Volta Voices January-February 2013 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 Ha r d o f H e a r i n g

Telepractice â&#x20AC;&#x201C; A Global Matter

Volume 20, Issue 1

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January/February 2013

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Real Life Challenges

How can you make sure he is hearing what she’s saying?

The most efficient way to help children overcome noise and distance and focus in classrooms is by providing good quality instruments and FM solutions. But what constitutes good? If a child has wide-bandwidth instruments, and the FM system cannot exploit this bandwidth, precious high frequency sounds may be lost. While some systems use valuable bandwidth on transmitting data rather than speech, Oticon Amigo transmitters focus their power on capturing and delivering vital high-frequency details. So you needn’t be in any doubt as to which system provides more speech cues. Oticon Amigo FM – wider bandwidth for more speech

A difference in sound quality “With the new digital hearing aids, the frequency response is going out so much farther. Being able to hear your ‘s’ and ‘t’ is so important for speech. When we add the FM to it, we don’t want it to interfere with the good way the hearing aids have been fit. Now the FM systems are going out to a higher frequency that’s just been wonderful.” Sandy Waters, MA, CCC-A Educational Audiologist TX

Let’s make it easier – together! For a copy of a new comparative study showing improvement in speech perception in children with hearing loss when using Amigo FM, contact pediatrics@oticonusa.com. And to see how we can help you solve other Pediatric challenges, visit www.making-it-easierusa.com.

January/February 2013

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Departments

Features

Voices from AG Bell

12 Telepractice – A Global Matter By Arlene Stredler-Brown, CCC-SLP, CED

Telepractice is a new option to provide services to children and families at a distance and to mentor professionals around the world.

3 Shaping Our Future 5 New Directions in Listening and Spoken Language

16 101 FAQs About Auditory-Verbal Practice By Rafael Alvarez

This new book introduces professionals and parents to the philosophy and principles and contemporary practice of auditoryverbal therapy and education.

What’s New in the Knowledge Center 24 Helping You Navigate IDEA Part C

Advocacy in Action 26 Advancing Policy Initiatives

By Alana Nichols

This premier professional development event will focus on the latest strategies and service delivery models for serving diverse children and families.

VERSIÓN EN ESPAÑOL

28 Promover iniciativas de política Hear Our Voices 30 Discovering New Sounds

In Every Issue

AG Bell 2013 Listening & Spoken Language Symposium: Delivering Quality Services to Children and Families

Advancing Listening and Spoken Language – A 20-Year Look Back By Melody Felzien

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the magazine, which has evolved over the years to stay relevant and current on providing.

2 Want to Write for Volta Voices? 6 voices Contributors 8 Soundbites 32

Directory of Services

List of Advertisers

Alex ander

Graham

Bell

A s s o c i a t i o n f o r t h e D e a f a n d Ha r d o f H e a r i n g

3417 volta pl ace, nw, was hington, dc 20 0 07 • w w w.li s tening and s pokenl anguage.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.listeningandspokenlanguage.org voice 202.337.5220 tty 202.337.5221 | fax 202.337.8314

Volta Voices Staff Director of Communications and Marketing Susan Boswell, CAE Advertising, Exhibit and Sponsorship Sales The Townsend Group Design and Layout EEI Communications AG Bell Board of Directors President Donald M. Goldberg, Ph.D., LSLS Cert. AVT (OH) President-Elect Meredith K. Knueve, Esq. (OH) Immediate Past President Kathleen S. Treni (NJ) Secretary-Treasurer Ted Meyer, M.D., Ph.D. (SC) Executive Director/CEO Alexander T. Graham (VA) Joni Y. Alberg, Ph.D. (NC) Corrine Altman (NV) Rachel Arfa, Esq. (IL) Evan Brunell (MA) Holly Clark (VA) Wendy Ban Deters, M.S., CCC-SLP (IL) Kevin Franck, Ph.D., MBA, CCC-A (MA) Catharine McNally (VA) Lyn Robertson, Ph.D. (OH)

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.listeningandspokenlanguage.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. n Action – stories about people with hearing loss who use spoken language as their primary mode of communication; deafness need not be the focal point of the article. Editorial Guidelines The periodicals department reserves the right to edit material to fit the style and tone of Volta Voices and the space available. Articles are selected on a space-available and relevancy basis; submission of materials is not a guarantee of use. Transfer of Copyright The revised copyright law, which went into effect in January 1978, provides that from the time a manuscript is written, statutory copyright is vested with the author(s). All authors whose articles have been accepted for publication in Volta Voices are requested to transfer copyright of their articles to AG Bell prior to publication. This copyright can be transferred only by written agreement.

Without copyright ownership, the Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing cannot issue or disseminate reprints, authorize copying by individuals and libraries, or authorize indexing and abstracting services to use material from the magazine. Art Submission Guidelines Volta Voices prefers digital images over original artwork. When submitting electronic files, please provide them in the following formats: TIF, EPS or JPG (no BMP or GIF images). Digital images must be at least 300 dpi (at size).

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

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.listeningandspokenlanguage.org and select “About AG Bell” for advertising information.

VOLTA VOICES Volume 20, Issue 1, January/February (ISSN 1074-8016) is published 6 times per year in J/F, M/A, M/J, S/O, and N/D for $50 per year by Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, 3417 Volta Pl, NW, Washington, DC, 20007. Periodicals postage is paid at Washington, DC, and other additional offices. 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. Copyright ©2013 by the Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Inc., 3417 Volta Pl., NW, Washington, DC 20007. 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: Telepractice is quickly becoming a reliable and successful way to develop listening and spoken language, regardless of location. Credit: Todd Houston

VOICES FROM AG BELL

Shaping Our Future

hen the AG Bell Board of Directors met in November 2012, there was recognition that the association is at an important juncture. The AG Bell Board of Directors, which is representative of all members of the association, is strategically positioned to shape the future of the association and will continue to work with all constituencies. The development of the Listening and Spoken Language Knowledge Center, which launched in May 2012, gives the association a stronger platform to provide information to children and adults with hearing loss and the professionals that support them. The Knowledge Center has been a critical means for sharing information on key topics of interest, highlighting your stories and experiences, and raising awareness of key advocacy issues. The Knowledge Center recently featured a question and answer article with AG Bell Public Affairs Council Chair John Stanton, who provided an analysis of the implications of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities on existing U.S. law and the rights of children with hearing loss and their families. The Knowledge Center is an essential resource for parents and is in a position to guide them right from the beginning to help parents take the first steps to advocate for their child. A new resource on Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act helps parents seek early intervention services for their infants and young children that are right for them. In addition, the Knowledge Center shines a spotlight on the work of AG Bell supporters, such as Jonathan, a

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14-year-old who is in foster care and received bilateral cochlear implants through the Medical University of South Carolina and Medicaid. He came to Washington, D.C., to meet his Congressional representatives and to advocate for greater reimbursement for a technology that has changed his life and allowed him to hear music.

includes some of the founding members, who have been instrumental in shaping its history, and currently includes those who are serving in leadership roles to guide AG Bell as it strategically plans for the future. At the AG Bell 2012 Convention this past summer, more than 40 adults who are deaf and hard of hearing gathered for a Town

As AG Bell continues to advance its mission, adults who are deaf or hard of hearing are seeking to strengthen and renew their affiliation with an organization that represents their unique identity as individuals who choose to listen and talk and who are succeeding in the mainstream. Making the world aware of the possibilities of listening and spoken language for children with hearing loss, like Jonathan and many others, is an important role of the Knowledge Center. In my travels to Australia, and more recently to Belgium and Holland, I am reminded that for many parts of the world, hearing loss is not always strongly associated with listening and spoken language. AG Bell needs to continue in its role of advocating for independence through listening and talking. We need to positively inf luence perceptions and attitudes worldwide so that hearing loss will become associated with the great achievements of each new generation of children with hearing loss. Our children are our best ambassadors–for themselves and for us! AG Bell also recognizes another important voice within our organization–adults who are deaf and hard of hearing. This community of individuals

Hall discussion to share their thoughts, concerns, needs and suggestions for the future. These comments were presented to the AG Bell Board of Directors during our November meeting. As AG Bell continues to advance its mission, adults who are deaf or hard of hearing are seeking to strengthen and renew their affiliation with an organization that represents their unique identity as individuals who choose to listen and talk and who are succeeding in the mainstream. They would like to connect with others as part of the association that has brought them together and has served as a meeting place and focal point throughout their lives–and to serve as a resource for the organization. “I’ve been interested in staying involved with AG Bell because it is a nexus through which peers can meet each other,” said one adult with hearing loss who responded to a recent survey by Evan Brunell, an AG Bell board member.

VOICES FROM AG BELL At the same time, adults who are deaf and hard of hearing are an incredibly valued resource to AG Bell as talented and diverse individuals, and they have a lot of offer the association. Adults serve as role models and a source of support for parents, professionals and children who are deaf and hard of hearing as well as a younger generation of adults who are deaf and hard of hearing who are beginning to make their way in the world. Another survey participant noted, “People who stay involved want to be a resource for parents, educators and younger people in the organization and that other adults have similar life experiences, as we all lost our hearing at a young age or were born with hearing loss. Adults who are deaf and hard of hearing want to be a resource and be on panels at the

conventions to share their experiences and advice.” These adults have a valuable role to play in the organization as peer and parent mentors that can share their wealth of experience and expertise on a wide variety of topics to parents, children, teens and peers, promoting a cycle of successful outcomes for individuals who can eventually pay it forward and become role models and mentors themselves. This mentoring is already occurring within AG Bell through the Knowledge Center as our online community grows and connects through social media channels. For many years, AG Bell has been a gathering place where friendships are made that last a lifetime. We look forward to benefiting from the continued talents of adults who are deaf and hard of hearing who have much to offer

the community as we continue to learn about hearing loss, connect through the Knowledge Center and through other venues, and advocate for independence through listening and talking. Sincerely,

Donald M. Goldberg, Ph.D., CCC-SLP/A, LSLS Cert. AVT 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.listeningandspokenlanguage.org

Support where students need it. Clarke Mainstream Services has been a resource for families and schools mainstreaming students with hearing loss for more than 30 years. Through a variety of customizable services, we work with students, parents and school professionals to provide information, support and teaching services to help ensure that every child has the chance to reach their full potential. Itinerant Teacher Services Consulting Services Comprehensive Educational Evaluations Transitional Planning Acoustical Classroom Evaluations

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EDITOR’S NOTE

New Directions in Listening and Spoken Language

his issue highlights some of the exciting developments in the field of listening and spoken language that are increasing our knowledge and providing new strategies and technologies to serve a wide range of children and families. The Volta Review recently published a monograph on “Current Knowledge and Best Practices for Telepractice,” which highlights the ways in which programs around the world are using the Internet and teleconferencing technology to bridge the distance between professionals and families to deliver listening and spoken language services, making these services more accessible than ever before. Telepractice also connects professionals worldwide for mentoring and clinical observation. In “Telepractice–A Global Matter,” we provide highlights of the monograph and share the current state of the technology as well as considerations for providing services through this emerging service delivery platform. This monograph also marks the first time that professionals can receive Continuing Education Units for reading the journal–turn to p. 15 for more information. For the first time in more than a decade, AG Bell will debut the publication of a new book, 101 Frequently Asked Questions About Auditory-Verbal Practice: Promoting Listening and Spoken Language for Children who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing and Their Families. The article “101 FAQs” provides an overview of this exciting new development that is a collaboration of more than 100 Listening and Spoken Language Specialists (LSLS™ ) who have joined forces to update the

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knowledge in the field for a new generation of families, children and professionals. This book is available in both a print version and an e-reader version that is compatible with every major e-reader on the market. Don’t miss the preview of the exciting developments underway for the AG Bell 2013 Listening & Spoken Language Symposium on July 18-20 at the Omni Los Angeles Hotel. We provide highlights of the upcoming conference and the programming that is designed to provide new research and strategies to support the delivery of quality services to children and families. This issue also marks the 20th anniversary of Volta Voices and takes you on a journey through the evolution of the magazine over time to become a publication that is relevant and current for readers today. A new column, “Advocacy in Action,” highlights the many ways

that AG Bell has been active on Capitol Hill over the past year to advocate for independence through listening and talking. Finally, we include another iteration of “Hear Our Voices,” which introduces you to Ryan Lopacinski who has a profound hearing loss and is interested in elevator architecture. Thank you for reading. As always, if you have a story idea or would like to submit an article for publication, please contact AG Bell at editor@agbell.org with your comments and suggestions. AG Bell is actively seeking contributors for 2013, and I encourage you to write about what you want to read and submit it for consideration. Best regards,

Susan Boswell

My Problems, God’s Solutions by George W. Fellendorf, Ed.D., former Executive Director of the Bell Association and Editor of the Volta Review from 1962-1978 “This book is a beautiful narrative…We see the Lord’s hand in the life of a man who knows that he does not have all the answers, but believes with all his heart that His gracious God does.”—Kenneth R. Klaus, pastor and Speaker Emeritus of The Lutheran Hour

plus shipping

for paperback or 3-disk cd

This highly readable book chronicles Fellendorf ’s change in career from electrical engineer to special education following the birth of his hearing impaired daughter. The book covers teen social problems, scholastic challenges and experiences at private and public schools. My Problems, God’s Solutions by George Fellendorf is available in paperback or 3-disk CD (read by the author). To order, go to www.myproblemsgodssolutions.com or call 603-357-9096.

