Volta Voices March-April 2012 Magazine by Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing

VOICES

A L e x A n d e r G r A h A m B e L L A s s o c i At i o n f o r t h e D e A f A n D h A r D o f h e A r i n g

March/April 2012

Access and Learning:

Making the Most of Modern Technology

W W W. AGBELL .ORG â&#x20AC;˘ VOL 19, ISSUE 2

Oticon Safari – built for a life of adventure

As the first truly dedicated family of hearing instruments designed specifically for children, there is a Safari model for any age, hearing loss and adventure. Safari comprises three BTE models - 312, 13 and 13 Super Power - each available at three price points with a three year warranty to make it easier to meet the needs of parents, too. With Streamer and ConnectLine, Safari also gives children from youngsters to teens new opportunities

to connect to TVs, PCs, mobile phones and mp3 players with far more ease than before.

Safari demonstrates true Child Friendly Hearing Care: • Extended bandwidth • Visual LED indicator • Easy connection to FM and personal electronics • Dedicated Pediatric fitting mode • Counseling and support materials for professionals, parents, children, teens and teachers

Learn more about Safari: Ask your hearing care professional or visit us on the web at www.oticonusa.com and www.making-it-easierUSA.com.

MArch/APriL 2012 Vo LU M e 19 issUe 2

VOICES V

Departments

Features 16

VOICES FROM AG BELL

Calling on the Move! By Jay Wyant

Learn about current mobile captioning technology and how to best utilize it on your smartphone and/or tablet device.

3 Advancing Our Community 5 Access, Technology and Research

Emerging Technology and Access: How the Center on Access Technology Is Leading the Way By Melody Felzien

Read about how the Center on Access Technology is utilizing modern technology to improve communication access for students with hearing loss in college or university.

TIPS FOR PARENTS 36 Our Journey into Deafness 24 HEAR OUR VOICES

Developing The Listening and Spoken Language Knowledge Center By Kevin Gauthier and Elizabeth Reed-Martinez

This article provides an exciting preview to AG Bell’s much-anticipated online Listening and Spoken Language Knowledge Center.

38 Nothing Stops Me

VERSIÓN EN ESPAÑOL

In Every Issue

Por Kevin Gauthier y Elizabeth Reed-Martínez

WANT TO WRITE FOR VOLTA VOICES?

VOICES CONTRIBUTORS

SOUNDBITES

DIRECTORY OF SERVICES

LIST OF ADVERTISERS

Desarrollo del Centro de Conocimiento sobre Audición y Lenguaje Oral Este artículo proporciona un adelanto emocionante del tan esperado Centro de Conocimiento sobre Audición y Lenguaje Oral en línea de AG Bell.

Advances in Understanding Auditory Function By Melody Felzien

Learn more about cutting-edge advances in understanding how hearing technology affects auditory function.

What the Research Shows: Parental Roles and Perspectives By Melody Felzien

A continuation of an ongoing article series highlighting research published in the most recent issues of The Volta Review.

ALex Ander

GrAhAm

BeLL

A s s o c i At i o 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 As sociation for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing

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

Volta Voices Staff Editor Melody Felzien National Sales Manager for Advertising, Exhibit and Sponsorship Sales James Boston, The Townsend Group Director of Communications and Marketing Susan Boswell, CAE Design and Layout EEI Communications AG Bell Board of Directors President Kathleen S. Treni (NJ) President-Elect Donald M. Goldberg, Ph.D., LSLS Cert. AVT (OH) Secretary-Treasurer Meredith K. Knueve, Esq. (OH) Immediate Past President John R. “Jay” Wyant (MN) Executive Director/CEO Alexander T. Graham (VA) Corrine Altman (NV) Christine Anthony, M.B.A. (IL) Rachel Arfa, Esq. (IL) Holly Clark (DC) Wendy Ban Deters, M.S., CCC-SLP (IL) Cheryl Dickson, M.Ed., LSLS Cert. AVT (Australia) Catharine McNally (VA) Ted Meyer, M.D., Ph.D. (SC)

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

Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing cannot issue or disseminate reprints, authorize copying by individuals and libraries, or authorize indexing and abstracting services to use material from the magazine. Art Submission Guidelines Volta Voices prefers digital images over original artwork. When submitting electronic files, please provide them in the following formats: TIF, EPS or JPG (no BMP or GIF images). Digital images must be at least 300 dpi (at size).

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

Submit Articles/Items to: Volta Voices Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing 3417 Volta Place, NW • Washington, DC 20007 Email: 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 in J/F, M/A, M/J, J/A, S/O and N/D. Periodicals postage is paid at Washington, DC, and other additional offices. Copyright ©2012 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 $115 domestic and $135 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: Advances in mobile and Internet technology provide more access options for individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing. Photo Credit: Shutterstock.com/Tyler Olson

VOICES FROM AG BELL

Advancing Our Community

his issue focuses on three areas at the very core of AG Bell’s mission that have dramatically changed the lives of children and adults with hearing loss within the past two decades – technology, research and advocacy. Think about how people with hearing loss use the telephone. The founder of the association, Alexander Graham Bell, invented the telephone as an “electrical speech machine” in 1876 to assist people who are deaf and hard of hearing. It wasn’t until the 1960s that James Marsters, Robert Weitbrecht and Andrew Saks succeeded in converting old teletype machines to the first TTY phones, and then advocated for relay services that would allow people with hearing loss to communicate over the telephone lines with those who had typical hearing. For many years, interaction on the telephone was slow and text-based. Today, people with hearing loss can speak for themselves over the phone with a relay service running unobtrusively in the background. Relay services can be accessed through Internet videoconferencing, web-based communication and captioned telephones. More recently, new options for communicating with others on-the-go are available using smartphones and tablets, which are quickly becoming ubiquitous. In fact, a recent AG Bell technology survey showed that nearly 60 percent of the respondents own a smartphone and 30 percent own a tablet computer. Think about how students with hearing loss access classroom communication. Advocacy by parents of students with disabilities, including hearing loss, played a key role in providing access to mainstream classrooms. As these parents fought to have their children educated in local public schools, their advocacy led to the passage of the Education for All Handicapped Children Act in 1975, which later became the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). The passage of the Rehabilitation

V O LTA V O ICES • MARCH /APRIL 201 2

Act of 1973 gave students the right to access and accommodations in secondary schools, colleges and universities. Technological advances allow students who use listening and spoken language to follow classroom dialogue and lectures in real time through the development of Communication Access Realtime Translation (CART) and C-Print. AG Bell is at the forefront of advocating for CART in the classroom and has filed two amicus briefs in federal courts of appeal to support access to a technology that is critical for giving students full access to classroom communication. In K.M. v. Tustin Unified School District, AG Bell filed a brief in support of K.M. who uses cochlear implants and speechreading to communicate and requested CART interpreting for her high school classes. The school district refused to do so, noting that K.M. could speechread well and was passing her classes. In Argenyi v. Creighton University, AG Bell supported Michael Argenyi, a student at Creighton University Medical School who has been deaf since infancy, grown up using listening and spoken language and now has a cochlear implant. Creighton rebuffed Argenyi’s request for CART, telling him to sit in the front row and speechread his professors

and to use a FM system. Argenyi spent nearly $100,000 of his own money to pay for CART interpreting. Argenyi filed suit and the district court ruled in the school’s favor, holding that Argenyi had not been denied access to medical school because he was passing his classes – albeit while paying for his own interpreting. In both cases, the Department of Justice has filed an amicus brief, essentially agreeing with AG Bell’s arguments. Both cases could have a widespread impact on accessibility for students seeking CART in the classroom and AG Bell will closely monitor the outcome. Think about how parents of children with hearing loss and adults with hearing loss connect and communicate. An issue on technology would not be complete without mention of cochlear implants, which are a life-changing technology for many adults and children. I received a cochlear implant in 1992 so I could hear my children’s and husband’s musical productions. The cochlear implant was a miracle in my life that gave me greater access to conversation, television and music. In 2004, I opted to become a bilateral cochlear implant user, which has made my life easier and fuller. I recently uprgraded to a new processor and continue to hear many new sounds.

Auditory-Verbal Center, Inc. Teaching children who are deaf or hard of hearing to hear and speak without the use of sign language or lip reading.

The Auditory-Verbal Center Proudly Offers: • Auditory-Verbal Therapy • Aural Rehabilitation for Adult • Full range of Audiology Cochlear Implant Recipients Services for Children & Adults • Practicum Site for Professional for Hearing Aids and Assistive Development Listening Devices

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VOICES FROM AG BELL AG Bell’s Facebook group offers a way for people to connect and is a great resource to those that are considering a cochlear implant. One individual considering a cochlear implant recently posted to the group and her request for information and comments initiated a dialogue that generated more than 50 encouraging responses from adults and parents who shared their experiences and offered support. One discussion participant, who grew up with a bilateral profound hearing loss and has used hearing aids, said that she didn’t receive a cochlear implant until age 17. “My decision to receive the implant was something I would never regret,” she said. “It has helped me to perform much better in classes and to socialize, by giving me the ability to catch up quicker in conversations and stay on topic, and I was lucky enough to allow myself two years to get my brain ‘ready’ for sounds. In college the cochlear implant helped my ability to listen and reduced my need to lipread.” To read the dialogue, join more than 700 participants on the AG Bell Facebook group

(www.facebook.com/AGBellCommunity) and ask a question of your own! Research also may play a critical role in how we hear in the future. Stem cell therapy once was thought of as an intervention that might hold promise in the distant future, but that day may come sooner than we think. The first Phase I safety study was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the use of cord blood stem cells as an intervention for children who have acquired sensorineural hearing loss after birth. This preliminary study will follow a small number of children ages 6 weeks to 18 months for a year to monitor the safety and efficacy of this intervention. This may one day hold promise of a non-surgical option for some children with acquired sensorineural hearing loss and deepen our understanding of the use of cord blood to repair nerve tissue. Professionals, parents and adults with hearing loss alike can keep abreast of these and other advances at the AG Bell 2012 Convention and through The Volta Review, which publishes

cutting-edge research that advances the outcome of listening and spoken language. These are just some of the many ways that technology, advocacy and research are continuing to enhance and shape the lives of children and adults with hearing loss. I look forward to what the future holds for those seeking a listening and spoken language outcome. Sincerely,

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

Providing children who are deaf and hard of hearing with the listening, learning and spoken language skills they need to succeed. • Birth to 3

• Mainstreaming Services

• Preschool/Kindergarten

• Educational Evaluations

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

clarkeschools.org Bo ston

J a ck s onv ille

New Yor k

Nor th amp ton

Ph ilad e lp h ia

V OLTA V OIC E S • M A R C H/ A PR I L 201 2

EDITOR’S NoTE

Access, Technology and Research

his edition of Volta Voices is full of terrific information on access, technology and research affecting individuals who are deaf and hard of hearing and learning to listen and talk. AG Bell Past President Jay Wyant provides a terrific overview of mobile captioning technology in “Calling on the Move!” This article also provides a how-to guide for those unfamiliar with or just learning how to utilize mobile captioning applications and services. Next, in “Emerging Technology and Access,” we introduce you to the Center on Access Technology. Based out of the National Technical Institute for the Deaf, Rochester Institute of Technology, this center is tasked to explore ways of utilizing current technology to improve access in classrooms for students with hearing loss in college or university. In addition, the Center’s directors provide terrific guidelines for high school students to use when evaluating access accommodations during the college-search process. In “Developing The Listening and Spoken Language Knowledge Center,”

we treat you to an inside look of AG Bell’s online Knowledge Center. Project managers give you a preview of the new online resource and what its impact will be on those searching for information and support on listening and spoken language outcomes. On the research front, “Advances in Understanding Auditory Function” provides an overview on cutting-edge research being completed to understanding how modern technology affects auditory function, and previews AG Bell’s NIH-sponsored Research Symposium, which will take place in conjunction with the 2012 Convention (visit www.agbell.org/Convention for additional details). Finally, we bring back a popular feature, “What the Research Shows.” This issue provides a brief, user-friendly summary of research published in The Volta Review, AG Bell’s peer-reviewed journal. Two regular departments provide a departure from the technology and research focus of this issue. Tips for Parents and Hear Our Voices introduce you to the Iwawaki family. Their journey and current focus is a great inspiration for

families in the middle of navigating hearing loss and communication choices. Research and collaboration is essential in ensuring that modern technology can benefit those with hearing loss who listen and talk. For over 120 years, AG Bell has been on the forefront of publishing this data and information. I encourage you and your colleagues to consider submitting a manuscript, case study or commentary for publication in The Volta Review or Volta Voices. Additional information and tips for creating a viable submission are available at www.agbell.org/TheVoltaReview. Thank you for reading. If you are interested in contributing, please email me at editor@agbell.org with your comments and suggestions. Best regards,

Melody Felzien Editor, Volta Voices editor@agbell.org

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V O LTA V O ICES • MARCH /APRIL 201 2

VOICES CoNTRIBUToRS Kevin Gauthier, co-author of “Developing The Listening and Spoken Language Knowledge Center,” is The Knowledge Center manager for AG Bell. Before joining AG Bell in 2010, Gauthier spent 14 years working in print and online production with a focus on content creation and dissemination. Previously he worked for the American Academy of OtolaryngologyHead and Neck Surgery as business solutions manager, overseeing business development and member outreach programs. Gauthier has a bachelor’s degree in media arts and design from James Madison University. He can be contacted at kgauthier@agbell.org. John Iwawaki, co-author of “Tips for Parents,” and his wife, Nicole, are parents to Judah and Cordelia. They live in the San Francisco bay area with their cat, Jose, and often a small flock of hens. Iwawaki is an 8th grade science teacher, ESCAPE club leader,

yearbook teacher, photographer, basketball enthusiast and novice mandolin player. Nicole Iwawaki, author of “Tips for Parents,” and her husband, John, are parents to Judah and Cordelia. They live in the San Francisco bay area with their cat, Jose, and often a small flock of hens. Iwawaki’s current position is head dishwasher, chauffeur, home school educator, event planner and ring master. Readers can follow her blog at www.deliajude.blogspot.com. Elizabeth ReedMartinez, co-author of “Developing The Listening and Spoken Language Knowledge Center,” is The Knowledge Center

director for AG Bell. Before joining AG Bell in 2009, Reed-Martinez was responsible for developing and implementing e-learning programs for the Society of Human Resource Management. She holds a B.S. in business administration from Bay Path College and an M.A. in human resource development and training from The George Washington University. Jay Wyant, author of “Calling on the Move!” is CEO of Remotocom, a provider of webinar and webcast delivery services. He currently serves as past-president of the AG Bell Board of Directors. He has led workshops on accessible mobile communications at AG Bell conventions and wrote a technology column for Volta Voices for many years. He can be contacted at jwyant@agbell.org.

V OLTA V OIC E S • M A R C H/ A P R I L 201 2

“After doing the research and seeing Cochlear™’s track record, there was no other choice. My child’s future is bright because she was given the gift of sound.” – Mom of Alina B. Hear now. And always — This is the Cochlear promise to you. As the global leader in hearing solutions, Cochlear is dedicated to bringing the gift of sound to people all over the world. With our hearing solutions, Cochlear has reconnected over 250,000 cochlear implant and Baha® users to their families, friends and communities. For the person with hearing loss receiving any one of the Cochlear hearing solutions, our commitment is that for the rest of your life we will be here to support you...

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Request information on the Cochlear Nucleus System or Baha System, or learn about upgrades

You should talk to your physician to see if you are a candidate for cochlear implantation or a Baha® System, and to understand the associated risks and benefits, and CDC recommendations for vaccination. Implantation with a cochlear implant or Baha System is a surgical procedure, and carries with it the risks typical for surgery, and outcomes cannot be guaranteed. For additional information please refer to the applicable package insert available at www.CochlearAmericas.com/NucleusIndications or www.CochlearAmericas.com/BahaIndications. Cochlear, Nucleus , Hear now. And always and the elliptical logo are trademarks of Cochlear Limited. Baha is a registered trademark of Cochlear Bone Anchored Solutions AB. © 2011 Cochlear Bone Anchored Solutions. All rights reserved.

SOUND NEWS BITES

AG Bell Addresses Personnel Shortages as Part of NCPSSERS The National Coalition on Personnel Shortages in Special Education and Related Services (NCPSSERS) includes more than 30 national, state and local organizations that are working to sustain a discus-

2012 LSLS Examination Schedule The AG Bell Academy for Listening and Spoken Language will offer several opportunities for eligible applicants to take the Listening and Spoken Language Specialist (LSLS™) examination in 2012. Confirmed domestic exam administrations include: • June 27, 2012 in Scottsdale, Ariz. (prior to the AG Bell 2012 Convention) Application deadline: April 12, 2012 • October 20, 2012 in Wood Dale, Ill. (Chicago area) • October 20, 2012 in New York, N.Y. Application deadline for both October exams: August 9, 2012 Please stay tuned to www.agbellacademy.org for updated information as it becomes available. International exam dates will be announced as they are confirmed.

AG Bell Academy Appoints New Board Members The AG Bell Academy has appointed two new members to its board of directors. Barbara K. Hayes, M.Ed., LSLS Cert. AVEd, and Emma Rushbrooke, B.A, DipAud, MAudSA, LSLS Cert. AVT, will serve two-year terms through 2013.

AG Bell

sion among all key stakeholders on the issue of personnel shortages in education settings. It also aims to develop and share data and information on personnel shortages as well as improve policies and practices affecting personnel shortages. AG Bell is part of the coalition, which is co-chaired by the American SpeechLanguage-Hearing Association and the Council for Exceptional Children. Visit the NCPSSERS website at http://specialedshortages.org for valuable resources on how to find and retain quality personnel, access job descriptions, locate university programs nearest you, and stay current on national trends and issues.

AG Bell

AG Bell 2012 Convention Registration Now Open Registration is now open for the AG Bell 2012 Convention, June 28-July 2 at the Westin Kierland Resort in Scottsdale, Ariz. The Convention is the largest gathering of families, professionals and individuals with hearing loss dedicated to listening and spoken language outcome. This year’s Convention will include: • 12 short courses and 70 concurrent sessions for families, individuals with hearing loss and professionals. • Over 60 exhibitors in the areas of hearing technology, education and materials. • A three-day children’s program. • Keynote presentation by renowned psychologist, author and Today Show commentator Dr. Dale Atkins. • NIH-sponsored Research Symposium. • CEU opportunities from the AG Bell Academy for Listening and Spoken Language, American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and American Academy of Audiology. To register or view the full education program, visit www.agbell.org/Convention.

