Volta Voices September-October 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

September/October 2013

Exploring Diversity and Expanding Our Reach Volume 20, Issue 5

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September/October 2013

ISSUE 5

VOICES V

VOLU M E 2 0

Departments

Features

Voices from AG Bell 3 Making the World a Better Place Through Volunteerism 7 A Greater Reach

14 Growing up Bilingual with Hearing Loss

Tips for Parents 40 Why Is Your Educational Audiologist Important?

By Anna Karkovska McGlew, M.A.

An increasing number of children who are deaf and hard of hearing are exposed to more than one spoken language.

By Krystyann Krywko, Ed.D.

As a grandparent, you have a unique role to play and can offer meaningful support to your grandchild with hearing loss.

By Michael Macione, Au.D.

Hear Our Voices 42 A Feeling I Never Want to Lose

VERSIÓN EN ESPAÑOL

By Evan Mercer

Up Front on the Back Page 52 Kaitlyn Landis

The development of listening and spoken language for children with hearing loss depends, in part, upon the ability of the interventionist to communicate effectively with the caregiver.

8 voices Contributors Soundbites

Directory of Services

List of Advertisers

Found in Translation: Optimized Interpreting for Early Intervention

By Kim Hamren, M.Ed., LSLS Cert. AVT, and Suzanne Quigley, Ph.D., CCC-A

In Every Issue 10

Un asunto familiar: ser abuelo de un niño sordo o con problemas para oír Por Krystyann Krywko, Ed.D.

By Susan Boswell

2 Want to Write for Volta Voices?

A Family Affair: Grandparenting a Child Who Is Deaf or Hard of Hearing

Facilitating Change Through Motivational Interviewing

By Darcy L. Stowe, M.S., CCC-SLP, LSLS Cert. AVT, and Steven P. Wells, Ph.D.

Listening and spoken language professionals use this conversational style for strengthening families’ own commitment to change.

Building Capacity to Support Children with Hearing Loss in Vietnam By Paige Stringer, M.A.

Read about the work of the Global Foundation For Children With Hearing Loss in Vietnam.

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 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 Editor Anna Karkovska McGlew 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 Knueve Sugar, 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) Jonathan Berger, Esq. (NY) Evan Brunell (MA) Wendy Deters, M.S., CCC-SLP, LSLS Cert. AVEd (IL) Kevin Franck, Ph.D., MBA, CCC-A (MA) Susan Lenihan, Ph.D., CED (MO) 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 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 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 ListeningandSpokenLanguage.org and select “About AG Bell” for advertising information.

VOLTA VOICES Volume 20, Issue 5, September/October (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: Ann Baumann, M.Sc., CCC-SLP, LSLS Cert. AVEd, coaches a Vietnamese teacher about circle time activities during an Auditory-Verbal Classroom training session of the Global Foundation For Children With Hearing Loss Vietnam Summer Training Program. Credit: Paige Stringer/ Global Foundation For Children With Hearing Loss.

VOICES FROM AG BELL

Making the World a Better Place Through Volunteerism

herever you turn in the AG Bell community, there are numerous individuals who have volunteered for the organization in myriad capacities at various points in time. AG Bell volunteers share a strong commitment to the association through their personal background and a passion for advancing the mission of AG Bell. They have a deep sense of the history of the association— and a desire to move the organization into the future with forward-thinking ideas and strategies. AG Bell volunteers want to make the world a better place for children, youth and adults who are deaf and hard of hearing, and advance the qualifications of the professionals who support them. At last count, there were more than 230 volunteers who support the work of AG Bell and the AG Bell Academy for Listening and Spoken Language. Some volunteers serve on the boards of directors for the two organizations. They also serve on standing committees as well as many other ad hoc committees and task forces for publications, financial aid, scholarships, awards, advocacy, chapters, the AG Bell Listening and Spoken Language Knowledge Center, the convention and symposium planning committees, and in many other roles. Adults who are deaf and hard of hearing are engaged as volunteers at many levels, from serving on the boards of directors of AG Bell and the AG Bell Academy, to the board of The Volta Review as well as many other committees. They also volunteer their time in AG Bell’s social media community, by mentoring and sharing their experiences and knowledge with families who are among the more than 1,500 members of the Facebook group. There are no age limits to volunteering for AG Bell. Teens regularly suggest and write columns for Volta Voices and on the other end of the spectrum, long-term

VOLTA VOICES • SEPTEMBER /OCTOBER 201 3

friends call the association to provide their perspective and offer suggestions. As a tribute to the deep history of volunteerism, the AG Bell board recently passed two resolutions to honor a dynamic pair of longtime members and volunteers for their decades of service.

Stephen Epstein, M.D. Stephen Epstein, M.D., was recognized for his professional leadership to the field in varied capacities. As an ENT physician, Epstein provided a high level of treatment and compassion for the thousands of children and adults he cared for. He recently retired from his practice after more than four decades of professional service. Epstein made many contributions to the AG Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing while serving as the president of AG Bell from 1998-2000. Through his volunteer leadership of the association, he had a tremendous impact on the lives of countless children and adults and their futures. He was a tireless champion of early hearing detection and intervention (EHDI) for children and served for more than 20 years on the Joint Committee on Infant Hearing (JCIH). Epstein watched the

attitude toward newborn hearing screening change from not believing in it to the gratifying point that the field has reached today in which nearly all newborns are screened for hearing loss in the United States. During his tenure on JCIH, the committee released a series of position statements, including the 2007 position statement which called for all infants with hearing loss to be screened by 1 month of age, diagnosed by 3 months of age and fitted with amplification, and connected with early intervention services by 6 month of age. The document helped to set standards for the statewide EHDI systems across the United States. The upcoming edition of The Volta Review will publish a supplement to the JCIH 2007 position statement. Epstein generously shared his knowledge with the AG Bell community through its publications. He authored a long-running column in Volta Voices, “Sound Advice,” which responded to questions from parents on a wide range of topics, and also edited a Volta Review monograph “Medical Aspects of Hearing Loss for the Consumer and Professional” (vol. 99, no. 5). In 1994, Epstein received the AG Bell Honors of the Association, one of the organization’s

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VOICES FROM AG BELL highest honors for those with outstanding service to individuals with hearing loss.

Nan Ellen D. East A life member of AG Bell, Nan Ellen D. East has been a longtime advocate for children who are deaf and hard of hearing, serving countless families and children through her years of professional advocacy on their behalf. East served as AG Bell president from 1996-1998. East is the parent of an adult son who acquired hearing loss after contracting meningitis as a toddler. This life-changing event propelled East to a career in parent advocacy at a time when few community services for children with hearing loss existed as she advocated for listening and spoken language for children who are deaf and hard of hearing. East broadened the scope of her advocacy and served as the executive director of the Disability Rights Center of Arkansas for 26 years, prior to retiring in 2012. In this capacity, she enriched the lives of

numerous Arkansans with disabilities, particularly those who faced discrimination due to disability. She was a founding member of the Arkansas Disability Coalition and co-founder of the Arkansas Americans with Disabilities Act Roundtable. She also chaired the state advisory committee for people who are deaf and hard of hearing and served on the board of several other statewide disability organizations. There is a rich history of volunteerism at AG Bell as individuals have greatly contributed their time and talents to improving the lives of families of children who are deaf and hard of hearing through advocacy and mentoring. They also have advanced the highest level of professional qualifications for the field. If you are interested in becoming the next generation of volunteers that will lead the association into the future, there are many opportunities to advance the work of AG Bell through advocacy, mentoring and serving on standing committees. Please contact me to

discuss how you can contribute to your association. To paraphrase President Kennedy, I am reminded to ask myself, “Ask not what AG Bell can do for me, but what I can do for AG Bell.” Won’t you join me in support of the Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing? Sincerely,

Donald M. Goldberg, Ph.D., CCCSLP/A, FAAA, LSLS Cert. AVT President dgoldberg@wooster.edu 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: info@agbell.org Or online: ListeningandSpokenLanguage.org

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EDITOR’S NOTE

A Greater Reach

reetings! The articles in this issue of Volta Voices are united under the broad theme of culture and diversity. The stories in the following pages profile individuals’ and organizations’ efforts and experts’ advice on how to reach as many families of children with hearing loss as possible, regardless of national origin and geographic location, for example, so that these families realize the listening and spoken language outcome that they desire for their children. In “Growing up Bilingual with Hearing Loss,” listening and spoken language professionals provide parents and caregivers with factors to consider for their child with hearing loss who is growing up in an environment with two or more spoken languages. Families of children with hearing loss who wished to raise their children bi-/multilingual share their stories, approaches and advice for families on a similar journey. In “A Family Affair: Grandparenting a Child Who Is Deaf or Hard of Hearing,” Krystyann Krywko, Ed.D., writes to grandparents and offers them advice and strategies on how to give their best support to their grandchild who is deaf and hard of hearing and his/her family. Kim Hamren, M.Ed., LSLS Cert. AVT, and Suzanne Quigley, Ph.D., CCCA, from Listen and Talk in Seattle, Wash., write about their organization’s use of language interpreting in early intervention settings in order to serve families who are not fluent in English. Further, they explain how they have incorporated this work into a telepractice service delivery model. Darcy L. Stowe, M.S., CCC-SLP, LSLS Cert. AVT, and Steven P. Wells, Ph.D., from Hearts for Hearing in Oklahoma City, Okla., introduce the concept of motivational interviewing. The organization’s listening and spoken

VOLTA VOICES • SEPTEMBER /OCTOBER 201 3

language professionals focus on fostering partnership, acceptance, compassion and evocation in order to encourage and facilitate positive change for the families they work with. Paige Stringer, M.A., founder and executive director of the Global Foundation For Children With Hearing Loss, profiles her organization’s work in Vietnam through a multifaceted program to address gaps in the system of support across health care and education for children with hearing loss in this country. The Global Foundation helps children with hearing loss in developing countries have access to listening and spoken language services, hearing technology, and educational resources, so they too can achieve their potential in their hearing communities. In our “Tips for Parents” column, Michael Macione, Au.D., writes about the importance of educational audiologists. Educational audiologists are uniquely qualified to facilitate support for students with hearing loss in the educational system. They serve as a vital link between families and other service providers, can become an essential part of the school team responsible for each child’s educa-

tional services, and provide a measure of consistency for families as their children transition to preschool. Evan Mercer, an avid scout with 100 merit badges and author of this issue’s “Hear Our Voices” column, shares his story about the importance of community service. He writes about building an outdoor classroom and founding a mentoring group for youth with hearing loss in his community. Finally, our “Up Front on the Back Page” column features Kaitlyn Landis, a 2012 LOFT participant, who shares her stories and love of the great outdoors. Thank you, as always, for reading. It is our hope that the following pages will offer you with useful, practical and inspirational information for fostering listening and spoken language around the world and around the corner. We are in the process of editorial planning for 2014. We welcome your comments, suggestions or story ideas! Please email editor@agbell.org. Kind regards,

Anna Karkovska McGlew Editor, Volta Voices

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Kim Hamren, M.Ed., LSLS Cert. AVT, co-author of “Found in Translation: Optimized Interpreting for Early Intervention,” is the early intervention coordinator at Listen and Talk in Seattle, Wash. She has worked at Listen and Talk since 1997 in a variety of positions, including as an early intervention provider, preschool teacher, auditory-verbal therapist and preschool coordinator. Hamren received her Teacher of the Deaf certification and her B.S. in education from the University of Nebraska in Omaha in 1980 and her M.Ed. in early childhood special education from the University of Nebraska in Lincoln in 1992. Hamren has taught preschool at the Omaha Hearing School and Lincoln Public School District.