Voices contributors Rafael Alvarez is a lifelong Baltimore storyteller whose work is inseparable from the city he loves. A longtime rewrite man on the City Desk of the Baltimore Sun, he has published “A People’s History of the Archdiocese of Baltimore” and wrote scripts for the HBO drama “The Wire.” Melody Felzien is a freelance editor and writer living in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. She previously worked in AG Bell’s communication department and served as editor of Volta Voices for four years. She continues to be involved with The Volta Review as its managing editor. She may be contacted at mgfelzien@gmail.com.

Alana Nichols was born and raised in Taipei, Taiwan. Profoundly deaf in both ears with a common cavity malformation, she underwent experimental surgery and received auditory-verbal therapy while growing up. After their experiences with Alana, her parents started the Children’s Hearing Foundation in Taiwan, which has since expanded its resources to China and Japan, helping thousands of children with hearing loss. Her mother, Joanna Nichols, was the 2010 recipient of AG Bell’s prestigious Volta Award. Elizabeth Reed-Martinez, author of “What’s New in the Knowledge Center,” is the Knowledge Center manager 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. Arlene Stredler-Brown, M.A., CCC-SLP, CED, is director of The Keystone Project in Boulder, CO, and an adjunct faculty at the University of British Columbia and the University of Northern Colorado. She is currently funded as a fellow with the National Leadership Consortium for Sensory Disabilities (NLCSD) while working toward her doctoral degree. Contact her by email at arlene.brown@colorado.edu

VOLTA VOICES • JANUARY / F EBRUARY 201 3

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You should talk to your physician about who is a candidate for cochlear implantation, the associated risks and benefits, and CDC recommendations for vaccination. Cochlear implantation is a surgical procedure, and carries with it the risks typical for surgery. For additional information please refer to the Nucleus Package Insert available at www.CochlearAmericas.com/NucleusIndications FUN1669 ISS1 SEP12

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SOUND NEWS BITES Meet AG Bell’s Secretary/Treasurer AG Bell is pleased to announce the appointment of board member Ted A. Meyer, M.D., Ph.D., as its secretary-treasurer. Meyer joined the AG Bell board of directors in 2011 and is currently serving a three-year term. “I am thrilled at the opportunity to work with individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing and their families in a very personal way,” said Meyer. “I look forward to helping AG Bell build on its programs and strengths as it continues to grow and evolve.” To read more about Meyer, visit ListeningandSpokenLanguage.org. Language Outcomes, Service Provision of Preschool Children with Hearing Loss A recent study concluded that children with congenital hearing loss who enter early intervention at an early age show persistent benefits on verbal comprehension scores at a preschool age. These children continue to need comprehensive education services. The study, which was published in the July 2012 issue of Early Human Development, included assessments of language, adaptive behavior and resource needs at a mean age of 60 months. Effects of age of enrollment in early intervention and degree of hearing loss were evaluated. The study was based on the premise that children with congenital hearing loss have an increased risk of speech and language delays and require increased resource needs.

In Memoriam Dr. William F. House, 89, “Father of Neurotology” and Pioneer of Cochlear Implant Dr. William House, often referred to as the “Father of Neurotology,” passed away at his home in Aurora, Oregon, on Friday, Dec. 7, 2012. He was 89 years old. Among his many accomplishments, and perhaps his most profound, is his development of the cochlear implant. “He persevered despite resistance by established medicine. They said it could not be done and he should not continue this work. Millions of deaf children and adults are now hearing because of his pioneering work,” said John House, M.D., nephew of William House. Another pioneering development was an approach for removing acoustic tumors and managing patients with disabling vertigo. He is noted by the American Academy of Otolaryngology to have developed more new concepts in otology than almost any other single person in history. He received many awards in his lifetime, including the Physician of the Year award in 1985 by the President’s Committee on Employment of the Handicapped. Patrick Stone, past president of AG Bell recalled, “In 1992 I had the privilege of presenting the [AG Bell] Honors of the Association to Dr. House at the convention in San Diego. It was a special moment for me as we were good friends.” House is survived by his children Karen and David House, as well as grandchildren and great grandchildren.

Parent Experiences with Diagnostic Hearing Assessment An article, published in the June 2012 issue of the American Journal of Audiology, examined parent experiences with diagnostic hearing assessment. The results of the study, “Early Hearing Detection and Intervention: Parent Experiences with the Diagnostic Hearing Assessment,” showed that for babies born between 2006 and 2009, the most frequently reported challenge to obtaining a diagnostic hearing evaluation by 3 months of age was a delay in appointment availability. Twentyseven percent of parents reported that they did not feel comfortable in knowing what they needed to do

next after talking with the audiologist at the time their child was diagnosed with hearing loss. The authors reported that while significant progress has been made over the past two decades in reducing the age of hearing loss identification, many parents in this study experienced challenges that resulted in delays that exceeded Joint Committee on Infant Hearing (2007) recommendations of diagnosis by 3 months of age. The parentreported experiences provide valuable information about areas that need further investigation to improve the early hearing detection and intervention process for children with hearing loss.

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BITES CHAPTERS Please join Hear Indiana for the 10th Annual Talk Walk Run on April 27, 2013. Last year, Hear Indiana raised a record $70,000 for chapter programs, including educational programming, emotional support, advocacy and its week-long camp for children with hearing loss who listen and speak. The 2013 Talk Walk Run Ambassador is Joey Blansette, a 10-year-old boy who attends Ochard Park Elementary school in Carmel, Ind. He attended Hear Indiana’s camp this past summer and recently received a cochlear implant. In 2012, Joey’s team, “Carmel Masonic Lodge,” raised a total of $6,375! You don’t have to live in Indiana to join the fun. Visit TalkWalkRun.com to start your team. You can join us in person or become a virtual walker.

Rainbow Media Productions

The Michigan Chapter held a Fall Family Conference at the end of October. Conference Chair Diane Hodgin planned a comprehensive program complete with perfect fall weather. Corporate friends generously donated door prizes, such as a Comfort Audio Contego FM System, an electronic hearing aid drying kit, a telephone alerting system and sponsored the children’s activities. About 50 participants, including about a dozen children, attended the event. Sessions for families included information about assistive listening devices presented by HARC Mercantile, parent advocacy training presented by Teresa Sundberg, and cochlear implants presented by Teresa A. Zwolan, Ph.D., CCC-A, of the University of Michigan Cochlear Implant Program. Five students led by experienced teachers of the deaf and hard of hearing supervised the children’s program. At the end of the day, the children donned impromptu costumes and acted out “The Big Pumpkin” by Erica Silverman, a book about Halloween. More than 80 children, parents, families and friends participated in the Nevada Chapter Annual Bowling Charity Event at Sam’s Town Bowling Center, where children with hearing loss were recipients of a brand new bowling ball and a pair of bowling shoes. The event also helps raise chapter funds for additional events throughout the year, and builds awareness, advocacy and parental education. We appreciate the efforts of our corporate sponsors: K&K Bowling Services, Sam’s Town Bowling Center, Cochlear, Starkey Hearing Technologies, Turner Reporting and Captioning Services, U-Swirl Frozen Rep. Diana Titus, a legislative advocate for Yogurt, Anderson Dairy, and American hearing loss, with children attending the Family Insurance Co. bowling event. The Wisconsin Chapter was recently reinvigorated by parents and professionals and hosted a successful first Fall family event in September at a local pumpkin farm with more than 40 participants. Contact Melanie Ribich at melribich@hotmail.com for more information about the chapter and future events.

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Compiled by: Alana Nichols

Interactive Web-Based Newborn Hearing Screening Training Curriculum Developed as a way to standardize training and to improve the quality of care for newborn hearing screening and follow-up, a interactive web-based course from the National Center for Hearing Assessment and Management (NCHAM) provides screeners and stakeholders—including pediatricians—with an understanding of the comprehensive nature of a quality program and provides the necessary instruction to perform in their role. This interactive web course gives screeners the ability to proceed through the curriculum at their own pace and includes a number of related resources, as well as supplemental materials and links. For example, screeners who may want to learn more about their specific state Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) program can click on a link that will take them directly to their state EHDI profile. There are also updated scripts for screeners to use when communicating with parents in English and Spanish. A Skills Checklist is included in the Resource Section to provide guidance in ensuring key competencies are addressed. A certificate of completion is awarded to those who register for the course and pass the post test. Visit www.infanthearing.org/infant_ screening_course/index.html to access this resource.

SOUND BITES AG Bell Members in the Media Good Housekeeping Shares Perspectives on Raising Children with Hearing Loss AG Bell members Kelly Halacka Gilkey and Shon Halacka are featured in the December 2012 issue of Good Housekeeping magazine. The humaninterest article features the mother/daughter team and shares their perspectives on raising children with hearing loss and living life as an individual with profound hearing loss. Gilkey received her cochlear implant in December of 2011 and has spent the past year participating in auditoryverbal therapy at the Cleveland Clinic with Rachel Vovos and Donald Goldberg, AG Bell president. Halacka is president of the Michigan Chapter of AG Bell, and Gilkey is past president of the Ohio Chapter of AG Bell and remains involved with the chapter as a board member. The article was developed after a public relations staff member from the Cleveland Clinic asked Gilkey if she would be interested in sharing her experiences with her cochlear implant to a wider audience, and Good Housekeeping picked up the story. Share your media successes! If you or your chapter has been featured in the media, please let AG Bell know and contact sboswell@agbell.org.

Virginia EHDI Social Media Resources In May 2010 the Virginia Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (VEHDI) program posted two eight-minute videos to YouTube titled “Loss & Found,” which are available in English and Spanish. The videos feature parents discussing what to do if a baby does not pass the first hearing screening. The “Lost and Found” video also includes an abridged 30-second version which was used as a televised public service announcement to promote newborn hearing screening. The televised version aired in the Richmond and Hampton Roads markets this past summer. In addition, VEHDI also has created a Facebook page at www.facebook.com/vehdi to provide unbiased, balanced educational information to all stakeholders including parents, primary care providers, and audiologists.

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Telepractice A Global Matter

By Arlene Stredler-Brown, CCC-SLP, CED

rom the telegraph to the telephone through the present-day use of the Internet, a true evolution has occurred in the means by which health care, medicine, rehabilitation and intervention can be delivered over distances. For well over 150 years, individuals have utilized existing communication technology as a means to relay or transmit health-related information (Bashshur & Shannon, 2009). When the technology did not exist or failed to do an adequate job, innovation led to new technological advancements or the enhancement of devices already in use. Since the prefix “tele-” is the Greek root word meaning distant or remote, telepractice is simply practice over distance (Darkins & Cary, 2000).

Telepractice can be used to deliver early intervention, therapeutic and educational services to children who are deaf and hard of hearing (DHH). For infants and toddlers, telepractice can provide early access to family-centered services that are delivered by experts in hearing loss, irrespective of where either party lives. For school-age students, telepractice has the potential to connect learners with experienced listening and spoken language professionals, including teachers of the DHH and speech-language pathologists who may not be assigned to a student’s school. This service delivery platform is rapidly advancing and includes initiatives within several professional disciplines serving

this population: speech-language pathology, audiology, education of individuals who are DHH and early childhood special education. Telepractice can also be used to provide professional training to benefit children. Telepractice can cross state lines, with appropriate considerations given to licensure and reimbursement. Services can also be delivered to children when the professional and the child live in different countries. Telepractice is, indeed, a global matter. For many years, the technology to provide telepractice was not readily available. And for some, the cost was prohibitive. However, as the articles in a recent Volta Review monograph on telepractice repeat-

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Recommendations for Future Program Development

edly attest, today the equipment is readily available and cost effective (StredlerBrown, 2012). Now, interested parties can turn their sights to the practical implementation of this emerging practice. Authors for the articles in Current Knowledge and Best Practices for Telepractice were strategically selected to share experiences and expertise from the perspectives of a variety of different professional disciplines. By representing different perspectives, we are supporting and promoting collaborative delivery systems, and provide here considerations and recommendations for program development and program enhancement to promote the future of telepractice options.