Hayes is a teacher of the deaf, currently teaching in a fullday preschool class in a program for the deaf and hard of hearing for Bergen County Special Services in New Jersey. She works with the children in the classroom, serves families through the parent educational program and provides early intervention to families both in home- and center-based settings. Rushbrooke is the clinical director of the Hear and Say Centre in Brisbane, Australia, a listening and spoken language early intervention center for children with hearing loss and their families. In this capacity she oversees and supervises both the auditoryverbal therapy and audiology programs, including both center-based and outreach programs. Rushbrooke is also a key member of the Hear and Say Leadership and Strategy Teams, and is actively involved in mentoring, training and development, and research. Visit AG Bell’s newsroom at www.agbell.org for additional information about the Academy’s new board.

V OLTA V OIC E S • M A R C H/ A P R I L 201 2

BITES AG Bell’s P.A.T. Program Featured in Advance Magazine The Dec. 12, 2011, edition of Advance for Speech-Language Pathologists & Audiologists featured an article on AG Bell’s acclaimed Parent Advocacy Training (P.A.T.) program. In “IEP Meetings: Nurturing an Atmosphere of Collaboration,” Donald M. Goldberg, Ph.D., CCC-SLP/A, LSLS Cert. AVT, AG Bell president-elect,

discussed how professionals can work together with parents during the Individualized Education Program (IEP) process to ensure the needs of the child with hearing loss are met. The P.A.T. program is a free resource for parents and professionals and is available in both English and Spanish through www.agbell.org. The program is made possible by the support of the Oticon Foundation.

People in the News AG Bell member Peter Steyger, Ph.D., associate professor of otolaryngology-head and neck surgery at Oregon Hearing Research Center, has published a groundbreaking study in Scientific Reports, part of the Nature publishing group. The study provides new insight into why aminoglycoside antibiotics cause deafness. These same antibiotics saved Steyger’s life during a bout of meningitis when he was 14 months old, but caused his own hearing loss. Steyger’s research provides the strongest evidence yet that these antibiotics cross the blood-labyrinth barrier in the inner ear that protects the cochlear hair cells from potentially damaging components in the blood. Once these noxious antibiotics cross the barrier they enter the cochlear hair cells that are responsible for hearing and kill them. “We can now focus on identifying the molecular trafficking mechanisms by which the drug enters the cochlea – and then block those mechanisms to use these antibiotics safely for treating life-threatening bacterial infections without inducing ototoxicity,” Steyger said. Visit www.nature.com/ srep/2011/111116/srep00159/full/srep00159.html to read the full article. The John Tracy Clinic (JTC) in Los Angeles, Calif., was featured in the 2011 CNN Heroes: All-Star Tribute, which aired live from the Shrine Auditorium on Dec. 11, 2011. JTC was one of five nonprofits selected to participate in a feature promoting volunteerism. Debuting this year, the segment was meant to translate the Heroes’ significant accomplishments into something actionable for viewers. Welcome to the Family! AG Bell welcomes several new additions to the AG Bell family and congratulates the following members who are deaf or hard of hearing: •

Pauline Newton had twins on Dec. 10, 2011 – Helen Liesel Fellows and Leonard Allan Fellows

•

Danielle Paquin welcomed Oliver Burke Paquin

•

AG Bell President Kathleen Treni welcomed her first grandchild, Addison Jean Schifano, on Nov. 12, 2011.

V O LTA V O ICES • MARCH /APRIL 201 2

Compiled by: Melody Felzien

Effects of Medicaid Cuts on Cochlear Implant Recipients An article published in the November 2011 edition of the Hearing Journal explores the implications of cuts to Medicaid funding of cochlear implant surgeries. “Cochlear Implantation at Risk as Medicaid Cuts Threatened” explores the situation in Nevada where Medicaid reimbursements do not meet the costs associated with cochlear implant surgeries. The article goes on to discuss the implications of future Medicaid budget cuts on the availability of a spoken language outcome for children who are deaf or hard of hearing. Visit http://journals.lww.com/ thehearingjournal to read the full article (available for free). FCC Invalidates Nonprofit Captioning Waivers On Oct. 2, 2011, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) reversed a closed-captioning waiver for nearly 300 broadcasters, primarily religious and nonprofit organizations, saying it was wrong to extend the waiver. In 2006, the FCC ruled that these entities were exempt from captioning regulations because it would cause undue burden to force compliance. Now the commission has ruled that for the majority of those broadcasters, the waiver was “not supported by the 1996 Telecommunications Act, its legislative history, or the commission’s implementing regulations and orders” and that the undue burden clause had been too liberally implemented.

SOUND BITES CHAPTERS Hear Indiana, the AG Bell Indiana Chapter, will hold its 9th Annual Talk Walk Run fundraiser at Fort Harrison State Park in Indianapolis, Ind., on Saturday, April 28, 2012. Register online at www.talkwalkrun.com. Proceeds will benefit Hear Indiana’s many programs, including information resources, educational programming, support for families and professionals, and advocacy in areas related to listening and speaking. Hear Indiana also hosts the only camp in Indiana designed specifically for children with hearing loss who use spoken language to communicate. Please join us for a day of fun, food, music and fitness. In November 2011, the AG Bell North Carolina Chapter honored Beth Walker, M.Ed., CED, LSLS Cert. AVT, as the recipient of its annual Daniel Ling Award for Outstanding Service to Children with Hearing Loss and their Families in North Carolina. For many years Walker was the director of the Preschool Program for the Cued Speech Center in Raleigh, N.C., where she supervised and mentored teachers of the deaf across the state. In addition, five scholarships for children who are deaf or hard of hearing pursuing the arts and/or sciences were awarded at the 18th annual Hear ‘n’ Now Conference co-sponsored by NC AG Bell and the Carolina Children’s Communicative Disorders Program (CCCDP). Each child received a $250 scholarship. AG Bell member Kris Martin was the keynote speaker. Martin is pursuing a career in NASCAR as the first deaf race car driver. He is truly an inspiration! The AG Bell Pennsylvania Chapter will be active participants at the 2012 Pennsylvania Speech-Language-Hearing Association (PSHA) Annual Convention in Lancaster, Penn., March 29-31. This year’s convention topic is Listening and Spoken Language, and not only will several members of the AG Bell Pennsylvania Chapter be presenting, but they will be exhibiting as well. For more information, please visit www.psha.org/professional-development/convention.htm. The AG Bell Wisconsin Chapter is excited to announce that it is once again active and is starting to plan events for families and professionals across the state. If you are interested in more information about the chapter, please contact new president Melanie Ribich at melribich@hotmail.com.

Those organizations may apply for individual waivers under the new standard.

FCC Adopts Transition Period for Local Phone Number Requirements On Aug. 4, 2011, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) adopted new rules to promote the use of local numbers for Internetbased TRS services, and to ensure that people who are deaf and hard

of hearing have access to toll free telephone numbers that is equivalent to access enjoyed by persons with typical hearing. The FCC established a transition period to allow for consumer outreach and education and to transition consumers from toll free numbers to local numbers. A one-year transition period began on Nov. 22, 2011, and will end on Nov. 21, 2012. Visit http://transition.fcc.gov for more information.

First FDA-Approved Study of Stem Cells to Treat Hearing Loss Begins in Houston On Jan. 12, 2012, Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital and Cord Blood Registry (CBR) launched the first FDA-approved, Phase I safety study on the use of cord blood stem cells to treat children with sensorineural hearing loss. The study, which will use patients’ stem cells from their own stored umbilical cord blood, is the first of its kind, and has the potential to restore hearing. This study follows evidence from published laboratory studies that shows cord blood may help repair damaged organs in the inner ear. The year-long study will follow 10 children, ages 6 weeks to 18 months, who have a sustained postbirth hearing loss. Children who are deaf as a result of a genetic anomaly or syndrome are not eligible. To ensure consistency in cord blood stem cell processing, storage and release for infusion, CBR is the only stem cell bank providing clients for the study. New Clues to Hearing Loss Found in Mice Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine – St. Louis have identified a gene that is required for the development of the inner ear in mice. In humans, this gene is located in a portion of the genome that has previously been associated with inherited hearing loss in families with typical hearing. This find provides evidence that inner and outer hair cells develop independently of one another. The full study was published Jan. 3, 2012, in PLoS Biology (www.plosbiology.org).

V OLTA V OIC E S • M A R C H/ A PR I L 201 2

Two Studies Support receiving Cochlear Implants early Two recent studies provide evidence that the age at which children receive cochlear implants has a significant effect on hearing and language outcomes. The Jan. 2, 2012, edition of Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine published two retrospective studies exploring the effect of cochlear implants on children’s speech perception, and receptive and expressive language tests. Abstracts for both studies are available from http://archpedi.ama-assn.org. new Strategies for Children Learning to Speak Researchers have discovered that children under the age of 2 control speech using a different strategy than previously thought. During the study, researchers changed the vowel sounds that the participants heard over headphones as they talked. They found that while the adults and young children changed their vowel sounds

IN MEMoRIAM On Jan. 4, 2012, Ross Perigoe, Ph.D., lost his battle with brain cancer. Perigoe was the husband of long-time AG Bell member Christina Perigoe, Ph.D., and often assisted AG Bell in editing and writing articles for both Volta Voices and The Volta Review. Perigoe was a journalist and writer, teaching broadcast journalism at Concordia University in Montreal, Quebec, for over 25 years. In 2009, he received Canadian Radio and Television News Directors Association’s Michael Monty Memorial Award for broadcast excellence. A funeral service and interment of ashes will take place in Toronto, Ontario, in May. In lieu of flowers, donations to a scholarship fund to be set up in Perigoe’s name are being requested. Condolences to the family can be sent to perigoe_c@hotmail.com or Christina Perigoe, 7470 Sherbrooke Street West, Apt. 407, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, H4B 1S5. Hollie Jones of Lubbock, Texas, passed away on Jan. 20, 2012. She was 48 years old. Born with a profound hearing loss, Jones became a poster child for AG Bell in the 1960s to emphasize the importance of early intervention. She used spoken language and speech read to communicate. Jones is survived by her husband and daughter, parents and sisters. In lieu of flowers, donations are requested to AG Bell (www.agbell.org) or the Multiple Sclerosis Society, 6222 Canyon Drive., Amarillo, TX 79109.

in response to this altered feedback, the toddlers did not. This result indicates that toddlers use a different strategy to control speech than older children and adults. Future studies on

the development of speech will help researchers understand this process in toddlers. The study was published Dec. 22, 2011, in Current Biology (www.cell.com/current-biology).

GivinG deaf kids a voice Founded in 1970, The Shepherd Centre was the first Early Intervention agency to teach Auditory-Verbal Therapy to hearing impaired children in Australia. Today, we are one of the world’s leading Auditory-Verbal Therapy Early Intervention agencies, helping over 260 deaf or hearing impaired children a year to listen and speak, so they may reach their full potential in the world. For more information, including details about our residential workshops available to overseas families: Visit: www.shepherdcentre.org.au Phone: +61 2 9351 7888 Sydney | Roseville | Liverpool | Wollongong | Canberra

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SOUND BITES SMILE Program Launches New Website Users of AG Bell’s Structured Methods in Language Education (SMILE) program now have additional support. Author Enid Wolf-Schein has developed a new website that provides more information about the program as well as additional resources. Visit www.smileassociationmethod.com to learn more. The SMILE program is available for purchase from www.agbell.org/bookstore.

Mainstream Conference Focused on Literacy On Oct. 20-21, 2011, Clarke Schools for Hearing and Speech hosted the 32nd Annual Conference on Mainstreaming Students with Hearing Loss in Springfield, Mass. Connie Mayer, Ed.D., gave a keynote presentation titled “Literacy Development in Learners with Hearing Loss: Intervention and Practice in a Changing Context.” The conference theme was The Literacy Puzzle and featured workshops on language development in children with cochlear implants, the importance of phonologic awareness on literacy development, techniques for building content-area vocabulary for students

with hearing loss and a special miniworkshop for itinerant teachers.

Study Finds 1 in 5 Americans Has Hearing Loss A study published in the November 14 edition of Archives of Internal Medicine finds that nearly a fifth of all Americans 12 years or older have hearing loss so severe that it may make communication difficult. These findings suggest that many more people than previously thought are affected by hearing loss and the study is considered to be the first nationally representative estimate of hearing loss. Researchers used data from the National Health and Nutritional Examination Surveys

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far surpass previous estimates of 21 to 29 million.

(NHANES), a research program that has periodically gathered health data from thousands of Americans since 1971. The researchers analyzed data from all participants age 12 and over whose hearing was tested during NHANES examinations from 2001 to 2008. Using the World Health Organization’s (WHO) definition for hearing loss (not being able to hear sounds of 25 dB or less in the speech frequencies), researchers found that overall about 30 million Americans, or 12.7 percent of the population, had hearing loss in both ears. That number jumps to about 48 million, or 20.3 percent, for people who have hearing loss in at least one ear. These numbers

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Need Data on State EHDI Programs? The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) State Profile (www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/hearingloss/ ehdi‐states.html) is a searchable, online database that provides specific data about state early hearing detection and intervention (EHDI) programs. A key objective of this resource is to assist states and territories in program planning and evaluation, and to inform parents, other government agencies and providers about EHDI programs across the United States.

Study Finds Low Rate of Device Failure in Children A study published in the December 2011 edition of the Archives of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery found a low rate of device failure and reimplantation for children who use cochlear implants. According to the researchers, only 2.9 percent of the nearly 1,000 children included experienced a device failure that required reimplantation. Further study is needed to identify the reasons for device failure and the impact it has on those children.

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SOUND BITES Study explores Impact of Pediatric Audiology Facilities A study published in the December 2011 edition of the American Journal of Audiology finds that it is difficult to identify pediatric audiology facilities that serve infants less than 6 months old and that there is variability among facility testing and wait times for an appointment. Researchers, seeking to understand practice patterns for infant hearing loss diagnosis, used a survey of facilities that claim to offer infant services. Results indicate that the variety of services and wait times have implications for hearing loss diagnosis and timely follow-up. Visit http://aja.asha.org to access the full article.

medical Bill Training for Individuals with hearing Loss MedCerts, a Michigan-based proprietary school, has adapted their successful career program in medical billing and coding through American Sign Language (ASL) translated videos and ADA-compliant English subtitles. These courses prepare students for national certification as medical billing and coding specialists where demand is growing for qualified applicants. Training and certification is required by most employers in administrative health care, and MedCerts has been providing this training to the general population through their successful video-based learning programs.

Now they have made that training accessible to individuals who are deaf and hard of hearing. Visit www.DHHTraining.com for additional information.

Waterproof CI Processor Approved in U.S. and Canada Advanced Bionic’s Neptune cochlear implant sound processor has been approved for use in the United States and Canada. Neptune is the world’s first waterproof sound processor and enables users to maintain their hearing during activities that involve water. Additional details on availability are available at www.advancedbionics.com/ com/en/Neptune.html.

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Two Cochlear Implants Are Better than One A study published online by the Archives of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery on Jan. 16, 2012, found that children who were deaf and received a second cochlear implant showed improvements in speech, hearing and related quality of life measures. The degree of improvement was not dependent on the age the child received a second cochlear implant, and comparisons to children who only used one cochlear implant showed a difference in perceived quality of life.

Why I Love Hearing Technology Enter AG Bell’s Why I Love Hearing Technology contest! AG Bell is now accepting video entries featuring individuals, groups and organizations who support, use or know someone who uses hearing technology to listen and talk in the following categories: • Kids and families • Organizations • Professionals in training • Professionals in the field • Adults with hearing loss The 60-second video should tell us why you love hearing technology and how it benefits you. All entries are eligible for a chance to win a $250 Apple gift card! The deadline to submit is May 1, 2012, by 5:00 p.m. EST. Visit www.agbell.org to learn more.

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Calling on the Move!

By Jay Wyant

hink back 10 years ago. How did you make phone calls then? Voice communications have changed so much in the last decade. In the mid 1990s, I built a simple website explaining the features and benefits of an approach called two-line voice carry-over, or 2LVCO for short. It combined a dial-up modem connection with a landline phone that enabled the user to set up a three-way conference call supported by a relay communication assistant. This technology was a big deal because for the first time, people who were deaf or hard of hearing could make phone calls using their own voice. Then a company called Ultratec introduced captioned telephones, or CapTel, which provided a much simpler user experi-

ence â&#x20AC;&#x201C; pick up the land-based phone and dial, reading captions directly on the phone. But what if you were not at home? Internet-based relay services changed that. Internet (or IP) relay, online captioned telephone (online CapTel) and video relay services (VRS) combined to offer a wide

range of service options and resources. The latter two support VCO; users could choose to have the relay operator call their phone and connect their voice directly to the other party just like the original 2LVCO system. Users could even choose to turn off the relay announcement (in which the relay

Table 1. Types of relay services Relay service

Operator output

Computer access?

Smartphone access?

VCO?

IP Relay

Text

Yes

Captioned Telephone

Text

Yes

Video Relay

Sign/ Speechreading

Yes

V OLTA V OIC E S â&#x20AC;˘ M A R C H/ A PR I L 201 2

have begun rolling out VCO support for these devices. Support for iPhone/iTouch users came first, but Android versions have been coming on strong. Few Blackberry versions are available and the quickly disappearing Sidekick has been limited primarily to IP relay options. Tablets are also becoming popular platforms, particularly the iPad and some Android tablets. Before going into detail about the types of services and providers available to smartphone and tablet users, you should be aware of two key underlying issues: 10-digit numbering and network access.

Jay Wyant

10-Digit Numbering

service alerts the other party of the relay’s involvement in the call), making phone calls even more seamless and transparent. (Table 1 outlines the capabilities of these services.) With the increase in mobile technology and the now widespread use of smartphones and tablets, people who are deaf or hard of hearing are nearly as mobile as their peers with typical hearing. However, until recently, relay users who wanted to make voice calls were still tethered to the desktop.

