of hearing. HEAR in NH serves children with all degrees of hearing loss from infancy through high school. Programs offered include parent/child play groups, preschool, pre-kindergarten, kindergarten and itinerant services for children in their community schools. Summer services, parent education/support, speech/language services and professional workshops are available.

n New Jersey HIP and SHIP of Bergen County Special Services - Midland Park School District, 41

E. Center Street, Midland Park, N.J. 07432 • 201-3438982 (voice) • kattre@bergen.org (email) • Kathleen Treni, Principal. An integrated, comprehensive preK-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 07046 • 973-299-0166 (voice/tty) • 973-299-9405 (fax) • www.mtlakes.org/ld. • Trish Filiaci, MA, CCC-SLP, Principal. An innovative program that brings hearing children and children with hearing loss together in a rich academic environment. Auditory/oral programs include: early intervention, preschool, kindergarten, parent support, cochlear implant habilitation, itinerant services, OT, PT and speech/language services. Self-contained to full range of inclusion models available.

Speech Partners, Inc. 26 West High Street,

Somerville, NJ 08876 • 908-231-9090 (voice) • 908-2319091 (fax) • nancy@speech-partners.com (email). Nancy V. Schumann, M.A., CCC-SLP, Cert. AVT. AuditoryVerbal Therapy, Communication Evaluations, SpeechLanguage Therapy and Aural Rehabilitation, School Consultation, Mentoring, Workshops.

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Directory of Services Summit Speech School for the HearingImpaired 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 07974 • 908-508-0011 (voice/TTY) • 908-508-0012 (fax) • info@summitspeech.org (email) • www.summitspeech.org (website) • Pamela Paskowitz, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, Executive Director. Programs include Early Intervention/Parent Infant (0-3 years), Preschool (3-5 years) and Itinerant Mainstream Support Services for children in their home districts. Speech and language, OT and PT and family support/family education services available. Pediatric audiological services are available for children birth-21 and educational audiology and consultation is available for school districts.

n New Mexico Presbyterian Ear Institute – Albuquerque, 415 Cedar Street SE, Albuquerque, NM 87106 • 505-224-7020 (voice) • 505-224-7023 (fax) • 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, CCCSpeech Language Pathology, 401 Littleworth

Lane, Sea Cliff, Long Island, NY 11579 • 516-671-9057 (voice). Auditory/Oral School of New York, 2164 Ralph Avenue & 3321 Avenue “M,” Brooklyn, NY 11234 • 718-531-1800 (voice) • 718-421-5395 (fax) • info@ auditoryoral.org (e-mail) • Pnina Bravmann, Program Director. A premier auditory/oral early intervention and preschool program servicing hearing impaired children and their families. Programs include: StriVright Early Intervention (home-based and center-based), preschool, integrated preschool classes with children with normal hearing, multidisciplinary evaluations, parent support, Auditory-Verbal Therapy, complete audiological services, cochlear implant habilitation, central auditory processing (CAPD) testing and therapy, mainstreaming, ongoing support services following mainstreaming.

Center for Hearing and Communication (formerly the League for the Hard of Hearing), 50 Broadway, 6th Floor, New York, NY

10004 • 917 305-7700 (voice) • 917-305-7888 (TTY) • 917-305-7999 (fax) • http://www.chchearing.org (website). Florida Office: 2900 W. Cypress Creek Road, Suite 3, Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33309 • 954-601-1930 (Voice) • 954-601-1938 (TTY) • 954-601-1399 (Fax). A leading center for hearing and communication services for people of all ages who 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 http://www.chchearing.org 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 10028

• 212/585-3500 (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.

Cleary School for the Deaf, 301 Smithtown Boulevard, Nesconset, New York 11767 • 631-588-0530 (voice/TTY) • 631-588-0016 (fax) • www.clearyschool. org • Kenneth Morseon, Superintendent; Ellen McCarthy, Principal. A state-supported program serving hearing impaired children birth to 21. Auditory/oral programs include Parent-Infant Program (school and home based) for children birth to 3, Auditory-Oral Reverse Inclusion Preschool Program for children 3 to 5 and Transition Program for children with cochlear implants who have a sign language base. Auditory/oral programs include daily individual auditory-based speech and language therapy, daily speech push-in, annual and on-going audiological and speech-language evaluations and parent training/ support. The mission of the Reverse Inclusion AuditoryOral Preschool Program is to best prepare children to enter kindergarten in their own school district. Classes consist of children with hearing loss and their normal hearing peers.