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Scheduling

Some practitioners report challenges integrating telepractice into busy practice workflows (Puskin et al., 2010). However, this concern may be offset with comments from other telepractice providers who attest to less episodic care and greater frequency and intensity of care (Speedie et al., 2008). Perhaps the solution to this contradiction is to shift providers’ ways of thinking Technology so that telepractice is perceived as a “value The audio and video components of technoladded” service. In this context, “value ogy, as well as the synchronicity of the two added” can be defined as characteristics of signals, need to be addressed (Puskin et al., 2010). The standards for delivering this ser- telepractice that go beyond the standard vice to children who are DHH may need to expectations of intervention or education for the child and, in so doing, provide a meet a higher standard than those adopted benefit to that client at little or no addiby other professions. For instance, a higher speed for video transmission may be needed tional cost. In the field of psychology, Nelson and to allow for the transmission of visual comcolleagues (2006) suggest that telepracmunication supports (e.g. sign language tice allows for easy access to the provider and speech reading) in real time. Because after therapy has ended. These “booster” some treatments focus on the development of listening and spoken language, there will sessions are conducted more easily likely be a need for enhanced audio as well. than in-person follow-up sessions. It is postulated that these booster sessions Puskin and colleagues (2010) recommend facilitate positive long-term outcomes for asking providers about the specific features the client. they want in any technology that is used.

Todd Houston

The fields of rehabilitative care can look at the accomplishments and challenges experienced in the medical profession and plan accordingly. For instance, the medical profession operates on the assumption that care is inextricably linked to the location of the provider (Speedie et al., 2008). Telepractice challenges this assumption; yet, careful attention must be given to alter it. Telepractice also carries with it some practical and logistical challenges, such as licensure, privacy and reimbursement. Some of the recommendations for programs adopting telepractice, or enhancing existing initiatives, are discussed here.

In addition to using the appropriate hardware (e.g., screen size, screen resolution), access to appropriate connectivity must be assured. Program personnel must investigate access to broadband telecommunications, which may be available in a family’s home, a local school building and/ or the professionals’ offices.

Advances in video technology have provided new ways in which children with hearing loss can develop listening and spoken language skills.

Hybrid Activities Some providers of telepractice wish for or conduct some of their tasks in the face-to-face condition. For instance, some providers prefer to meet the client, in person, during the first encounter (B. Hecht, personal communication, May 23, 2012). Others rely on the face-to-face condition to conduct developmental assessments (K.T. Houston, personal communication, April 28, 2010; A. Peters-Lalios, personal communication, May 26, 2010). In the field of psychology, Wade and colleagues (2005) pair telepractice sessions with self-guided online sessions for children with traumatic brain injury. The online material includes didactic content regarding specific skills, video clips showing individuals and families modeling a skill, and exercises and assignments that provide family members with opportunities to practice a skill. This strategy could be easily adapted for parents of children who are DHH.

Evaluation of the Telepractice Platform Assessment is an integral aspect of intervention (Stredler-Brown, 2010). Assessment results allow the professional to monitor the rate of progress made by the child and, in so doing, support high expectations. Ideally, a program already collects performance data and this routinely-collected data can be utilized to document child outcomes

More Research Is Needed

when the service delivery platform changes to telepractice. Once telepractice starts, evaluation of children’s progress is critical. This information can guide decision makers in other programs to adopt and/ or expand their use of telepractice. Puskin and colleagues (2010) warn that attempts to collect special data in a special format specifically for telepractice may compromise compliance and potentially limit the amount of data that is available. It would be more efficient to integrate specific questions about telepractice into an established assessment protocol.

The documents published by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (2005a, b, c; 2010) repeatedly state the need for outcome data to evaluate the efficiency, clinical effectiveness, and levels of satisfaction of clients and providers. The literature compels professionals to conduct more research related specifically to the effectiveness and efficacy of treatment (Cason, 2009; Heimerl & Rasch, 2009).

The Human Factor It is critical for any program utilizing telepractice to secure buy-in from the clinicians (Puskin, 2010). Specialists in information technology (IT) can offer support for the equipment and telecommunications connectivity. Support for the therapeutic process can be provided through careful access to materials. Colleagues who have experienced the shift from face-to-face delivery to telepractice can also provide assistance. The hope is for practitioners to perceive “value added” – in this context, Puskin (2010) defines value added as a person who loves their job… and would quit if they didn’t have access to telepractice.

Reimbursement The first consideration when initiating telepractice is the cost of the capital investment in equipment, including hardware and broadband access. Next, reimbursement for the therapy needs to be studied. The reimbursement for therapeutic and/or educational services will vary depending on a client’s health insurance, each state’s Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Part C regulations, and relevant school district policies. As of 2012, 14 states require private-sector insurance companies to pay for telepractice services delivered by speech-language pathologists (Brannon, 2012). As of 2009, Medicaid programs in 23 states reimburse for telepractice (Brown, 2009).

Sustainability

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Todd Houston

Telepractice provides a way for children with hearing loss and their families to access qualified professionals, regardless of location.

Singh and colleagues (2010) report that telepractice innovations often struggle to endure after initial sponsorship (e.g., grants) end. The advice offered by Cradduck (2002) states that a telepractice service is considered sustainable when it is “no longer considered a special case, but has been absorbed into routine health care delivery” (p. 8). To accomplish this, each professional discipline involved in the effort needs to participate in planning and evaluating the telepractice services being offered. Any number of stakeholders may be involved, including the organization providing the service, staff in public schools receiving the service, IDEA Part C programs funding early intervention, university facilities, and specialists using different communication approaches to educate children who are DHH. A path toward sustainable telepractice is described in detail by Singh and colleagues (2010). These authors initiated telepractice in a large public health district in the state of Georgia.

Gain Valuable Insight, Earn CEUs! With this issue of The Volta Review, AG Bell has debuted an ongoing opportunity to earn AG Bell Academy continuing education units (CEUs) just for reading the journal! Visit The Volta Review online at ListeningandSpokenLanguage.org/TheVoltaReview to learn more about this exciting new opportunity to expand your knowledge and earn CEUs.

The initial step was to develop a shared vision among staff within an agency and, shortly thereafter, cultivate participation from people in organizations in other communities. Together, the stakeholders seek and develop new ideas to establish a shared vision based on needs and potential participants. Then, funding sources can be explored along with technological options. After this, administrative processes can be established or improved. It is highly recommended that multiple agencies participate in the funding to demonstrate their commitment and, hence, to improve sustainability.

telepractice was the opportunity to provide services to all children. This includes audiological services, services to school-age students and, interestingly, a prominent focus on delivering early intervention. The attention also goes beyond direct services and includes support for enhancing skills of professionals delivering the treatments. Hopefully, this is a trend that will satisfy the recommendations from the Joint Committee on Infant Hearing (2007) for services to be delivered by professionals who have the appropriate knowledge and skills about childhood hearing loss.

Unique Opportunities for Children Who Are DHH

For decades, individuals have utilized communication technologies as a means to relay or transmit health-related information (Bashshur & Shannon, 2009). By fully understanding the past, practitioners can continue to shape the future of telepractice to fully realize the potential of this service delivery model. The content in the Current Knowledge and Best Practices

When inviting professionals to share their experiences implementing telepractice with children who are DHH, it was evident that many initiatives were in place around the country; the impact was sometimes worldwide. One central theme supporting the interest in and advancement of

References American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. (2005a). Speech-language pathologists providing clinical services via telepractice [Technical report]. Retrieved from http://www. asha.org/practice/telepractice American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. (2005b). Speech-language pathologists providing clinical services via telepractice [Position statement]. Retrieved from http://www. asha.org/practice/telepractice American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. (2005c). Knowledge and skills needed by speech-language pathologists providing clinical services via telepractice. Retrieved from http:// www.asha.org/policy American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. (2010). Professional issues in telepractice for speech-language pathologists [Professional issues statement]. Retrieved from http://www. asha.org/policy Bashshur, R. L., & Shannon, G. W. (2009). History of telemedicine: Evolution, context, and transformation. New Rochelle, NY: Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. Brannon, J. A. (2012, July 03). Two states pass telemedicine coverage mandates. The ASHA Leader, 8.

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Conclusion

Brown, J. (2009, November). Telepractice ethics, licensure, and reimbursement. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American SpeechLanguage-Hearing Association, Las Vegas, NV. Cason, J. (2009). A pilot telerehabilitation program: Delivering early intervention services to rural families. International Journal of Telerehabilitation, 1(1), 29–37. Cradduck, T. D. (2002). Sustainability: The holy grail of telehealth? Journal of Telemedicine and Telecare, 8(3), 7–8. Darkins, A., & Cary, M. (2000). Telemedicine and telehealth: Principles, Policies, Performance and Pitfalls. New York: Springer Publishing Company, Inc. Heimerl, S. & Rasch, N. (2009). Delivering developmental occupational therapy consultation services through telehealth. Developmental Disabilities Special Interest Section Quarterly, 32(3), 1–4. Joint Committee on Infant Hearing. (2007). Year 2007 position statement: Principles and guidelines for early hearing detection and intervention programs. Pediatrics, 102(4), 893–921. Nelson, E., Barnard, M., & Cain, S. (2006). Feasibility of telemedicine intervention for childhood depression. Counselling and Psychotherapy Research, 6(3), 191–195.

for Telepractice monograph provides an opportunity for readers to discover the growing trend to deliver services remotely. The intent is for this body of information to motivate readers to move forward with this initiative. There is a common theme throughout the monograph—the incentive to harness current technology to provide high-quality intervention, both therapeutic and educational, to more children in the United States and around the world. Children who are DHH are unwitting members of a low-incidence disability group. Where a child lives need not dictate access to services. Nor should one’s geographic location dictate the type of services or communication method chosen. Using telepractice, each child has an opportunity to learn from experts who may live at previously incapacitating distances from a family’s home. Telepractice can increase the efficiency and effectiveness of services delivered in urban settings also. And, telepractice can span time zones and continents. We have the technology. The broad list of contributors to the monograph is evidence that we, as a profession, have the motivation. There are growing incentives. Now, we need only take the information we are garnering and apply it to benefit the children we serve. Puskin, D. (2010, February). Telehealth policy considerations for teleaudiology: The future is here. Paper presented at the National Conference for Early Hearing Detection and Intervention, Chicago, IL. Puskin, D. S., Cohen, Z., Ferguson, A. S., Krupinski, E., & Spaulding, R. (2010). Implementation and evaluation of telehealth tools and technologies. Telemedicine and e-Health, 16(1), 96–102. Singh, R., Mathiassen, L., Stchura, M. E., & Astapova, E. V. (2010). Sustainable rural telehealth innovation: A public health case study. Health Services Research, 45(4), 985–1004. Speedie, S. M., Ferguson, A. S., Sanders, J., & Doarn, C. R. (2008). Telehealth: The promise of new care delivery models. Telemedicine and e-Health, 14(9), 964–967. Stredler-Brown, A. (2010). Communication choices and outcomes during the early years: An assessment and evidence-based approach. In M. Marschark & P. E. Spencer (Eds.), Oxford handbook of deaf studies, language, and education (pp. 292–315). New York: Oxford University Press. Stredler-Brown, A. (Ed.) (2012). Current knowledge and best practices for telepractice. The Volta Review, 112(3). Wade, S. L., Wolfe, C. R., Brown, T. M., & Pestian, J. P. (2005). Can a web-based family problem-solving intervention work for children with traumatic brain injury? Rehabilitation Psychology, 50(4), 337–345.