Going mobile The challenge with today’s mass migration from landlines to smartphones is that until recently, VCO was not an option. However, captioned telephone and VRS providers

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One of the most significant changes in relay services has been the transition to 10-digit numbering. Relay users previously could switch between providers, particularly if one provider was slow in connecting. Then the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) mandated that as of Nov. 12, 2009, users had to sign in with a unique 10-digit telephone number to access most relay services, primarily to enable 911 call support and because it was easier for state relay services to provide accurate billing records to the FCC, which compensates states from a special fund. This also deters inappropriate relay users, particularly scammers and crank callers. The mandate means that before you can even try out a relay provider’s mobile app, you must sign up for a 10-digit number. (When you create an account with a relay service provider, they will assign you a number. If you already have a number with a different provider, you can choose to transfer – or “port” – the number to the new provider.) Even if the same company owns different services, such as an IP relay and a VRS service, a separate number is required for each service. At least one VRS provider’s website states that to sign up for their service, you must designate it as the “default” provider. This is not true. However, if you want to receive relay calls on your mobile phone, then you will have to select a default method and provider so that your contacts know what number to use and so that your phone knows what to do with the inbound call. The one exception to the 10-digit requirement is captioned telephone service – these providers have “interim” status with the FCC, allowing you to receive captioned

telephone service from some providers without a 10-digit number, although this may change in the near future.

Network Access While smartphones differ from standard cellular phones in a variety of ways, such as larger screens and more memory, the core difference is their support of data services, such as web and application connectivity. There are three ways network providers offer access to data services: 3G, 4G and Wi-Fi. The advantage of 3G and 4G data is that you can use it anywhere you have phone access (although 4G service is currently more limited to larger urban areas). Wi-Fi service requires that you be in range of a “hotspot,” such as your home’s wireless network or a coffee shop. 4G is valuable because it’s significantly faster than 3G – which matters if you’re using VRS and because it supports running both data, such as a relay app, and voice at the same time. (A few 3G networks also enable this.) As 4G becomes more widespread, more sophisticated apps and services will become available. However, until this happens, relay providers must assume that users may not have 4G access, so most relay apps run on either 3G or Wi-Fi. Why is this important? To access a relay app (typically through data services) and to speak on a smartphone at the same time, the service provider must provide access for both data and voice services simultaneously. Some providers do this by routing your voice over the data network. Others require you to connect to the data service via Wi-Fi, which then allows you to use the voice service at the same time. However, this means you can only use a relay service in range of a hotspot.

Testing Mobile Options There are many different basic features and current capabilities of mobile device services.

Additional Resources Provider Links The provider websites are listed below. To download the apps, visit the iTunes or Android marketplace. Captioned Telephone Hamilton Relay: www.hamiltoncaptel.com/mobile_captel/smartphone_selector/ Sprint Wireless CapTel: www.sprint800.com/wireless-captel-sprint ClearCaptions: http://clearcaptions.com VRS Purple: http://purple.us/android and http://purple.us/iphone Sorenson: www.sorensonvrs.com/ntouchios_product ZVRS: www.zvrs.com/customer-care/faq/z4products (note: Z now supports many more Android products than the website currently shows)

FCC on 10-Digit Numbering: www.fcc.gov/guides/ten-digit-numbering-and-911-calls-internet-based-trs

FCC on IP Relay and IP Captioned Telephone Service: www.fcc.gov/guides/internet-protocol-ip-captioned-telephone-service

TRS 911 requirements: www.fcc.gov/document/fcc-enforcement-advisory- enforcement-bureaureminds-internet-based-telecommunications-relay

VA Relay summary of some mobile CapTel and mobile VRS options: www.varelayblog.org/category/mobile-services/

Your experience will vary depending on your device, service provider and even where you happen to be at the moment. Just because a particular service is not mentioned does not mean it’s not worthy of consideration. The following systems were tested using a Samsung Nexus S Android phone and the Samsung Galaxy 10.1 Tab. This version of the Tab is Wi-Fi only and does not access services requiring either 4G or a combined 3G-Wi-Fi networks. Services that work for the Android also work for the iPhone/iTouch/iPad – the one exception is Sprint’s Wireless CapTel service, which is for Android phones only. Some Blackberry users can access Hamilton’s CapTel service.

Table 2. Mobile relay access data requirements Service

Type

Voice Access Requirements

ClearCaptions

Text

4G or 3G and Wi-Fi

Hamilton CapTel

Text

4G or 3G and Wi-Fi

Sprint CapTel

Text

4G or 3G

ZVRS

Interpreter

4G, 3G and Wi-Fi, or Wi-Fi

Purple

Interpreter

Mobile option not currently available

Sorenson

Interpreter

Mobile option not currently available

Captioned Telephone CapTel systems provide you with a live transcript of the other party on your screen with just a few seconds’ delay between the spoken word and the text on screen. Unless you’re in a very quiet environment, you will need to switch between holding the phone to your ear and looking at the text on the screen. Three CapTel services were tested: Sprint, Hamilton and ClearCaptions (Purple Communications). The following is a brief summary of the differences between systems: 10-digit registration. Sprint’s CapTel service assigns a 10-digit number upon registration, while neither Hamilton nor ClearCaptions do so. Set-up. Sprint runs both voice and text over the data network while Hamilton and ClearCaptions call your cell number, then switch back to the text screen once you accept the call. This means that to use the Hamilton or ClearCaptions service, you must be on a 4G network or use 3G and connect to a Wi-Fi network (AT&T iPhone users may be an exception). Sprint’s system is more flexible in allowing you to make a call over basic 3G networks without having

V OLTA V OIC E S • M A R C H/ A PR I L 201 2

to search for a Wi-Fi hotspot. However, many of the people I called this way heard an echo of their voices.

Video Relay Service My receptive sign language skills are not proficient, so I rely on speechreading to use VRS – my preferred type of relay service because it’s closest to real time. Even with the smaller screens of the smartphone or tablet I could easily speechread interpreters, particularly after asking them to move closer to the camera. The biggest adjustment was holding the phone/tablet steady so as not to make the interpreter dizzy. Of the three VRS providers tested (Purple, Sorenson and ZVRS), only ZVRS had a mobile version (Z4) that currently supports VCO (Purple is working on a yet to be released VCO version for their mobile offering). Because ZVRS’ system uses single-line VCO, in which your voice is routed through the data, the Z4 service can be accessed through any of the three methods: 4G, 3G or Wi-Fi. However,

when I tried using 3G without Wi-Fi the calls would often fail to go through or disconnect as the signal quality from my office tends to vary. Unfortunately, when I connected with both 3G and Wi-Fi, the other party frequently heard an echo. ZVRS customer service representatives stated they are currently working to improve the product’s echo cancellation capabilities. There was usually no echo when connecting with the Galaxy Tab on Wi-Fi only. In general, the audio can be quite loud due to the need to hold the phone/tablet in front to see the interpreter, so conversations may not be as private as a traditional call.

Conclusion Mobile relay-supported voice communications are quickly becoming a viable option for people who are deaf or hard of hearing and listen and speak. There are many variations in features among applications, but four issues stand out. Users may consider the following when choosing a mobile relay support method.

Access to the phone’s contact list. Some apps allow you to select contacts from your phone’s list, while others require you to create a contact file within the app’s database. A secondary issue is whether the app allows you to search for a name as opposed scrolling through the entire database. Echo. This is a more significant issue with some apps than others. I assumed that using both 3G and Wi-Fi would eliminate the echo, but that was not the case. As the technologies mature, echo management may improve. Wi-Fi. Systems that require Wi-Fi for quality access limit usage to hot spots so users must be selective about where they make and receive calls. Data requirements for voice access. Currently variation exists in the type of data access necessary to enable the user to speak to the other party (see Table 2). But as technologies improve, these differences may diminish. Note that most phones do not provide a Wi-Fi-only option; Wi-Fi-only access is primarily for tablet users.

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7/13/2011 8:50:37 AM

Emerging Technology and Access

How the Center on Access Technology Is Leading the Way

By Melody Felzien

he rapid development of modern technology has the potential to provide effective communications access for individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing. In 2006, the National Technical Institute for the Deaf, Rochester Institute of Technology (NTID/ RIT), founded the Center on Access Technology. The Center is exploring ways in which postsecondary education settings can take advantage of emerging technologies and adapt them for use in the classroom. Volta Voices had the chance to talk with Center Director James J. DeCaro and Associate Director E. William Clymer on the Center, access

possibilities in postsecondary education settings and the future possibilities offered by modern technology. Volta Voices: What is the Center on Access Technology? Center on Access Technology: The Center was established because people who are deaf or hard of hearing in postsecondary education still do not yet enjoy full “access to information” that is equal to that of their peers with typical hearing. This is true despite recent improvements in the ability of individuals with hearing loss to access information through the use or adaptation of technologies, such as

the Internet, instant messaging, cellular phones, text messaging and video phones. The Center investigates, evaluates, develops and reports on the effective and efficient use of access technologies and trains individuals in their use to accelerate the widespread implementation of best practices for educating people who are deaf or hard of hearing at the postsecondary level. The Center is focusing its efforts on technologies that have a high likelihood of improving access to postsecondary educational opportunities for students within the next several years. Four primary areas of focus for the Center include classroom access technologies, mobile technologies,

V OLTA V OIC E S • M A R C H/ A PR I L 201 2

Shutterstock.com/lightpoet

you assess your own hearing loss in terms of the services that could serve you best and do not limit yourself to those that you received in elementary, secondary and upper secondary education. Here are a few steps to consider implementing: 1. During your junior year, meet with your audiologist, parents and counselor to conduct a retrospective review of those services that have worked well for you in and out of the classroom. Seek their counsel in regards to what they consider to be your areas of strength and your areas of weakness pertaining to access service utilization. Keep a record of what you learn and put it in a form that works for you. For example, list the services you have received and the positive and negative aspects of each from your perspective, and from the perspectives of those with whom you interact during your discussions. Compare and contrast your perspectives with those of others and use this comparison to stimulate discussions. 2. There are most likely many aspects of access, in a college or university setting, yet to consider. These are sometimes specific to higher education settings. To familiarize yourself with these additional considerations, we suggest that you acquire a tool developed by the National Task Force on Hard of Hearing Students in Postsecondary Settings, “Hard of Hearing Students in Postsecondary Settings: A Guide for Providers.” Although developed for service providers, this volume is very helpful audio and sound technologies needed by to consumers and is available for persons who are deaf or hard of hearing, purchase at www.lulu.com or can and training and evaluation services. The be downloaded for free as a PDF Center’s projects focus on three main from http://resources.pepnet.org/ areas: those that can adapt/adopt existing files/204_2009_8_12_17_09_ technologies, those that utilize existing PM.pdf. Assess what you learn in this professional networks, and those that volume and prepare a list of those involve education and training. services/considerations that you want to review when looking at various V.V.: What should high school students colleges or universities. with a hearing loss look for in terms of 3. The next step is to take that list and access and technology when researchmatch it against the services provided ing potential colleges or universities? at the colleges and/or universities that offer the academic program you wish CAT: First and foremost, make sure that to pursue. Keep in mind that a univeryou know what you need to ensure access sity may be known for excellent access to learning. It is absolutely essential that

V O LTA V O ICES • MARCH /APRIL 201 2

services but may not offer the major you wish to pursue. When evaluating a college’s access services and technology infrastructure, it would be best to visit the campus and evaluate firsthand the services, processes and infrastructure available to students. On a campus visit, you should ask to meet other students with hearing loss to determine their personal level of satisfaction with support services and technology in general. The staff members of a university or college’s disability services office are critical for you to obtain support. On any campus visit, it is essential that you meet the staff members of this office and assess the processes and criteria used to assign and provide support services. The institution’s stated policies on disability services, along with their reputation for providing quality services, are very important elements to consider. However, the technology utilized to offer these services gives an additional indication of service quality. In the end, your choice should be guided by the career path you wish to pursue and whether or not the university/college offers programs that will lead to that career. Then, you need to ensure that you will be provided the access services you need. V.V.: What access technologies are college students using today, and what do you foresee in the future? CAT: There are a variety of such technologies currently being used, with just a few being mentioned here. Web-Based Access Services – Many colleges are utilizing web-based systems to organize access service scheduling and distribution of resources. The features found in these systems range from basic appointment systems to very sophisticated systems that provide a great deal of information to the student and support staff. For example, students who are deaf at RIT use the “MyAccess” website (https://myaccess.rit.edu/index.cfm) to request interpreting, real-time captioning and notetaking services for the courses they wish to take. They are able to review all the courses being offered in an upcoming academic quarter and

then filter the courses by the support services provided. It is possible for students to review the days and times of the scheduled supported class along with other services that may be scheduled for particular scheduled classes. This is a sophisticated system for serving hundreds of students who are deaf or hard of hearing. In colleges and universities with few students with hearing loss enrolled, a simple system where the student works with the disability services office will suffice and likely be the case. Online Learning – Virtually all colleges today utilize a web-based learning management system (online learning), typically in conjunction with a web conferencing system. Both offer unique learning and collaboration possibilities for students who are deaf or hard of hearing. However, the college must be able to provide effective communication support for those enrolled in such systems. For example, provide captioning of all voice instructions in an online learning module.

Learn More about NTID The Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), home of the National Technical Institute of the Deaf (NTID), is a major technological university. NTID is one of the nine colleges of RIT. More than 17,000 students are enrolled at RIT and over 1,300 of these students are deaf or hard of hearing. Approximately 50 percent of these students are enrolled in one of the other eight

Online learning is usually conducted by faculty members “live” (synchronously) where all students are online simultaneously, but can be done asynchronously where students access learning at anytime they wish, that is whenever they log on to the online course. The type of online learning will depend upon the type that is supported by the university. In many universities, faculty members are being encouraged to offer asynchronous courses.

colleges studying in the mainstream with their peers who have typical hearing. They receive access and support services from NTID. The other 50 percent study within NTID and are pursuing associate degrees. Many of these students move on to study in one of the other RIT colleges for baccalaureate degrees. More information about RIT and NTID can be found online at www.ntid.rit.edu.

Live online sessions can present challenges for students who are deaf or hard of hearing. In such sessions, captioning and/ or interpreting must be provided via the web. This is often something that has not been considered by the university. Even if real time captioning is available, the lag time will often make it difficult for students who are deaf or hard of hearing to join in questioning, conversations and debate beyond using chat or text windows.

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Personal Technological Channels – Most universities are relying more and more on providing student services and information through a number of different personal technology channels, such as tablet computers and smartphones. Such devices, when used within a powerful university-wide, Wi-Fi-based network, are capable of delivering extremely high quality multimedia information that can be used to great benefit by students who are deaf or hard of hearing. The use of social media is becoming ubiquitous on campuses for educational purposes. Social media generally is defined as a web-based or mobile communication technology and associated applications that provide a connection among individuals with a common interest, affiliation or community. A primary feature of a social network is the ability to share information and provide feedback, almost instantly with large or small circles of acquaintances to form a learning community. As a result,

universities and their faculty members utilize social media (e.g., Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Google+) to facilitate teaching and learning and to build a learning community in formal and informal situations. As we look to the future, the Center on Access Technology is now developing and refining social networking applications in conjunction with webbased conferencing systems to enhance the connectivity of students who are deaf and hard of hearing enrolled in mainstreamed programs around the country. Supported by a grant from the National Science Foundation, we are developing a model program called a Virtual Academic Community (VAC) that will enable students to connect with other students who are deaf or hard of hearing around the country, and support specialists using web-based or mobile technologies to provide academic support and communication support in various academic situations.

V.V.: Where can our readers learn more about the Center? CAT: Additional information about the Center’s current projects and initiatives is available online at www.rit.edu/ntid/cat. Readers are also encouraged to contact James J. DeCaro, director of the Center, at jjd8075@rit.edu or E. William Clymer, associate director of the Center, at ewcncp@rit.edu. Additional Resources “Hard of Hearing Students in Postsecondary Settings: A Guide for Providers” (2008) is available for purchase from www.lulu.com/product/paperback/ hard-of-hearing-students-in-postsecondarysettings-a-guide-for-service-providers/ 3960913 or as a free downloadable PDF from http://resources.pepnet.org/ files/204_ 2009_8_12_17_ 09_PM.pdf.

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Developing The Listening and Spoken Language

Knowledge Center

By Kevin Gauthier and Elizabeth Reed-Martinez

o you want to know how to build a boat in your basement? Google can help! As can YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, your uncle Joe and the American Boat Builders Association. But where do you start? How do you know what is trustworthy information, or not? Googling “childhood hearing loss” returns 10,700,000 possible sites to read through. You will also receive well meaning advice from family, friends and people who you don’t even know. How do you know what is best for your child and family? The answer is to fi rst educate yourself, and then educate those in your support system. But where do you start?

The good news is that AG Bell is doing the legwork for you so you don’t have to cull through over 10 million websites for information (unless, of course, you enjoy that sort of thing). By gathering, combining and

Tell Us What You Think Visit the AG Bell Facebook fan page at www.facebook.com/ AGBellCommunity and post your comments and ideas for The Knowledge Center.

creating access to listening and spoken language resources in one spot we hope to free your time to take action for your child. The Listening and Spoken Language Knowledge Center will be the “go-to” resource for parents of children with hearing loss and the professionals who are committed to a listening and spoken language outcome.