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412-924-1012

Lexington School for the Deaf, 26-26 75th Street, Jackson Heights, NY 11370 • 718-350-3300 (voice/tty) • 718-899-9846 (fax) • www.lexnyc.org • Dr. Regina Carroll, Superintendent, Ronni Hollander, Principal - rhollander@lexnyc.org (email). A statesupported program serving hearing impaired children in the Greater New York area from infancy through age 21. Auditory-Oral programs include the Deaf Infant Program (ages 0-3), Preschool classes (ages 3-6) and early Elementary classes. Auditory-Oral programs include daily speech, listening and language services, ongoing audiological support, coordination with hospital implant centers, evaluations and parent support. The school’s academic program follows the New York State standards. Music/Dance, Physical Education (and swimming), Art, Library, as well as technology are part of the school schedule. Long Island Jewish Medical Center: Hearing & Speech Center, 430 Lakeville Road, New Hyde

Park, NY 11042 • 718-470-8910 (voice) • 718-470-1679 (fax). Long Island Jewish Medical Center: Hearing & Speech Center. A complete range of audiological and speech-language services is provided for infants, children and adults at our Hearing and Speech Center and Hearing Aid Dispensary. The Center participates in the Early Intervention Program, Physically Handicapped Children’s Program and accepts Medicaid and Medicare. The Cochlear Implant Center provides full diagnostic, counseling and rehabilitation services to individuals with severe to profound hearing loss. Support groups for parents of hearing impaired children and cochlear implant recipients are available.

Mill Neck Manor School for the Deaf, GOALS (Growing Oral/Aural Language Skills) Program, 40 Frost Mill Road, Mill Neck, NY 11765

• 516-922-4100 (voice) • Mark R. Prowatzke, Ph.D., Executive Director, 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 11590 • 516-931-8507 (Voice) • 516-931-8596 (TTY) • 516-931-8566 (Fax) • www.nassauboces.org (Web) • JMasone@mail.nasboces.org (Email). Dr. Judy Masone, Principal. Provides full day New York State standards - based academic education program for children 3-21 within district-based integrated settings. An auditory/ oral or auditory/sign support methodology with a strong emphasis on auditory development is used at all levels. Itinerant services including auditory training and audiological support are provided to those students who are mainstreamed in their local schools. Services are provided by certified Teachers of the Hearing Impaired on an individual basis. The Infant/Toddler Program provides centerand home-based services with an emphasis on the development of auditory skills and the acquisition of language, as well as parent education and support. Center-based instruction includes individual and small group sessions, speech, parent meetings and audiological consultation. Parents also receive 1:1 instruction with teacher of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing on a weekly basis to support the development of skills at home. 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.

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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.

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“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: www.agbellacademy.org

Directory of Services 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 10010 • 646-438-7801 (voice). Comprehensive diagnostic and rehabilitative services for infants, children and adults including audiology services, amplification and FM evaluation and dispensing, cochlear implants, auditory/oral therapy, otolaryngology and counseling.

n North Carolina BEGINNINGS For Parents of Children Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing, Inc., 3714-A

Benson Drive, PO Box 17646, Raleigh, NC 27619 • 919-850-2746 (voice) • 919-850-2804 (fax) • raleigh@ ncbegin.org (e-mail) • Joni Alberg, Executive Director. BEGINNINGS provides emotional support, unbiased information, and technical assistance to parents of children who are deaf or hard of hearing, deaf parents with hearing children and professionals serving those families. BEGINNINGS assists parents of children from birth through age 21 by providing information and support that will empower them as informed decision makers, helping them access the services they need for their child, and promoting the importance of early intervention and other educational programs. BEGINNINGS believes that given accurate, objective information about hearing loss, parents can make sound decisions for their child about educational placement, communication methodology and related service needs.

CASTLE- Center for Acquisition of Spoken Language Through Listening Enrichment,

5501-A Fortunes Ridge Drive, Suite A, Durham, NC 27713 • 919-419-1428 (voice) • www.uncearandhearing. com/pedsprogs/castle An auditory/oral center for parent and professional education. Preschool and Early intervention services for young children including Auditory Verbal parent participation sessions. Hands-on training program for hearing-related professionals/ university students including internships, two week summer institute and Auditory Verbal Modules.

n Ohio Auditory Oral Children’s Center (AOCC),

5475 Brand Road, Dublin, OH 43017 • 614-5987335 (voice) • auditoryoral@columbus.rr.com (email) • http://auditoryoral.googlepages.com (website). AOCC is a non-profit auditory and spoken language development program for children with hearing loss. We offer a blended approach by combining an intensive therapy-based pre-school program integrated into a NAEYC preschool environment. Therapy is provided by an Auditory-Verbal Therapist, Hearing –Impaired Teacher, and Speech Language Pathologist. Birth to three intervention, and parent support services are also available.