101 FAQs About Auditory-Verbal Practice Collaborative Project Brings Knowledge to Parents and Professionals By Rafael Alvarez

he landscape of therapy and education for children with hearing loss continues to evolve. Today more than ever, people all over the world are recognizing the possibilities for children who are deaf and hard of hearing to develop listening and spoken language. This exciting phenomenon has brought together a worldwide community of more than 100 Listening and Spoken Language Specialists (LSLS™) to join forces and expand the knowledge base of the field of auditory-verbal practice. The distilled wisdom of the listening and spoken language community is compiled in a new book from AG Bell, “101 Frequently

Asked Questions About Auditory-Verbal Practice: Promoting Listening and Spoken Language for Children who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing and Their Families.” Steeped in the history, philosophy and principles of auditory-verbal practice, the book’s greatest strength is its demonstration of strategies and techniques that promote effective development of listening and spoken language. The book also helps parents become their child’s primary teachers on the journey to lifelong language development, literacy and independent thinking skills. “The field of auditory-verbal practice continues to evolve as the clinical and educational landscapes change,” said

Warren Estabrooks, editor of 101 FAQs About Auditory-Verbal Practice, “and this book represents the ideologies of listening and spoken language that have proven to be successful.”

A Compendium of Current Topics The book’s mission is to share the philosophy, principles and contemporary practice of auditory-verbal therapy and education to support today’s families with children with hearing loss, and to encourage professionals who have the privilege of working with them. It is a collective effort of many practitioners who worked in the spirit of community to bring facts,

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Courtesy of Warren Estabrooks

strong connection between listening and spoken language as the foundation for developing literacy and written language for children with hearing loss. The book also gives parents a solid understanding of audiological testing as well as auditory disorders they may encounter. This compendium of information emphasizes families today, supporting the father’s role in their child’s language development and addressing the needs of children from bilingual and multilingual households and families with socioeconomic challenges. Among the many issues addressed are contemporary topics, such as the effects of pediatric bilateral and sequential cochlear implants on language development and the needs of children who receive a cochlear implant at a “later age” or who have grown up using a visual language system. Other topics include executive functioning, theory of mind, adult learning styles, techniques and strategies in practice, storytelling and educational supports in mainstream environments. Most “responses” include references on the topic and suggestions for further reading.

A Collaborative Effort

Shepherding all of this information into a single volume was something Estabrooks has contemplated for some time. “This new book compiles a comprehensive body of knowledge and skills and was embraced with a passion by the LSLS community,” Estabrooks said. Although he is the editor of this book, Estabrooks is adamant in pointing out that “101 FAQs,” the biggest thoughts, opinions, insights, experiences, work of its kind, represents the collaborative work of researchers and practitioners successes and challenges to the reader. engaged in auditory-verbal practice all The “responses” provided to the 101 frequently asked questions about auditory- over the world. Covering the nine domains of listening verbal practice guide the reader through and spoken language (as identified by the most of the questions posed to practitioAG Bell Academy for Listening and Spoken ners , such as how to encourage developLanguage), “101 FAQs” offers a comprehenment of listening and spoken language sive accounting of current knowledge, skills and the number of treatment sessions for and thinking in the practice of developing children of various ages. The responses also cover new ground, exploring new ser- listening and spoken language skills. It is a vice delivery models, such as telepractice, detailed resource of the state of the science, art and evidence-based outcomes. It is which uses telecommunications technolhoped that this new book will inspire a new ogy to connect professionals and families generation of professionals to follow “an over great distances, and the use of social media in intervention and communication enhanced career in auditory-verbal practice,” Estabrooks remarked. with families. The book focuses on the

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Very simply, said Estabrooks, it is a compendium of “the breadth and depth of auditory-verbal practice as we live it today.” “101 FAQs” builds on advancements made in auditory-verbal therapy and education and, according to author Linda L. Daniel of Dallas, Texas, the book “elevates the field of aural rehabilitation.” “This is a book for professionals and for parents,” said Estabrooks. “It will be valuable to career professionals, aspiring practitioners and those that are being mentored by a practitioner.” Parents of children who are deaf and hard of hearing will find hope, support and encouragement in its pages. The book also highlights advances in neuroscience and its applications along with the benefits of current technology, particularly cochlear implants, hearing aids and FM systems. “These and other technologies have made the gifts of listening and spoken language a greater possibility than ever for our children,” said Estabrooks. “The movements towards universal screening of hearing loss and early intervention have provided more children in developed nations with the chance to learn to listen and talk at a very early age, so that delays in spoken communication are significantly reduced.” As always, the contribution of parents, guardians and caregivers is paramount. The book addresses concerns from all of them. “We understand that they provide the best models for their children to learn in real life and in real time. The power of coaching and guiding parents in synergy with practitioners helps us as we travel with children as precious passengers on a journey to listening and spoken language,” said Estabrooks. “We are really working with the citizens of 2020 and 2030, when the world will be a new and hopefully a better place,” Estabrooks continued. “We know that learning to listen, learning to talk, to read, to write, to use electronic media and to engage with others through social media are easier than ever before. This book can help all of us to bring these skills as efficiently and effectively as possible to children who are deaf and hard of hearing by working in partnership with their families and those that love them.”

Finally, Estabrooks commented it was his hope “that young professionals around the world will discover this resource, contact many of the authors and through their generosity, build a network of outstanding alliances that will bring knowledge and hope to families everywhere.”

Available in Print and E-Reader Format

Karen MacIver-Lux

“101 FAQs” is available in print from the AG Bell Bookstore. The publication is also the first-ever e-book offered by AG Bell and is available in a format compatible with every major e-reader device on the market. Readers can obtain the e-book version from two major outlets: Amazon. com and Smashwords.com. To learn more about the “101 FAQs” book and to purchase the print or e-book version, visit www.listeningandspokenlanguage.org/ 101FAQs.

Warren Estabrooks trains professionals in Dubai.

Free Services!

Help Your Baby Talk and Hear The Moog Center Family Teleschool is undertaking a national project designed to evaluate the effectiveness of tele-therapy for children with hearing loss from birth to age three. • Expert teleschool teachers will provide instruction over the internet for you and your child. • Learn through our proven curriculum and teaching strategies. • A study of children enrolled in the Moog Center Family School program indicates by age 3-4 years, over 80% achieve vocabulary scores within the average range. • These services are FREE.

For more information and to find out if your family is eligible contact Betsy Moog Brooks at (314) 692-7172 or email to bbrooks@moogcenter.org www.moogcenter.org

The Moog Center for Deaf Education St. Louis, MO

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UTMED12142011261

Teaching teachers. Listening to students. Changing lives.

Deaf Education & Hearing Science at the UT Health Science Center San Antonio We know that students learn best when provided opportunities to work directly with peers and faculty.

2002 2012 Celebrating 10 Years of Making Lives Better

Our reciprocal peer coaching and mentoring program involves teachers in training and faculty mentors in language intervention.

A premier listening and spoken language program for educators of children with hearing loss.

For more information, please visit UTDeafEd.com Phone: (210) 450-0716

AG Bell 2013 Listening & Spoken Language Symposium

Delivering Quality Services to Children and Families By Alana Nichols

G Bell will hold its 2013 Listening and Spoken Language (LSL) Symposium July 18-20 in the Omni Los Angeles Hotel at California Plaza. Focusing on the theme of delivering quality services to families, the symposium will provide practitioners with the latest strategies and trends in new service delivery models and in serving diverse children and families. The LSL Symposium is the premier professional development event for educators, clinicians, Listening and Spoken Language Specialists (LSLS™), school administrators and legislators who support children and families

working towards a listening and spoken language outcome. This event offers professionals the opportunity to network and meet old friends while building new connections, to explore new technologies and programs supporting children and families, and to gain the latest research and strategies in the field. The symposium will feature keynote speaker Dana Suskind, M.D., director of the pediatric cochlear implant program at the University of Chicago, who will present research on Project ASPIRE. Recently featured on NBC’s Today show as a “local nonprofit doing amazing things,” Project ASPIRE takes

its name from their approach to supporting participants and families. Through Project ASPIRE, Suskind is conducting research to reduce disparities among children from lower socio-economic backgrounds who receive a cochlear implant in receiving post-cochlear implant (re)habilitation, and to reduce barriers such as parental communication skills, self-efficacy and health literacy. Pre-symposium short courses also will be available to gain in-depth knowledge about topics that fall under the nine LSLS domains of knowledge (as identified by the AG Bell Academy for Listening and Spoken Language). Attendees are encouraged to bring ideas

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In addition to a valuable continuing education opportunity, attendees can take advantage of the hotel and location. The Omni Los Angeles Hotel at California Plaza is in the heart of the business, financial and cultural districts of downtown Los Angeles. This convenient location offers numerous attractions and entertainment options, as well as close proximity to California’s beaches, such as Malibu, Redondo, Manhattan, Santa Monica and more.

Register for the AG Bell 2013 LSL Symposium Today! The AG Bell 2013 Listening & Spoken Language Symposium is an excellent continuing education value and offers valuable hours of continuing education from the AG Bell Academy, American Speech-LanguageHearing Association and American Academy of Audiology. Registration is now open for the Symposium. Visit ListeningandSpokenLanguage.org/ LSLSymposium to register and stay tuned for more information through AG Bell communication channels.

and questions to share during dynamic and interactive sessions on current trends in the field and to share the strategies they have while learning from other participants. The symposium offers an invaluable source of information and support for both new and experienced professionals. As Donna Sperandio, LSLS Cert. AVT, said, “this is an essential conference for those working in the field of delivering listening and spoken language opportunities to families and professionals!” The conference also offers participants a unique opportunity to gain advice and knowledge from renowned experts in the field. Pat Swanson, an educator of the

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Craig Huey Photography

Christopher Barr

deaf, said that the symposium allowed her talk about the kids she serves with the leaders in the field of listening and spoken language. “The Symposium offers the best pit crew in the world: fellow LSLS and speakers who all want every child to win!” For speech-language pathologist Christy Ghazimoradi, the Symposium continued to fuel her passion for serving students with hearing loss who use listening and spoken language and gave her the opportunity to “learn new skills that she could immediately apply to her everyday work” by offering cuttingedge research, practical strategies and evidenced-based best practices. Symposium attendees will also have the opportunity to explore new technology by visiting different exhibitors and vendors to learn more about innovations in personal hearing technology, classroom amplification, strategies and software to connect with families and other professionals through telephone and Internet technology. Another important event will include a LSLS exam administration, which will be offered immediately following the symposium.

The 2013 AG Bell Listening & Spoken Language Symposium offers practical strategies for working with a wide range of children.

Advancing Listening and Spoken Language

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medium of expression, some means of ready and frequent communication with and among the membership” (Booth, 1899). They went on to say, “The establishment of a periodical, it is believed, will strengthen the work and strengthen the hands that are doing the work all over the field.” The magazine began by publishing reports from localized meetings, but A Look Back soon expanded to include the philosoThe history of Volta Voices dates back phies of Dr. Bell as well as letters and to the early 1900s. AG Bell’s original publication, The Association Review, was correspondence from its readers. As the first published in 1899 by Dr. Alexander years progressed and the AG Bell assoGraham Bell. The creators thought that ciation became a correspondence-driven resource for parents, professionals and “the life and future usefulness of the adults with hearing loss, The Association Association required activity and some

Review morphed into The Volta Review and published an amalgam of letters, tips, science-driven research and dialogue on the strategies required for individuals with hearing loss to acquire listening and spoken language. In the 1970s, AG Bell staff understood that there were two distinct purposes of the publication, and that the needs of its constituents would be best served if the publication shifted focus. Today’s mission of The Volta Review remains as it did back then: to be a professional, peer-review journal inviting manuscripts devoted to reporting scholarly findings that explore the development of listening and spoken language

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his year marks the 20th anniversary of Volta Voices. During the last 20 years, the magazine has undergone many facelifts and adjustments, changing focus as AG Bell has done to stay relevant and current in providing information on listening and spoken language.

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and the professionals that serve them. The AG Bell staff noticed that a lot of inconsistencies were arising from the production of multiple publications and charged a member and staff-driven task force to review the publications. At the time, the task force noted that much content was disparate and did not overlap. However, according to Bruce Goldstein, who chaired the task force, “We felt the association, as an organization, was greater than the sum of its three parts, and we wanted the magazine to be a catalyst and support to strengthening that collaboration and cohesion.” To mainstream the process, the task force recommended the creation of a magazine to serve all of AG Bell’s constituents. Aptly named Volta Voices by long-time AG Bell member Barbara Chertok, the publication continues to thrive today.