Michael Macione, Au.D., author of this issue’s “Tips for Parents” column, is an educational audiologist with the Jackson County Intermediate School District in Jackson, Mich. A focus of his current role is providing diagnostic and educational audiology services to the Jackson County Early On and Early Childhood programs. He currently serves as past president of the Educational Audiology Association (EAA). He is also a 4-year member of the EAA Board of Directors. Macione previously served as president of the Michigan Educational Audiology Association and served on the executive council of the Michigan Speech-Language-Hearing Association. He has been a pediatric and educational audiologist for 25 years.

Krystyann Krywko, Ed.D., author of “A Family Affair: Grandparenting a Child Who Is Deaf or Hard of Hearing,” is a writer and education researcher who specializes in hearing loss and the impact it has on children and families. Both she and her young son were diagnosed with hearing loss one year apart. She is the author of the e-book, “What to Do When Your Child Is Diagnosed with Late Onset Hearing Loss: A Parent’s Perspective,” available on Amazon. She also authors the blog, “After the Diagnosis: Helping Families with Hearing Loss.” She can be contacted through her website www.lateonsethearingloss.org.

Evan Mercer, author of this issue’s “Hear Our Voices” column, shares his story about the importance of community service. Mercer, now in his senior year of high school, was mainstreamed into public schools in the second grade. An avid scout, he has earned 100 merit badges and served in top scouting leadership positions. Active in his school’s mock trial team, science team and several academic honor societies, Mercer also pole vaults as a member of the track team. He shares his story so others will realize that neither youth nor deafness should stop anyone from sharing their gifts.

Kaitlyn Landis shares her experiences with the Leadership Opportunities for Teens Program (LOFT) and talks about outdoor adventures with her cochlear implants as well as her future aspirations in “Up Front on the Back Page.”

Suzanne Quigley, Ph.D., CCC-A, co-author of “Found in Translation: Optimized Interpreting for Early Intervention,” has been the executive director of Listen and Talk in Seattle, Wash., since October 2007. Prior to holding that post, she served on the Listen and Talk board of trustees for over 9 years. Quigley holds her B.A. in audiology from The George Washington University, her M.S. in audiology from Columbia University and her Ph.D. in hearing sciences from the University of Washington. From 1991-2000 VOLTA VOICES • SEPTE M BER/ OCTOB ER 201 3

Voices contributors she was director of audiology and director of cochlear implants at Virginia Mason Medical Center. In addition, during that time, Quigley was a clinical and assistant professor at the University of Washington, focusing on areas of aural rehabilitation. Darcy Stowe, M.S., CCC-SLP, LSLS Cert. AVT, co-author of “Facilitating Change Through Motivational Interviewing,” works at Hearts for Hearing in Oklahoma City, Okla., where she provides auditory-verbal services to infants and children with hearing loss in addition to supervising graduate students in their clinical practicum experience. Stowe also represents Hearts for Hearing as a guest lecturer at the university level to better educate future professionals regarding state-of-the-art intervention and management for children who are deaf and hard of hearing.

Paige Stringer, M.A., author of “Building Capacity to Support Children with Hearing Loss in Vietnam,” is the founder and executive director of the Global Foundation For Children With Hearing Loss. Her background is in marketing, including positions held at Amazon.com and The Clorox Company. Stringer is a member of the board of directors of the Rotarians for Hearing Action Group and co-chairs the Education and Training Committee of the Global Hearing Health Coalition. Stringer was born with a profound hearing loss but communicates through listening and spoken language. She received a B.S. from the University of Washington and an M.A. from the University of San Francisco. Stringer was recognized for her advocacy efforts with the 2009 Oticon Focus on People Award. She can be contacted through her website www.childrenwithhearingloss.org.

Learn & earn

Steven P. Wells, Ph.D., co-author of “Facilitating Change Through Motivational Interviewing,” has been involved with family and children services since 1976 as a child welfare worker, family mediator, foster parent trainer, group counselor and university professor. For his doctorate, he specialized in early childhood education and conducted his dissertation research on the topic of foster parent involvement in the education of children in foster care. He currently serves as the undergraduate program coordinator for the School of Social Work at the University of Oklahoma. Wells is married to a social worker and is the parent of four children. In 2008, he was awarded the “Champions of Children” award by the Foster Care Association of Oklahoma.

The Volta Review is pleased to offer readers continuing education units (CEUs) for self-study of the journal. Complete the assessment and earn up to 2.0 CEUs per assessment toward certification or recertification with the AG Bell Academy for Listening and Spoken Language. You can earn CEUs at your own time and pace for each issue – just by reading and completing an assessment!

The Volta Review CEU program offers: • No waiting – receive instant notification of grade and auto-generated certificate • Learn the correct answer as you take the assessment • Access to a PDF of the journal text • Ability to earn CEUs at your own time and pace

The Volta Review CeU Opportunity RegisteR to take the assessment today Online assessments are provided through AG Bell’s online learning community. Visit ListeningandspokenLanguage.org/tVRCeU to take advantage of this program today.

VOLTA VOICES • SEPTEMBER /OCTOBER 201 3

SOUND NEWS BITES

CHAPTERS Hear Indiana Upcoming Listening and Spoken Language Conference Hear Indiana and the St. Joseph Institute for the Deaf invite you to the 31st Annual Listening and Spoken Language Conference on October 25, 2013, in Indianapolis, Ind. This year’s conference features AG Bell board member, Catharine McNally, who specializes in improving accessibility for people with disabilities via technology. Additional breakout sessions will address special education law, current research from the DeVault Otologic Research Lab at Indiana University and best practices on FM connectivity to cochlear implants. Professional registration fees start at just $60! Parents of children who are deaf and hard of hearing may attend for $30 (financial aid is available). Professionals can earn up to six hours of continuing education approved by both the AG Bell Academy for Listening and Spoken Language and the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA). More information at www.hearindiana.org.

Sandi and Steve Poulos

CART Case Victory Supports Students At press time, a recent court case provided a victory for students who are deaf and hard of hearing to gain access to Computer-Assisted Realtime Transcription (CART) as an accommodation in mainstream K-12 classrooms. The case was profiled in the July/ August 2013 issue of Volta Voices. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in favor of the plaintiff in K.M. v. Tustin Unified School District (No. 11-56259) that school districts must consider student’s request for CART. AG Bell filed an amicus brief in the case in support of K.M., a high school student who is deaf and uses cochlear implants and speechreading to communicate. In the case, the Court of Appeals reversed summary judgment against K.M. and another high school student who sought CART from their school districts as an accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The Court ruled that compliance with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) or Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973— two federal laws that provide special education services and accommodations for students with disabilities— does not mean compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. The requirements of the ADA are broader and more stringent. Under the ADA, public schools must provide students who are deaf and hard of hearing with equal and effective communication. To access additional background and information on the case, go to ListeningandSpokenLanguage.org/ CART_Case_Victory_Supports_ Students.

Hear Indiana Listening and Spoken Language Camp A week-long camp for 47 campers who are deaf and hard of hearing took place in June at the Bradford Woods in Martinsville, Ind. The campers didn’t let the rain keep them down—they made new friends and created fond memories! Activities included swimming, hiking, climbing towers and making crafts. The highlight of the week was “Predator and Prey,” a game of skill and fun as the teams raced around Bradford Woods trying to find food, water and shelter, and even capture their opposing teams! Each camper left with a renewed sense of self-conFrom left to right, Dylan Barkley, Evan Poulos and fidence and a countdown Dmitry Capron at the Hear Indiana Listening and for next year’s camp! First Spoken Language Camp. year camper, Leah R., said, “I never told people about my hearing loss before, because I didn’t think they would understand. Now I realize I have a community of students who are just like me. I can’t wait to come back next year as a junior counselor.”

VOLTA VOICES • SEPTE M BER/ OCTOB ER 201 3

BITES Denise Kestner

CHAPTERS Ohio Chapter Summer Activities The Ohio chapter of AG Bell hosted an ice cream social for its members in Central Ohio in June at Thompson Park in Upper Arlington, Ohio. Several families, along with a number of professionals, got together to connect, while the kids had a ball making their own sundaes and playing on the two playgrounds! Meredith Knueve Sugar, AG Bell president-elect, was in attendance with her family. The chapter also recently hosted Cleveland area families who gathered at the Metro Parks Lake Farm Park. Children and parents had plenty of time to get to know each other and enjoyed visiting with the newborn piglets at the farm, watching the horse competition in the indoor corral, and spending time petting the goats, horses, cows, sheep, chickens Cleveland area families checking out the horses in their corral. and rabbits. The chapter also hosted the first of its kind summer get together for the Cincinnati and Dayton areas at Pine Hills Lake Park, where families and children with hearing loss met to make connections and enjoy summer activities such as feeding the ducks and cooling in the splash park. North Carolina Chapter Awards and Upcoming Conference The North Carolina chapter of AG Bell is proud to announce the recipients of its first annual professional scholarship award—AG Bell members Linda Mallory and Preston Collins. Mallory received an iPad and Collins received materials to help her prepare for the LSLS examination. Congratulations, ladies! In conjunction with the Carolina Children’s Communicative Disorders Program (CCCDP) and Carolyn J. Brown CASTLE Program, AG Bell North Carolina will host the 20th Hear’n’Now Conference in Asheboro, N.C., Nov. 7-8, 2013. Speakers include Carolyn J. Brown, M.S., CCC-SLP/A, and Craig Buchman, M.D., professionals from the Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities, and audiologists from the University of North Carolina Pediatric Cochlear Implant team. Registration will open in September and can be accessed by going to www.uncearandhearing.com. The conference is approved for Continuing Education Units (CEUs) by the AG Bell Academy for Listening and Spoken Language and the American Speech-LanguageHearing Association (ASHA) and also offers contact hour CEUs.

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Compiled by: Anna Karkovska McGlew

NPR Brings Radio to People with Hearing Loss A team at National Public Radio (NPR) is working to make radio possible for the estimated 23 million Americans who are unable to listen to radio. The project called Breaking the Sound Barrier is led by NPR Labs (the broadcast technology and research center for NPR) working in partnership with the Public Radio Satellite System and Maryland’s Towson University, a public regional university. To produce the first, livecaptioned radio programming and Braille radio programming, the team researched, designed and developed a captioning center using a process known as voice writing. The center uses commercially available voice recognition software and proprietary editing tools to create virtual real-time captioning for radio broadcasts. The aim of the project was to use new digital technologies in an affordable way while producing timely, accurate captions within 20 seconds of the live broadcast. The team also wanted to make the content available for the deaf-blind, so they converted the captioning feed for use with standalone Refreshable Braille Displays. The project recently introduced the first live-captioned radio show, Latino USA with Maria Hinojosa, distributed by NPR. Learn more about the project at http://bit.ly/Zrw9Bc.

SOUND BITES

MEMBERS IN THE MEDIA AG Bell Member Interviews Outgoing HLAA Executive Director Barbara Chertok, a longtime AG Bell member, recently interviewed Brenda Battat, the now retired executive director of the Hearing Loss Association of America (HLAA) for the Hearing Loss Magazine. In the interview, Chertok talked with Battat about her service and legacy to HLAA and advocacy efforts on behalf of people with hearing loss, including eradicating the stigma of using hearing aids, recognizing hearing loss as a public health issue, and viewing hearing aids as a medical necessity instead of a luxury. Chertok is a freelance writer/interviewer, with articles appearing in hearing loss journals. She lost her hearing suddenly in 1957 at age 21 due to Cogan’s syndrome, an autoimmune disorder. She received her first cochlear implant in 1997 and her second in 2008. Read the full interview at http://www.hearingloss.org/ content/interview-former-edbrenda-battat.