The making of The Knowledge Center The notion of a Knowledge Center has always been a driver for many AG Bell programs and publications over the years. Dog-eared copies of Volta Voices live for years on home and office bookshelves, letters written more than 40 years ago

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Shutterstock.com/Rob Marmion

The Knowledge Center Advisory Committee kicked off its work last August, bringing a wealth of perspectives and expertise to the project as they provide insight into the development of this comprehensive online resource. Committee members include Catharine McNally (chair), Jeff Campagna, Tina Childress, Ashley Garber, Kevin Miller, Susan Pollack, Jenna Voss and Carianne Muse.

providing words of support to families are lovingly preserved in photo albums, and photos and stories shared during reunions passed down from each generation remind us how far we have come. These are the foundations of The Knowledge Center – trusted information, sound advice, the latest research and lifelong friendships. For more than a year, AG Bell has worked intensively to gather input from members, subject matter experts and consultants to explore the online information needs of the listening and spoken language community. We surveyed and talked with parents, teachers, adults with hearing loss, Listening and Spoken Language Specialists (LSLSTM), audiologists, speech-language

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pathologists, hearing technology manufacturers and many others. As we spent time listening and learning, AG Bell gained a deeper understanding of the information needs of the community. We discovered that families need information in two ways – quickly and easily accessible when time is short, and comprehensively when they themselves are becoming the experts. Professionals who serve the community need information such as classroom techniques, best practices and strategies to better serve children and families. Adults with hearing loss are looking for a place to connect with peers and to share their experiences with families as they mentor the next generation. The Knowledge Center will serve as a hub to connect people and resources. Need to know what educational programs for listening and spoken language are available in your area? Visit The Knowledge Center to take a look. Visitors to the site will be able to view resources in their area, including practicing professionals, educational programs, products and services. The

Website Usage Feedback Survey AG Bell needs your help in building the Knowledge Center. Please take a brief survey and tell us which web resources you use to research health concerns and why you trust those websites: http://nc.agbell.org/ KnowledgeCenterSurvey.

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meet The Knowledge Center Advisory Committee

Knowledge Center also will connect people with each other.

Building an Indispensable resource The Knowledge Center will launch with fresh new content that builds on the infrastructure of existing information and present it in way that is more in line with users’ expectations for online information. Articles will be brief and to the point with links to additional information that allow deeper exploration of a topic of interest when time allows. And there will be more than just text. You will be able to choose how you’d like to learn by watching videos, using checklists and submitting your own information. This is only the beginning – The Knowledge Center will continue to grow through user feedback and suggestions, volunteer leader research and participation, family involvement, and contributions.

Partnerships for Shared Information We recognize AG Bell is not the only resource for reliable and useful information. By working with allied and related organizations we will bring you a wide variety of trusted resources in one place – giving you more information without ever having to leave the website. Designed to be there for every step of your journey, no matter where it takes you, The Knowledge Center will be there when you need it most. Stay tuned for the launch of The Knowledge Center this May and look for the latest updates in AG Bell Update and through social media channels at AG Bell.

Desarrollo del

Centro de Conocimiento

sobre Audición y Lenguaje Oral

Por Kevin Gauthier y Elizabeth Reed-Martínez

¿Sabe cómo puede construir un bote en su sótano? ¡Google le puede ayudar a construirlo! Igual que YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, su tío José y la Federación Española de Armadores de Buques. Pero, ¿por dónde empezar? ¿Cómo sabe si la información es o no es fidedigna? Si busca en Google «pérdida de audición en niños» obtiene 1.100.000 sitios posibles para leer. Asimismo, obtendrá consejos bienintencionados de la familia, amigos y gente que ni siquiera conoce. ¿Cómo saber qué es lo mejor para su niño y para la familia? La respuesta pasa por formarse primero a uno mismo, y después formar a aquellos que forman parte de nuestro sistema de apoyo. AG Bell ya hace el trabajo preliminar por usted para que así no tenga que leer más de 1 millón de páginas web en busca de la información (a menos, claro está, que disfrute haciendo ese tipo de cosas). Al reunir, combinar y crear accesos a recursos relativos a la

audición y lenguaje oral en un solo lugar esperamos dejarle más tiempo libre para que pueda tomar medidas a favor de su niño. El Centro de Conocimiento sobre Audición y Lenguaje Oral, que verá la luz en el mes de mayo, será un recurso «imprescindible» para los padres, profesionales y adultos con pérdida de audición que están dedicados a encontrar información sobre la audición y el lenguaje oral.

díganos lo que piensa Visite la página de AG Bell en Facebook en www.facebook.com/ AGBellCommunity y déjenos sus comentarios e ideas para El Centro del Conocimiento.

La creación del Centro del Conocimiento La noción de contar con un Centro del Conocimiento siempre ha sido un motor para muchos de los programas y publicaciones de AG Bell a lo largo de los años. Las copias de Volta Voices con las hojas dobladas permanecen durante años en las estanterías de casas y despachos, las cartas escritas hace más de 40 años ofreciendo palabras de apoyo a las familias se guardan con cariño en álbumes de fotos, y las fotos e historias compartidas durante las reuniones se pasan de generación en generación y nos recuerdan lo mucho que hemos avanzado. Estos son los pilares sobre los que se construye el Centro del Conocimiento: información fidedigna, consejos sólidos, lo último en investigación y amistades de por vida. Durante más de un año, AG Bell ha estado trabajando intensamente para

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El Comité consultivo del Centro del Conocimiento empezó a trabajar en el mes de agosto del año pasado, aportando al proyecto una riqueza de perspectivas y experiencias a medida que participaban en el desarrollo de este exhaustivo recurso en línea. Entre los miembros del Comité se encuentran Catharine McNally (Presidenta), Jeff Campagna, Tina Childress, Ashley Garber, Kevin Miller, Susan Pollack, Jenna Voss y Carianne Muse.

recopilar las aportaciones de los miembros, de expertos y consultores en la materia para explorar las necesidades de información en línea que tiene la comunidad relativas a la audición y al lenguaje oral. Sondeamos y hablamos con padres, profesores, adultos con pérdida de audición, especialistas en audición y lenguaje oral (LSLSTM), audiólogos, patólogos del habla y lenguaje, fabricantes de audífonos y muchas otras personas más. A medida que pasamos tiempo escuchando y aprendiendo, AG Bell ha podido comprender con mayor profundidad las necesidades de información que tenía la comunidad. Descubrimos que las familias necesitan información de dos maneras: de forma rápida y fácilmente accesible cuando el tiempo apremia, y más exhaustiva cuando ellos mismos se están convirtiendo en expertos. Los profesionales que prestan sus servicios a la comunidad necesitan información como

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por ejemplo, técnicas para el aula, mejores prácticas y estrategias para ayudar mejor a los niños y sus familias. Los adultos con pérdida de audición buscan un sitio donde no solo puedan relacionarse con sus pares sino también puedan compartir sus experiencias con familias a la vez que sirven de mentores para la próxima generación. El Centro del Conocimiento funcionará como un eje central para conectar a la gente y los recursos. ¿Necesita conocer los programas educativos relativos a la audición y al lenguaje oral disponibles en su zona? Visite El Centro del Conocimiento para encontrarlos. Los visitantes a la página podrán ver los recursos disponibles en su zona, incluyendo profesionales en activo, programas educativos, productos y servicios. El Centro del Conocimiento también conectará a la gente entre sí.

el desarrollo de un recurso indispensable El Centro del Conocimiento verá la luz con contenido nuevo y reciente basado

Cuestionario sobre la utilización de la página web AG Bell necesita su ayuda para el desarrollo del Centro del Conocimiento. Por favor, conteste a este breve cuestionario e indíquenos qué recursos web utiliza para investigar cuestiones relacionadas con la salud y por qué confía en dichos sitios web: http://nc.agbell.org/ KnowledgeCenterSurvey.

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Conozca al Comité consultivo del Centro del Conocimiento

en la infraestructura de la información ya existente y presentada de tal manera que esté más en línea con las expectativas de los usuarios en lo que a información en línea se refiere. Los artículos serán breves y específicos con enlaces a información adicional que permitan explorar un tema de interés en profundidad cuando el tiempo lo permita. Y habrá mucho más que textos simples. Podrá elegir cómo desea aprender, si viendo vídeos, usando listas y enviando su propia información. Este es solo el comienzo, El Centro del Conocimiento seguirá creciendo gracias a los comentarios y sugerencias de los usuarios, la investigación y participación de líderes voluntarios, la participación de las familias y las aportaciones.

Alianzas para compartir información Somos conscientes de que AG Bell no es la única fuente de información fiable e informativa. Al trabajar con organizaciones aliadas y relacionadas seremos capaces de brindarle una variedad mucho más amplia de recursos fidedignos en un solo sitio, facilitando más información sin que usted necesite salir de la página web. Diseñado para estar junto a usted en cada paso del camino, independientemente de donde este lo lleve, El Centro del Conocimiento estará allí cuando más lo necesite. Esté atento al el lanzamiento del Centro del Conocimiento que tendrá lugar el próximo mes de mayo, y manténgase informado en AG Bell Update y mediante los canales de medios sociales en AG Bell.

Advances in Understanding

Auditory Function By Melody Felzien

n recent years, tremendous efforts have been made to understand how emerging hearing technology affects auditory function. By understanding the effect technology has on listening and spoken language acquisition, researchers can better develop interventions to assist individuals with hearing loss who choose listening and spoken language. On Sunday, July 1, AG Bell will present its eighth Research Symposium, â&#x20AC;&#x153;From the Ear to the Brain: Advances in Understanding Auditory Function, Technology and Spoken Language Development,â&#x20AC;? where researchers will present the latest findings in this field of focus.

Sponsored by the National Institutes of Health, National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, the Symposium will provide attendees with information about advances in hearing aid and cochlear implant technology, the development of speech and language using amplification, and new research on auditory function that will help make strides in developing new interventions for hearing loss. The Symposium is structured for presenters to translate their scientific findings to a non-scientific audience. To preview the Symposium and to help better understand this complex issue, Volta Voices reached out to the presenters to learn more about their research and where it will lead in the future.

Volta Voices: What does your current research focus on? Joseph Santos-Sacchi: My lab works on the sensory cells from the inner ear. We study the electro-mechanical activity of outer hair cells responsible for our keen sense of hearing. We are interested in the molecular workings of the motor molecule prestin, which enables outer hair cells to work as tiny amplifiers. We are also interested in synaptic transmission from hair cells to eight nerve fibers as the synapse at the hair cell is specialized to work continuously. Finally, we are collaborating with colleagues to understand some genetic causes of hearing loss,

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with hearing loss. They have trouble hearing speech in noisy environments. So if we could figure out exactly what is going on with the deaf ear and provide some relief, extend the ability to communicate accurately, that would be a tremendously important contribution, and that is where I’m headed.

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Michael Dorman: My research lab is comparing the benefits of a single cochlear implant, bilateral cochlear implants, a cochlear implant plus low-frequency hearing on the “other” ear, and a cochlear implant plus low-frequency hearing in both ears. We are also including one patient with two cochlear implants and low-frequency acoustic hearing in both ears. In addition, we are testing new signal processing strategies for cochlear implant companies. In the past I’ve worked on the problem of critical periods for the development of speech comprehension in children with cochlear implants.

and to understand mechanisms that may promote regeneration of hair cells. Jont Allen: My research group is studying speech perception of individuals with hearing loss and with typical hearing. We are trying to understand how people with typical hearing decode speech. Why do you hear “ta” when I say “ta,” and how can I make you hear “da” when I say “ta” by manipulating the wave form? How can I control what you hear? What is your brain decoding precisely in the wave form? While we think we understand how this works with individuals who have typical hearing, the next step is to ask the same question about people

V O LTA V O ICES • MARCH /APRIL 201 2

Tonya Bergeson-Dana: The overall objectives of my research are to investigate the development of auditory attention to speech by infants and children with hearing loss and to assess how the characteristics of maternal speech input are affected by infants’ hearing status. Caregivers typically speak and sing to their infants and children using a distinct style, commonly referred to as “motherese,” babytalk or infant-directed speech. Not only do caregivers speak and sing in a special way to their infants, but infants also prefer this style of speech and song. Moreover, it has been proposed that infants’ positive response to babytalk encourages parents’ continued use of this vocal register. If this is the case, caregivers with infants who are deaf or hard of hearing might decrease their use of babytalk when they discover their infants are not responding to the auditory information, when such infants might need to hear babytalk even more than infants with typical hearing. Additionally, infantdirected speech is often thought to be a crucial link to infants’ speech and language development. Thus, it is important to assess the early auditory experience of infants who are deaf or hard of hearing. With the development of cochlear

implants it is also critical to assess the changes in mothers’ speech to infants as they acquire auditory skills via cochlear implants, compared to the mothers’ speech to infants with typical hearing and infants who receive hearing aids. V.V.: What interests you about restoring auditory function? J.S.: Our work will hopefully provide information that will aid in the ultimate treatment of hearing loss; however, for the most part, such utilization of our data is for the future. We are especially excited about understanding genetic bases of cochlear physiology. J.A.: I have worked on the auditory system for 30-plus years. About 15 years ago, I started studying the perception of speech. Although not everyone agrees, I believe that speech is the most important signal presented to the ear. M.D.: My interest comes from testing what ought to happen with electrical stimulation, and what does happen. I keep at this work because of the change in attitude of patients who come into my office able to hear very little or not at all and then, following surgery and (re)habilitation, are able to hear. That change is spectacular and that change keeps me coming to the laboratory each day. T.B.D.: Scientists and researchers are learning that early experience with speech and spoken language has a great impact on infants’ and children’s development not only of spoken language, but also a myriad of social-emotional and neurocognitive skills. Restoring auditory function will help alleviate these effects of auditory deprivation in infants and children with hearing loss. V.V.: How can professionals/parents best utilize emerging research in this field to help their clients/children develop listening and spoken language? J.S.: We hope that our basic science work will be viewed by those more clinically minded who may find clinically pertinent aspects that may help patients.

Research Symposium Presenters Joseph SantosSacchi, Ph.D., is a professor in the Department of Otolaryngology at Yale School of Medicine. He has an undergraduate degree in psychology from Columbia College and a Ph.D. in audiology from Columbia University. He joined Yale University in 1991. Prior to that, Santos-Sacchi worked in labs at the City College of New York, Northwestern University and the University of Puerto Rico. He has been funded continuously by NIH/ NINCDS/NIDCD since 1984 to study hair cell and supporting cell physiology. More information can be found on his website www.YaleEarLab.org. Jont Allen, Ph.D., is an associate professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Illinois. Allen received a B.S. in electrical engineering from the University of Illinois, UrbanaChampaign, and an M.S. and Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania. Upon graduation, Allen joined Bell Laboratories in Murray Hill, N.J. From 1997-2002 he was a member of the newly created Research Division of AT&T (formerly Bell) Labs. In 2003, Allen retired from AT&T and joined the University of Illinois. Michael Dorman, Ph.D., is a professor in the Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences at Arizona State University. He received his Ph.D. in experimental

child and developmental psychology (with a linguistics minor) from the University of Connecticut in 1971. He is a Fellow of the Acoustical Society of American and the author of over 150 publications in areas including speech perception by infants, adults, listeners with hearing loss and listeners fit with cochlear implants; cortical lateralization of function; and neural plasticity. His work on cochlear implants has been supported continuously by the National Institutes of Health since 1989. Tonya BergesonDana, Ph.D., is an associate professor, Philip F. Holton investigator, and co-director of the Babytalk Research Laboratory in the Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery at the Indiana University School of Medicine. She received undergraduate degrees in music theory and psychology from Northwestern University, and an M.A. and Ph.D. in cognitive psychology from the University of Toronto. Bergeson is currently interested in three areas of research: the effects of hearing loss and subsequent amplification via hearing aids or cochlear implants on mothers’ speech to infants with mild to profound hearing loss; the development of multimodal perception skills in infants who are deaf following amplification; and the effects of cochlear implantation and hearing experience on music perception and production in infants, children, and adults. Bergeson has received R21 and R01 research grants from the NIH-NIDCD, and her work has been widely published. Bergeson has also received an Early Career Award from the International Society on Infant Studies and an LRP Award from the NIH.

J.A.: The characterization of consonant loss by the deaf ear is an excellent diagnostic that is underutilized. Hearing level (pure tone thresholds) can tell you when something is wrong, but these measures say nothing about what is wrong. Consonant testing tells you what is wrong. M.D.: A well-informed professional or parent can keep pressing manufacturers to improve their products and can press for appropriate (re)habilitation for their clients/children. T.B.D.: Emerging research findings provide clinicians and researchers with new knowledge about the linguistic development of children with hearing loss. We hope that this important knowledge will be used to develop early interventions to maximize successful verbal communication skills in infants and children with hearing loss. V.V.: What do you see is the future of listening and spoken language opportunities for children and adults with hearing loss? J.S.: I believe the future is bright. Beyond cochlear implants, we are hopeful that efforts at hair cell regeneration will ultimately payoff. J.A.: If we can improve the diagnosis of hearing loss with much better consonant perception tests, we may, I hope, be able to tune a hearing aid to better enhance speech. M.D.: When early hearing detection and intervention of hearing loss combines with a cochlear implant or cochlear implant plus hearing aid, the future looks very good for children. One of my patients who received an implant early is now in high school, an honors student and is looking at Stanford for college and then medical school. After receiving a cochlear implant, adults can expect to resume usual social interaction. I work with a patient who, following surgery, is pursuing a career as a song writer, singer and performer. T.B.D.: Over the past decade there have been numerous advances in hear-

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ing technology. Some of the changes help cochlear implant users encode pitch information in speech and music. Given the social-emotional and linguistic importance of the melodic quality of infant-directed speech, infants and children with profound hearing loss should benefit greatly from any additional pitch and timbre information in their environment. Aside from technological advances, researchers have also made great progress in determining predictors of success with a cochlear implant in children with profound hearing loss, and evidencebased interventions are being developed in a number of areas to ameliorate the negative effects of auditory deprivation on speech, language and cognitive development. V.V.: Can you give us a preview of your presentation during the Research Symposium at the AG Bell 2012 Convention?