Driven to Serve Needs

F M SIU PO YM .ORG S L LS BELL G HE R T WW.A O F ER AT W T GIS AY RE TOD

by individuals with hearing loss. The rest of the content was turned into a series of newsletters geared towards AG Bell’s distinct constituencies and sections, supporting each individual’s unique information needs. For several years AG Bell supported many newsletters, including OK (Our Kids) magazine, Newsounds, Children’s Corner, ODAS (Oral Deaf Adults Section), and others. Volta Voices started as a compilation of these various section and constituent newsletters. The newsletters focused specifically on AG Bell’s three constituencies – parents of children with hearing loss, adults with hearing loss

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Although the basic mission and goals of the magazine have remained the same, the editorial direction of the magazine has continued to shift and f luctuate. In 2005, AG Bell’s editorial staff began publishing themed editions to help focus content on specific areas and provide more in-depth reporting on specific topics. Past thematic editions have included technology, professional development and a popular new parent guide. These editions seem to help balance some of the surface-level articles that Volta Voices is able to publish in its regular editions. The magazine has also received several awards for its work over the last few years, including recognition for writing, column series and cover designs. Indeed, some of the most popular content has been past columns, such as Dr. Stephen Epstein’s Sound Advice and Jay Wyant’s Tech Talk columns, as well as articles by leaders in the field, such as Dr. Daniel Ling. By publishing six times a year, the magazine provides consistent and datasupported content that readers can take into their daily lives. With the launch of the Listening and Spoken Language Knowledge Center, much of the content has been repurposed online to provide

the vital information families, professionals and adults with hearing loss need to continue their journeys.

Feedback and Future Directions Throughout the last several years, AG Bell has reached out to its reader base for feedback on the magazine and its impact. Here are some of the comments AG Bell received: Very professional. I’m always proud to see it, read it and show it off. Volta Voices has provided information I desperately needed and I share the magazine with families. The information keeps me very well informed about the most recent developments and gives me knowledge which otherwise would be much harder to get, living outside the United States. Volta Voices helped us find resources and understand the issues as parents of a new baby with hearing loss. The information we gain may direct us to inquire about new technology or approaches. I enjoy most the ‘personal interest’ stories, such as parents chronicling their early years, adults with hearing loss telling of their challenges, etc. As the online Knowledge Center continues to grow, much of the content in the magazine will become more adaptable and more cross-promotion of content will occur. With an increasing digital world, readers can rely on AG Bell to continue providing the most relevant and up-to-date content online while still highlighting the best it has to offer in print. Twenty years later, Volta Voices continues to support and provide information on the unlimited potential for children with hearing loss who are learning to listen and talk.

Reference Booth, F. W. (1899). The association magazine. The Volta Review, 1(1).

What’s New in the Knowledge Center

Helping You Navigate IDEA Part C By Elizabeth Reed-Martinez

he Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires states to provide early intervention services for children ages birth to 3, but each state provides those services uniquely. AG Bell has gathered resources to help you understand the services available to your child and links to help find services in your area. Early intervention services are designed to meet the needs of infants and toddlers who have a developmental delay or disability and their families. Sometimes it is known from the moment a child is born that early intervention services will be essential in helping the child grow and develop. Families whose infants are identified with hearing loss through hospital screening and follow-up at birth, or those that have children who develop a hearing loss before the age of 3, should be directed to their state’s early intervention services through their Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) program. For infants and toddlers, these early intervention services are provided through IDEA Part C (which is U.S. federal law). Services are called early intervention or Part C services, which are named for where they are described in IDEA.

Service Considerations Because hearing loss is a low-incidence disability (meaning it is rare in comparison to other disabilities), eligibility for assistance under Part C can be unclear to professionals who do not have expertise in hearing loss. It is often up to parents to ensure that the child is appropriately evaluated and that the

unique considerations of hearing loss are addressed and met. These include: ʶʶ The decisions the family makes for communicating with their child ʶʶ Assistive technology (hearing aids, cochlear implants, FM systems, etc.) ʶʶ Family training, counseling and home visits (families should be supported as the primary language teachers for their children) ʶʶ Family support networks ʶʶ Family Service Coordinator – this is one of the family’s primary collaborators. According to IDEA Part C, the family service coordinator should be “from the profession most immediately relevant to the infant’s, toddler’s or family’s needs.” ʶʶ Qualified, knowledgeable service providers who have expertise, training, experience and certification (if appropriate) in assessing and working with infants and toddlers who are deaf and hard of hearing, specifically in the child’s/family’s chosen communication option if known or selected.

The Individualized Family Service Plan After the child’s evaluation is complete and he or she is found to be eligible for early intervention services, the family and a team of providers will meet to develop a written plan for providing early intervention services to the child and the family. This plan is called the Individualized Family Service Plan, or IFSP. It is a very important document, and parents are crucial members of the team that develops it. The guiding principle of the IFSP is that the family is the child’s greatest resource and the needs of a young child

are closely tied to the needs of his or her family. The best way to support children and meet their needs is to support and build upon the individual strengths of their family. This is why the IFSP is a plan for the entire family and the parents are major contributors in its development. Involvement of other team members will depend on what the child needs. These other team members could come from several agencies and may include medical specialists, therapists, child development specialists, social workers and others.

Developing an Effective Plan Each state has specific guidelines for the IFSP. The family service coordinator can explain what the IFSP guidelines are in your state. The following are key considerations for parents of a child who is deaf or hard of hearing in developing the IFSP: ʶʶ Communication Considerations include the language and communication currently used in the home, such as English, native language (or a combination), and communication options currently used with the child, such as listening and spoken language. Another consideration is communication options that the family would like more information about, and required support necessary to increase the access and ability for parents and family members to become language models for the child. ʶʶ Assistive Technology can be thought of as any item that supports the child’s ability to participate actively in his or her home, childcare program, school or other community settings. These may

VOLTA VOICES • JANUARY / F EBRUARY 201 3

include but are not limited to hearing aids, cochlear implants and FM systems. Information in the IFSP should include a description of the assistive technology the family is currently using as well as those assistive technologies that families are considering and/or would like more information about. ʶʶ Peers and Adult Role Models are opportunities for the child to directly communicate with others who are deaf and hard of hearing. The IFSP should describe the supports necessary for direct adult role model connections for the family as well as opportunities for the child’s direct interaction with other sameage children who are deaf and hard of hearing. ʶʶ Programming Options/Natural Environments are all services and resources provided and explored by

the early intervention team. The IFSP should describe the supports necessary for the family to access these services, including the environment in which they may be provided. This may be in the child’s home, a school or therapy center, or a daycare facility, for example. ʶʶ Community Activities include all of the activities in the community that the family would like to participate in, such as playgroups, library story times, religious services, etc. The resources and supports required to provide full communication access in these environments should be described. For example, would an FM system help the child hear better? Is preferential seating needed? ʶʶ Proficiency of Staff includes a list of the qualified service providers on the

team who have expertise, experience and training in working with children ages birth to 3 who are deaf and hard of hearing. The communication option and appropriate certification should be noted.

Resources for Parents and Professionals The Knowledge Center provides an overview of early information services in both English and Spanish which includes a listing of EHDI programs in each state, where to go for help, resources for getting an evaluation and assessment for the child, what is included in early intervention services, how they’re delivered and who pays for them, as well as many other helpful resources. To learn more, visit ListeningandSpokenLanguage.org for answers.

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Advocacy in Action

Advancing Policy Initiatives By Susan Boswell

G Bell advocates on its members behalf through participation in a number of coalitions, including the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Alliance (DHHA), Deaf and Hard of Hearing Consumer Action Network (DHHCAN), Joint Committee on Infant Hearing (JCIH), and Council on the Education of the Deaf (CED). The AG Bell Public Affairs Council sets advocacy priorities and guides AG Bell’s public policy efforts. AG Bell has been active over the past year in advocating on a number of public policy issues to improve reimbursement and access to hearing technology, increase the effectiveness of relay services, and advocate for job opportunities for AG Bell members. The following are just some of the recent initiatives undertaken.

Joint Committee Position Statement Development Underway JCIH held a retreat in Aurora, Colo., on August 17 and 18 at the Marion Downs Hearing Center. JCIH is composed of representatives from audiology, otolaryngology, pediatric medicine, education of the deaf, speech-language pathology and consumers. The Committee’s primary activity has been publication of position statements that guide U.S. and international policy and best practices in early identification and appropriate intervention for infants and young children who have or are suspected of having hearing loss. AG Bell has been a member of JCIH since 2005 and is represented by Carianne Muse, an AG Bell member and parent to two children, one of whom uses bilateral cochlear implants, and Judy Harrison, AG Bell director of programs. The Committee tackled a

full agenda and began work on its next position statement; no release date has been decided. “I am both honored and humbled by being a part of JCIH as the parent representative from AG Bell,” stated Muse. She continued, “I am particularly excited about actively engaging in the early intervention discussions because I have been living the early intervention process while we have been writing about it. I hope that my experiences with my daughter over the past three years, and the experiences of other families I know, can help add richness to the publications we are producing.” To learn more about JCIH and its position statements, visit www.jcih.org/posstatemts.htm.

Reimbursement for Implant Technologies AG Bell has taken steps to advocate for increased reimbursement for cochlear implants and bone-anchored implants, including the BAHA system, for children and adults who are covered under Medicare. Access to these technologies is critical for candidates who use listening and spoken language. Advocacy for reimbursement under Medicare is critical for all candidates–both Medicare beneficiaries and those covered under other insurance plans–because Medicare rates and coverage policies often inf luence insurance coverage by private insurers.

AG Bell recently submitted letters to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), which sets payment rates for the procedures. AG Bell commended CMS for its proposed increase for cochlear implants from 6.5% to 6.6%, depending on where the procedure is performed. This amount covers the cochlear implant device, the procedure cost and other related costs. This increased payment is a step in the right direction, but this increase does not reflect the actual cost of the intervention. For bone-anchored implants, AG Bell advocated to avert a proposed reduction of 3.8% to 5.7% in payment for the BAHA system and to review potential inaccuracies in its data on which payment rates are based.

Video Relay Service Advocacy In comments related to rulemaking by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), AG Bell has advocated for improvements to video relay service (VRS), a type of relay service offered through statewide relay systems that allow consumers to communicate through web-based videoconferencing. AG Bell members need access to this vital relay service because they often speechread interpreters during VRS calls, making access to functionally equivalent calls crucial. In conjunction with DHHCAN, TDI, National Association

Meet the AG Bell Public Affairs Council The Public Affairs Council (PAC) directs the advocacy work of the association by establishing public affairs issue priorities, reviewing letters for sign on and developing position statements on key issues. PAC members include: John Stanton (chair), Joni Alberg, Rachel Arfa, Bill Corwin, Ben Dubin, Rachel Dubin, Bruce Goldstein, Jack Roush and Jay Wyant.

VOLTA VOICES • JANUARY / F EBRUARY 201 3

care needs of individuals with disabilities. AG Bell members rely on access to hearing technology in all major health care reform legislation for listening and spoken language.

of the Deaf (NAD), Adult Learning Development Association (ALDA), California Coalition of Agencies Serving the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, American Society of Deaf Children, National Black Deaf Advocates, Cerebral Palsy and Deaf Organization, and others, AG Bell supported improved services including increased speed of answer for calls and matching consumers with a communications assistant that meets their needs, among other issues.

Support for Truck Drivers Who Are Deaf In coalition with 35 other national and state disability organizations, individuals and coalitions, AG Bell signed on to a letter from NAD to advocate for exemption for the hearing requirements in the Federal Motor Carrier’s Safety Administration (FMCSA) for truck drivers who are deaf and hard of hearing. The hearing requirement has no evidentiary support and no basis in research or practice. Furthermore, the validity of the hearing requirement has been called into question by the FMCSA’s own study of the issue and by the safe driving records of the 45 experienced drivers now seeking exemptions. The letter advocated for a full, unqualified exemption for the applicants and a removal of the hearing requirement altogether.

Hearing Aid Coverage in Affordable Care Act AG Bell signed on with 20 other national organizations representing individuals who are deaf and hard of hearing to advocate for the coverage of hearing aids and related services in the Essential Health Benefits (EHB) Bulletin as part of President Obama’s Affordable Care Act (ACA). Currently, the Bulletin fails to provide coverage for rehabilitative devices, like hearing aids, despite the specific language of the law and does not take into consideration the health

Health Plan Coverage in Utah AG Bell advocated for coverage of boneanchored implants as part of Utah’s Intermountain Healthcare’s medical policy. Intermountain does not provide coverage for this important auditory intervention for children and adults with appropriate indications. SelectHealth (Intermountain’s health insurance program) is one of the few large carriers in the United States that does not include coverage for this medical device as part of a typical health insurance policy. Access to this auditory intervention is critical for children and adults in Utah. For individuals who are candidates for this implant, there is no other intervention that allows auditory access. This is the first in an occasional series that highlights the work of AG Bell on Capitol Hill to shape federal policy, advance access and advocate for listening and spoken language on behalf of adults and children with hearing loss and the professionals that support them.