CHAPTERS Connecting Families Through Listening and Spoken Language

Judy Sexton

New Apps for Adults and Children with Hearing Loss Two new iPad apps, designed to help adults learning to hear with cochlear implants and hearing professionals working with children, are available for download. The free CLIX app is designed to help adult cochlear implant recipients practice listening for word differences in both quiet and noisy environments. It can also be used by adults with hearing aids. The second app, IT-MAIS, is a version of a popular assessment tool used by professionals around the world to evaluate a young child’s response to sound during their first few years

Left to right, Carla Cabanas, Lisa Goldstein, Michele Flower, Elizabeth Kellenberger, Susan Dillmuth-Miller, Lillian Lippencott, Judy Sexton, Debbie Johnston at the PA chapter spring conference.

The Pennsylvania chapter of AG Bell hosted its successful spring conference in Harrisburg, Pa., in May, aimed at professionals, families of children with hearing loss and adults with hearing loss. Participants heard from Karen L. Anderson, Ph.D., who gave a keynote presentation on “Building Social Language & Communication Confidence: The Key Role of the Family.” The event also featured Donald M. Goldberg, Ph.D., CCC-SLP/A, FAAA, LSLS Cert. AVT, AG Bell president, Alexander Graham, AG Bell executive director, and Jennifer Bullock, certification and professional programs manager at the AG Bell Academy for Listening and Spoken Language. of listening with hearing technology. Both apps were developed and released by Advanced Bionics.

Sophono Alpha 2 System Cleared for MRI Sophono, a Colorado-based medical device manufacturer of the abutmentfree, implantable, bone-anchored Alpha 2 system, has received clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The implant will not need to be removed should the patient need to undergo MRI testing at any point in the future. The Alpha 2 system is for people with conductive hearing loss, mixed hearing loss and singlesided deafness, and uses a magnet to affix the external sound processor instead of an abutment.

Mr. Free Speech and Hearing Camps in India Ln. Narayana Setty, principal at the Quest Speech and Hearing Center in Karnataka, India, is conducting ongoing speech and hearing camps for children who are deaf and hard of hearing in India through the Lions Club. The camps, which are free of charge, provide training kits to the children’s families in addition to distributing hearing aids at no cost to children with hearing loss. At the camps, parents learn essential skills to successfully transition their children into mainstream classrooms; children with hearing loss receive auditory-verbal services; and volunteers are trained to work with families of children with hearing loss in rural areas in India.

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THEY SAID NOTHING COULD BE DONE ABOUT HEARING LOSS. GOOD THING HE DIDN’T LISTEN. What drove Dr. Graeme Clark to invent the first multi-channel cochlear implant over 30 years ago? What kept him going when others called him crazy and sometimes worse? His father was profoundly deaf and growing up, all he wanted was to find some way to help. His invention came too late for his dad, but for the hundreds of thousands of people whose lives he helped change, it’s been nothing short of a miracle. Let there be sound. Today they can hear because one man chose not to listen. Read their stories at Cochlear.com/US/Hear. Or to connect with a Cochlear Concierge call 800-483-3123 or email Concierge@Cochlear.com.

Growing up Bilingual

By Anna Karkovska McGlew, M.A.

cross the globe, bilingualism and multilingualism are more widespread than commonly thought. Proficiency in more than one spoken language confers many cognitive, linguistic and economic advantages on children and their families, according to Ellen Rhoades, Ed.S., LSLS Cert. AVT. So it is not surprising that the desire for bilingualism is getting stronger among parents of many children. In fact, bilingualism is turning into a necessity: in the United States, more than 40 languages are spoken by over 55 million people, while English is the majority language and the language of instruction in U.S. public schools, according to Michael Douglas, M.A., CCC-SLP, LSLS Cert. AVT.

D a le S in d e ll

with Hearing Loss

An increasing number of children who are deaf and hard of hearing are exposed to more than one spoken language. Modern hearing technology when properly programmed provides children with hearing loss effective access to soft conversational sound and allows them to learn to understand and speak more than one language successfully and comparably to their peers with typical hearing.

Factors Supporting Bilingualism with Hearing Loss Rhoades defines bi-/multilingualism as the acquisition of two or more spoken languages via the auditory sense, so that

conversational fluency in both comprehension and speech production is attained. While the factors that foster successful bi-/multilingualism in children with hearing loss are numerous (see sidebar on p. 15), the most important one is acoustic accessibility or early auditory exposure to those languages naturally spoken by the child’s parents and/or other persons regularly present in the child’s environment, noted Rhoades. Jane Freutel, Ed.D., CED, LSLS Cert. AVT, co-author on the topic with Michael Douglas, M.A., CCC-SLP, LSLS Cert. AVT, in AG Bell’s 101 FAQs About Auditory-Verbal Practice, believes it is necessary to have a plan to foster the acquisition of more than one language.

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Language of the Heart Neonatal hearing loss is particularly prevalent among Hispanic-Americans, which presents clinicians and educators with the increased challenge of serving children with hearing loss whose parents/ caregivers do not speak English, according to Douglas. For young children learning a minority language within any majority-language country, it is critical that they become proficient in their home or minority language, often referred to as the language of the heart, says Rhoades. All the professionals emphasized the importance of encouraging parents to become excellent language models for their children in their native language. “The language of the family is the right of the child. The culture of the home must be supported,” said Freutel. “It is critical that parents understand they are their child’s primary language facilitator,” added Rhoades. The quality and quantity of minority home language use as well as home literacy resources, such as effective use of dual language children’s books, are predictors of successful bi-/multilingualism, says Rhoades.

Factors Supporting Bi-/Multilingualism in Children with Hearing Loss Amy McConkey Robbins, M.S., CCC-SLP, lists some of the factors that support bilingual learning for children with hearing loss:

Another integral condition, according to Rhoades, is the situational strategic process or the establishment of clear linguistic boundaries. For example, a child can learn one language at home while learning another language at school or while being immersed in another language during routine holidays at the grandparents’ country of origin. A child can learn different languages based on who speaks, such as dad speaking only Spanish and mom speaking only French to the child. Professionals need to engage the parents in identifying when a child will be exposed to each language and in determining who will be the conversation partner for that language, added Freutel.

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Amy McConkey Robbins, M.S., CCCSLP, employs a tag-team approach, in which she models the strategy in English and encourages the parent to immediately follow by doing the same using their native language. She focuses on fewer strategies at a time but reinforces them more often, known as the “less is more” technique. Further, McConkey Robbins administers the Bilingual Family Interview, or BIFI, as a way of knowing what the reading, writing, speaking and comprehension ability is (in both languages) of the extended family members in the child’s environment. “These persons can often be a rich resource for parents and for me, but I need to know who they are and what role they play in the child’s life. The BIFI helps me establish that in a systematic way,” she said. Freutel agreed: “I try to include brothers, sisters, grandparents and caregivers— anyone who spends time with the child, who is willing to learn and share with me.” In communities such as Los Angeles, it is feasible for a family to have no real need to learn English at all. The community supports Spanish only, Korean only, Russian only neighborhoods.

• Exposure to rich, natural and complex models of the languages the child is expected to learn • Opportunities to hear native speakers and to use the language in immersive everyday environments such as cultural groups, friendships, religious observances, school settings, family gatherings and so on • Specific instruction to parents about how they may foster bilingual development in their child who is deaf or hard of hearing

• A deep commitment by the parents to the concept of helping their child become fluent in more than one spoken language • Early age at identification, fitting of technology, early intervention, and listening and spoken language services • Full-time use of state-of-the-art hearing technology, because language acquisition through incidental exposure is even more critical when children are learning multiple languages • Excellent speech perception skills with hearing technology • Evidence that the child’s language-learning ability for the “anchor language” appears intact

When Bi-/Multilingualism May not Be Best Each child and each hearing loss is unique and any concerns for promoting bilingualism should be considered on an individual basis. In addition to the two most essential variables for learning more than one spoken language mentioned above—access to soft conversational sound and consistently effective support from the child’s primary caregivers—it is important to be aware of the child’s attention and working memory skills. These core cognitive processes are critical for rapid learning. In cases where children demonstrate poor executive capacities, Rhoades advises parents and practitioners to collaborate on which spoken language would best serve the child. A further consideration is whether the child is at risk for neurophysiologic dysfunction (such as very low birth

weight) or whether there is a learning disability beyond the hearing loss. Ultimately, the biggest hindrances for bilingual learning for children with hearing loss are often surmountable: inconsistent use of hearing devices, ineffective programming of the hearing devices and low level of family commitment to the child’s language development. Although late age of hearing loss identification, hearing technology fitting or intervention is a concern, age by itself should not be considered a decisive variable for the facilitation of bi-/multilingualism, according to Rhoades. Due to anatomical issues, some children may be unable to use hearing technology to access spoken language, said Freutel. “But as the auditory brainstem implant becomes more available, I see no reason that children with this device shouldn’t do well with two or more languages,” she added.

Music as Facilitator of Bi-/Multilingualism Music is a universal language and children love to sing, said Rhoades. It plays a vital role in promoting language acquisition, in general, and bilingualism, in particular, as it brings one’s culture to life and tells stories in any language. Because all cultures have music traditions, parents will be able to sing, do finger plays, nursery rhymes and lullabies in

their cultural language, said McConkey Robbins. “Music has a deep emotional component for people. We evoke images of our own upbringing, of our childhood and our parents when we sing or listen to the songs we heard as youngsters. Passing this tradition on to our children reinforces the parent-child bond that is so vital with all children who are deaf and hard of hearing.” Freutel encourages families to share songs during sessions and asks other close relatives to come along such as grandmother, siblings and caregivers. “Bilingualism occurs when a child attaches the unique aspects of a language to the meaning of their experience,” said Freutel.

Experiences with Bilingualism Volta Voices connected with families who have children with hearing loss who grew up bilingual or in multilingual environments. They generously shared their experiences, strategies and advice about fostering bilingualism from an early age.

The Steiger Family For Chisako and Michael Steiger, parents of 16-year-old Michiko, who was born with profound hearing loss in both ears and received cochlear implants at the age of 2, bilingualism was always in the plans because they wanted their children to grow up in both cultures, German on the paternal and Japanese on the maternal side.

Chisako Steiger

When working with families who are new learners of English or may not speak it fluently, McConkey Robbins provides more written information. By taking home written information, parents may have opportunities to review it with extended family members who have high proficiency in English. Both Freutel and McConkey Robbins noted the importance of raising the child’s transition to school with the family, since English will almost invariably be the primary language of instruction. “Parents need to have a strong and flexible repertoire of skills that support the development of listening, language and speech. I encourage parents to use dual-language books and demonstrate to the child the code switching that is our long-term goal,” said Freutel. When appropriate, minoritylanguage parents should be encouraged to learn the majority language in order to manage their child’s education in a mainstream classroom. “It is not recommended that parents talk to their child in a language that the parents do not speak fluently. Doing this harms not only the child’s linguistic mastery, but also may interfere with the bonds of emotional attachment and security between parent and child—bonds which we, as professionals, are obliged to protect,” concluded McConkey Robbins.