Millridge Center/Mayfield Auditory Oral Program, 950 Millridge Road, Highland Heights,

OH 44143-3113 • 440-995-7300 (phone) • 440-9957305 (fax) • www.mayfieldschools.org • Louis A. Kindervater, Principal. Auditory/oral program with a ful continuum of services, birth to 22 years of age. Serving 31 public school districts in northeast Ohio. Early intervention; preschool with typically developing peers; parent support; individual speech, language, and listening therapy; audiological services; cochlear implant habilitation; and mainstreaming in the general education classrooms of Mayfield City School District.

Ohio Valley Voices, 6642 Branch Hill Guinea Pike, Loveland, OH 45140513-791-1458 (voice) • 513-7914326 (fax) • mainoffice@ohiovalleyvoices.org (e-mail) www.ohiovalleyvoices.org (website). Ohio Valley Voices teaches children who are deaf and hard of hearing how to listen and speak. The vast majority of our students utilize cochlear implants to give them access to sound, which in turn, allows them to learn and speak when combined with intensive speech therapy. We offer birth-to-age three program, a preschool through second grade program, a full array of on-site audiological services, parent education and support resources.

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Directory of Services n Oklahoma Hearts for Hearing, 3525 NW 56th Street,

Suite A-150, Oklahoma City, OK. • 73112 • 405548-4300 • 405-548-4350(Fax) • Comprehensive hearing healthcare program which includes pediatric audiological evaluations, management and cochlear implant mapping. Auditory-Verbal therapy, cochlear implant habilitation, early intervention, pre-school, summer enrichment services and family support workshops are also provided. Opportunities for family, professional education and consultations are provided. www.heartsforhearing.org

INTEGRIS Cochlear Implant Clinic at the Hough Ear Institute, 3434 NW 56th, Suite 101,

Oklahoma City, OK 73112 • 405-947-6030 (voice) • 405945-7188 (fax) • Amy.arrington@integris-health.com (email) • www.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 97202 • 503-235-6551(voice) • 503-2351711 (TTY) • tminfo@tmos.org (e-mail) • www.tmos. 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 18901 • 215-3482940 x1240 (voice) • 215-340-1639 (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.

Center for Childhood Communication at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, 3405

Civic Center Boulevard, Philadelphia 19104 • (800) 551-5480 (voice) • (215) 590-5641 (fax) • www.chop. edu/ccc (website). The CCC provides Audiology, SpeechLanguage 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 19010 • 610-525-9600 (voice/tty) • info@ clarkeschools.org, www.clarkeschool.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 19070 • 610-938-9000, ext. 2277 610938-9886 (fax) • mdworkin@dciu.org • Program Highlights: A publicly funded program for children with hearing loss in local schools. Serving children from birth through 21 years of age. Teachers of the deaf provide resource room support and itinerant hearing therapy throughout Delaware County, PA. Services also include audiology, speech therapy, cochlear implant habilitation (which includes LSLS Cert. AVT and LSLS Cert. AVEd), psychology and social work.

DePaul School for Hearing and Speech,

6202 Alder Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15206 • (412)9241012 (voice/TTY) • ll@depaulinst.com (email) • www. speakmiracles.org (website). Lillian r. Lippencott, Outreach Coordinator. DePaul, western Pennsylvania’s only auditory-oral school, has been serving families for 101 years. DePaul is a State Approved Private School and programs are tuition-free to parents and caregivers of approved students. Programs include: early intervention services for children birth to 3 years; a center-based toddler program for children ages 18 months to 3 years; a preschool for children ages 3-5 years and a comprehensive academic program for grades K-8. Clinical services include audiology, speech therapy, cochlear implant mapping/habilitation services, physical and occupational therapy, mainstreaming support, parent education programs and support groups. AV services are also available.

Western Pennsylvania School for the Deaf, 300 East Swissvale Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA

15218 • 412-244-4207 (voice) • 412-244-4251 (fax) • vcherney@wpsd.org (email) • www.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.