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Apoyo en acción

Promover iniciativas de política Por Susan Boswell

G Bell participa en su nombre en una serie de coaliciones, entre las que se incluye la Alianza de Sordos y con Problemas Auditivos (DHHA, por sus siglas en inglés), la Red de Acción de los Consumidores Sordos y con Problemas Auditivos (DHHCAN, por sus siglas en inglés), el Comité Adjunto de Audición en Infantes (JCIH, por sus siglas en inglés) y el Consejo sobre la Educación de los Sordos (CED, por sus siglas en inglés). El Consejo de Asuntos Públicos de AG Bell establece las prioridades del apoyo y guía los esfuerzos de la política pública de AG Bell. AG Bell ha estado activa este último año apoyando una serie de asuntos políticos públicos para mejorar el reembolso y el acceso a la tecnología auditiva, aumentar la efectividad de los servicios de retransmisión y apoyar las oportunidades de empleo para todos los miembros de AG Bell. A continuación se mencionan algunas de las iniciativas recientes llevadas a cabo.

miembro del JCIH desde el año 2005 y está representado por Carianne Muse, una miembro de AG Bell y un padre de dos hijos, uno de los cuales utiliza implantes cocleares bilaterales y Judy Harrison, directora de los programas de AG Bell. El Comité emprendió una actividad intensa y comenzó el trabajo en su siguiente declaración de posición, aún no se ha decidido una fecha de publicación. “Me honra formar parte del JCIH como representante de los padres de AG Bell”, declaró Muse. Añadió: “Estoy especialmente emocionada por participar activamente en las discusiones sobre la intervención temprana porque he vivido el proceso mientras escribía sobre ello. Espero que las experiencias con mi hija en los últimos tres años y las experiencias de otras familias que conozco puedan ayudar a aportar riqueza a las publicaciones que estamos redactando”. Para más información sobre el JCIH y sus declaraciones de posición, consulte www. jcih.org/posstatemts.htm.

Desarrollo de la declaración de posición del comité adjunto en la actualidad

Reembolso por las tecnologías de implantes

JCIH celebró una jornada de reflexión en Aurora, Colo., el 17 y 18 de agosto en el centro audiológico de Marion Downs. El JCIH está formado por representantes de la audiología, la otorrinolaringología, la medicina pediátrica, la educación de los sordos, la patología del lenguaje y los consumidores. La actividad primaria del Comité fue la publicación de las declaraciones de posición que guía a las mejores prácticas y a las políticas internacionales y de los EE.UU. en la identificación temprana y la intervención adecuada para los infantes y los niños pequeños que tienen o se sospecha que tienen una pérdida auditiva. AG Bell es

AG Bell ha tomado medidas para apoyar el incremento del reembolso por los implantes cocleares y los implantes osteointegrados, incluyendo el sistema BAHA, para niños y adultos que están cubiertos por los beneficios de Medicare. El acceso a

estas tecnologías es fundamental para los candidatos que utilizan la audición y el lenguaje oral. El apoyo al reembolso por los beneficios de Medicare es fundamental para todos los candidatos (tanto para los beneficiarios de Medicare como los cubiertos por otros planes de seguros médicos) ya que las tarifas de Medicare y las políticas de cobertura a menudo influyen en la cobertura del seguro mediante seguros privados. AG Bell recientemente envió cartas a los Centros de Servicios de Medicare y Medicaid (CMS, por sus siglas en inglés), en las cuales se establecen las tarifas para los procedimientos. AG Bell recomendó a los CMS que aumentasen los implantes cocleares un 6,5% - 6,6%, dependiendo de donde se realice el procedimiento. Este importe cubre al dispositivo del implante coclear, el coste del procedimiento así como otros costes relacionados. Este aumento de la tarifa es un paso dado en la dirección correcta, pero no refleja el coste actual de la intervención. Para los implantes osteointegrados, AG Bell apoyó evitar la reducción propuesta del 3,8% 5,7% de la tarifa para el sistema BAHA y revisar las imprecisiones potenciales en sus datos en los cuales se basan sus tarifas.

Apoyo al servicio de retransmisión de vídeo En los comentarios relacionados con las normas aplicadas por la Comisión

Reunirse con el Consejo de Asuntos Públicos de AG Bell El Consejo de Asuntos Públicos de AG Bell (PAC, por sus siglas en inglés) dirige el trabajo de apoyo de la asociación estableciendo los asuntos públicos prioritarios, revisando las cartas para firmarlas y desarrollando declaraciones de posición sobre algunas cuestiones clave. Entre los miembros del PAC están: John Stanton (presidente), Joni Alberg, Rachel Arfa, Bill Corwin, Ben Dubin, Rachel Dubin, Bruce Goldstein, Jack Roush y Jay Wyant.

VOLTA VOICES • JANUARY / F EBRUARY 201 3

Federal de Comunicaciones (FCC, por sus siglas en inglés), AG Bell apoyó las mejoras en el servicio de retransmisión de vídeo, un tipo de servicio de retransmisión que se ofrece a través de sistemas de retransmisión estatales para permitir a los consumidores comunicarse a través de videoconferencias basadas en la tecnología web. Los miembros de AG Bell necesitan acceder a este servicio de retransmisión vital porque, a menudo, leen los labios de los intérpretes durante las llamadas del servicio de retransmisión de vídeo, lo que les facilita el acceso a llamadas importantes equivalentes funcionalmente. Junto con DHHCAN, TDI, NAD, ALDA, Coalición Californiana de Agencias que Sirven a los Sordos y con Problemas Auditivos, Sociedad Americana de Niños Sordos, Defensores de los Sordos Negros Nacionales, Organización de Sordos y con Parálisis Cerebral entre otros, AG Bell apoyó la mejora de los servicios aumentando la velocidad de respuesta de las llamadas y permitiendo a los consumidores que establezcan relaciones con el asistente de comunicaciones que, entre otras cuestiones, cumple con sus necesidades.

Cobertura de las ayudas auditivas en la Ley de cuidado de salud asequible AG Bell firmó con otras 20 organizaciones nacionales que representan a los individuos sordos o con problemas auditivos para apoyar la cobertura de las ayudas auditivas y los servicios relacionados en el Boletín de Beneficios para la Salud Esenciales (EHB, por sus siglas en inglés) como parte de la Ley de cuidado de salud asequible (ACA, por sus siglas en inglés) del presidente Obama. Actualmente, el Boletín no cubre a los dispositivos de rehabilitación, como las ayudas auditivas, a pesar del lenguaje específico de la ley y no tiene en cuenta las necesidades de atención médica de los individuos con discapacidades. Los miembros de AG Bell cuentan con acceso a la tecnología auditiva en la nueva reforma de la salud para la audición y el lenguaje oral.

VOLTA VOICES • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 201 3

Apoyo a los conductores de camiones sordos Junto con otras 35 organizaciones de personas con discapacidades estatales y nacionales, otros individuos y otras coaliciones, AG Bell firmó una carta de la Asociación Nacional de Sordos para apoyar la exención de los requisitos auditivos en la Administración Federal de Seguridad de Autotransportes (FMCA, por sus siglas en inglés) de los conductores de camiones sordos o con problemas auditivos. El requisito auditivo no cuenta con el apoyo evidencial y no tiene ninguna base en investigación ni en la práctica. Además, la validez del requisito auditivo la ha puesto en duda el propio estudio de la cuestión de la FMCSA y los registros de conducción segura de 45 conductores experimentados que ahora solicitan las exenciones. La carta apoyaba una exención absoluta y completa para los solicitantes y la eliminación del requisito auditivo.

Cobertura del plan de salud en Utah AG Bell apoyó la cobertura de los implantes osteointegrados como parte de la política médica de Intermountain Healthcare de Utah. Intermountain no proporciona cobertura para esta importante intervención auditiva para niños y adultos con las indicaciones adecuadas. SelectHealth (el programa de seguros de la salud de Intermountain) es una de las pocas líneas de los Estados Unidos que no incluye la cobertura para este dispositivo médico como parte de la póliza de seguro médico típica. El acceso a esta intervención auditiva es importante para los niños y los adultos de Utah. Para los individuos que son candidatos para este implante, no existe ninguna otra intervención que les permita acceso auditivo. Este es el primero de una serie de artículos que destaca el trabajo de AG Bell en Capitol Hill para determinar la política federal, promover el acceso y el apoyo a la audición y al lenguaje oral tanto en adultos como en niños con pérdida de audición y a los profesionales que los apoyan.

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Hear Our Voices

Discovering New Sounds By Ryan Lopacinski

Ronnie Eisen

om was worried. I was making no speech progress and she began to suspect there was something wrong with me. My name is Ryan and I was born genetically deaf. My deafness stems from the lack of a particular gene, GJB2 (also known as Connexin 26) which is responsible for the information needed to form hair cells in the cochlea. Approximately 40 percent of newborn babies who have a genetic hearing loss have a mutation in the GJB2 gene. There are many advantages and disadvantages to being deaf. In some ways, I enjoy it because I prefer the quiet at night while my cochlear implant is off and there are no distractions. Being a part of Special Services School District is always a fun and educational experience for me. On the other hand, deafness can be hard because it affects language development and can create a barrier in social situations. The story of my deafness includes the process of learning about my genetic difference, my parents’ support, and learning skills to understand and develop language. My hearing loss was discovered at the age of 2. I was at my babysitter’s house playing with toys when the sitter, Nancy,

called my name and saw no response from me. Puzzled, she decided to call my parents and explain the odd scenario. My mother was confused. “What do you mean he is not hearing anything?” she questioned. She agreed to pick me up and take me to the hospital. At the hospital, I received an auditory brainstem response

(ABR) test to determine whether or not I had hearing loss. The doctors confirmed what Nancy and my mother feared; I had a profound hearing loss. Devastated, my mother broke down crying and called my father to come to the hospital immediately. Little did they know, a few years later, I would be a happy, successful child thriving in the school and in the hearing world.

Journey to a Cochlear Implant A few days later, my parents took me to an audiologist in East Orange, N.J., to make ear molds for a hearing aid. I received my first hearing aid when I was 2 ½ years old. According to my parents, I was extremely irritated by the hearing aid and kept taking it off until at one point, I accidently broke it. Despite my irritation, I continued to wear the hearing aid for a few months. My parents noticed that unfortunately even with hearing aids, my hearing did not improve enough. Seeking a better solution, they took me to New

VOLTA VOICES • JANUARY / F EBRUARY 201 3

York Eye and Ear Infirmary where the audiologist suggested that because my hearing loss was profound, a cochlear implant would be more appropriate. Uncertain, scared and full of questions, my parents hesitantly agreed to pursue surgery when I was 3 years old. It was a cold afternoon on the day of my surgery. My father took me to the operating room, changed my clothes, and comforted me as I cried. To my deaf ears he whispered “I love you” before handing me to the doctor. Five hours later, my surgeon told my parents the words they wanted to hear the most: “Your son finished the surgery, and it was successful.” Feeling the effects of the surgery, I was drowsy and cried a lot. My grandmother came to take care of me for the night of my surgery. A few days later, the doctor deemed it appropriate to discharge me from the hospital. When I went home, I was greeted by friends and family with gifts, all of which put a huge smile on my face. Unfortunately after a few weeks, the

magnet failed and needed to be replaced. I remember going to the hospital at 2 a.m. in the morning to fix my magnet. In the hospital I met other children who also had cochlear implants. Three weeks after the surgery, my parents took me to the audiologist who activated the cochlear implant for the first time. According to them, I was confused where the new sounds were coming from, but everyone was happy I could hear.