Michiko as an infant playing “Kasper, Kasper, come out and see” with her dad, a game the family learned from their auditory-verbal therapist in Switzerland.

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However, upon receiving Michiko’s diagnosis of hearing loss, the Steigers gave up on bilingualism and decided to concentrate on one language, “which already seemed a nearly impossible challenge at the time,” recalled Steiger. The family chose German for their daughter, because they lived in the Swiss-German part of Switzerland and their auditory-verbal therapist was German-speaking. A family relocation to the United States coupled with Michiko’s great progress in auditory skills and language production, led the Steigers to change their mind and expose Michiko to English. Another relocation to France made multilingualism a choice, because the parents wanted Michiko and her younger sister, who has typical hearing, to be educated in mainstream schools. In both Switzerland and the United States, the family worked with listening and spoken language professionals who were very supportive and encouraged them to expose Michiko to English. In France, they were met with resistance and skepticism, but the parents persevered. Michiko now moves freely between German, English and French on an academic level and is set to start the International Baccalaureate program in the United Kingdom, choosing French as her higher level subject. “We consider ourselves lucky to have started our path in monolingualism. After convincing ourselves of Michiko’s excellent auditory skills and speech development we ventured into a bilingual lifestyle,” said Steiger. To foster their children’s multilingualism, the Steigers did not have any specific rules and strategies. They viewed language as a communication tool and spoke the language of the community they were in, with German as the anchor language of the home. Steiger initiated an online forum in Japan—Cheers”R”Us, or seientai in Japanese—for parents of children who are deaf and hard of hearing aimed at providing support and encouragement to parents who desire a listening and spoken language outcome for their children with hearing loss. The forum is in Japanese at www.seientai.com. She offered these words of advice for families who wish bilingualism for their child with hearing loss: “When diagnosed

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with hearing loss you don’t have to give up your dreams you wanted to share with your family. Don’t immediately give up a second parental language (as I did with Japanese), but be quick to get your child the best hearing device and the best

Listening and Spoken Language Specialist. Above all, watch your child well and be the first one to ask yourself if you are only imposing your ideal of bilingualism or if the child is growing up naturally and comfortably in two languages and cultures.”

Resources for Parents of Children with Hearing Loss Who Are Growing up Bi-/Multilingual Douglas, M. (2011). Spoken language assessment considerations for children with hearing impairment when the home language is not English. Perspectives on Hearing and Hearing Disorders in Childhood, 21(1), 4-19. doi: 10.1044/hhdc21.1.4 Douglas, M. (2011). Teaching children with hearing impairment to listen and speak when the home language is not English. Perspectives on Hearing and Hearing Disorders in Childhood, 21(1), 20-30. doi: 10.1044/hhdc21.1.20 Douglas, M. (2011). The Center for Hearing and Speech: Bilingual support services through videoconferencing technology. The Volta Review, 112(3), 345–356. Douglas, M., & Freutel, J. (2012). How do children in auditory-verbal programs who are learning more than one spoken language perform on formal language measures?” In W. Estabrooks (Ed.), 101 Frequently Asked Questions About Auditory-Verbal Practice (pp. 409-413). Washington, DC: Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. John Tracy Clinic (n.d.). Parent Distance Education. Available in English and Spanish through http://www.jtc.org/services/parent-distance-education. Manolson, A., Ward, B., & Dodington, N. (1996). Usted hace la diferencia: Para que su hijo pueda aprender (Spanish Edition). Toronto, Canada: The Hanen Centre. McConkey Robbins, A. (2007). Clinical management of bilingual families and children with cochlear implants. Loud and Clear, 1. Retrieved from http:// www.amymcconkeyrobbins.com/PDF/Clinical_Management_of_Bilingual_ Families.pdf Rhoades, E. A. (2009). Learning a second language: Potentials & diverse possibilities. Hearing Loss, 30(2), 20-22. Retrieved from http://www.hearingloss.org/sites/default/files/docs/HLM_MarApr_2009.pdf Rhoades, E. A. (2008). Working with multicultural and multilingual families of young children. In J. R. Madell & C. Flexer (Eds.), Pediatric Audiology: Diagnosis, Technology, and Management (pp. 262-268). NY: Thieme. Rhoades, E. A., Perusse, M., Douglas, W. M., & Zarate, C. (2008). Auditorybased bilingual children in North America: Differences and choices. Volta Voices, 15(5), 20-22. Rossi, K. (n.d.). Learn to Talk Around the Clock. Available through http://www.listeningandspokenlanguage.org/bookstore/ Zurer Pearson, B. (2008). Raising a Bilingual Child. NY: Living Language.

Stephanie Lloyd and Steve Guimond

Stephanie Lloyd

Stephanie Lloyd and Steve Guimond are raising their two children, Evie, 6, and Ellis, 14 months, in Montreal, Quebec, a highly bilingual city. Both children have bilateral congenital profound hearing loss and use bilateral cochlear implants. At home, the family speaks in English, but the whole family spends their days immersed in French. Evie received her diagnosis at 17 months, since newborn hearing screening was not in place and still only available in certain hospitals in Quebec. Ellis was diagnosed at birth. Evie was already integrated into a French daycare when she was diagnosed with hearing loss. The family inquired with therapists and other families of children with hearing loss about the suitability of learning multiple languages and kept getting one answer: “There is no reason you should expect Evie not to speak two or more languages.” “Evie is a quick-minded girl who displays a great deal of perseverance and enthusiasm to communicate, so we decided to keep the two languages in her life. We planned to review our strategy, if need be, but that has never been neces-

sary. Ellis is a tireless communicator with a great sense of both humor and tenacity. We see no reason not to put him on the same path as Evie,” said Lloyd. The family consciously chose to place both children in environments where they would fully develop both languages. “After Evie’s diagnosis, it seemed as though opening up her ears and brain to as much language stimulation as possible just made sense by capitalizing on the plasticity of her young brain to respond to the sounds around her and to understand the different sounds of particular vowels and consonants in each language.” To support Evie’s French, the parents encourage her to interact as much as possible in public by ordering in cafés and restaurants, playing with kids in the park and other social activities. They also enlist the grandparents, who live locally and are bilingual, in helping Evie with her homework, which is in French. Lloyd offered these words of advice for families who wish bilingualism for their child with hearing loss: “Dive in and watch carefully! Every child is different, but children who use cochlear implants or hearing aids to hear are perfectly capable

Evie and Ellis enjoying the sunset at Lido Beach in Sarasota, Fla.

of learning multiple languages at once. Having Evie work with both English and French itinerant teachers over the years has actually provided us with additional insights into the range of sounds she hears best or less well, giving us supplemental information to guide her MAPs.”

The Sindell Family Dale Sindell, who was originally from New York, met her husband, Carlos, as a college junior while studying abroad in Spain. She started losing her hearing in college, and now has severe to profound hearing loss and wears a hearing aid. Sindell and her husband settled in Madrid. Their third child, James, was diagnosed with moderate to severe hearing loss at age 2 and a half. Since Sindell was hard of hearing and immersed in a bilingual environment, James’s diagnosis did not change her plans to raise him bilingual like her other two children and have him attend international school in English in Madrid. “The benefit of being multilingual and multicultural means that you can communicate with more people. It helps you understand that there is more than one way to convey ideas, and allows you to be a part of a bigger, more interrelated world. When you have a bilingual palette, you hear the world in color. Communicating with someone in their native tongue lets you pick up on the nuances that each language offers and gives you deeper insight into how people think and feel,” explained Sindell. In 2007, Sindell founded and now directs a not-for-profit website in Spanish, t-oigo.com, to help Spanish-speaking families with children who have hearing loss, where one of the biggest topics is bilingualism. T-oigo.com offers a free program to support kids with hearing loss who want to learn English. It is present in five cities and expanding in 2014. In November, Sindell and her organization are hosting a conference on bilingualism for children with hearing loss who use hearing technology in Madrid, Spain, which will feature research on the topic by Mark Guiberson, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, who interviewed 71 Spanish families on choosing bilingualism for their child. After James’s diagnosis, his speechlanguage pathologist recommended that

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Dale Sindell

James plays the piano at the family’s Christmas celebration.

the family pick one language for him. However, the family was immersed in a completely bilingual environment. The

children were studying in English all day. At home, the family, including Sindell’s husband, generally spoke in English, but as soon as the children participated in the greater community, they had to speak and understand Spanish. Their paternal relatives all spoke Spanish. “So in the end, I just followed my intuition, despite the recommendation of the best professionals, and we decided to go bilingual from the start,” recalled Sindell. Sindell enrolled in the John Tracy Clinic program by mail and followed the exercises they sent in English. She also requested the exercises in Spanish, and their Spanish nanny from Ecuador did those with James. She exposed James to English and Spanish all at once. Once a week, James met with an English-speaking speech-language pathologist and also with a Spanish-speaking speech-language pathologist. Bilingualism evolved organically in the family. Despite being aware of expert guidance regarding clear linguistic boundaries, the family was skipping and hopping from one language to another,

and “somehow it worked for us—the children figured it out, because multilingual people just respond to a stimulus without thinking about it,” said Sindell. Still, bilingualism takes time to emerge and requires support and commitment from everyone involved—parents, teachers and professionals. Sindell offered these words of advice for families who wish bilingualism for their child with hearing loss: “The commitment to a second language is like learning a new skill—you need to dedicate time to it every day and over many years, just as you would if you wanted your child to be an expert pianist or tennis player. Sometimes people give up when the going gets rough or lose patience and attribute it to the hearing loss, when in fact, not everyone has the perseverance or time to reach their goal.” We would love to hear from you and your family! Please share your story with the AG Bell community on our Facebook group or submit your story for consideration in Volta Voices or online at ListeningandSpokenLanguage.org.

PRODUCTS AND WORKSHOP REGISTRATION at cidedu.com or 314.977.0133 dgushleff@cid.edu

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A Family Affair:

Grandparenting a Child Who Is Deaf or Hard of Hearing By Krystyann Krywko, Ed.D.

“O

ne of the hardest things about having a grandchild with special needs is knowing when to help, when to say something, and when to keep quiet,” says Charlotte Thompson, M.D., in her book, Grandparenting a Child with Special Needs. The news that a child is deaf or hard of hearing (DHH) can be a stressful time for families, especially when there is no experience with adults or other children who are DHH. During this time, relationships and family dynamics can be put to the test. “I’ve yet to find a grandparent who didn’t want to help or for that matter a family that did not need help,” says David Luterman, Ed.D., CCC-SLP, professor

emeritus at Emerson College in Boston, Mass., and an expert on counseling parents of children with hearing loss. “The solution is often in helping the family communicate their needs better within an emotionally safe environment.” As a grandparent, you have a unique role to play and—depending on time, resources and distance—the support you can offer ranges from emotional to financial, to becoming the “go-to” person when the pressures of appointments, therapy sessions and everyday life become too much for the parents. While every family is unique in how they will respond to the new reality of having a child who is DHH, the strategies below can help ease the transition.

Where Does a Grandparent Fit in After a Diagnosis? Grandparents are often removed geographically from families and this can make it difficult for them to feel connected to the immediate emotions and decisions that are made surrounding a diagnosis. In addition, they might also miss the day-to-day successes and frustrations as their grandchild progresses. In the early stages after a diagnosis of hearing loss, parents may not have accepted the diagnosis themselves and are unsure how to involve, or talk to, grandparents. Grandparents are often just as anxious and confused about the diagnosis and what the future might hold for their grandchild.