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Directory of Services n South Carolina The University of South Carolina Speech and Hearing Center, 1601 St. Julian Place, Columbia,

SC 29204 • 803-777-2614 (voice) • 803-253-4143 (fax) • Center Director: Danielle Varnedoe, daniell@sc.edu (e-mail). 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 (803-777-2669), Wendy Potts (803-777-2642) or Cheryl Rogers (803-777-2702).

n South Dakota South Dakota School for the Deaf (SDSD), 2001 East Eighth Street, Sioux Falls, South Dakota 57103, 605367-5200 (phone) or Video Relay or 605-367-5209 (Fax) www.sdsd@sdbor.edu (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 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 38138 • 901-7582228 (voice) • 901-531-6735 (fax) • www.mosdkids.org (website) • tschwartz@mosdkids.org (email). Teresa Schwartz, Executive Director. Parent-infant program, auditory/oral day school (ages 2 to 6), speech-language and cochlear implant therapy, mainstream services.

Vanderbilt Bill Wilkerson Center - National Center for Childhood Deafness and Family Communication, Medical Center East South Tower,

1215 21st Avenue South, Nashville, TN 372328718 • 615-936-5000 (voice) • 615-936-1225 (fax) • nccdfc@vanderbilt.edu (email) • www.mc.vanderbilt. edu/VanderbiltBillWilkersonCenter (web). Tamala Bradham, Ph.D., Director. The NCCDFC Service Division is an auditory learning program serving children with hearing loss from birth through 21 years. Services include educational services at the Mama Lere Hearing School at Vanderbilt as well as audiological and speech-language pathology services. Specifically, the Service Division includes audiological evaluations, hearing aid services, cochlear implant evaluations and programming, speech, language, and listening therapy, educational assessments, 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., 12700 Hillcrest Rd., Suite 207, Dallas, TX 75230 • 972387-2824 • 972-387-9097 (fax) • blisspeech@aol.com (e-mail) • Brenda Weinfeld Bliss, M.S., CCC-SLP/A, Cert. AVT®. Certified Auditory-Verbal Therapist® providing parent-infant training, cochlear implant rehabilitation, aural rehabilitation, school visits, mainstreaming consultations, information, and orientation to deaf and hard-of-hearing children and their parents.

FinAidAd_HALF PG_March10:1 3/9/10 12:19 PM Page 1

Every Child Deserves a Chance ...to Learn...to Grow...

to Hear from the Start

dvances in newborn hearing screening and early intervention detection and intervention A are giving more children with hearing loss the opportunity to learn to listen, talk and thrive along with their hearing peers. That’s why AG Bell offers programs designed to support children and youth with hearing loss who are pursuing spoken language education. PRESCHOOL-AGE FINANCIAL AID PROGRAM OPEN: MAY 1, 2010 DEADLINE: JULY 30, 2010

Eligibility criteria, program deadlines and applications are available at www.agbell.org. Email requests for an application to financialaid@agbell.org or fax to 202.337.8314.

TEL 202.337.5220 • www.agbell.org

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Directory of Services Callier Center for Communication Disorders/UT Dallas, Callier-Dallas Facility,

1966 Inwood Road, Dallas, TX, 75235 • 214-905-3000 (voice) • 214-905-3005 (tty) • Callier-Richardson Facility: 811 Synergy Park Blvd., Richardson, TX, 75080 • 972-883-3630 (voice) • 972-883-3605 (tty) • eloyce@utdallas.edu (email) • www.callier.utdallas.edu • Nonprofit organization, hearing evaluations, hearing aid dispensing, assistive devices, cochlear implant evaluations, psychology services, speech-language pathology services, child development program for children ages 6 weeks to 5 years.