New Sounds My hearing loss is profound. This means I cannot hear any sounds at all without my cochlear implant. However, with the device on I can hear airplanes, trucks, lawnmowers, music and people talking. I have difficulty hearing soft sounds and conversations in areas with a lot of background noises. My parents helped me by sending me to the Summit Speech School in New Providence, N.J. Although I was born with profound hearing loss, my cochlear implant, the

Special Services School District, and the support of my parents have all contributed to the successful and happy life I now lead in mainstream society. Ryan Lopacinski is a SHIP student at Midland Park High School. He is 15 years old and he enjoys Math and English. His favorite hobbies are collecting coins and doing family trees. Ryan was born profoundly deaf. He has a cochlear implant and uses an FM system in school. At home, he watches a lot of captioned news to get information from around the world. Ryan wants to be an elevator architect when he grows up. This is the last in a series of short narratives by students in Ronnie Eisen’s 8 th Grade Secondary Hearing Impaired Program (SHIP) at Midland Park High School in Midland Park, N.J. Their assignment was to write a series of personal experiences as students with hearing loss in a mainstream school. The following is a selection of their stories.

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Directory of Services

Directory of Services n California Auditory-Verbal Services, 10623 Emerson Bend, Tustin, CA 92782. 714-5732143 (voice) - KarenatAVS@aol.com (email). Karen Rothwell-Vivian, 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 speech-language pathologists and a licensed audiologist. Echo Center/Echo Horizon School, 3430 McManus Avenue, Culver City, CA 90232 • 310-838-2442 (voice) • 310-838-0479 (fax) • 310-202-7201 (tty) • vishida@echohorizon. org (email) • www.echohorizon.org (website) • Vicki Ishida, Echo Center Director. Private elementary school incorporating an auditory/oral mainstream program for students who are deaf or hard of hearing. Daily support provided 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. AuditoryVerbal 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.

John Tracy Clinic, 806 West Adams Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90007 · 213-7485481 (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. Listen and Learn, 4340 Stevens Creek Blvd., Suite 107, San Jose, CA 95129 • 408-3454949 • 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.

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.

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 – 760-297-6725 (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. 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 • 310-339-7678 • 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. site in the community. Group meetings and events offered to oral D/HoH children in 5th grade through high school seniors.

n 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 • www.childrenscolorado.org (website) • 720-777-6531 (voice) • 720-777-6886 (TTY) • BillDanielsCenter@childrenscolorado.org (email). We provide comprehensive audiology, speech-language and pediatric otolaryngology services for children who are deaf or hard of hearing (ages birth through 21 years). Our pediatric team specializes in family-centered care and includes pediatric otolaryngologists, audiologists, speech-language pathologists, and a deaf educator, family consultant and clinical social worker. Therapy services include individual, group and parent support designed to meet each family’s goals for their child’s development. We also provide advanced technology hearing aid fitting and cochlear implant services.

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Directory of Services Colorado Oral-Deaf PreSchool, 8081 E. Orchard Road, Suite 280, Greenwood Village, CO 80111 • 303-953-7344 (phone) • 303-953-7346 (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’s-prepared teachers.

Rosie’s Ranch: Ride! Listen! Speak! 303-257-5943 or 720-851-0927 • www.rosiesranch.com • RosiesRanch@comcast. net • Our mission: To provide a family centered atmosphere where children with deafness or oral language challenges will expand their listening, verbal and reading skills by engaging in activities with horses, under the guidance of a highly trained and qualified staff. Our programs: Mom and Tot: A 90-minute parent and tot group pony activity; ages 1-5. Pony Camp: Daily riding and camp activities; age 6-13. Saturday Riding Club: For riders of all skill levels; ages 6-16. Out of state families welcome to experience ranch life; accommodations will be arranged!

SPEAK, LISTEN AND READ WIRELESSLY!

n Connecticut CREC Soundbridge, 123 Progress Drive, Wethersfield, CT 06109 • 860- 529-4260 (voice/ TTY) • 860-257-8500 (fax) • www.crec.org/ soundbridge (website). Dr. Elizabeth B. Cole, Program Director. Comprehensive audiological and instructional services, birth through postsecondary, public school settings. Focus on providing cutting-edge technology for optimal auditory access and listening in educational settings and at home, development of spoken language, development of self advocacy – all to support each individual’s realization of social, academic and vocational potential. Birth to Three, auditory-verbal therapy, integrated preschool, intensive day program, direct educational and consulting services in schools, educational audiology support services in all settings, cochlear implant mapping and habilitation, diagnostic assessments, and summer programs.

sprintcaptel.com

Wireless CapTel® by Sprint® powered by Raketu is a free app for individuals with hearing loss to place captioned calls on select Android™ powered devices.* Wireless CapTel by Sprint delivers word-for-word captions of everything your caller says, while listening and speaking directly to your caller!

Scan to download app or search Wireless CapTel by Sprint in the Android Marketplace.

App requires an Android-powered device with OS 2.2 or higher. Need a device? Wireless CapTel by Sprint uses VOiP services to connect your calls. Start saving today by visiting sprintrelaystore.com/wcs

Although Wireless CapTel by Sprint can be used for emergency calling, such emergency calling may not function the same as traditional 911/E911 services. By using Wireless CapTel by Sprint for emergency calling you agree that Sprint is not responsible for any damages resulting from errors, defects, malfunctions, interruptions or failures in accessing or attempting to access emergency services through Wireless CapTel by Sprint whether caused by the negligence of Sprint or otherwise. . ©2012 Sprint. Sprint and the logo are trademarks of Sprint. Android, Google, the Google logo and Android Market are trademarks of Google Inc. The HTC logo, and HTC EVO are the trademarks of HTC Corporation. Other marks are the property of their respective owners.

VOLTA VOICES • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 201 3

Frequently Asked Questions About Auditory-Verbal Practice New from the AG Bell Bookstore! do you have questions about auditory-verbal therapy and education? Find the answers 101 frequently asked questions from more than 100 listening and spoken language specialists. this book will help you: • learn about the history, philosophy, principles and outcomes of auditory-verbal practice • gain an understanding of contemporary issues and current trends in field • Build strong parent-professional partnerships that foster the development of listening, spoken language and literacy • Find hope, support and encouragement

Available in print and e-book format for all major e-readers ListeningandSpokenLanguage.org/101FAQs

listeningandspokenlanguage.org

Directory of Services 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. AuditoryVerbal 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.

University of Miami Debbie School, Auditory Oral Education Program, 1601 Northwest 12th Avenue, Miami, Florida 33136 • 305-243-6961 (voice) • Kathleen C. Vergara, Director, Debbie Institute (kvergara@ med.miami.edu) and Lynn W. Miskiel, Director of Ancillary Services (lmiskiel@med.miami. edu). Our auditory-oral education program provides early intervention and primary education services in a nurturing, inclusive listening and spoken language environment. Classrooms include early preschool, preschool, kindergarten and primary. Services include early intervention, family education, individualized small group instruction, audiology and speechlanguage pathology. Staff consists of credentialed teachers, a credentialed service coordinator, licensed therapists and a licensed audiologist.

n Florida

n Georgia

Clarke Schools for Hearing and Speech/Jacksonville, 9803 Old St. Augustine Road, Suite 7, 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 Options School 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, cochlear implant habilitation, and mainstream support. Summer Listening and Spoken language Program provides additional spoken language therapy for toddler and preschool-aged children. Clarke Schools for Hearing and Speech has locations in Boston, Bryn Mawr, Jacksonville, New York City, Northampton and Philadelphia.

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 early 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, auditory-verbal therapy, mainstreaming opportunities and independent education evaluations. Established in 1938.

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Auditory-Verbal Center, Inc – Atlanta, 1901 Century Blvd. Suite 20, Atlanta Georgia 30345 • (voice) 404-633-8911 • (fax) 404633-6403 • (email) listen@avchears.org • (website) www.avchears.org. AuditoryVerbal Center – Macon, 2720 Sheraton Drive, Suite D-140, Macon, Georgia 31204 • (voice) 478-741-0019 • (fax) 478-742-1308 • (email) listen@avchears.org • (website) www. avchears.org. A comprehensive auditory-verbal program for children who are deaf or hard of hearing and their families. Also provide audiological services for birth to geriatric. Provide adult cochlear implant rehabilitation.

n Illinois Child’s Voice School, 180 Hansen Court, Wood Dale, IL 60191 • (630) 595-8200 (voice) • (630) 595-8282 (fax) • info@childsvoice.org (email) • www.childsvoice.org (website). Michele Wilkins, Ed.D., LSLS Cert. AVEd., Executive Director. A Listening and Spoken Language program for children birth to age 8. Cochlear implant (re) habilitation, audiology services and mainstream support services provided. Early intervention for birth to age three with parentinfant and toddler classes and home based services offered in Wood Dale and Chicago areas. Parent Support/Education classes provided. Child’s Voice is a Certified Moog Program. 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, AuditoryVerbal 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.

n Indiana St. Joseph Institute for the Deaf - Indianapolis. 9192 Waldemar Road, Indianapolis, IN 46268 • (317) 471-8560 (voice) • (317) 471-8627 (fax) • www.sjid.org; touellette@ sjid.org (email) • Teri Ouellette, M.S. Ed., LSLS Cert. AVEd, Director. St. Joseph Institute for the Deaf - Indianapolis, a campus of the St. Joseph Institute system, serves children with hearing loss, birth to age six. Listening and Spoken Language programs include early intervention, toddler and preschool classes, cochlear implant rehabilitation, mainstream therapy and consultation and daily speech therapy. Challenging speech, academic programs and personal development are offered in a nurturing environment. (See Kansas and Missouri for other campus information.)

Directory of Services n Maryland The Hearing and Speech Agency’s Auditory/Oral Program: Little Ears, Big Voices, 5900 Metro Drive, Baltimore, MD 21215 • (voice) 410-318-6780 • (relay) 711 • (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. Early intervention services are available for children birth to age 3 and a preschool program for children ages 3 through 5. Cheerful, spacious, state-of-the-art classrooms located in Gateway School are approved by the Maryland State Department of Education. Services include onsite audiology, speech-language therapy, family education and support. Applications are accepted year-round. Financial aid available.

n Massachusetts Clarke Schools for Hearing and Speech/Boston, 1 Whitman Road, Canton, MA 02021 • 781-821-3499 (voice) • 781-8213904 (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, Jacksonville, New York City, Northampton and Philadelphia.

Clarke Schools for Hearing and Speech/Northampton, 47 Round Hill Road, Northampton, MA 01060 • 413-5843450 (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 school through 8th grade, cochlear implant assessment, summer programs, mainstream services (itinerant and consulting), evaluations for infants through high school students, audiological services, and a graduate degree program in teacher education. Clarke Schools for Hearing and Speech has locations in Boston, Bryn Mawr, Jacksonville, New York City, Northampton and Philadelphia.

n Minnesota Northeast Metro #916 Auditory/ Oral Program, 1111 S. Holcombe Street, Stillwater MN 55082 • 651-351-4036 • auditory. oral@nemetro.k12.mn.us (email). The purpose of Northeast Metro 916’s Auditory/Oral Program is to provide a listening and spoken language 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 peers who have typical hearing. This can be achieved when they are identified at an early age, receive appropriate amplification, and participate in an spoken language-specific early intervention program. Referrals are through the local school district in which the family lives.

n Mississippi DuBard School for Language Disorders, The University of Southern Mississippi, 118 College Drive #5215, Hattiesburg, MS 39406-0001 • 601-266-5223 (voice) • dubard@usm.edu (email) • www. usm.edu/dubard • Maureen K. Martin, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, CED, CALT, QI, 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 DuBard Association Method®, an expanded and refined version of The Association Method, is the basis of the curriculum. Comprehensive evaluations, individual therapy, audiological services and professional development programs also are available. AA/EOE/ADAI. Magnolia Speech School, Inc. 733 Flag Chapel Road, Jackson, MS 39209 – 601922-5530 (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 homebased early intervention program (free of charge), in classroom settings and in the Hackett Bower Clinic (full educational audiological services, speech pathology and occupational therapy). Assessments and outpatient therapy are also offered to the community through the Clinic.

n Missouri CID – Central Institute for the Deaf, 825 S. Taylor Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63110 314-977-0132 (voice) • 314-977-0037 (tty) • lberkowitz@cid.edu (email) • www.cid. edu (website) Lynda Berkowitz/Barb Lanfer, co-principals. Child- and family-friendly learning environment for children birth-12; exciting adapted curriculum incorporating mainstream content; Family Center for infants and toddlers; expert mainstream preparation in the CID pre-k and primary programs; workshops and educational tools for professionals; close affiliation with Washington University deaf education and audiology graduate programs.