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a message that you are there for the family and want to keep involved in the process. “I knew something wasn’t right with my grandson’s hearing,” says Roxanne, grandmother of Douglas who wears bilateral hearing aids, “and was actually relieved when he was finally diagnosed. There was a tremendous amount of uncertainty and worry about his development and it was difficult at first, but I give so much credit to my daughter who made sure that I remained involved in his progress even though we live so far apart.”

Loy Krywko

Parents can find support groups or online communities, but there are not that many groups designed specifically for grandparents of children who are DHH. Instead of being referred to a support group by an audiologist or therapist, grandparents often need to take things into their own hands and create a customized support network. “I have many grandparents who contact me,” says Michelle Kraskin, Au.D., audiology supervisor at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York City, “and in many ways I prefer giving the grandparents the Grieving as a Grandparent information firsthand. Doing this takes a lot of the burden off of the grieving parAs a grandparent, it is important to work through your own grief process. It can be ent, plus it lets the grandparents feel that hard to talk about your feelings with your they, too, are taking an active role in their child—who is a parent now—as you don’t grandchild’s well-being.” want to overload them at a time when they are most likely dealing with their Stay Positive own feelings. Despite what you might be feeling, it is “The diagnosis can be a double important to keep a positive attitude for whammy for grandparents, as they are both your child and your grandchild. This grieving for both their child and grandis especially important during the early child, and it takes time,” says Watkins. stages of a diagnosis when everyone is still “All four grandparents grieved for trying to figure out next steps. us and with us,” says Christina Danese, When my son was first diagnosed with mother of Jack, a 16-year-old with bilateral late onset hearing loss, my mom was the cochlear implants, “but all went into action first person I reached out to once we had a immediately, contacting their network of confirmed diagnosis. I called her from the friends for information and resources.” back seat of the taxicab as we sped away Finding out your grandchild is DHH from the audiologist’s office. I was close to can be an emotionally isolating experience. tears, as I repeated newly acquired

“Grandparents are a very important part of each child’s team,” says Dorene Watkins, M.Ed., school psychologist at the Center for Hearing and Communication in New York City, “and we really try to include them in all aspects of their grandchild’s services. We have grandparents that volunteer at the office, attend their grandchild’s speech therapy sessions, and who speak with me for family counseling.” As a grandparent, try your best to remain in the information loop during the early stages of diagnosis. Ask your son or daughter to send you weekly emails, forward website referrals he/she may have received from professionals, photocopy articles or send brochures. In this way, you are sending

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Tips for Grandparents • Become involved: many hearing loss organizations include grandparents in family programs and fundraising efforts. Join events in your community, or where your grandchild lives. • Be there: offer your support to your child but don’t force it. Think about what you would have needed or liked to have done in a similar situation. • Give space: family members will move through the grief process at different rates. Remember to give each other space. • Be proactive: professionals might not think about including grandparents in the process. Ask

your child if it would be okay if you phoned or emailed professionals on your grandchild’s team with any questions you might have. • Become tech savvy: learn how to use and care for your grandchild’s hearing aids and/or cochlear implants. • Catch yourself: pay attention to what you say to your child or grandchild; offhand, negative remarks can have a lasting impact. • Look past the diagnosis: your grandchild is a unique individual; help them build their strengths and support their weaknesses.

Family Ties Much of the support you will be able to offer as a grandparent depends on family dynamics. Based on my own experience if you have a close relationship with your child and son- or daughter-in-law, it can be easier to continue communicating along the same lines. However, if any of the relationships were strained prior to the diagnosis, then there might be a little more work to be done in repairing those relationships before the

Krystyann Krywko

terminology like “bilateral,” “sensorineural,” “permanent hearing loss,” and “hearing aids.” My mother’s response: “That’s so great, honey. Now that you have figured it out, Henry will get the help he needs.” My mother later confided that while she meant those words when she said them, she was still very unsure at that point what exactly the future would hold for Henry. But as I look back, my mother’s response helped shift my focus from feeling sorry for myself and for my son, to a position of strength so I could focus on getting Henry the help he needed. Henry Babowal with his “Poppy” Wayne Krywko at story time at the New York Public Library.

family is ready to move on. “Any kind of a diagnosis will bring a family closer together, or move them further apart,” says Luterman. There are really two relationships involved in the situation: the relationship you have with your child and the relationship you have with your grandchild. Sometimes you will need to let go of past difficulties and focus on the needs of your grandchild. Be open to suggestions and don’t view advice from the parents as criticism.

“When my daughter received her first pair of hearing aids at 13 months, it was an adjustment for everyone,” says Linda Dolce, mother of 4-year-old Valentina who wears bilateral hearing aids. “I had to show our parents how to hold her so she wouldn’t get feedback from the aids. I also needed to be patient and explain to them over and over again how important it was for Valentina to wear her hearing aids.”

VOLTA VOICES • SEPTE M BER/ OCTOB ER 201 3

Become Informed

In order to understand educational opportunities, technologies and services that are available for your grandchild who is DHH, it is important to connect with reliable resources. You can either find referrals to information from your child or you can find these resources yourself. There is a great deal of information on the internet, although it is important to “Google” responsibly. Connect with professionals and organizations that can lead you to trustworthy resources. The AG Bell Listening and Spoken Language Knowledge Center (ListeningandSpokenLanguage.org) is a great place to start.

Many grandparents grew up with a much different public perception of people who are deaf and hard of hearing. Children who are DHH have a very different experience today compared to children 30 or 40 years ago. Early intervention, technology and access to education have all changed exponentially for the better over the years, which has led to dramatically different social and educational outcomes for today’s children who are DHH. It is difficult to offer support to your child and grandchild if you don’t understand what their needs are. Additionally, gaining a better understanding of what it means to be DHH today can help you sort out your emotions and help you feel more involved. “At first, we were heartbroken,” says Nancy Sanborn, mother to Christina Danese, and grandmother to Jack, “but we met with experts and observed other youngsters who were DHH. Speaking with psychologists, teachers, audiologists and speech-language pathologists helped us to reconcile the fact that being DHH would not be insurmountable for our grandson.”

Interacting with Your Grandchild When your grandchild has special needs it is easy to get caught up in the everyday issues and challenges, not to mention doctor’s appointments and therapy sessions. Despite all these “extras” your grandchild who is DHH has the same need for love, attention and fun that your other grandchildren have. There are some accommodations you will need to learn how to make to support

the needs of your grandchild (such as adjusting how you communicate, dealing with noisy restaurants, using captioning and arranging seating at the holiday dinner table) but overall you don’t need to treat your grandchild any differently. Don’t change expectations or responsibilities. Talk to your grandchild. Use single- and multi-syllable words. Read books. Tell stories. Sing songs. Cook together. Look for positive aspects and celebrate even the smallest accomplishments. These are also ways in which you can give your grandchild the gift of language. “In the end, grandparents are either part of the team or part of the problem,” says Watkins. “Over the past 30 years of professional practice, I have been exposed to numerous family dynamics and it is the grandparents who choose to provide emotional support that really make a difference.”

RESOURCES Thompson, C. (2009). Grandparenting a Child with Special Needs. Philadelphia, PA: Jessica Kingsley Publishers.

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Un asunto familiar:

ser abuelo de un niño sordo o con problemas para oír Por Krystyann Krywko, Ed.D.

“U

na de las cosas más duras de tener un nieto con necesidades especiales es saber cuándo ayudar, cuándo decir algo o cuándo permanecer callado”, dice Charlotte Thompson, M.D., en su libro Grandparenting a Child with Special Needs (“Ser abuelo de un niño con necesidades especiales”). La noticia de que un niño sea sordo o que tenga problemas para oír (DHH, por sus siglas en inglés) puede ser un momento estresante para las familias, especialmente cuando no se tenga experiencia con adultos o con otros niños que tengan DHH. En ese momento, se pueden poner a prueba las relaciones y la dinámica familiar.

“Todavía no he encontrado a un abuelo que no quisiese ayudar ni una familia que no necesitase ayuda”, dice David Luterman, Ed.D., CCC-SLP, profesor emérito del Emerson College de Boston, Massachusetts, y experto en asesorar a padres de niños con pérdida de audición. “A menudo la solución es ayudar a la familia a que comunique mejor sus necesidades en un ambiente emocionalmente seguro”. Como abuelo, tiene una única función y (dependiendo del tiempo, los recursos y la distancia) el apoyo que puede proporcionar va desde lo emocional hasta lo financiero, hasta convertirse en la persona

“imprescindible” cuando las presiones de los compromisos, las sesiones de la terapia y la vida cotidiana se vuelven demasiado duros para los padres. Ya que cada familia es única en el modo de responder a la nueva realidad de tener un hijo con DHH, las siguientes estrategias pueden ayudar a facilitar la transición.

¿Dónde encaja un abuelo después de un diagnóstico? A menudo los abuelos se alejan geográficamente de las familias y esto puede dificultar que se sientan conectados con las emociones y las

VOLTA VOICES • SEPTE M BER/ OCTOB ER 201 3

Communication de Nueva York, “e intentamos realmente incluirlos en todos los aspectos de los servicios de sus nietos. Tenemos abuelos voluntarios en la oficina, asisten a las sesiones de terapia del lenguaje de sus nietos y me piden asesoramiento para su familia”. Como abuelo, intente mantenerse en el circuito de información en las primeras fases del diagnóstico. Pídale a su hijo o a su hija que le envíe correos electrónicos semanales, le reenvíe páginas web de referencia que reciba de los profesionales, fotocopie artículos o envíe folletos. De este modo, está enviando el mensaje que está ahí para la familia y que quiere implicarse en el proceso. “Sabía que había algún problema con la audición de mi nieto”, dice Roxanne, abuela de Douglas que utiliza audífonos bilaterales, “y en realidad me sentí aliviada cuando finalmente se lo diagnosticaron. Había una gran cantidad de incertidumbre y de preocupación acerca de su desarrollo y al principio fue difícil, pero le he dado mucho crédito a mi hija que se aseguró que siguiese participando en su progreso aunque viviésemos tan lejos”.

Loy Krywko

Entristecerse como abuelo

decisiones inmediatas que siguen al diagnóstico. Además, también pueden perderse los éxitos y las frustraciones del día a día de los progresos de sus nietos. En las primeras fases que siguen a un diagnóstico de pérdida de audición, puede que los padres no acepten por sí mismos el diagnóstico y estén inseguros acerca de cómo implicar o hablar con los abuelos. A menudo los abuelos se sienten angustiados y confundidos con el diagnóstico y acerca de qué les deparará el futuro a sus nietos. “Los abuelos son una parte muy importante del equipo de cada niño”, dice Dorene Watkins, M.Ed., psicóloga escolar en el Center for Hearing and

VOLTA VOICES • SEPTEMBER /OCTOBER 201 3

Como abuelo, es importante trabajar en su propio proceso de duelo. Puede ser difícil hablar acerca de sus sentimientos con su hijo (que ahora es padre), ya que no quiere sobrecargarlo en un momento en el que probablemente esté lidiando con sus propios sentimientos. “El diagnóstico puede ser un doble golpe para los abuelos, ya que están tristes por su hijo y por su nieto y eso lleva tiempo”, dice Watkins. “Los cuatro abuelos se entristecen por nosotros y con nosotros”, dice Christina Danese, madre de Jack, un niño de 16 años con implantes cocleares bilaterales, “pero los cuatro se pusieron en campaña inmediatamente, se pusieron en contacto con su red de amigos en busca de información y de recursos”. Descubrir que su nieto tiene DHH puede ser una experiencia aislante emocionalmente. Los padres

pueden encontrar grupos de apoyo o comunidades en línea, pero no existen muchos grupos diseñados específicamente para los abuelos de niños con DHH. En lugar de que un audiólogo o un terapeuta aconsejen a los abuelos que consulten un grupo de apoyo, a menudo los abuelos necesitan tomar la batuta y crear una red de apoyo personalizada. “Muchos abuelos se pusieron en contacto conmigo”, dice Michelle Kraskin, Au.D., supervisora de audiología en el Weill Cornell Medical College en Nueva York, “y en muchos aspectos, prefiero dar a los abuelos la información en persona. Hacer esto implica aliviarles la carga a los padres afligidos, además hace que los abuelos crean que ellos también están adoptando un papel activo en el bienestar de sus nietos”.