The Center for Hearing and Speech, 3636 West Dallas, Houston, TX 77019 • 713-523-3633 (voice) • 713-874-1173 (TTY) • 713-523-8399 (fax) info@centerhearingandspeech.org (email) www.centerhearingandspeech.org (website) CHS serves children with hearing impairments from birth to 18 years. Services include: auditory/oral preschool; Audiology Clinic providing comprehensive hearing evaluations, diagnostic ABR, hearing aid and FM evaluations and fittings, cochlear implant evaluations and follow-up mapping; Speech-Language Pathology Clinic providing Parent-Infant therapy, AuditoryVerbal therapy, aural(re) habilitation; family support services. All services offered on sliding fee scale and many services offered in Spanish. Denise A. Gage, M.A., CCC, Cert. AVT© - Certified Auditory-Verbal Therapist, Speech-Language Pathologist, 3111 West

Arkansas Lane, Arlington, TX 76016-0378 • 817-4600378 (voice) • 817-469-1195 (metro/fax) • denise@ denisegage.com (email) • www.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,

103 Tuleta Dr., San Antonio, TX 78212 • 210-824-0579 • 210-826-0436 (fax). Founded in 1947, the auditory/ oral school promotes early identification of hearing loss and subsequent intervention, working with parents and children from infancy through high school. Audiological services include diagnostic hearing evaluations for children of all ages, hearing aid fitting, cochlear implant programming and habilitation, maintenance of soundfield and FM equipment in the classroom. Programs include the Newborn Hearing Evaluation Center, Parent-Infant Program, Hearing Aid Loaner and Scholarship Programs, and Educational Programs (three years of age through 12th grade mainstream), Speech Pathology, Counseling, and Assessment Services. For more information visit www.sunshinecottage.org.

n Utah Sound Beginnings of Cache Valley, Utah State University, 1000 Old Main Hill, Logan,

UT 84322-1000 • 435-797-0434 (voice) • 435-7970221 (fax) • www.soundbeginnings.usu.edu • lauri. nelson@usu.edu (email) • Lauri Nelson, Ph.D., Sound Beginnings Director • todd.houston@usu.edu (email) • K. Todd Houston, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, LSLS Cert. AVT, Graduate Studies Director. A comprehensive auditory learning program serving children with hearing loss and their families from birth through age five; early intervention services include home- and 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

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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 84404 • 801/6294714 (voice) for the Associate Superintendent for the Deaf • 801/629-4701 (tty) • www.usdb.org (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 Listen and Talk – Education for Children with Hearing Loss, 8610 8th Avenue, NE, Seattle,

WA, 98115 • 206-985-6646 (voice) • 206-985-6687 (fax) • hear@listentalk.org (e-mail) • www.listentalk. org (website). Maura Berndsen, Educational Director. Family-centered program teaches children with all degrees of hearing loss to listen, speak, and think in preparation for inclusion in neighborhood schools. Services include early intervention (0 to 3 yrs), Auditory-Verbal therapy (3 to school age), blended preschool/pre-K classes (3 to 5 yrs), and consultations. A summer program is offered in addition to services provided during the school year. The Listen For Life Center at Virginia Mason, 1100 9th Ave. MS X10-ON Seattle, WA

98111 - 206-223-8802 (voice) 206-223-6362 (TTY) 206-223-2388 (fax) lsnforlife@vmmc.org (email) http:// www.vmmc.org/listen (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,

10243 W. National Avenue, West Allis, WI 53227 414604-2200(Voice) 414-604-7200 (Fax) www.cdhh.org (Website) Amy Peters Lalios, M.A., CC-A, LSLS, Cert. AVT® as well as five LSLS Cert. AVEds. Nonprofit agency located in the Milwaukee area provides comprehensive auditory programming to individuals with hearing loss, from infants to the elderly. The Birth to Three program serves children from throughout Southeastern Wisconsin, including education in the home, toddler communication groups, and individual speech therapy. AV Therapy is also provided to school-age children locally as well as through an interactive long-distance therapy program. Pre- and post-cochlear implant training is provided for adults and communication strategies and speechreading is offered to individuals as well as in small groups.

INTERNATIONAL n Australia Telethon Speech & Hearing Centre for Children WA (Inc), 36 Dodd Street, Wembley

WA 6014, Australia • 61-08-9387-9888 (phone) • 61-08-9387-9888 (fax) • speech@tsh.org.au • www.tsh. org.au • Our oral language programs include: hearing impairment programs for children under 5 and school support services, Talkabout program for children with delayed speech and language, audiology services, Ear Clinic for hard to treat middle ear problems, Variety WA Mobile Children’s Ear Clinic, newborn hearing screening and Cochlear Implant program for overseas children. University of Newcastle, Graduate School.

GradSchool, Services Building, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, 2308, Australia • 61-2-49218856 (voice) • 61-2-49218636 (fax) • gs@newcastle.edu.au (email) • www.gradschool.com.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: www.gradschool.com.au, +61249218856, or email gs@newcastle.edu.au.

n Canada Montreal Oral School for the Deaf, 4670

St. Catherine Street, West, Westmount, QC, Canada H3Z 1S5 • 514-488-4946 (voice/ tty) • 514-488-0802 (fax) • info@montrealoralschool.com (email) • 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.