J.S.: I will try to summarize some of the projects we are working on. These include understanding how chloride ions help the outer hair cells work to provide cochlear amplification, how auditory synapses are capable of working non-stop, and how mutations can cause hearing loss. J.A.: I will discuss our experiments on speech perception of individuals with hearing loss in noise. This will show how strange speech perception is with these individuals. Unlike those with typical hearing, every ear of a person who is deaf is totally different (even right from left). Hearing aids can harm speech perception in noise, so this is what I want to address: Amplification should never harm speech, only help. This is our goal then, to understand when, why and how amplification strategies can degrade speech. M.D.:I will provide an overview of how electrical stimulation can provide hear-

ing and speech understanding in adults and children. I will summarize some of the data on critical periods in auditory development for children that emphasize the need for early hearing detection and intervention, and will summarize the data from adults about the usefulness of one cochlear implant, two cochlear implants or cochlear implants plus hearing aids. T.B.D.: I will present an overview of speech and language development using amplification. I will also present research from my lab investigating a) the development of attention to speech input by infants with hearing loss who use hearing aids and cochlear implants, b) how mothers interact and communicate with infants with and without hearing loss and how this changes over time, and c) how the attentional preferences for speech input of infants with hearing loss and aspects of their mothersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; speech are related to later speech-language skills at 1 to 4 years of age.

he George H. Nofer Scholarship for Law and Public Policy is for full-time students entering post-graduate school for law, public policy or public policy administration. Applicant criteria include enrollment as a first-, second- or third-year student in an accredited law school or graduate program, having a moderate-toprofound bilateral hearing loss and using spoken language as the primary mode of communication. Three awards are available for the 2012-2013 academic year.

GeorGe H. Nofer ScHolarSHip for law aNd public policy

ApplicAtion deAdline: April 9, 2012 Visit www.agbell.org for more information and to download the application packet.

TEL 202.337.5220 EMAIL fiNANciALAid@AGbeLL.orG ONLINE www.AGbeLL.orG

V O LTA V O ICES â&#x20AC;˘ MARCH /APRIL 201 2

What the Research Shows

Parental Roles and Perspectives

By Melody Felzien

or over 120 years, researchers have explored questions about spoken language communication, publishing their fi ndings in The Volta Review, a scholarly journal founded by Alexander Graham Bell to provide professionals with information about the ways in which hearing technology, health care, early intervention and education contribute to listening and spoken language development. Because best practices now focus on family-centered intervention, parents increasingly need access to research in order to make informed decisions about the health care and education options available to their children. With busy professionals and parents in mind,

AG Bell is continuing an ongoing article series that highlights and summarizes research published in the most recent issues of The Volta Review. Recent studies have primarily focused on exploring the role and perspectives of parents regarding care for a child with hearing loss, as well as studies exploring reading instruction and standardized research analysis tools.

The Parents’ Perspective Recent studies have explored the role of parents in several different areas. First, one study examined how mothers of adolescent children who are deaf or hard of hearing view themselves as mothers,

as compared to mothers of adolescents with typical hearing. “Maternal Identity of Hearing Mothers of Deaf Adolescents” (Koboska & Zalewska, 2011) found that mothers of adolescents with hearing loss emphasized more behavioral relationships with their children, whereas mothers of adolescents with typical hearing placed more emphasis on the emotional relationship. Results indicated that the fi rst set of mothers were more action-oriented with their children, so as to ensure the acquisition of listening and spoken language and eventual transition into mainstream schools. Researchers noted that this could be because mothers of children with hear-

V OLTA V OIC E S • M A R C H/ A PR I L 201 2

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Because best practices now focus on family-centered intervention, parents increasingly need access to research in order to make informed decisions about the health care and education options available to their children.

ing loss were required to be more active in their child’s development for longer and had less time to focus on emotional connections. They emphasized that mothers of children with hearing loss should take time to develop an emotional relationship with their child as a person first, rather than placing emphasis on spoken language development before the child. Future considerations should be placed on helping these mothers develop emotional connections with their children. Second, “From Screening to Care: A Qualitative Analysis of the Parental Experiences Related to Screening and (Re)habilitation Care for Children with Congenital Deafness in Flanders,

V O LTA V O ICES • MARCH /APRIL 201 2

Belgium” (Hardonk et al., 2011) is a study of parent perceptions regarding care after their child does not pass the newborn hearing screening test. This qualitative analysis showed ranges in perception of care. Most of the experiences were influenced by the support parents received directly following the hearing screening. For instance, results indicated that parents who were initially referred to an ear, nose and throat (ENT) department versus a (re)habilitation center experienced obstacles in the care trajectory due to feelings of uncertainty and anxiety over their child’s future as the ENT department merely confirmed the hearing loss and did not provide further support or information. The range of parental attitudes towards the professionals that these parents worked with and their opinions regarding care is extremely helpful in informing early intervention professionals on best practices once an infant or child is in their care. Researchers emphasize that implementation of a universal newborn hearing screening program is in itself insufficient to ensure early intervention, and that adequate support is needed immediately following the screening to avoid delay and parental distress. Finally, “Parent and Teacher Perceptions of Transitioning Students from a Listening and Spoken Language School to the General Education Setting” is a look at the perceived readiness of a child with hearing loss to enter a mainstream school setting. The study examined both parental and teacher perceptions of a child’s readiness to transition after the transition had occurred. Parent responses showed that a wide variety of tools, including early orientation and ongoing support, were critical for students with hearing loss to succeed in a mainstream educational setting. Teacher responses indicated that academically, the students were ready to transition but that emphasis

could be placed on vocabulary development prior to the transition. The parent-professional dynamic is critical in securing language opportunities for children who are deaf or hard of hearing. By looking at parent perceptions, professionals can improve and adapt their practices to better serve the family as a whole.

Instruction and Analysis The Volta Review also published manuscripts on reading instruction and the effectiveness of a research analysis tool. First, “Reading Instruction and Text Difficulty” (Donne, 2011) examined how the level of text difficulty for reading assignments and activities influenced the reading experiences of children with hearing loss in grades 1-3 in schools for the deaf. Researchers examined activities during reading instruction, focusing on the time that students actually spend reading, to determine the extent to which reading instruction and student engagement were different based on text difficulty. Results indicate that students in the present study spent less time engaged in total reading, reading aloud and reading silently than students who are deaf or hard of hearing in other settings, and spent a small amount of time actually reading during periods of reading instruction (an average of 6.4 minutes/day). Additionally, 50 percent of the students in this survey were reading beyond their comprehension level. Researchers did find that the number of reading in-service programs teachers attended positively impacted student engagement in reading activities, which could be a place for further research. Second, “Examining Speech Sound Acquisition for Children with Cochlear Implants Using the GFTA-2” (Flipsen, 2011) studied the use of the GoldmanFristoe Test of Articulation – Second Edition (GFTA-2) with children who use

cochlear implants to evaluate whether or not it would be appropriate to use this test to evaluate speech acquisition skills. The effectiveness of evaluation techniques can help researchers understand what norms are appropriate to compare with children who are deaf or hard of hearing. Results of this study indicate that the GFTA-2 is a reliable tool for this population of children and the results are consistent with other similar studies.

ehdI monograph In addition to these manuscripts, The Volta Review also recently published a monograph on U.S. early hearing detection and intervention (EHDI) programs (Roush, 2011). The monograph presented the fi ndings of a groundbreaking analysis that applied a widely used business strategic planning tool to gain new insights into the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of state EHDI programs. The results provide a guideline for strengthening EHDI systems in each

state to provide comprehensive care to infants and young children with hearing loss. To view a summary of the fi ndings, visit www.agbell.org/TheVoltaReview.

Review website offers a wide variety of resources for those who are interested in developing a research study, but are not sure where to start.

Conclusion

references

All of these studies, as well as past issues of The Volta Review, are available online at www.agbell.org/TheVoltaReview. (You must be logged-in as an AG Bell member to view the archives.) Parents of a child newly diagnosed can sign up for a free 6-month membership by clicking the “Free Parent/Family Membership” button on www.agbell.org. Exploring the language development of individuals who are deaf and hard of hearing has never been more important. And while a large number of studies exist that specifically focused on auditoryverbal practice, the results do not provide conclusive evidence of success on a broader level. The editors encourage you and your colleagues to consider contributing to this body of research. The Volta

Donne, V. (2011). Reading instruction and text difficulty. The Volta Review, 111(1), 5-23. Flipsen, P. (2011). Examining speech sound acquisition for children with cochlear implants using the GFTA-2. The Volta Review, 111(1), 25-37. Hardonk, S., Desnerck, G., Loots, G., Matthijs, L., Van Hove, G., Van Kerschaver, E., et al. (2011). From screening to care: A qualitative analysis of the parental experiences related to screening and (re)habilitation care for children with congenital deafness in Flanders, Belgium. The Volta Review, 111(3), 299-324. Koboska, J., & Zalewska, M. (2011). Maternal identity of hearing mothers of deaf adolescents. Empirical studies – an interpersonal approach. The Volta Review, 111(1), 39-59. Roush, J. (Ed.). (2011). Strategic analysis of state early hearing detection and intervention programs. The Volta Review, 111(2). Rugg, N., & Donne, V. (2011). Parent and teacher perceptions of transitioning students from a listening and spoken language school to the general education setting. The Volta Review, 111(3), 325-351.

V OLTA V OIC E S • M A R C H/ A PR I L 201 2

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tips for parents

Our Journey into Deafness By Nicole and John Iwawaki

Iwawaki family

ometimes people think our journey into deafness began over eight years ago when we found out our baby girl, Cordelia, was born deaf. But for my family, this journey began long before Cordelia was born – long before me and my husband, John, even had children. Our story began when I was an impressionable teenager. I met a friend who had a father who was deaf and as I watched them communicate via American Sign Language (ASL), I was enamored by sign language. Many years passed and I was always drawn to sign language. In my early 20s I enrolled in a community ASL class. After several levels of ASL, and a move to California from Canada, I thought I might like to be a sign language interpreter. I looked into local options but soon discovered that I was pregnant with our first child, Judah. During the first year of Judah’s life, I often used simple signs with him, took a refresher sign language class and attended a church service that had sign language interpretation. Mere months later I gave birth to a beautiful baby girl, Cordelia. Our final step in being discharged from the hospital was a newborn screening test for hearing. Cordelia did not pass the screening. I remember saying to the screener “Of all the things that can go wrong, we’ll take deafness. We have a healthy baby and can go home today.” Several weeks later at the follow up screening we discovered what we already suspected: another failed screening. By the time Cordelia was 3 months old the hearing loss was confirmed. She was bilaterally deaf. We were devastated, but not defeated. After weighing the options and researching for hours, we had Cordelia fitted with tiny hearing aids as soon as we could. The aids did not seem to help. We educated ourselves about cochlear

(Clockwise from top): John, Nicole, Judah and Cordelia Iwawaki. John and Nicole credit thorough research into hearing loss, promoting development through active sports, and exposure to role models overcoming obstacles as keys to Cordelia’s success with listening and spoken language.

implants, becoming experts so to speak. We attended an AG Bell Convention and went to local seminars and programs about the deaf and hard of hearing. We were directly, personally involved in her education options; we knew our parental rights for Individualized Family Service Plans (IFSP) and Individualized Education Programs (IEP). We were involved in decisions regarding her testing and teachers, and we challenged and fought for what was best for Cordelia and our family. When Cordelia was 10 months old she received a cochlear implant for her right ear. She heard for the first time at 11 months old. That is when the real work began. Since we already had a basis of sign language communication, we adopted

Signed Exact English (SEE). In her early years, we simultaneously spoke and signed to her. Cordelia was enrolled in the early education program in our local school district. We had multiple home visits a week with speech-language pathologists and teachers of the deaf as well as audiology appointments. It definitely was tiring running around with two children from appointment to appointment. As parents of a child with hearing loss, we have made great sacrifices. With the many appointments, having professionals visit our home, introducing Cordelia to strangers, enduring conflicting opinions of how to best raise a child who is deaf, and even driving many miles to the appropriate school, these sacrifices were worth it in the long run. It gets easier and the payoffs

V OLTA V OIC E S • M A R C H/ A P R I L 201 2

are evident, especially entering the schoolage years. We constantly make adaptations to our life, like using closed captioning for TV and movies, playing less background music, choosing quieter locales to dine, seating Cordelia with her strong (right) side to us, educating our extended families and making a language rich environment possible. We read books to her daily and even today she is an avid reader. Most of all, we prayed. After she received her implant, Cordelia took to listening and spoken language right away. She enjoyed music, babbling to herself and made great strides in her toddler class. We believe that the fact we used sign language before she could hear meant she was able to use the basic language she already had and put the sign to the word she heard, thus accelerating her speech and language acquisition. As she grew we expanded her exposure to activities, creating opportunities for her to learn new skills, see new things and experience the world around her. Symphonies, camping out of doors, performing arts, travel, and toddler music and art classes are examples of the way we helped expand her language and knowledge. Just before Cordelia’s 3rd birthday, we discovered her cochlear implant had a problem. The internal device failed, which meant she could no longer hear. When she could not hear and we signed to her that it was broken, she fell in sadness to the floor. That week she stopped signing with us. She only wanted to hear. We had her implant replaced as soon as we could. She went 21 days without hearing and probably lost 6-8 months of spoken language ability acquired through therapy. After her re-implantation we made the choice to enroll her in a listening and spoken language school 60 miles away from our home in the San Francisco bay area. Three times a week I piled the kids in the car and made the trek across the San Francisco bay (a one-to-two hour drive) to school. Cordelia thrived there and Judah joined the school as a language model. That year, in spite of the trek, was a year of great growth in speech, language and confidence. Over all it confirmed to us that giving Cordelia a cochlear

V O LTA V O ICES • MARCH /APRIL 201 2

implant as an infant was the right decision for our family. As the years passed, her language grew. What had seemed to be so foreign and unusual – learning about deaf culture, speech bananas and IEPs – had now become our normal. The joy of watching her blossom and become her own person with all her strengths and accomplishments reminded us again that she is just like all the other 8-year-old girls; she just happens to be genetically deaf. It’s in her genes and we can’t change them. We try to instill in Cordelia that she is her own person. Deafness will not stop her. We show her amazing examples of others overcoming difficulties, such as Bethany Hamilton, Temple Grandin and Helen Keller, among other heroes, artists and athletes. We also encourage her to play and listen to music. Today she takes piano lessons, loves to go to the symphony and, one day, hopes to play the harp. Some of the daily ways we are able to help Cordelia navigate through life is to aid her in social situations by preparing her ahead of time and checking in with her during the activities to make sure she is able to fill in any gaps in the information. We don’t assume she knows what’s going on, often because she doesn’t overhear, catch some of the social cues or pay attention. Pre-loading information and language for what she should expect has helped Cordelia get the most out of the moment. Part of raising a child with hearing loss is teaching her to self-advocate. Teaching her to say “What did you say?” or “Can you speak louder?” or “I am deaf and I need to see your lips when you speak to me.” Self-advocacy prepares Cordelia for the future, for when she enters her teen years and beyond, and for the day when we are no longer there to answer queries about her deafness. Today Cordelia is an athlete, an avid story-teller and a musician; she is kindhearted, creative, free-spirited and so many other things. Our journey into deafness has taught us to be more compassionate, to champion those with struggles and to embrace what has become our “normal.” Our faith has been a great support to us and reminds us that Cordelia is our family’s perfect gift.

Hear Our Voices

Nothing Stops Me By Cordelia Iwawaki

Iwawaki family

Cordelia is an avid skateboarder, recently receiving her first long skateboard.

Iwawaki family

ot every 8-year-old girl is deaf. Not every girl does aerial arts and not every girl does gymnastics. Not every girl is on a swim team and not every girl is homeschooled. But I am. I’ll explain. I was born with a profound hearing loss in both ears. When I was 4 months old I got hearing aids, but they didn’t work so well for me. Then, when I was 10 months old I got a cochlear implant. My family and I used to sign to communicate. I’m not so good about signing nowadays. I like to communicate using my voice and hearing with my behindthe-ear (BTE) hearing aid. Let me tell you about my favorite activity, aerial arts. Aerial arts is trapeze and silks (ribbons) and sometimes stilts. It’s kind of hard to hear when I’m up high because I’m deaf. I always wear an extra magnet on my BTE, an ear mold and wig tape. My favorite act to perform is the hip key. A hip key is kicking your legs in the air and turning out upside down in the ribbons. Someday, I hope to be part of an aerial arts troupe or team. Gymnastics is another favorite sport. It consists of beam, bar, floor, rope, tram-

poline and the foam pit. I love to climb the ropes. The most challenging part of being on a swim team is that I can’t hear underwater. If my BTE gets wet, I won’t be able to hear. I am hoping to get a Neptune sound processer, which is waterproof, so I can hear and be in the water at the same time. I love to swim. The stroke I like best is the dolphin kick. I also like to skateboard. This year I got my first long board skateboard; I am learning so many cool tricks. I want to accomplish a trick involving fancy footwork and a board jump.

Cordelia has a passion for aerial arts and acrobatics, hoping someday to join an aerial arts troupe.

V OLTA V OIC E S • M A R C H/ A PR I L 201 2

meet Cordelia

she did use Signed Exact English for the first three years of her life, after receiving her second implant she used listening and spoken language almost exclusively. Cordelia attended a listening and language school for one year, and was mainstreamed until this year when her family decided to try home schooling. Cordelia lives in the San Francisco bay area with her parents, Nicole and John, and an older brother, Judah. She is currently considering a second cochlear implant.

Cordelia was born deaf as the result of a genetic mutation. She received her first cochlear implant in 2004. Due to a malfunction in the device, she received a replacement implant in 2006. Although

Iwawaki family

I like to do lots of things. Nothing stops me – not even my deafness. Still, I’m a regular girl, like Bethany Hamilton, a young professional surfer who lost her arm. Nothing can stop me from trying new things.

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DIRECTORY OF SERVICES

Directory of Services  Alabama Alabama Ear Institute, 300 Office Park Drive,

Suite 210, Birmingham, AL 35223 • (205-8794234 – voice) • (205-879-4233-fax) – www. alabamaearinstitute.org AEI Auditory-Verbal Mentoring Program - Training in spoken language development utilizing the A-V approach w/ continuing education workshops & mentoring by LSLS Cert AVTs. AEI Summer Institute in Auditory-Verbal Therapy- two-week immersion in A-V approach Workshops and practicum experience w/instruction and coaching by LSLS Cert AVTs. The Alabama School for Hearing: pre-school utilizing auditory/oral classroom approach - Auditory-Verbal therapy also provided. AEI: Education, research and public policy.

 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 Th ree 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.