Mantener una actitud positiva A pesar de lo que pueda estar sintiendo, es importante mantener una actitud positiva tanto para su hijo como para su nieto. Esto es especialmente importante durante las primeras fases del diagnóstico cuando todos aún están intentando determinar cuáles serán los siguientes pasos que se deben seguir. “Cuando por primera vez le diagnosticaron a mi hijo una pérdida de audición de aparición tardía, con la primera con la que me comuniqué cuando me confirmaron el diagnóstico fue con mi madre. La llamé desde el asiento trasero del taxi cuando escapábamos de la consulta del audiólogo. Casi me puse a llorar mientras repetía la terminología que acababa de aprender como “bilateral”, “neurosensorial”, “pérdida de audición permanente” y “audífonos”. La respuesta de mi madre fue: “Estupendo, cariño. Ahora que los has descubierto, Henry podrá tener la ayuda que necesita”. Más tarde, mi madre me confesó que mientras decía esas palabras, cuando las dijo aún estaba muy insegura de qué le depararía exactamente el futuro a Henry. Pero cuando lo analizo, la respuesta de mi madre me ayudó a cambiar mi

sentimiento de pena por mí misma y por mi hijo a una posición de fortaleza, y así pude centrarme en proporcionarle a Henry la ayuda que necesitaba”.

Lazos familiares La mayoría del apoyo que podrá proporcionar como abuelo va a depender de la dinámica familiar. Basándonos en mi propia experiencia, si tiene una relación estrecha con su hijo o hija y su yerno o nuera, puede ser más fácil para seguir manteniendo la comunicación en la misma línea. Sin embargo, si alguna de las relaciones fue tensa antes del diagnóstico, entonces puede que haya que hacer un poco más de trabajo para arreglar esas relaciones antes de que la familia esté lista para seguir adelante. “Cualquier tipo de diagnóstico hará que la familia se una más o se aleje más”, dice Luterman. Realmente existen dos tipos de relaciones implicadas en la situación: la relación que tiene con su hijo y la relación que tiene con su nieto. A veces, va a tener que olvidarse de los problemas del pasado y centrarse en las necesidades de su nieto. Esté abierto a las sugerencias y no vea los consejos de los padres como una crítica.

Consejos para los abuelos • Implicarse: Existen muchas organizaciones de pérdida de audición que incluyen a los abuelos en los programas familiares y realizan esfuerzos para recaudar fondos. Únase a los eventos de su comunidad o del lugar donde vivan sus abuelos. • Estar presente: Ofrezca su apoyo a su hijo pero no lo fuerce. Piense lo que usted necesitaría o le gustaría que le hiciesen en una situación similar. • Mantener las distancias: Los miembros de la familia superarán el proceso de duelo a ritmos diferentes. Recuerde mantener las distancias. • Ser proactivo: Los profesionales seguramente no pensarán en incluir a los abuelos en el

“Cuando mi hija recibió su primer par de audífonos a los 13 meses, fue un proceso de adaptación para todos”, dice Linda Dolce, madre de Valentina, una niña de 4 años que utiliza audífonos bilaterales. “Tuve que

proceso. Pregúntele a su hijo si estaría bien que llamase o enviase un correo electrónico a los profesionales del equipo de su nieto haciendo las preguntas que puedan llegar a tener. • Convertirse en un experto en la tecnología: Aprenda a utilizar y a cuidar los implantes cocleares y/o los audífonos de su nieto. • Darse cuenta: Preste atención a lo que le dice a su hijo o a su nieto, de improviso, los comentarios negativos pueden tener un impacto duradero. • Mirar más allá del diagnóstico: Su nieto es un individuo único, ayúdele a desarrollar sus puntos fuertes y a admitir sus debilidades.

mostrar a mis padres cómo tratarla para que no hiciesen comentarios de sus audífonos. También tuve que ser paciente y explicarles una y otra vez lo importante que era para Valentina llevar audífonos”.

Estar bien informados

Krystyann Krywko

Muchos abuelos crecieron con una percepción pública mucho más diferente acerca de las personas sordas y con problemas para oír. Los niños con DHH tienen una experiencia muy diferente hoy en día comparados con los niños de hace 30 o 40 años atrás. La intervención temprana, la tecnología y el acceso a la educación han cambiado a mejor exponencialmente a lo largo de los años, lo que ha llevado a resultados educativos y sociales bastante diferentes en los niños de hoy en día con DHH. Es difícil proporcionar apoyo a sus hijos y a sus nietos si no entiende cuáles son sus necesidades. Además, conocer mejor la situación de lo que significa tener DHH hoy en día puede ayudarlo a reconocer las emociones y a hacer que se sienta más implicado.

VOLTA VOICES • SEPTE M BER/ OCTOB ER 201 3

“Al principio, estábamos destrozados”, dice Nancy Sanborn, madre de Christina Danese y abuela de Jack, “pero nos reunimos con expertos y pudimos observar a otros jóvenes con DHH. Hablar con psicólogos, profesores, audiólogos y patólogos del habla y del lenguaje nos ayudó a conciliar el hecho de que tener DHH no va a ser insuperable para nuestro nieto”. Para comprender las oportunidades educativas, las tecnologías y los servicios que están disponibles para su nieto con DHH, es importante conectarlos con recursos fiables. Puede conseguir información de su hijo o puede encontrar los recursos usted mismo. Existe una gran cantidad de información en Internet, aunque es importarte realizar búsquedas en Google de forma responsable. Póngase en contacto con profesionales y organizaciones que le puedan recomendar recursos fiables. El Centro de Conocimiento

de la Audición y Lenguaje de AG Bell (ListeningandSpokenLanguage.org) es un buen lugar donde comenzar.

Interactuar con su nieto Cuando su nieto tenga necesidades especiales, es fácil quedarse atrapado en los retos y los problemas con los que se pueda encontrar a diario, sin mencionar las citas con el médico y las sesiones de terapia. A pesar de todos estos “extras”, su nieto con DHH tiene la misma necesidad de amor, atención y diversión que sus otros nietos. Existen algunas adaptaciones que va a tener que saber cómo aplicarlas para apoyar las necesidades de su nieto (como por ejemplo cómo comunicarse, cómo desenvolverse en restaurantes ruidosos, cómo utilizar subtitulados y organizar los asientos en una fiesta familiar) pero sobre todo no tiene que tratar de un modo diferente a su nieto.

No cambie las expectativas ni las responsabilidades. Hable con su nieto. Utilice palabras monosílabas y polisílabas. Léale libros. Cuéntele historias. Cántele canciones. Cocinen juntos. Busquen los aspectos positivos y celebren incluso los logros más pequeños. Estos son algunos modos con los que le puede regalar a su nieto el don del lenguaje. “Al final, los abuelos forman parte del equipo o del problema”, dice Watkins. “Durante los últimos 30 años de prácticas profesionales, me vi expuesto a diferentes dinámicas familiares y los abuelos fueron los que escogieron proporcionar apoyo emocional lo que realmente cambia la situación”.

RECURSOS Thompson, C. (2009). Grandparenting a Child with Special Needs. Filadelfia, PA: Jessica Kingsley Publishers.

1st Annual Southeast Listening & Spoken Language Conference hosted by the Atlanta Speech School October 11-12, 2013 Presenting “Auditory Neuropathy Spectrum Disorder and Management” by world-renowned ANSD expert, Dr. Chuck Berlin The conference will bring together: • Parents and family members • Listening and Spoken with ANSD children Language Specialists • Family Interventionists • Audiologists • Family Care Physicians • Speech Pathologists • Pediatricians • Teachers of the Deaf

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Found in Translation: Optimized Interpreting for Early Intervention By Kim Hamren, M.Ed., LSLS Cert. AVT, and Suzanne Quigley, Ph.D., CCC-A

he successful facilitation of the development of listening and spoken language for children who are deaf and hard of hearing relies on a family’s commitment to that goal (AG Bell Academy, 2013). An Early Intervention (EI) provider serves as a “coach,” helping families integrate listening and spoken language into their child’s life in a playful, developmentally appropriate manner. The success of this approach is founded upon the ability of the interventionist to communicate effectively with the caregiver. When the caregiver speaks a language other than the language of the provider, the risk of communication failure rises. This risk can be mitigated by the use of interpreters

who are not only language-content experts, but are also knowledgeable about the more complex and nuanced aspects of speech, language and listening development.

source-language speaker is directing to the target-language recipient. The interpreter listens to a speaker in one language, must deeply grasp the content of what is being said, and then convey the meaning using the target language. Excellent listening What Is Effective Language Interpretation? skills are essential, though not sufficient. At a minimum, interpreters need to process Language interpretation is the facilitation and memorize words from the sourceof oral or sign language communication, language speaker. In addition, they then either simultaneously or consecutively, need to speak in a way so that the targetbetween users of different languages. language listener understands the content Source language is the language of the and intent. A good quality interpreter must original message. Target language is the have a deep knowledge and understanding language of the resulting interpretation. of the subject matter getting relayed. The interpreter’s function is to convey Listen and Talk in Seattle, Wash., proevery semantic element and every intenvides early intervention to families of children tion and feeling of the message that the

VOLTA VOICES • SEPTE M BER/ OCTOB ER 201 3

Amber Oman

The Need for Consistency Department of Social and Health Services, Language Testing Certification. of Interpreters

with hearing loss, facilitating the development of listening and spoken language. A growing proportion of families served are English Language Learners (ELL), for whom English is not the primary language spoken in the home. Our experience has been that with the right elements, children are not only developing their family’s native language, but eventually become competent bilingual language users. At age 3—when they leave EI—children are typically primarily speaking their family’s home language. Key to this success is partnering with skilled interpreters that are not only excellent users of the source language but who also have a deep understanding of early intervention, in general, and listening and spoken language, in particular.