VOLTA VOICES • JANUARY / F EBRUARY 201 3

Capturing voices, captivating looks The brand new Bolero Q line is designed to make a breathtaking first impression that lasts. Based on the new Phonak Quest platform and available in three performance levels, it offers new features founded on the unique Binaural VoiceStream Technology 速. To match the design to the technology, Bolero Q sports the highest quality finish and a new color palette that radiates sophistication and style. Call your Phonak representative today at 800-777-7333 or visit www.phonakpro.com/bolero-us

Directory of Services 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.)

n New Jersey Stephanie Shaeffer, M.S., CCCSLP, LSLS Cert. AVT • 908-8790404 • Chester, NJ • srshaeffer@comcast. net. Speech and Language Therapy and Communication Evaluations. Auditory-Verbal Therapy, Aural Rehabilitation, Facilitating the Auditory Building Blocks Necessary for Reading. Fluency and Comprehension.

Summit Speech School for the Hearing-Impaired Child, F.M. Kirby Center is an exclusively auditory-oral/auditoryverbal school for deaf and hard of hearing children located at 705 Central Ave., New Providence, NJ 07974 • 908-508-0011 (voice/TTY) • 908-508-0012 (fax) • info@summitspeech.org (email) • www.summitspeech.org (website) • Pamela Paskowitz, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, Executive Director. Programs include Early Intervention/ Parent Infant (0-3 years), Preschool (3-5 years) and Itinerant Mainstream Support Services for children in their home districts. Speech and language, OT and PT and family support/ family education services available. Pediatric audiological services are available for children birth-21 and educational audiology and consultation is available for school districts.

n New York Anne Kearney, M.S., LSLS Cert. AVT, CCC-SLP, 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.

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Directory of Services Auditory/Oral School of New York, 3321 Avenue “M”, Brooklyn, NY 11234 • 718531-1800 (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 (centerbased 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. Clarke Schools for Hearing and Speech/New York, 80 East End Avenue, New York, NY 10028 • 212-585-3500 (voice/ tty). info@clarkeschools.org • www.clarkeschools. org. Meredith Berger, Director. A member of the Option Schools network, Clarke Schools for Hearing and Speech provides children who are deaf and hard of hearing with the listening, learning and spoken language skills they need to succeed. Comprehensive listening and spoken language programs prepare students for success in mainstream schools. Clarke’s New York campus is located on the Upper East Side of Manhattan and serves children age birth-5 years old from New York City and Westchester County. Clarke is an approved provider of early intervention evaluations and services, service coordination, and pre-school classes (self-contained and integrated). There are typically little or no out of pocket expenses for families attending Clarke New York. Our expert staff includes teachers of the deaf/hard of hearing, speech language pathologists, audiologists, social workers/service coordinators and occupational and physical therapists. Clarke Schools for Hearing and Speech has locations in Boston, Bryn Mawr, Jacksonville, New York City, Northampton and Philadelphia.

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Mill Neck Manor School for the Deaf, 40 Frost Mill Road, Mill Neck, NY 11765 • (516) 922-4100 (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. 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, Rochester School for the Deaf (RSD) is an inclusive, bilingual school where children who are deaf and hard of hearing and their families thrive. Established in 1876, RSD goes above and beyond all expectations to provide quality Pre-K through 12th grade academic programs, 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-Language-Hearing 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.

n North Carolina BEGINNINGS For Parents of Children Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing, Inc., 302 Jefferson Street, Suite 110, PO Box 17646, Raleigh, NC 27605, 919-715-4092 (voice) – 919-715-4093 (fax) – Raleigh@ ncbegin.org (email). Joni Alberg, Executive Director. BEGINNINGS provides emotional support, unbiased information, and technical assistance to parents of children who are deaf or hard of hearing, deaf parents with hearing children, and professionals serving those families. BEGINNINGS assists parents of children from birth through age 21 by providing information and support that will empower them as informed decision makers, helping them access the services they need for their child, and promoting the importance of early intervention and other educational programs. BEGINNINGS believes that given accurate, objective information about hearing loss, parents can make sound decisions for their child about educational placement, communication methodology, and related service needs. CASTLE – Center for Acquisition of Spoken Language Through Listening Enrichment, 5501 Fortunes Ridge Drive, Suite A, Chapel Hill, NC 27713 • 919-419-1428 (voice) • www.med.unc.edu/earandhearing/ castle (website) • CASTLE is a part of the UNC Pediatric Cochlear Implant Team. Our mission is to provide a quality listening & spoken language program for children with hearing loss; empower parents as primary teachers and advocates; and train and coach specialists in listening and spoken language. We offer toddler classes, preschool language groups, auditory-verbal parent sessions and distance therapy through UNC REACH. A hands-on training program for hearing-related professionals/university students is also available.

n Ohio Ohio Valley Voices, 6642 Branch Hill Guinea Pike, Loveland, OH 45140 • 513791-1458 (voice) • 513-791-4326 (fax) • mainoffice@ohiovalleyvoices.org (e-mail) • www.ohiovalleyvoices.org (website). Ohio Valley Voices teaches children who are deaf and hard of hearing how to listen and to speak. The majority of our students utilize cochlear implants to give them access to sound, which in turn, allows them to learn to speak when combined with intensive speech therapy. We offer a birth to age 3 program, a preschool through second grade program, a full array of onsite audiological services, parent education and support resources.

Directory of Services n Oklahoma

n Pennsylvania

Hearts for Hearing, 3525 NW 56th Street, Suite 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 preschool, parent-toddler group and a summer enrichment program. Continuing education and consulting available. www.heartsforhearing.org.

Center for Childhood Communication at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, 3405 Civic Center Boulevard, Philadelphia 19104 • (800) 551-5480 (voice) • (215) 590-5641 (fax) • www.chop.edu/ ccc (website). The CCC provides Audiology, Speech-Language and Cochlear Implant services and offers support through CATIPIHLER, an interdisciplinary program including mental health and educational services for children with hearing loss and their families from time of diagnosis through transition into school-aged services. In addition to serving families at our main campus in Philadelphia, satellite offices are located in Bucks County, Exton, King of Prussia, and Springfield, PA and in Voorhees, Mays Landing, and Princeton, NJ. Professional Preparation in Cochlear Implants (PPCI), a continuing education training program for teachers and speech-language pathologists, is also headquartered at the CCC.

Clarke Schools for Hearing and Speech/Pennsylvania, 455 South Roberts Road, Bryn Mawr, PA 19010 • 610-525-9600 (voice/tty). info@clarkeschools.org • www. clarkeschools.org. Judith Sexton, MS, CED, LSLS Cert AVEd, Director. A member of the Option Schools network, Clarke Schools for Hearing and Speech provides children who are deaf and hard of hearing with the listening, learning and spoken language skills they need to succeed. Comprehensive listening and spoken language programs prepare students for success in mainstream schools. Locations in Bryn Mawr and Philadelphia. Services include early intervention, preschool, parent education, individual auditory speech and language services, cochlear implant habilitation for children and adults, audiological services, and mainstream services including itinerant teaching and consulting. Specially trained staff includes LSLS Cert. AVEd and LSL Cert. AVT professionals, teachers of the deaf, special educators, speech language pathologists and a staff audiologist. Clarke Schools for Hearing and Speech has locations in Boston, Bryn Mawr, Jacksonville, New York City, Northampton and Philadelphia.

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Directory of Services Delaware County Intermediate Unit # 25, Hearing and Language Programs, 200 Yale Avenue, Morton, PA 19070  610-938-9000, ext. 2277, 610-938-9886 (fax)  sdoyle@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) • 412924-1036 (fax) • www.speakmiracles.org (website) • ll@depaulinst.com (email) • Lillian Rountree Lippencott, Director of Outreach & Development. As western Pennsylvania’s only auditory-oral school for children who are deaf or hard of hearing, DePaul School provides Listening and Spoken Language (LSL) education to children in Pennsylvania, and from Ohio and West Virginia. A State Approved Private School, most programs are tuition-free to approved students. DePaul School provides early intervention services for children (birth to age 5); a center-based toddler program (ages 18-36 months); a preschool program (ages 3-5) and a comprehensive academic program grades K-8. DePaul School provides clinical services including audiology, Auditory-Verbal and speech therapy, cochlear implant MAPping and habilitation, physical and occupational therapy, mainstreaming support and parent education and support programs. Most children who participate in DePaul School’s early intervention programs gain the listening and spoken language skills needed to succeed and transition to their neighborhood schools by first grade.

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n South Carolina

n Texas

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 (803-777-2642), Melissa Hall (803777-1698), Nikki Herrod-Burrows (803-7772669), Gina Crosby-Quinatoa (803) 777-2671, and Jamy Claire Archer (803-777-1734).

Callier Center for Communication Disorders/UT Dallas - Callier-Dallas Facility 1966 Inwood Road, Dallas, TX, 75235 • 214-905-3000 (voice) • 214-905-3012 (TDD) • Callier-Richardson Facility: 811 Synergy Park Blvd., Richardson, TX, 75080 • 972-883-3630 (voice) • 972-883-3605 (TDD) • cpiloto@utdallas.edu (e-mail) • www.callier. utdallas.edu (website). Nonprofit Organization, hearing evaluations, hearing aid dispensing, assistive devices, cochlear implant evaluations, psychology services, speech-language pathology services, child development program for children ages six weeks to five years.

n Tennessee Memphis Oral School for the Deaf, 7901 Poplar Avenue, Germantown, TN 38138 • 901-758-2228 (voice) • 901-531-6735 (fax) • www.mosdkids.org (website) • tschwarz@ mosdkids.org (email). Teresa Schwartz, Executive Director. Services: Family Training Program (birth-age 3), Auditory/Oral Day School (ages 2-6), Audiological Testing, Hearing Aid Programming, Cochlear Implant Mapping and Therapy, Aural (Re)Habilitation, SpeechLanguage 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 • 615936-5000 (voice) • 615-936-1225 (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.

The Center for Hearing and Speech, 3636 West Dallas, Houston, TX 77019 • 713-5233633 (voice) • 713-874-1173 (TTY) • 713-5238399 (fax) - info@centerhearingandspeech. org (email) www.centerhearingandspeech.org (website) CHS serves children with hearing impairments from birth to 18 years. Services include: auditory/oral preschool; Audiology Clinic providing comprehensive hearing evaluations, diagnostic ABR, hearing aid and FM evaluations and fittings, cochlear implant evaluations and follow-up mapping; Speech-Language Pathology Clinic providing Parent-Infant therapy, AuditoryVerbal therapy, aural(re) habilitation; family support services. All services offered on sliding fee scale and many services offered in Spanish. 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 postcochlear 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

Directory of Services n Utah

n Wisconsin

INTERNATIONAL

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, fullday preschool and Kindergarten, intensive day programs, and related services including speech/ language pathology and aural habilitation.

Center for Communication, Hearing & Deafness, 10243 W. National Avenue, West Allis, WI 53227 • 414-604-2200(Voice) • 414-604-7200 (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 Three program serves children from throughout Southeastern Wisconsin, including education in the home, toddler communication groups, and individual speech therapy. AV Therapy is also provided to school-age children locally as well as through 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.

n Australia

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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 Auditory-Verbal 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.

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

List of Advertisers Advanced Bionics Corporation..........................................................................11 Auditory-Verbal Center...................................................................................... 30 CapTel...................................................................................... Inside Back Cover Central Institute for the Deaf............................................................................. 43 Clarke Schools for Hearing and Speech.............................................................4 Cochlear Americas...............................................................................................7 Dubard School for Language Disorders............................................................25 Ear Gear................................................................................................................6

n Canada 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 auditory-oral program includes: onsite audiology, cochlear implant mapping, parent guidance, auditory-verbal education, preschool, prekindergarten and K, Primary 1-3; 1:1 therapy sessions, itinerant services and teletherapy. 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.

n 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.

Ear Technology Corp. (Dry & Store)...................................................................27 Harris Communications.....................................................................................29 Let’s Hear It For Almigal.....................................................................................10 Med-EL............................................................................................... Back Cover Moog Center.......................................................................................................18 “My Problems, God’s Solutions”.........................................................................5 National Technical Institute for the Deaf - RIT.................................................. 38 Oticon...................................................................................... Inside Front Cover Phonak................................................................................................................37 Sprint CapTel..................................................................................................... 33 Sunshine Cottage School for Deaf Children.....................................................31 Tucker-Maxon School for the Deaf....................................................................40 University of Texas Health Science Center.......................................................19 AG Bell LOFT......................................................................................................42 AG Bell 101 FAQs.............................................................................................. 34

VOLTA VOICES • JANUARY / F EBRUARY 201 3

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