 California Auditory-Verbal Services, 10623 Emerson

Bend, Tustin, CA 92782. 714-573-2143 (voice) - KarenatAVS@aol.com (email). Karen RothwellVivian, M.S.Ed., M.A., CCC-A, LSLS Certified Auditory-Verbal Therapist (LSLS Cert.AVT). Auditory-Verbal Therapy and audiological consultation for children with hearing loss from infancy. Expertise with hearing aids, cochlear implants, FM systems, and mainstreaming support. Auditory Rehabilitation both pre-lingual and postlingual hearing loss for children and adults.

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

Road, Rancho Cordova, Ca 95670 • 916-361-7290 (voice). Laura Turner, Principal. An auditory/oral day school educating children and their families from birth through early elementary grades. Other programs include adult cochlear implant support, parent-infant program, on-site audiological services and mainstreaming support services. The school is staffed with credentialed teachers, licensed speechlanguage pathologists and a licensed audiologist.

Echo Horizon School, 3430 McManus Avenue,

Culver City, CA 90232 • 310-838-2442 (voice) • 310-838-0479 (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. HEAR Center, 301 East Del Mar Blvd., Pasadena, CA 91101 • 626-796-2016 (voice) • 626-796-2320 (fax) • Specializing in audiological services for all ages. Auditory-Verbal individual therapy, birth to 21 years. 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 Boulevard,

Los Angeles, CA 90007 · 213-748-5481 (voice) · 800-522-4582 · PALS@JTC.org · www.jtc.org & www.youtube.com/johntracyclinic. Early detection, school readiness and parent empowerment since 1942. Worldwide Parent Distance Education and onsite comprehensive audiological, counseling and educational services for families with children ages birth-5 years old. Intensive Summer Sessions (children ages 2-5 and parents), with sibling program. Online and on-campus options for an accredited Master’s and Credential in Deaf Education.

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.

Legal Services, David M. Grey, Grey & Grey,

233 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 700, Santa Monica, CA 90401 • 310-444-1980 (voice) • david@greyslaw. com (email). Advocacy for those with hearing loss. Focus on educational issues, communication access and discrimination. We handle IEPs, due process and court proceedings throughout California. We are knowledgeable about AVT, cochlear implants, FM systems and other aids and services that facilitate communication access. Free initial consultation. 25 years of legal experience. Listen and Learn, 4340 Stevens Creek Blvd., Suite 107, San Jose, CA 95129 • 408-345-4949 • Marsha A. Haines, M.A., CED, Cert. AVT, and Sandra Hamaguchi Hocker, M.A., CED • Auditory-verbal therapy for the child and family from infancy. Services also include aural habilitation for older students and adults with cochlear implants. Extensive experience and expertise with cochlear implants, single and bilateral. Mainstream support services, school consultation and assessment for children in their neighborhood school. California NPA certified. No Limits Performing Arts Academy and Educational Center, 9801 Washington Boulevard,

2nd Fl, Culver City, CA 90232 – 310.280.0878, 800.948.7712 • www.kidswithnolimits.org. • Provides free speech, language, literacy and support services to dhh children and their families between the ages of 3 and 18 through its No Limits Educational Center. Additionally, No Limits offers a national performing arts program for schools and the community that builds the self confidence and communication skills of children with a hearing loss.

Oralingua School for the Hearing Impaired,

North Campus – 7056 S. Washington Avenue, Whittier, CA 90602 – 562-945-8391 (voice) • 562-945-0361 (fax) • info@oralingua.org (email) • www.oralingua.org (website). South Campus – 1305 Deodar Road, Escondido, CA 92026 – 760-2976725 (voice) • 562-945-0361 (fax). Where children are listening and talking. An auditory/oral day program serving children from birth to 13 years old. Audiological, Speech/Language, Aural Habilitation, Mainstreaming, Auditory-Verbal Therapy and other related Designated Instructional Services available. Contact Elisa J. Roche, Ph.D., Executive Director.

V OLTA V OIC E S • M A R C H/ A PR I L 201 2

DIRECTORY OF SERVICES Training and Advocacy Group (TAG) for Deaf & Hard of Hearing Children and Teens,

Leah Ilan, Executive Director • 11693 San Vicente Blvd. #559, Los Angeles, CA 90049 • 310-3397678 • tagkids@aol.com • www.tagkids.org. TAG provides exciting social opportunities through community service, field trips, weekly meetings, college prep and pre-employment workshops, guest speakers and parent-only workshops. Meetings are offered both on site at schools as well as off site in the community. Group meetings and events offered to oral D/HoH children in 5th grade through high school seniors.

 Colorado Bill Daniels Center for Children’s Hearing, Children’s Hospital Colorado, Department of Audiology, Speech Pathology and Learning Services, 13123

East 16th Avenue, B030 Aurora, CO 80045 • http://www.childrenscolorado.org (website) • 720-777-6531(voice) • 720-777-6886 (TTY) • BillDanielsCenter@childrenscolorado.org (email). 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’s desire for their preference of communication needs. We also provide advanced technology hearing aid fitting and cochlear implant services. Colorado Oral-Deaf PreSchool, 8081 E. Orchard Road, Suite 280, Greenwood Village, CO 80111 • 303-953-7344 (phone) • 303-9537346 (fax) • info@oraldeafpreschool.org (email) • http://www.oraldeafpreschool.org (website). The Colorado Oral-Deaf PreSchool (CO ODPS) provides listening and spoken language intervention in a superior educational setting for young children with hearing loss. The school, located approximately 20 miles south of Denver, serves children who are deaf and hard of hearing from birth to 6 years old and provides support and education for parents and family members. Services at the school include parent infant language intervention, toddler group, preschool group and mainstream support for school age students. Our superior learning environment is characterized by classrooms staffed by master’sprepared teachers.

V O LTA V O ICES • MARCH /APRIL 201 2

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 multi-disciplinary approach, our boardcertified 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.

 Connecticut CREC Soundbridge, 123 Progress Drive, Wethersﬁeld, CT 06109 • 860- 529-4260 (voice/ TTY) • 860-257-8500 (fax) • www.crec.org/ soundbridge (website). Dr. Elizabeth B. Cole, Program Director. Comprehensive audiological and instructional services, birth through post-secondary, public school settings. Focus on providing cuttingedge 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.

 Florida Clarke Schools for Hearing and Speech/ Jacksonville, 9857 St. Augustine Road, Suite

6, Jacksonville, FL 32257 • 904-880-9001(voice/ relay). info@clarkeschools.org • www.clarkeschools. org. Alisa Demico, MS, CCC-SLP, LSLS Cert AVT, and Cynthia Robinson, M.Ed., CED, LSLS Cert. AVEd, Co-Directors. A member of the Option Schools network, Clarke Schools for Hearing and Speech provides children who are deaf and hard of hearing with the listening, learning and spoken language skills they need to succeed. Comprehensive listening and spoken language programs prepare students for success in mainstream schools. Services include early intervention, toddler, preschool, pre-K, kindergarten, parent support and support group, cochlear implant habilitation, and mainstream support. Summer Listening and Spoken Language Program provides additional spoken language therapy for toddler and preschoolaged children. Clarke Schools for Hearing and Speech has locations in Boston, Bryn Mawr, Philadelphia, Jacksonville, New York City, and Northampton.

DIRECTORY OF SERVICES Debbie School, Auditory Oral Education Program, 1601 NW 12th Avenue, Miami,

FL 33136 • 305-243-6961 (voice) • kvergara@ med.miami.edu (email) • http://debbieschool. med.miami.edu (website). Early intervention and primary education services are provided in a nurturing inclusive educational environment where children with hearing loss learn to listen and talk. Classrooms include early preschool, preschool, kindergarten, and primary. Services include early intervention, family education, individualized small group instruction, audiology, and speech-language pathology. Staff consists of credentialed teachers, a credentialed service coordinator, licensed therapists, and a licensed audiologist. Doctors’ Hearing and Balance Centers of ENT Associates of South Florida, 1601

University of Miami – Ear Institute, Cochlear Implant Program, 1120 NW 14th

Street, Clinical Research Building, 5th floor, Miami, FL 33136 • 1-888-COCHLEAR (voice) • jhorvath@med.miami.edu • (email) www. ent.med.miami.edu (website). Comprehensive multidisciplinary diagnostic and rehabilitative services provided for infants and children. Services include diagnostic audiology, amplification, cochlear implantation, listening and spoken language therapy, educational support and psychological evaluation. The Barton G Kids Hear Now Cochlear Implant Family Resource Center provides targeted support for families beginning with diagnosis including counseling, training, mentoring programs, advocacy, and support groups. Professionals include Otologists, Audiologists, Listening and Spoken Language Specialists, Speech Pathologists, an Educational Specialist, and a Psychologist.

Clint Moore Road, Suite 215, Boca Raton, FL 33487 • (561) 393-9150 (voice) • audiology@entsf. com (email) • www.entsf.com (website) • ENT/ Audiology practice serving the hearing impaired from birth to geriatric age. Services include all Ear, Nose and Th roat services including specialties in pediatrics and Otoneurology. Audiology services include all comprehensive diagnostic evaluations and fittings, cochlear and Baha/Pronto implantable evaluations and activations. We work closely with auditory-verbal therapists/speech-language pathologists within the community. FinAidAd_HALF PG_School Age_Jan12:1 1/20/12 11:11 AM Page 1

 Georgia Atlanta Speech School – Katherine Hamm Center, 3160 Northside Parkway, NW Atlanta,

GA 30327 • 404-233-5332 ext. 3119 (voice/ TTY) • 404-266-2175 (fax) • scarr@atlspsch.org (email) • www.atlantaspeechschool.org (website). A Listening and Spoken Language program serving children who are deaf or hard of hearing from infancy to elementary school age. Children receive language-rich lessons and highly individualized literacy instruction in a nurturing environment. Teachers and staff work closely with parents to instill the knowledge and confidence children need to reach their full potential. Early intervention programs, audiological support services, auditoryverbal therapy, mainstreaming opportunities and independent educational evaluations. Established in 1938. For further information please visit our website: www.atlspsch.org.

Every Child Deserves a Chance

to Listen, Talk and Thrive

dvances in newborn hearing screening and early hearing detection and intervention are A giving more children with hearing loss the opportunity to learn to listen, talk and thrive along with their peers. That’s why AG Bell offers programs designed to support children and youth with hearing loss who are pursuing spoken language education. SCHOOL-AGE FINANCIAL AID PROGRAM APPLICATIONS AVAILABLE: APRIL 6, 2012 APPLICATION DEADLINE: MAY 31, 2012

More information, including eligibility criteria and an application packet, is available at www.agbell.org.

TEL 202.337.5220 • EMAIL financialaid@agbell.org • ONLINE www.agbell.org

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DIRECTORY OF SERVICES Auditory-Verbal Center, Inc - Atlanta, 1901

Century Boulevard, Suite 20, Atlanta, GA 30345, 404-633-8911 (voice) • 404-633-6403 (fax) • listen@avchears.org (email) • www.avchears.org (website). Auditory-Verbal Center, Inc - Macon, 2720 Sheraton Drive, Suite D-240, Macon, GA 31204 • 478-471-0019 (voice). A comprehensive Auditory-Verbal program for children with hearing impairments and their families. Home Center and Practicum Site programs provide intensive A-V training for families and professionals. Complete audiological services for children and adults. Assistive listening devices demonstration center.

 Idaho Idaho Educational Services for the Deaf and the Blind, 1450 Main Street, Gooding, ID

83330 • 208 934 4457 (V/TTY) • 208 934 8352 (fax) • isdb@isdb.idaho.gov (e-mail). IESDB serves birth to 21 year old youth with hearing loss through parent-infant, on-site, and outreach programs. Options include auditory/oral programs for children using spoken language birth through second grade. Audiology, speech instruction, auditory development, and cochlear implant habilitation is provided.

 Illinois Alexander Graham Bell Montessori School (AGBMS) and Alternatives in Education for the Hearing Impaired (AEHI), www.agbms.

org (website) • info@agbms.org (email) • 847850-5490 (phone) • 847-850-5493 (fax) • 9300 Capitol Drive Wheeling, IL 60090 • AGBMS is a Montessori school educating children ages 15 months-12 who are deaf or hard of hearing or have other communicative challenges in a mainstream environment with hearing peers. Teachers of Deaf/Speech/Language Pathologist/Reading Specialist/Classroom Teachers emphasize language development and literacy utilizing Cued Speech. Early Intervention Services available to children under 3. 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) • 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 in Wood Dale and Chicago areas. Parent Support/Education classes provided. Child’s Voice is a Certified Moog Program.

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The University of Chicago, Comer Children’s Hospital Pediatric Hearing Loss and Cochlear Implant Center, 5841

S. Maryland Avenue, DCAM 4H, Chicago, IL 60637 • 773-702-8182. Program Director, Sally Tannenbaum, M.Ed., CED, LSLS Cert. AVT, stannenbaum@surgery.bsd.uchicago.edu. Dr. Dana Suskind, dsuskind@surgery.bsd.uchicago.edu. Website: www.uchicagokidshospital.org/cochlear. The center provides full medical and audiological services for infants, children and adults. Comprehensive services for children with hearing loss and their families are provided from time of diagnosis through schools years. Services include otolaryngology, audiology services including cochlear implants and loaner hearing aids, and listen and spoken language therapy. Mentoring in Listening and Spoken Language, Auditory-Verbal therapy is available for professionals. In addition, the Center is actively involved in research projects including developing an evidenced-based, listening and spoken language curriculum called Project ASPIRE.

 Indiana St. Joseph Institute for the Deaf Indianapolis. 9192 Waldemar Road, Indianapolis, IN 46268 • (317) 471-8560 (voice)

• (317) 471-8627 (fax) • www.sjid.org; touellette@ sjid.org (email) • Teri Ouellette, M.S. Ed., LSLS Cert. AVEd, Director. St. Joseph Institute for the Deaf - Indianapolis, a campus of the St. Joseph Institute system, serves children with hearing loss, birth to age six. Listening and Spoken Language programs include early intervention, toddler and preschool classes, cochlear implant rehabilitation, mainstream therapy and consultation and daily speech therapy. Challenging speech, academic programs and personal development are offered in a nurturing environment. (See Kansas and Missouri for other campus information.)

 Kansas St. Joseph Institute for the Deaf - Kansas City, 8835 Monrovia, Lenexa, KS 66215 • 913-

383-3535 • www.sjid.org • Jeanne Fredriksen, M.S., Ed., Director • jfredriksen@sjid.org. St. Joseph Institute for the Deaf - Kansas City, a campus of the St. Joseph Institute system, serves children with hearing loss, birth to age eight. Listening and Spoken Language programs include: early intervention, toddler playgroups, preschool to second grade classes, cochlear implant/hearing aid rehabilitation and daily speech therapy. Challenging listening/speech and language therapy, academic programs and personal development opportunities are offered in a nurturing environment. (See Missouri and Indiana for other campus information.)

 Kentucky Lexington Hearing and Speech Center, 350 Henry Clay Boulevard, Lexington, KY 40502 • 859-268-4545 (Voice) • 859-269-1857 (Fax) • The Lexington Hearing & Speech Center is Kentucky’s only auditory-oral school and has been serving families for over fi fty years. LHSC is a private non-profit organization with a mission of teaching children hearing, speech and language delays to listen and talk. The Early Learning Center at LHSC serves children from birth to age 7 with hearing, speech and language impairments, which includes a full-day kindergarten classroom. In addition, LHSC offers audiology, speech-language therapy, aural (re)habilitation and auditory-verbal therapy.

 maryland The Hearing and Speech Agency’s Auditory/Oral Center, 5900 Metro Drive,

Baltimore, MD 21215 • (voice) 410-318-6780 • (TTY) 410-318-6758 • (fax) 410-318-6759 • Email: hasa@hasa.org • Website: www.hasa.org. Jill Berie, Educational Director, Olga Polites, Clinical Director, Erin Medley, Teacher of the Deaf. Auditory/Oral education and therapy program for infants and young children who are deaf or hard of hearing. Self-contained, state-of-the-art classrooms located in the Gateway School approved by the Maryland State Department of Education. Additional services include 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 fi nancial 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  massachusetts

 michigan

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

Redford Union Oral Program for Children with Hearing Impairments, 18499 Beech

•781-821-3499 (voice) • 781-821-3904 (tty) • info@clarkeschools.org • www.clarkeschools. org. Barbara Hecht, Ph.D., Director. A member of the Option Schools network, Clarke Schools for Hearing and Speech provides children who are deaf and hard of hearing with the listening, learning and spoken language skills they need to succeed. Comprehensive listening and spoken language programs prepare students for success in mainstream schools. Services include early intervention, preschool, kindergarten, speech and language services, parent support, cochlear implant habilitation, and an extensive mainstream services program (itinerant and consulting). Children and families come to our campus from throughout Eastern and Central Massachusetts, Cape Cod, Rhode Island, Maine and New Hampshire for services. Clarke Schools for Hearing and Speech has locations in Boston, Bryn Mawr, Philadelphia, Jacksonville, New York City and Northampton.

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

Northampton, MA 01060 • 413-584-3450 (voice/ tty). info@clarkeschools.org • www.clarkeschools. org. Bill Corwin, President. A member of the Option Schools network, Clarke Schools for Hearing and Speech provides children who are deaf and hard of hearing with the listening, learning and spoken language skills they need to succeed. Comprehensive listening and spoken language programs prepare students for success in mainstream schools. Services include early intervention, preschool, day and residential school through 8th grade, cochlear implant assessment, summer programs, mainstream services (itinerant and consulting), evaluations for infants through high school students, audiological services, and graduate degree program in teacher education. Clarke Schools for Hearing and Speech has locations in Boston, Bryn Mawr, Philadelphia, Northampton, New York City, and Jacksonville.

SoundWorks for Children, 18 South Main Street, Topsﬁeld, MA 01983 • 978-887-8674 (voice) • soundworksforchildren@verizon.net (e-mail) • Jane E. Driscoll, MED, Director. A comprehensive, non-profit program dedicated to the development of auditory-verbal skills in children who are deaf or hardof-hearing. Specializing in cochlear implant habilitation and offering a full continuum of inclusionary support models from preschool through high school. Early Intervention services and social/self-advocacy groups for mainstreamed students are offered at our Family Center. Summer programs, in-service training, and consultation available.