VOLTA VOICES • SEPTEMBER /OCTOBER 201 3

In the absence of bilingual service providers, Listen and Talk has historically contracted with interpreter service agencies when engaging with ELL families. Although the speaking skill of the interpreters often appeared excellent and communication to the caregiver appeared to be effective, EI providers reported a general unease in the outcome of such sessions. The dissatisfaction was often rooted in the mundane such as the persistent tardy arrival of the interpreter. Often, however, the dissatisfaction occurred when a different interpreter was present at each session. Consistency of the particular skilled interpreter appears essential for facilitating the development of rapport and clear communication between the caregiver and the interventionist. The interpreter’s effectiveness is strengthened over time as they learn the unique terms, strategies and the overall early intervention process. In addition, the interpreter becomes familiar with listening to young children and gradually becomes adept at interpreting the child’s words as well as the caregiver’s. The lack of consistency of interpreters prevents such effectiveness. It is important to provide the interpreter with background and rationale for the visit in addition to information about general goals for early intervention. It can also be helpful to provide interpreters with the specific goals for a given family in order to provide the context through which to understand the intent of the language being utilized. The time required providing this background and training is not insignificant. The benefits are great when the interpreter becomes familiar with the content and process involved with early intervention. When a new interpreter is present at each session, the provider is in a constant mode of “orientating” the new interpreter. In addition to being time-consuming and draining, the effort limits the effectiveness of the interaction between the provider and the caregiver. At Listen and Talk, our efforts to secure consistent interpreters through contracted interpreting agencies have not been successful and we have transitioned to using native speakers who are also staff members to aid in that consistency. Our in-house interpreters are currently pursuing state certification through the Washington State

Approximately 90 percent of Listen and Talk’s ELL families are Spanish-speaking. During the past two years, we have benefited from the support of bilingual office staff members who have developed a deep understanding of early intervention processes, terminology and the intent of providers. The knowledge and skills developed has enabled providers to more easily and effectively develop strong rapport with families, ultimately improving the overall fidelity of the early intervention process where emphasis and attention can be appropriately placed on the child-caregiver interaction instead of the interpreter-provider interactions. Even in the best circumstance when there is a consistent skilled interpreter and the EI provider and interpreter have mutual respect and a shared understanding of each other’s role, complications can arise due to the intimate nature of the interpreter’s involvement. We have had experiences when the family develops a strong bond with the interpreter, such that they attempt to engage the interpreter in conversation that is outside the scope of the interpreter’s purpose. In such circumstances, both the interpreter and the interventionist must skillfully and jointly navigate the relationship between the interpreter and caregiver in order to maintain appropriate focus on the child-caregiver relationship.

Providing EI Services to ELL Families Through Telepractice Listen and Talk provides early intervention in the child’s natural environment, typically the family’s home. Providers travel thousands of miles each year to serve families in western Washington. Over the past two years, Listen and Talk has been serving families through a telepractice service delivery model, or Virtual Home Visits (VHV), to serve families in their natural environment without the time and expense of physically driving to the families’ homes. Equipment is placed in the families’ homes and the provider has equipment at the office. The family and the provider connect typically via Facetime through MacAir computers and iPad Minis. There are many benefits to utilizing this type of distance technology. An

Amber Oman

A Listen and Talk early interventionist provides services in a family’s home (seen on screen) while Claudia Gray-Hernandez (foreground) provides Spanish translation for the session.

unanticipated benefit of VHV has been to enable us to more efficiently and effectively utilize the skills and abilities of our in-house interpreters. The efficiencies come from enabling the interpreter to be part of the sessions without having to spend the time driving to the families’ homes, while also minimizing the potential for families to develop a personal and potentially difficult bond with the interpreter.

Listen and Talk has been exploring the best means by which to capitalize on the VHV for effective use of interpreters. In all cases, the provider initially brings the equipment to the family’s home and orients the family to its operation. Then, the EI provider and family discuss and determine the best placement of the equipment in the home in order to enable the interpreter and/or provider to optimally hear and see activities

and interactions occurring in the home. In addition, the equipment needs to be placed in a way that won’t distract the child. Our current implementation typically occurs in one of two ways: the provider is in the home and interpreter calls in from the office, or the provider and interpreter are both in the office, connecting with the family through the technology. Each method can enable the interpreter to serve seamlessly and efficiently. After 6 months of implementing the practice of “virtual” interpreting, the overall opinion of the providers and families is that this is an effective and beneficial format for providing interpreting services. It has enabled us to capitalize on all the benefits of having consistent and knowledgeable interpreters while improving efficiency and cultivating proper relationships across all communication partners.

References AG Bell Academy for Listening and Spoken Language (2007). Principles of LSLS. Washington, DC: AG Bell Academy for Listening and Spoken Language. Retrieved from http:// www.listeningandspokenlanguage.org/ AcademyDocument.aspx?id=563

EARN L / E nline R o A c H i S n i / Cl PE ideo I y v c W a e S r v i / T l es | John s CLICK r o u t o t c c Conne s & advice | NECT N O C / a RG ide JTC.O . W W W

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VOLTA VOICES • SEPTE M BER/ OCTOB ER 201 3

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Facilitating Change Through

Motivational Interviewing Darcy L. Stowe, M.S., CCC-SLP, LSLS Cert. AVT, and Steven P. Wells, Ph.D.

istening and spoken language professionals who work with children with hearing loss are continuously challenged to enhance their skills and stay on the edge of new knowledge, technology and approaches. Yet, beyond their areas of expertise, professionals need to grow other critical knowledge and skills in order to serve families of children with hearing loss in a holistic way. Hearts for Hearing in Oklahoma City, Okla., recently sought additional training for its listening and spoken language professionals on how to encourage and facilitate positive change for the families it works with. The organization hosted

Steven P. Wells, Ph.D., clinical associate professor for the Anne and Henry Zarrow School of Social Work at the University of Oklahoma, for two half-day trainings in the fall of 2012, which focused on Motivational Interviewing.

What Is Motivational Interviewing? Those who train to serve children with hearing loss and their families face the same central question each day: “How can I best help the people with whom I work?” Years of personal and professional training drive professionals to act, to provide assistance whenever they encounter someone who “needs help.” That often means an

immediate assessment and action to provide some type of service or expertise. Often a second question arises: “When we have good information, advice and service to offer, why don’t our clients accept that help?” Hearts for Hearing decided to address this dilemma by looking at ways of facilitating the helping process and how its professionals might improve their service. Motivational Interviewing (M.I.) seemed a possible first step toward grappling with this dilemma. Motivational Interviewing is a collaborative conversational style for strengthening a person’s own motivation and commitment to change (Miller and Rollnick, 2014). Notice the choice of words:

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As his work was published, he linked with Stephen Rollnick and began to explore the application of M.I. beyond the field of addictions into such diverse areas as health care, corrections and child welfare services. Currently, more than 1,200 publications address and discuss the efficacy of M.I., including 200 randomized clinical trials and 20 meta-analyses. The first challenge M.I. offers professionals who serve clients is that they don’t put motivation into anyone. Motivation may already be present (or not!) and it is the professional’s task to explore the client’s experience, identify it, and encourage the client to make change from it.

“collaborative,” “own motivation and commitment to change.” William R. Miller began his exploration of these “collaborative conversations” in the 1980s through his early work with alcohol addiction. His first experience in a less traditional treatment center provided the opportunity to compare authoritative, directional styles of counseling with a more open approach designed to listen and understand the client’s experience rather than dictate diagnostic labels and treatment terms. From this, he “set out, then, to discover how to counsel in a way that evokes people’s own motivation for change, rather than putting them on the defensive.”

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Jentry Taylor

Michael Smith

veying absolute worth, accurate empathy, affirmation of strengths and support for autonomy), demonstrates compassion for the other’s experience, and consistently works to create avenues for evocation (clearly establishing the client’s voice of their own experience). As helpers remain mindful of this dynamic “spirit,” they create the avenues within which clients can explore their situation, identify their own motivation for change, and begin to plan for it. What counters this process of helping is people’s natural tendency to give advice and direct called the “righting reflex.” Imagine your city has experienced a mild tremor. As you walk through your home, you see many Partnership, Acceptance, of your personal treasures knocked over by the tremor. Your natural tendency is to Compassion and “right them,” to set them back in place. But Evocation what if you walked through the home of Motivational Interviewing is founded someone else. You might want to “help” by upon a “spirit” on which all skills rest, evoked in four vital aspects —Partnership, “righting things,” but how would you know where they should go? Acceptance, Compassion and Evocation. Similar to this, when helpers see One can possess the right skills in hand, someone struggling over the possibility of but be less than effective in assisting change, the natural tendency is to “right people with change unless the approach is things,” to offer insight, to give advice and founded on these principles. In general, people are ambivalent about direction, to “help.” Yet, the helper often change, but move toward action when they acts prematurely because the client’s experiexperience a “helper” who works with them ence is not yet completely known, and the full picture of how much, if any, the client in partnership (rather than “directing” is ready to change is unclear. them), demonstrates acceptance (in con-

Josiah is telling his dad about his day at Hearts for Hearing’s preschool.

Sample Motivational Interview

Comfort Duett Personal Listener

Motivational Interviews are three-part conversations based on where families are in their journey toward change. The following outlines the components of Motivational Interviewing: 1. Starting the Conversation — This is a critical juncture for effective communication. Professionals, as “helpers”, should keep in mind that how they word their initial questions and comments can have significant impact on a family’s ability to move forward with change. Here are some examples of using Motivational Interviewing to initiate a conversation: • What are your concerns about _________, how do you think he/she is doing? • I hear you have some serious concerns, we would love to hear those concerns. • Where do you want your child to be in 5 years? How would you like him/her to get there? • Would you permit me to tell you how we can help your child?

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2. Moving the Conversation Along — The “spirit” of change is facilitated through meaningful, compassionate conversations. The “helper” in the partnership uses specific phrases to continue the conversation and move toward change effectively. Here are some examples of those leading questions or comments: • We find that other families/children experience…

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• Here’s what people who experience this have reported…, what do you think about that? • Other parents have found it helpful to…, what do you think about that? • Is there one thing you could hear to help move you forward? • This is surprising to you; what is most surprising about it? • What would you have to know to decide…? 3. Finishing up the Conversation — Two words to remember when concluding the conversation are “acknowledge” and “affirm.” Keep in mind that this is a partnership and that the end goal is self-discovery of change, not forced discovery based on an inundation of research and information. Even small steps need to be acknowledged and affirmed by the helper. Individuals move at different rates toward change. Consider these final remarks: • I really admire that you are willing to move forward even though you have doubts.

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• What I hear you saying is… • CI may be something for your child, but this may not be the time to move forward. Is this what I’m hearing? • CI is not right for your child and you don’t want any more conversation about it. If you have additional questions in the future, or want to rethink the issue, here’s my card. I would be happy to talk to you.

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Michael Smith

know about what we do here?” instead of “Here is what we offer, what we think your experience is, and this is how we will make it work for you.” Thus, the professional is able to build a working relationship, listen for the client’s intrinsic motivation (however ambivalent it may be), and reflect the change talk that the client expresses about desire, ability, reason and need for change.

Motivational Interviewing in Action Maya and her mom are playing with stacking rings during a listening and spoken language session at Hearts for Hearing.

Help offered without knowing the full picture is often off target. Clients may be truly ambivalent about change, simultaneously wanting to change and not to change, and the effort to direct them typically moves them in the opposite direction: they describe to the helper why the help won’t help! To address this, M.I. suggests that the professional begin with a question such as “What is your experience and what do you

Many critical conversations need to take place in a family’s journey of navigating through their child’s hearing loss. For most, it begins with early conversations at the time of diagnosis, followed by discussions about differing communication modalities and their corresponding outcomes. At Hearts for Hearing, we feel it is critical that these conversations are facilitated with an experienced pediatric audiologist and a Listening and Spoken Language Specialist (LSLS®) together with the family. Later on in the journey,

additional important discussions may be necessary, including changing technology (such as more powerful digital hearing aids, adding a personal FM system, moving toward a cochlear implant, etc.), altering services (such as increasing, decreasing, changing providers, etc.) or transitioning into school. How can professionals working with children with hearing loss better facilitate effective communication at these critical junctures with families? Partnership, Acceptance, Compassion and Evocation. These conversations have three parts and are based on where the family is in the journey toward change (see sidebar on page 34). Professionals have already noticed the positive impact it is having on their quality of patient care and services. M.I. allowed them to think beyond the boundaries of their field in order to grow in knowledge and excellence which will directly impact and improve the outcomes for children with hearing loss and their families.