Saskatchewan Pediatric Auditory Rehabilitation Center (SPARC), Room 21, Ellis

Hall, Royal University Hospital, Saskatoon, SK, S7N 0W8, Canada • 306-655-1320 (voice) • 306-655-1316 (fax) • lynne.brewster@usask.ca (e-mail) • www.usask. ca/healthsci/sparc • Rehabilitative services including Auditory-Verbal Therapy for children with hearing impairments. (Birth through school age).

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, 604-437-0255 (voice), 604-437-1251 (tty), 604-437-0260 (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 • 0114-207383-3834 (voice) • 0114-207-383-3099 (fax) • info@ speechlang.org.uk (e-mail) • www.speech-lang.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)...................................................................................................................................................... 6 Central Institute for the Deaf .................................................................................................................................................................. 4 Clarke Schools for Hearing and Speech . ........................................................................................................................................... 39 DePaul School for Hearing and Speech ............................................................................................................................................. 46 DuBard School for Language Disorders . ........................................................................................................................................... 35 Ear Technology Corporation................................................................................................................................................................. 13 Harris Communications......................................................................................................................................................................... 43 Jean Weingarten Peninsula Oral School for the Deaf......................................................................................................................... 44 John Tracy Clinic ................................................................................................................................................................................... 42 Moog Center for Deaf Education.................................................................................................................................................... 18, 49 National Cued Speech Association . ..................................................................................................................................................... 5 National Technical Institute for the Deaf/RIT....................................................................................................................................... 41 Oticon Pediatrics ......................................................................................................................................................... Inside Front Cover Phonak LLC............................................................................................................................................................................ Back Cover Sorenson Communications .................................................................................................................................................................. 11 SoundAid Hearing Aid Warranties ....................................................................................................................................................... 48 Sound Clarity, Inc. ................................................................................................................................................................................. 15 Sprint CapTel ......................................................................................................................................................................................... 37 St. Joseph Institute for the Deaf....................................................................................................................................................... 17, 29 Sunshine Cottage School for Deaf Children........................................................................................................................................ 25 Tucker-Maxon Oral School.................................................................................................................................................................... 14 University of Newcastle - Graduate School (Australia) ...................................................................................................................... 45 AG Bell 2010 Biennial Convention ....................................................................................................................................................... 19 AG Bell – Academy for Listening & Spoken Language . .................................................................................................................... 47 AG Bell – Bookstore ................................................................................................................................................................................ 7 AG Bell – School-Age Financial Aid Program . ................................................................................................................................... 50

AB Welcomes Your Child to a World of Sound

“Our family is loving this journey to hearing with Cole and incredibly thankful for the technology Advanced Bionics has developed so that our son can hear our voices and even music since it’s such an integral part of our family’s life!” —John and Danice Burdett, parents of Cole, bilaterally implanted at 15 months

Real People Choose the Real Performance Leader John is a musician, educator, and Ph.D. candidate. He’s also a father who wants his son to experience the whole world of sound. As a parent who cares so deeply about music appreciation, John needs a reliable, high-performing cochlear implant system that will help his son enjoy the richness that music brings to life, which is why he chose AB. If your child has hearing loss, Advanced Bionics® offers The Listening Room™, an interactive online resource featuring an array of listening activities for your child. And if your child isn’t benefiting from hearing aids, then it’s time to consider a cochlear implant. 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 that’s built kid tough.

Contact AB for a FREE Bionic Ear Kit! 866.844.HEAR (4327) hear@AdvancedBionics.com AdvancedBionics.com/VoltaVoices Published studies available upon request. 3-01393

For significant improvement NEW top-end Naída IX of speech understanding in the formative years

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“Our research has found that SoundRecover and Dynamic FM help children hear and perform better in the real world. My Dynamic FM tests have proved that Dynamic FM optimises children‘s speech understanding in noisy environments, with a highly significant performance improvement over traditional FM systems. We have recently started fitting SoundRecover to children with different degrees of hearing loss, and are already seeing improvements in speech recognition and speech production.“ Professor Jace Wolfe, Director of Audiology Hearts for Hearing, Oklahoma, USA www.heartsforhearing.org