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.

 minnesota Northeast Metro #916 Auditory/Oral Program, 3375 Willow Ave., Rm 109, White Bear

Lake, Minnesota 55110; 651.415.5546, • email auditory.oral@nemetro.k12.mn.us. • Providing oral education to children who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing. Services strive to instill and develop receptive (listening) and expressive (speaking) English language skills within each student. Well-trained specialists carry the principles of this program forward using supportive, necessary, and recognized curriculum. The program’s philosophy is that children who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing can learn successfully within a typical classroom environment with typical hearing peers. Th is can be achieved when they are identified at an early age, receive appropriate amplification, and participate in an oral-specific early intervention program. Referrals are through the local school district in which the family live.

 mississippi DuBard School for Language Disorders,

The University of Southern Mississippi, 118 College Drive #5215, Hattiesburg, MS 394060001 • 601.266.5223 (voice) • dubard@usm.edu (e-mail) • www.usm.edu/dubard • Maureen K. Martin, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, CED, CALT, Director • The DuBard School for Language Disorders is a clinical division of the Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences at the University of Southern Mississippi. The school serves children from birth to age 13 in its state-of-the-art facility. Working collaboratively with 20 public school districts, the school specializes in coexisting language disorders, learning disabilities/dyslexia and speech disorders, such as apraxia, through its non-graded, 11-month program. The Association Method, as refi ned, and expanded by the late Dr. Etoile DuBard and the staff of the school, is the basis of the curriculum. Comprehensive evaluations, individual therapy, audiological services and professional development programs also are available. A/EOE/ADAI

Magnolia Speech School, Inc. 733 Flag

Chapel Road, Jackson, MS 39209 – 601-922-5530 (voice), 601-922-5534 (fax) – anne.sullivan@ magnoliaspeechschool.org –Anne Sullivan, M.Ed. Executive Director. Magnolia Speech School serves children with hearing loss and/or severe speech and language disorders. Listening and Spoken Language instruction/therapy is offered to students 0 to 12 in a home-based early intervention program (free of charge), in classroom settings and in the Hackett Bower Clinic (full educational audiological services, speech pathology and occupational therapy). Assessments and outpatient therapy are also offered to the community through the Clinic.

 missouri CID – Central Institute for the Deaf, 825 S. Taylor Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63110 314-9770132 (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 affi liation with Washington University deaf education and audiology graduate programs. The Moog Center for Deaf Education,

12300 South Forty Drive, St. Louis, MO 63141 • 314-692-7172 (voice) • 314-692-8544 (fax) • www.moogcenter.org (website) • Betsy Moog Brooks, Executive Director, bbrooks@moogcenter. org. Services provided to children who are deaf and hard-of-hearing from birth to 9 years of age. Programs include the Family School (birth to 3), School (3-9 years), Audiology (including cochlear implant programming), mainstream services, educational evaluations, parent education and support groups, professional workshops, teacher education, and student teacher placements. The Moog Center for Deaf Education is a Certified Moog Program. St. Joseph Institute for the Deaf - St. Louis, 1809 Clarkson Road, Chesterfield, MO

63017 • (636) 532-3211 (voice/TYY) • www.sjid. org; Mary Daniels, MAEd, LSLS Cert. AVEd, Director of Education • mdaniels@sjid.org • An independent, Catholic school serving children with hearing loss birth through the eighth grade. Listening and Spoken Language programs include early intervention, toddler and preschool classes, K-8th grade, I-Hear internet therapy, audiology clinic, evaluations, mainstream consultancy, and summer school. Challenging speech, academic programs and personal development are offered in a supportive environment. ISACS accredited. Approved private agency of Missouri Department of Education and Illinois Department of Education. (See Kansas and Indiana for other campus information.)

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DIRECTORY OF SERVICES  new Jersey

 new mexico

HIP and SHIP of Bergen County Special Services - Midland Park School District,

Presbyterian Ear Institute - Albuquerque,

41 E. Center Street, Midland Park, N.J. 07432 • 201-343-8982 (voice) • kattre@bergen.org (email) • Kathleen Treni, Principal. An integrated, comprehensive pre-K-12th grade auditory oral program in public schools. Services include Auditory Verbal and Speech Therapy, Cochlear Implant habilitation, Parent Education, and Educational Audiological services. Consulting teacher services are available for mainstream students in home districts. Early Intervention services provided for babies from birth to three. SHIP is the state’s only 7-12th grade auditory oral program. CART (Computer Real Time Captioning) is provided in a supportive, small high school environment. 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) • 908-231-9091 (fax) • nancy@speech-partners. com (email). Nancy V. Schumann, M.A., CCC-SLP, Cert. AVT. Auditory-Verbal Therapy, Communication Evaluations, Speech-Language Therapy and Aural Rehabilitation, School Consultation, Mentoring, Workshops.

415 Cedar Street, SE, Albuquerque, NM 87106 505-224-7020 (voice) • 505-224-7023 (fax) • www. presbyterianearinstitute.org (website) • Catherine Creamer, Principal. Services include a cochlear implant center and auditory/oral program for children who are deaf and hard of hearing birth through 9 years old. Exists to assist people with hearing loss to better listen and speak and integrate into mainstream society. Presbyterian Ear Institute is a Moog Curriculum.

 new York Anne Kearney, M.S., LSLS Cert. AVT, CCCSLP, 401 Littleworth Lane, Sea Cliff, Long Island,

NY 11579 • 516-671-9057 (Voice) • Kearney@ optonline.net. Family-centered auditory-verbal speech therapy for infants, children and adults with any level of hearing loss. Auditory/Oral School of New York, 3321 Avenue “M”, Brooklyn, NY 11234 • 718-531-1800 (voice) • 718-421-5395 (fax) • info@auditoryoral. org (email). Pnina Bravmann, Program Director. An Auditory/Oral Early Intervention and Preschool Program serving children with hearing loss and their families. Programs include: Early Intervention (center-based and home-based), preschool, integrated preschool classes with children with normal hearing, multidisciplinary evaluations, parent support, auditory-verbal therapy (individual speech, language and listening therapy), complete audiological services, cochlear implant (re) habilitation, mainstreaming, ongoing support services following mainstreaming.

Center for Hearing and Communication,

50 Broadway, 6th Floor, New York, NY 10004 • 917 305-7700 (voice) • 917-305-7888 (TTY) • 917-305-7999 (fax) • www.CHChearing.org (website). Florida Office: 2900 W. Cypress Creek Road, Suite 3, Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33309 • 954601-1930 (Voice) • 954-601-1938 (TTY) • 954601-1399 (Fax). A leading center for hearing and communication services for people of all ages who have a hearing loss as well as children with listening and learning challenges. Our acclaimed services for children include pediatric hearing evaluation and hearing aid fitting; auditory-oral therapy; and the evaluation and treatment of auditory processing disorder (APD). Comprehensive services for all ages include hearing evaluation; hearing aid evaluation, fitting and sales; cochlear implant training; communication therapy; assistive technology consultation; tinnitus treatment, emotional health and wellness; and Mobile Hearing Test Unit. Visit www.CHChearing.org to access our vast library of information about hearing loss and hearing conservation.

Stephanie Shaeffer, M.S., CCC-SLP, LSLS

Cert. AVT • PO Box 87 Chester, NJ 07930 • 908-879-0404 (voice) • srshaeﬀer@comcast.net. Speech and Language Therapy and Communication Evaluations, Auditory-Verbal Therapy, Aural Rehabilitation, and Facilitating the Auditory Building Blocks Necessary for Reading Fluency and Comprehension.

Summit Speech School for the HearingImpaired Child, F.M. Kirby Center is an

exclusively 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.

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DIRECTORY OF SERVICES Clarke Schools for Hearing and Speech/ New York, 80 East End Avenue, New York,

NY 10028 • 212-585-3500(voice/tty). info@ clarkeschools.org • www.clarkeschools.org. Meredith Berger, Director. A member of the Option Schools network, Clarke Schools for Hearing and Speech provides children who are deaf and hard of hearing with the listening, learning and spoken language skills they need to succeed. Comprehensive listening and spoken language programs prepare students for success in mainstream schools. Clarke’s New York campus is located on the Upper East Side of Manhattan and serves children age birth-5 years old from New York City and Westchester County. Clarke is an approved provider of early intervention evaluations and services, service coordination, and pre-school classes (selfcontained and integrated). There are typically little or no out of pocket expenses for families attending Clarke New York. Our expert staff includes teachers of the deaf/hard of hearing, speech language pathologists, audiologists, social workers/ service coordinators and occupational and physical therapists. Clarke Schools for Hearing and Speech has locations in New York City, Boston, Bryn Mawr, Philadelphia, Northampton and Jacksonville. Mill Neck Manor School for the Deaf, 40

Frost Mill Road, Mill Neck, NY 11765 • (516) 9224100 (voice). Mark R. Prowatzke Ph.D., Executive Director. State- supported school maintains Infant Toddler Program with focus on parent education and family support that includes listening and spoken language training by a speech therapist and TOD. Audiological services onsite. Auditory-verbal preschool and kindergarten (ages 3-6) program serves students who are deaf or hard of hearing alongside peers with typical hearing. Curriculum addresses NYS standards as it promotes language development through listening in a less restrictive setting. Full time TOD, along with music, art, library, audiological services and therapies that include individual and group speech, occupational, physical and family supports are available onsite.

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. New York Eye & Ear Cochlear Implant and Hearing & Learning Centers, 380 Second

Avenue at 22nd Street, 9th floor, New York, NY 10010 • 646-438-7801 (voice). Comprehensive diagnostic and rehabilitative services for infants, children and adults including Early Intervention, Audiology Services, Amplification and FM Evaluation and Dispensing, Cochlear Implants, Auditory/Oral Therapy, Otolaryngology, and Counseling, and Educational Services (classroom observation, advocacy, and in-service session).

Rochester School for the Deaf, 1545 St.

Paul Street, Rochester, NY 14621; 585-544-1240 (voice/TTY), 866-283-8810 (Videophone); info@ RSDeaf.org, www.RSDeaf.org. Harold Mowl, Jr., Ph.D., Superintendent/CEO. Serving Western and Central New York State, RSD is an inclusive, bilingual school where deaf and hard of hearing children and their families thrive. Established in 1876, RSD goes above and beyond all expectations to provide quality Pre-K through 12th grade academic programs, support services and resources to ensure a satisfying and successful school experience for children with hearing loss.

The Children’s Hearing Institute, 380 Second

Avenue at 22nd Street, 9th floor, New York, NY 10010 • 646-438-7819 (voice). Educational Outreach Program – provides continuing education courses for professionals to maintain certification, with accreditation by American Speech-LanguageHearing Association (ASHA), American Academy of Audiology (AAA), and The AG Bell Academy for Listening and Spoken Language. Free parent and family programs for children with hearing loss. CHI’s mission is to achieve the best possible outcome for children with hearing loss by caring for their clinical needs, educating the professionals that work with them, and providing their parents with the pertinent information needed for in-home success.

 north Carolina BEGINNINGS For Parents of Children Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing, Inc.,

302 Jefferson Street, Suite 110, PO Box 17646, Raleigh, NC 27605, 919-715-4092 (voice) – 919715-4093 (fax) – Raleigh@ncbegin.org (email). Joni Alberg, Executive Director. BEGINNINGS provides emotional support, unbiased information, and technical assistance to parents of children who are deaf or hard of hearing, deaf parents with hearing children, and professionals serving those families. BEGINNINGS assists parents of children from birth through age 21 by providing information and support that will empower them as informed decision makers, helping them access the services they need for their child, and promoting the importance of early intervention and other educational programs. BEGINNINGS believes that given accurate, objective information about hearing loss, parents can make sound decisions for their child about educational placement, communication methodology, and related service needs. 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. CASTLE provides a quality listening and spoken language program for children with hearing loss; empowers parents as primary teachers and advocates; trains and mentors specialists in listening and spoken language. Services include toddler, preschool and early intervention programs; auditory-verbal parent participation sessions; and a training program for professionals and students.

 Ohio Auditory Oral Children’s Center (AOCC), 5475 Brand Road, Dublin, OH 43017 • 614-598-7335 (voice) • auditoryoral@columbus.rr.com (email) • http://auditoryoral.googlepages.com (website). AOCC is a non-profit auditory and spoken language development program for children with hearing loss. We offer a blended approach by combining an intensive therapy-based pre-school program integrated into a NAEYC preschool environment. Therapy is provided by an Auditory-Verbal Therapist, Hearing–Impaired Teacher, and Speech-Language Pathologist. Birth to three individual therapy, toddler class, and parent support services also available. Millridge Center/Mayfield Auditory Oral Program, 950 Millridge Road, Highland Heights,

OH 44143-3113 • 440-995-7300 (phone) • 440-995-7305 (fax) • www.mayﬁeldschools.org • Louis A. Kindervater, Principal. Auditory/oral program with a full 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.

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DIRECTORY OF SERVICES Ohio Valley Voices, 6642 Branch Hill Guinea Pike, Loveland, OH 45140513-791-1458 (voice) • 513-791-4326 (fax) • mainoﬃce@ ohiovalleyvoices.org (email) www.ohiovalleyvoices. org (website). Ohio Valley Voices teaches children who are deaf and hard of hearing how to listen and speak. The vast majority of our students utilize cochlear implants to give them access to sound, which in turn, allows them to learn and speak when combined with intensive speech therapy. We offer birth-to-age three program, a preschool through second grade program, a full array of on-site audiological services, parent education and support resources. Ohio Valley Voices is a Certified Moog Program.

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

 Oklahoma

101, Oklahoma City, OK 73112 • 405-947-6030 (voice) • 405-945-7188 (fax) • Amy.arrington@ integris-health.com (email) • www.integris-health. com (website) • Our team includes board-certiﬁed and licensed 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.

Hearts for Hearing, 3525 NW 56th Street, Suite

 Oregon

A-150, Oklahoma City, OK 73112 • 405-548-4300 • 405-548-4350(Fax) • Comprehensive hearing health care for children and adults with an emphasis on listening and spoken language outcomes. Our family-centered team includes audiologists, LSLS Cert. AVTs, speech-language pathologists, physicians and educators working closely with families for optimal listening and spoken language outcomes. Services include newborn hearing testing, pediatric and adult audiological evaluations, hearing aid fittings, cochlear implant evaluations and mapping. Auditory-Verbal Therapy as well as cochlear implant habilitation is offered by Listening and Spoken Language Specialists (LSLS), as well as an auditory-oral pre-school, parenttoddler group, and a summer enrichment program. Continuing education and consulting available. www.heartsforhearing.com.

Tucker-Maxon Oral School, 2860 SE Holgate

Boulevard, Portland, OR 97202 • (503) 235-6551 (voice) • (503) 235-1711 (TTY) • tminfo@tmos. org (email) • www.tmos.org (website). Established in 1947, Tucker-Maxon provides an intensive Listening and Spoken Language (auditory/verbal and auditory/oral) program that enrolls children with hearing loss and children with normal hearing in every class. Programs for children with hearing loss start at birth and continue through elementary. Tucker-Maxon provides comprehensive pediatric audiology evaluations; cochlear implant management; habilitation and mapping; early intervention; and speech pathology services.

 Pennsylvania Bucks County Schools Intermediate Unit #22, Hearing Support Program, 705 North

Shady Retreat Road, Doylestown, PA 18901 • (215) 348-2940 x1679 (voice) • (215) 3401639 (fax) mvasconcellos@bucksiu.org (email) • Marguerite Vasconcellos, LSLS Cert. AVT, Director of Itinerant Services. A publicly-funded regional services agency for students who are deaf or hard of hearing (birth–21). Our continuum of services include itinerant support, resource rooms, audiology, 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, Speech-Language and Cochlear Implant services and offers support through CATIPIHLER, an interdisciplinary program including mental health and educational services for children with hearing loss and their families from time of diagnosis through transition into school-aged services. In addition to serving families at our main campus in Philadelphia, satellite offices are located in Bucks County, Exton, King of Prussia, and Springfield, PA and in Voorhees, Mays Landing, and Princeton, NJ. Professional Preparation in Cochlear Implants (PPCI), a continuing education training program for teachers and speech-language pathologists, is also headquartered at the CCC.

THEY can learn… YOU can teach them. Let us show you how.

training offered accredited t Graduate credit and CEUs available t IMSLEC

Check out upcoming courses at www.usm.edu/dubard.

V O LTA V O ICES • MARCH /APRIL 201 2

AA/EOE/ADAI

t On-site

UC 64059.5215 1.11

Professional Development programs that create success for students with severe to profound hearing loss and/or language-speech disorders, including apraxia, dyslexia-learning disabilities and related disorders

DIRECTORY OF SERVICES Clarke Schools for Hearing and Speech/ Pennsylvania, 455 South Roberts Road, Bryn

Mawr, PA 19010 • 610-525-9600 (voice/tty). info@ clarkeschools.org • www.clarkeschools.org. Judith Sexton, MS, CED, LSLS Cert AVEd, Director. A member of the Option Schools network, Clarke Schools for Hearing and Speech provides children who are deaf and hard of hearing with the listening, learning and spoken language skills they need to succeed. Comprehensive listening and spoken language programs prepare students for success in mainstream schools. Locations in Bryn Mawr and Philadelphia. Services include early intervention, preschool, parent education, individual auditory speech and language services, cochlear implant habilitation for children and adults, audiological services, and mainstream services including itinerant teaching and consulting. Specially trained staff includes LSLS Cert. AVEd and LSL Cert. AVT professionals, teachers of the deaf, special educators, speech language pathologists and a staff audiologist. Clarke Schools for Hearing and Speech has locations in Boston, Bryn Mawr, Philadelphia, Northampton and Jacksonville.

Delaware County Intermediate Unit # 25, Hearing and Language Programs, 200 Yale

Avenue, Morton, PA 19070 • 610-938-9000, ext. 2277 610938-9886 (fax) • mdworkin@dciu.org • Program Highlights: A publicly funded program for children with hearing loss in local schools. Serving children from birth through 21 years of age. Teachers of the deaf provide resource room support and itinerant hearing therapy throughout Delaware County, PA. Services also include audiology, speech therapy, cochlear implant habilitation (which includes LSLS Cert. AVT and LSLS Cert. AVEd), psychology and social work.

DePaul School for Hearing and Speech,

6202 Alder Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15206 • (412)924-1012 (voice/TTY) • ll@depaulinst.com (email) • www.speakmiracles.org (website). Lillian R. Lippencott, Outreach Coordinator. DePaul, western Pennsylvania’s only auditory-oral school, has been serving families for 101 years. DePaul is a State Approved Private School and programs are tuition-free to parents and caregivers of approved students. Programs include: early intervention services for children birth to 3 years; a center-based toddler program for children ages 18 months to 3 years; a preschool for children ages 3-5 years and a comprehensive academic program for grades K-8. Clinical services include audiology, speech therapy, cochlear implant mapping/habilitation services, physical and occupational therapy, mainstreaming support, parent education programs and support groups. AV services are also available. Western Pennsylvania School for the Deaf,

300 East Swissvale Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15218 – 412-371-7000 (voice) – vcherney@wpsd.org (email) - www.wpsd.org (website). The Western Pennsylvania School for the Deaf (WPSD) provides tuition free educational and extracurricular programs in an all inclusive communication environment. With campuses in Pittsburgh and Scranton, WPSD serves over 300 deaf and hardof-hearing children, birth through twelfth grade, from 124 school districts and 44 counties across Pennsylvania. WPSD is the largest comprehensive center for deaf education in the state.

JWPOSD is celebrating 44 years of helping children who are deaf and hard of hearing to listen, to speak, and to communicate in the world around them. • Educational Programs—Mommy & Me, Toddlers, Preschool, K/1 • Mainstream Preschool and Support Services • Parent Education • Therapy Services • Audiology—HA, CI, & FM

 South Carolina The University of South Carolina Speech and Hearing Research Center, 1601 St. Julian

Place, Columbia, SC, 29204 • (803) 777-2614 (voice) • (803) 253-4143 (fax) • Center Director: Danielle Varnedoe, daniell@mailbox.sc.edu. The center provides audiology services, speech-language therapy, adult aural (re)habilitation therapy, and Auditory-Verbal Therapy. Our audiology services include comprehensive diagnostic evaluations, hearing aid evaluations and services, and cochlear implant evaluations and programming. The University also provides a training program for AV therapy and cochlear implant management for professional/university students. Additional contacts for the AVT or CI programs include Wendy Potts, CI Program Coordinator (803777-2642), Melissa Hall (803-777-1698), Nikki Herrod-Burrows (803-777-2669), Gina CrosbyQuinatoa (803) 777-2671, and Jamy Claire Archer (803-777-1734).

 South dakota South Dakota School for the Deaf (SDSD),

2001 East Eighth Street, Sioux Falls, SD 57103 605-367-5200, ext 103 (V/TTY) - 605-36705209 (Fax) www.sdsd@sdbor.edu (website). Marjorie Kaiser, Ed.D., Superintendent. South Dakota School for the Deaf (SDSD) serves children with hearing loss by offering the Bilingual Program located in the Harrisburg Public Schools, with the Auditory Oral Program located at Fred Assam Elementary and Brandon Elementary with the Brandon Valley School District, and through its Outreach Program. Academic options include a Bilingual Program offering American Sign Language with literacy in English preschool through twelfth grade and an Auditory/Oral Program for students using listening, language and speech for preschool through fi fth 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.

3518 Jefferson Avenue, Redwood City, CA 94062 Tel 650-365-7500 • Fax 650-365-7557 Email jwposd@jwposd.org • www.deafkidstalk.org

V OLTA V OIC E S • M A R C H/ A PR I L 201 2

Parent advocacy training

Know your rights

[ ]

AG Bell’s acclaimed Parent Advocacy Training program is now available for free in Spanish! Disponible en español en la página web www.agbell.org More than 1,000 parents have successfully completed AG Bell’s Parent Advocacy Training (P.A.T.) program. P.A.T. gives parents the tools they need to successfully advocate for their child to ensure his or her educational needs are met. After completing the P.A.T. program, parents will have a basic understanding of education law and how to negotiate appropriate applications to help develop an effective Individualized Education Program (IEP).

• Know the Law • Know your rights Under the Law • Know How to Use the Law to advocate for your child’s educational needs • Know How to Secure ongoing Support and Services for your child

P.A.T. is free service offered by AG Bell made possible by the generous support of the Oticon Foundation. The program is approved for 1.5 CEUs from the AG Bell Academy for Listening and Spoken Language.

To access P.A.T. in both English and Spanish, visit www.agbell.org. Registration is required.

ASK tHe aSK THE EXPERT eXPert AG Bell now offers expert responses to your questions through its partnership with Bruce Goldstein and his associates at Goldstein, Ackerhalt & Pletcher, LLP. Families are welcome to contact AG Bell if they need additional information to assist with their child’s IEP, or access and rights to special education accommodations under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) or Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. Prior to submitting your question, families are encouraged to complete the P.A.T. online course; answers to many common questions can be found within the course content. To submit your question or take the course, visit the P.A.T. program online at www.agbell.org.

DIRECTORY OF SERVICES  Tennessee Memphis Oral School for the Deaf, 7901

Poplar Avenue, Germantown, TN 38138 • 901758-2228 (voice) • 901-531-6735 (fax) • www. mosdkids.org (website) • tschwarz@mosdkids. org (email). Teresa Schwartz, Executive Director. Services: Family Training Program (birthage 3), Auditory/Oral Day School (ages 2-6), Audiological Testing, Hearing Aid Programming, Cochlear Implant Mapping and Therapy, Aural (Re)Habilitation, Speech-Language Therapy, Mainstream Service.

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

Tower, 1215 21st Avenue South, Nashville, TN 37232-8718 • 615-936-5000 (voice) • 615-9361225 (fax) • nccdfc@vanderbilt.edu (email) • www. mc.vanderbilt.edu/VanderbiltBillWilkersonCenter (web). Tamala Bradham, Ph.D., Associate Director in Clinical Services. 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, services includes audiological evaluations, hearing aid services, cochlear implant evaluations and programming, speech, language, and listening therapy, educational assessments, parent-infant program, toddler program, all day preschool through kindergarten educational program, itinerant/academic tutoring services, parent support groups, and summer enrichment programs.

 Texas Bliss Speech and Hearing Services, Inc.,

12700 Hillcrest Rd., Suite 207, Dallas, TX 75230 • 972-387-2824 • 972-387-9097 (fax) • blisspeech@ aol.com (e-mail) • Brenda Weinfeld Bliss, M.S., CCC-SLP/A, LSLS Cert. AVT. Certified AuditoryVerbal Therapist® providing parent-infant training, cochlear implant rehabilitation, aural rehabilitation, school visits, mainstreaming consultations, information, and orientation to deaf and hard-ofhearing children and their parents. Callier Center for Communication Disorders/UT Dallas - Callier-Dallas Facility 1966 Inwood Road, Dallas, TX, 75235

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, Auditory-Verbal therapy, aural(re) habilitation; family support services. All services offered on sliding fee scale and many services offered in Spanish. Denise A. Gage, MA, CCC, LSLS Cert. AVT - Certified Auditory-Verbal Therapist, Speech-Language Pathologist - 3111

West Arkansas Lane, Arlington, TX 76016-0378 - 817-460-0378 (voice) - 817-469-1195 (fax) denise@denisegage.com (email) - www.denisegage. com (website). Over twenty-five years experience providing services for children and adults with hearing loss. Services include: cochlear implant rehabilitation, parent-infant training, individual therapy, educational consultation, onsite and off site Fast ForWord training.

Sunshine Cottage School for Deaf Children,

603 E. Hildebrand Ave., San Antonio, TX 78212; 210/824-0579; fax 210/826-0436. Founded in 1947, Sunshine Cottage, a listening and spoken language school promoting early identification of hearing loss and subsequent intervention teaching children with hearing impairment (infants through high school.) State-of-the-art pediatric audiological services include hearing aid fitting, cochlear implant programming, assessment of children maintenance of campus soundfield and FM equipment. Programs include the Newborn Hearing Evaluation Center, ParentInfant Program, Hearing Aid Loaner and Scholarship Programs, Educational Programs (pre-school through fifth grade on campus and in mainstream settings), Habilitative Services, Speech Language Pathology, Counseling, and Assessment Services. Pre- and post-cochlear implant assessments and habilitation. Accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Council on Accreditation and School Improvement, OPTIONschools International, and is a Texas Education Agency approved non-public school. For more information visit www.sunshinecottage.org

 Utah Sound Beginnings at Utah State University,

1000 Old Main Hill, Logan, UT 84322-1000 • 435-797-9235 (voice) • 435-797-7519 (fax) • www. soundbeginnings.usu.edu • stacy.wentz (email) • Stacy Wentz, M.S., Sound Beginnings Program Coordinator � Kristina.blasier@usu.edu (email) • Kristina Blaiser, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, Listening and Spoken Language Graduate Program. A comprehensive listening and spoken language educational program serving children with hearing loss and their families from birth through age 5; early intervention services include home- and center-based services, parent training, toddler group, pediatric audiology, tele-intervention and individual therapy for children in mainstream settings. The preschool, housed in an innovative lab school, provides classes and research opportunities focused on the development of listening and spoken language for children who are deaf or hard of hearing aged 3 through 5, parent training, and mainstreaming opportunities. The Department of Communicative Disorders and Deaf Education offers the interdisciplinary Listening and Spoken Language graduate training program in SpeechLanguage Pathology, Audiology, and Deaf Education that emphasizes listening and spoken language for young children with hearing loss. Sound Beginnings is a partner program of the Utah School for the Deaf and Blind. Utah Schools for the Deaf and the Blind (USDB), 742 Harrison Boulevard, Ogden UT

84404 - 801-629-4712 (voice) 801-629-4701 (TTY) - www.udsb.org (website). USDB is a state funded program for children with hearing loss (birth through high school) serving students in various settings including local district classes and direct educational and consulting services throughout the state. USDB language and communication options include Listening and Spoken Language. USDB has a comprehensive hearing healthcare program which includes an emphasis on hearing technology for optimal auditory access, pediatric audiological evaluations, and cochlear implant management. Services also include Early Intervention, full-day preschool and Kindergarten, intensive day programs, and related services including speech/language pathology and aural habilitation.

• 214-905-3000 (voice) • 214-905-3012 (TDD) • Callier-Richardson Facility: 811 Synergy Park Blvd., Richardson, TX, 75080 • 972-883-3630 (voice) • 972-883-3605 (TDD) • cpiloto@utdallas. edu (e-mail) • www.callier.utdallas.edu (website). Nonprofit Organization, hearing evaluations, hearing aid dispensing, assistive devices, cochlear implant evaluations, psychology services, speechlanguage pathology services, child development program for children ages six weeks to five years.

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DIRECTORY OF SERVICES  Wisconsin

InTernATIOnAL

Center for Communication, Hearing & Deafness, 10243 W. National Avenue, West Allis,

 Australia

WI 53227 • 414-604-2200(Voice) • 414-6047200 (Fax) • www.cdhh.org (Website). Amy Peters Lalios, M.A., CCC-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 Th ree 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 ConnectHear, an interactive teletherapy 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.

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

The Shepherd Centre, 391-401 Abercrombie

Street, Darlington, NSW, Australia 2008 • (voice) +61 2 9351 7888 • (TTY) +61 2 9351 7881 • http://www.shepherdcentre.org.au. Over the last 40 years, The Shepherd Centre has assisted more than 1,500 children who are deaf or hard of hearing to reach their full potential. The organization is recognized as a world leader in the field of AuditoryVerbal Therapy, providing assistance through early intervention and cochlear implant programs for children, birth to 6 years with all levels of hearing loss, to develop spoken language. With a team of Auditory-Verbal Therapists, Audiologists and Child and Family Counselors, our Centre-based services include: one-on-one sessions; preschool and child care visits; home visits; babies, toddler and school readiness group sessions; playgroup; parent information sessions; formal speech and language assessments; professional seminar series; New Families programs; internal and external AVT mentoring programs; Cochlear Implant program in conjunction with the Sydney Children’s Hospital; and intensive workshop programs and distance services for families from regional Australia and overseas.

WA 6014, Australia, 61-08-9387-9888 (phone), 61-08-9387-9889 (fax), speech@tsh.org.au (e-mail), www.tsh.org.au (website). Teaching children with communication disabilities to listen and speak since 1966. Our oral language programs include early intervention and school support services for children with hearing loss and an innovative intervention program for children experiencing speech and language delay. Audiological services include newborn hearing screening, diagnostic testing, cochlear implant program and a network of mobile ear clinics providing free screening services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children. The Centre employs a team of audiologists, Auditory-Verbal Therapists, speech pathologists, occupational therapists, psychologist, Early Childhood Teachers and specialist Teachers of the Deaf to ensure families have the highest level of professional assistance and advice.

LOSS • DAMAGE • FAILURE

What to do before it happens.

d i A g n i r a e H n o i t c e t Pro 1.800.525.7936 www.soundaid.com V O LTA V O ICES • MARCH /APRIL 201 2

DIRECTORY OF SERVICES  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. 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) • Janet Weil, Principal and Executive Director, jweil@childrenshearing.ca. Our auditoryoral program includes: onsite audiology, cochlear implant mapping, parent guidance, auditory-verbal education, preschool, pre-kindergarten and K, Primary 1-3; 1:1 therapy sessions, itinerant services and teletherapy. VOICE for Hearing Impaired Children, 161 Eglinton Avenue, East, Suite 704, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M4P 1J5 • info@voicefordeafkids.com • 866-779-5144 (Toll Free) • www.voicefordeafkids. com (website) • VOICE for Hearing Impaired Children is a Canadian pediatric hearing association for children with hearing loss whose parents have chosen to help them learn to HEAR, LISTEN and SPEAK. VOICE provides parent support, parent guide publications, advocacy and an auditory-verbal therapy and mentorship training program. VOICE is the largest organization in Canada supporting children with hearing loss and their families. In addition to its parent mentor program, regular parent group meetings and educational workshops, the VOICE AuditoryVerbal Therapy Program offers the expertise of 18 certified Auditory-Verbal Therapists. The VOICE annual conference is held in Ontario, Canada, the first weekend in May, attracting as many as 300 parents and professionals. A popular family summer camp near Toronto, Canada, is enjoyed by VOICE members annually in August. A complimentary first-year VOICE membership is available to parents and professionals.

 england The Speech, Language and Hearing Centre – Christopher Place, 1-5 Christopher Place,

Chalton Street, Euston, London NW1 1JF, England • 0114-207-383-3834 (voice) • 0114-207-383-3099 (fax) • info@speechlang.org.uk (email) • www. speech-lang.org.uk (website) • Assessment, nursery school and therapeutic centre for children under 5 with hearing impairment, speech/language or communication difficulties, including autism. • We have a Child Psychologist and a Child Psychotherapist. • Auditory-Verbal Therapy is also provided by a LSLS Cert. AVT.

LIST oF AdVERTISERS Advanced Bionics Corporation .............................................. Inside Back Cover Auditory-Verbal Center, Inc. (Atlanta)..................................................................3 CapTel ............................................................................................................... 39 Central Institute for the Deaf ............................................................................ 45 Clarke Schools for Hearing and Speech ............................................................4 Cochlear Americas ..............................................................................................7 Dubard School for Language Disorders...........................................................47 Ear Gear .............................................................................................................12 Ear Technology Corporation/Dry and Store .....................................................15 Harris Communications ....................................................................................23 House Research Institute ..................................................................................14 Jean Weingarten School ...................................................................................48 Moog Center for Deaf Education ................................................................13, 17 National Cued Speech Association ..................................................................41 National Technical Institute for the Deaf/RIT ......................................................6 Oticon Pediatrics .................................................................... Inside Front Cover Sorenson Communications ................................................................................5 Sound Aid Hearing Aid Warranties ...................................................................51 St. Joseph Institute for the Deaf .................................................................22, 37 Sunshine Cottage School for Deaf Children ....................................................19 The Shepherd Centre ........................................................................................11 Tucker-Maxon School for the Deaf .................................................................. 34 AG Bell - 2012 Convention ................................................................ Back Cover AG Bell - George Nofer Scholarship .................................................................31 AG Bell - LSLS Practice Exam ..........................................................................35 AG Bell - Parent Advocacy Training (P.A.T.) ......................................................49 AG Bell - School-Age Financial Aid ..................................................................42

V OLTA V OIC E S • M A R C H/ A PR I L 201 2

Hear Your World with Advanced Bionics

If you or your child isn’t benefitting from hearing aids, then it’s time to consider a cochlear implant from Advanced Bionics. At home, work, school, and now in the water, many recipients hear their best with AB’s advanced cochlear implant system.

Contact AB for a FREE informational kit! 866.844.HEAR (4327) hear@AdvancedBionics.com AdvancedBionics.com/AGBell

The world’s first and only swimmable sound processor is making waves!

AG Bell 2012 Convention

June 28–July 2 • Westin KierlAnd resort • sCottsdAle, ArizonA

The largest gathering of families, professionals and adults with hearing loss dedicated to a listening and spoken language outcome. HiGHliGHts: • Keynote address by Dr. Dale Atkins, a psychologist, former teacher of the deaf, author and frequent contributor to NBC-TV’s “Today Show” whose focus is on living a balanced life • 70+ education sessions for professionals, families and adults with hearing loss • Parent programs and networking opportunities • Children’s program • NIH-funded Research Symposium • Exhibit hall with the latest technology and education information • Fun social events for all ages • Earn up to 23.5 CEU hours from the AG Bell Academy, ASHA and AAA • Exciting southwest desert environment with economical hotel rates–perfect for a family vacation

WHo sHould Attend: • Families raising children with hearing loss • Adults who are deaf and hard of hearing • Listening and Spoken Language Specialists (LSLS™) • Teachers of the deaf • Speech-language pathologists • Audiologists • Students in speech-language pathology, audiology and deaf education

“The AG Bell Convention literally changed our lives. When we learned our son was born deaf, we ventured to the convention to learn about listening and speaking. When we returned for our second convention, we couldn’t have been more proud of how far he’s come. Thank you AG Bell!”