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

“ The professionals at Clarke Mainstream Services have always kept the best interests of children as their main focus.” —Special Education Director

To learn more, email mainstream@clarkeschools.org or visit clarkeschools.org/mainstream. Boston • Jacksonville • New York • Northampton • Philadelphia

clarkeschools.org

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.

Clarke Mainstream Volta Voice

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Building Capacity to Support Children with Hearing Loss in Vietnam By Paige Stringer, M.A.

“W

hat can I do to help my daughter?” The Vietnamese father asked the question with a concern that transcended cultural divides. “She has hearing aids like yours. When will she talk like you?” This Vietnamese father, Phuc, and his family were seeking answers for their 2-year-old daughter newly identified with hearing loss. His questions fueled my sense of purpose. I was born with a profound hearing loss but benefited from early identification, hearing aids and early intervention to develop listening and spoken language. I started the Global Foundation

For Children With Hearing Loss in 2009 to help children with hearing loss in developing countries have access to similar professional support, hearing technology and educational resources so they too can participate in the mainstream in their communities. The Global Foundation For Children With Hearing Loss has been collaborating with the Thuan An Center for HearingImpaired Children in Vietnam since 2010 on a multifaceted program to address gaps in the system of support across health care and education for children with hearing loss in this country. The goal is to help these children develop listening and spoken language skills.

I met Phuc a few weeks prior to the launch of our first Summer Training Program for professionals and families in 2010. The Thuan An Center hosted a meeting for local families to invite them to take part in the Parent Program component of this initiative. Phuc approached me after the meeting with questions about his daughter’s future. His urgency remained with me as a driving force for our program as it has grown and our impact has deepened in Vietnam. The Vietnam Ministry of Education and Training has identified 180,000 children under 18 who are deaf and hard of hearing in the country. The government’s inclusive education policy encourages

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teachers, therapists, medical teams and audiology technicians. Each year, we lead a Summer Training Program during which the Vietnamese professionals travel to Thuan An Center to board and study during the month-long immersion. The Vietnamese participants engage in tracks specific to their fields. They progress through their respective curricula and advance to the next level each year. The Global Foundation promotes a train-the-trainer approach in which the more advanced participants help support the training of those newer to the curriculum and also provide guidance to other professionals and families in their home communities. The Auditory-Verbal Classroom, Therapy, and Early Intervention tracks utilize the Global Foundation’s developmental charts which are customized to Vietnamese language development. The Vietnamese professionals learn to use the charts to identify goals, develop strategies and implement activities to achieve

Paige Stringer/Global Foundation For Children With Hearing Loss

assimilation of children with disabilities into the mainstream setting. However, the results of this policy for children with hearing loss have been mixed due to late identification of hearing loss in children, a shortage of early intervention services and appropriate hearing technology, and limited professional knowledge to address pediatric hearing loss. Vietnamese health care and education professionals are committed to improving the system of support for children who are deaf and hard of hearing and have sought the expertise of the Global Foundation For Children With Hearing Loss to help address some of their challenges.

The Global Foundation’s Vietnam team is comprised of 27 volunteer professionals from the United States, Canada and Hong Kong who are respected leaders in audiology, speech-language pathology, early intervention and auditory-verbal practice. They work with the Global Foundation and our Vietnamese partners throughout the year to develop the curriculum, engage in video analysis, and travel to Vietnam to teach the material. Most of our volunteer professionals have been involved with the program for at least two years. The cornerstone of the Global Foundation’s work is the Deaf Education Program which involves 38 schools and three hospitals across 20 provinces in Vietnam. It is a collaboration between the Global Foundation and Thuan An Center, featuring a curriculum designed to increase expertise in the areas of audiology, speech-language pathology, early intervention and auditory-verbal practice among Vietnamese

Family Clinics provide an opportunity for Vietnamese Audiology training program participants to practice audiology skills.

Paige Stringer/Global Foundation For Children With Hearing Loss

A young boy with hearing loss talks to Amy Northern Hardie, M.Ed., CED, and a Vietnamese teacher about the play-doh animals he created during an Auditory-Verbal Classroom training session.

In addition to the Summer Training Program, we conduct Mobile Missions in which small teams of Global Foundation professionals travel to some of the participating schools, clinics and hospitals in our program throughout the year in Vietnam. The purpose of the Mobile Mission is to reinforce the Summer Training Program in the participantsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; own work environments and with the families they serve. We also offer a Video Analysis Program in which the Vietnamese par-

Vietnamese participants in the Audiology training program test hearing aids with the support of Martha Harney, M.Sc., CCC-A.

Paige Stringer/Global Foundation For Children With Hearing Loss

those developmental goals in live therapy sessions and classroom activities with children under 6 years of age. Our Audiology track features lecture, practicum and family clinics. During the family clinics, the Vietnamese participants practice pediatric audiology standards of care including hearing testing, hearing aid fitting and family counseling. The Summer Training Program also includes short courses for mainstream teachers who have children with hearing loss in their classrooms, and an evening program for families to learn how they can help their children develop listening and spoken language skills at home.

ticipants submit video of themselves in their classroom and therapy sessions to the Global Foundation team for feedback and coaching support. What makes our Vietnam Deaf Education Program unique is its integration of education and health care services. Because we work with the same group of professionals, families and children over time, we are able to monitor progress, receive feedback and adjust our program to fit their needs. Since 2010, we have successfully executed four Summer Training Programs and three Mobile Missions. We have trained over 220 teachers, 300 families, and 125 medical and other professionals who collectively support over 1,000 children with hearing loss. The participants in our program share what they have learned with others, making the benefits of our work exponential and sustainable. In just three years since its inception, we are seeing the impact of our program on the outcomes of the children. The audiology and education professionals in the program are collaborating to address the needs of children with hearing loss. Our most advanced participants are sharing knowledge with other professionals and families. There are growing numbers of early intervention programs available to families.

The Vietnam Deaf Education Program is training in-country professionals to support the needs of children with hearing loss and their families.

VOLTA VOICES â&#x20AC;˘ SEPTE M BER/ OCTOB ER 201 3

Paige Stringer/Global Foundation For Children With Hearing Loss

A Vietnamese therapist engages a young child during an Auditory-Verbal Therapy training session.

Vietnamese participants practice new skills and receive feedback from the Global Foundation’s professional team during Auditory-Verbal Therapy training sessions.

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receiving training through our program. By providing audiology resources, we can ensure the children have both the audiology and educational support they need to be successful with their listening and spoken language abilities. We are also developing a program with the hospitals in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi to address the unique training needs of medical teams working with

Paige Stringer/Global Foundation For Children With Hearing Loss

In the coming school year, five children with hearing loss who have received early intervention services from Thuan An Center teachers enrolled in our program will enter mainstream kindergarten. This is the highest number of children transitioning to the mainstream out of Thuan An Center in a single year. Phuc, the father who posed those impassioned questions before our program’s inception, took part in our program for two years. He set up a therapy room in his home to complement the services that his daughter, Tam, received from teachers enrolled in our program. In 2012, Tam was admitted to the mainstream school in her neighborhood and she just completed a successful school year. One of the Global Foundation’s newest projects is in collaboration with Vietnamese school principals to establish regional audiology centers at some of the 38 schools enrolled in our program. Currently, families living outside of the city centers often take unpaid leave from work to travel great distances to get audiology care for their children. Regional audiology centers would provide an alternative for families. The teachers and therapists at the schools that would host the centers are already

children with hearing loss. The Global Foundation has also been invited to expand its model to Guatemala to benefit the listening and spoken language development of children with hearing loss in that country. It has been personally rewarding to lead this team effort of empowering people in other parts of the world who are asking for training and new ideas in their approach to support children with hearing loss. The Global Foundation For Children With Hearing Loss is helping young children with hearing loss set on a course for a better life—no matter where in the world they live.

Becky Clem, M.A., CCC-SLP, LSLS Cert. AVT, demonstrates an activity with a young boy with hearing loss during an Auditory-Verbal Therapy training session.

tips for parents

Why Is Your Educational Audiologist Important? By Michael Macione, Au.D.

Educational Audiology Defined The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) defines the practice of audiology in educational settings as follows: ʶʶ Identification of children with hearing loss ʶʶ Determination of the range, nature and degree of hearing loss, including referral for medical or other professional attention for the habilitation of hearing ʶʶ Provision of habilitative activities, such as language habilitation, auditory training, speechreading, hearing evaluation and speech conservation

shutterstock.com/Capifrutta

arents of students who are deaf and hard of hearing would be wise to get to know their school district’s educational audiologist. Hopefully, you are lucky enough to live in a school district that has its own educational audiologist, or access to one. Hearing and auditory function have significant impact on the development and use of language and communication which can affect academic progress and outcomes for students. Educational audiologists are uniquely qualified to facilitate support for students with hearing loss in the educational system. In addition to identifying a student’s hearing loss, the educational audiologist has knowledge and skills regarding the impact of hearing loss on learning, an ability to suggest relevant educational goals and benchmarks in developing an Individualized Education Program (IEP) as well as experience with strategies and technology for support within the classroom for both the student and the teacher. Educational audiologists are also trained in diagnosing auditory processing disorders and recommending remediation or compensation strategies.

ʶʶ Creation and administration of programs for hearing loss prevention ʶʶ Counseling and guidance of children, parents and teachers regarding hearing loss ʶʶ Determination of children’s needs for group and/or individual amplification, and selecting and fitting appropriate amplification

Roles of the Educational Audiologist Educational audiologists can also recommend other qualified service providers for families. There are many professionals that may be part of an educational team for a child or adolescent who is deaf or hard of hearing, including, but not limited to, a speech-language pathologist, early childhood specialist, educational psychologist, teacher, clinical audiologist, otolaryngologist and pediatrician. Educational audiologists are instrumental in helping families choose providers that meet their unique needs as a family. Educational audiologists also have

an ongoing role in (re)habilitation services. Although not all educational audiologists provide direct intervention services for children, many do. The educational audiologist’s primary purpose for being involved in the habilitation of students with hearing loss is to facilitate the maximum use of auditory input during the learning process. (Re)habilitation includes involvement with equipment, involvement with teaching and learning strategies, and knowledge of environmental acoustics in any situation where learning takes place. The educational audiologist may assume this role in the form of direct service, indirect service or in some combination of these two. Direct services are usually delivered on a regularly scheduled basis, while indirect services are delivered on an as-needed basis.

The Educational Audiologist as a Family Resource Educational audiologists offer families an unbiased perspective regarding local,

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regional and state resources. They work with families to empower them in their children’s education and to utilize available resources to assist their child. Educational audiologists have an opportunity to provide services to children in settings that are comfortable to both the child and the parent. In most situations, educational audiologists can support families in their homes— observing children in their customary environments. This opportunity helps educational audiologists build relationships with families that result in effective communication and encourage partnerships when developing Individual Family Service Plans (IFSP) and IEPs. The educational audiologist may also provide information to help families adjust to communication in other environments, such as riding in the car, shopping, restaurants, etc. This support may include providing technology and instructing families on the appropriate use of the technology for those situations.

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Consistent Member of the Child’s Team Educational audiologists provide a critical link within the Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) process. Schoolbased audiologists are in a unique position to facilitate and support the developmental and educational management of children with hearing loss before they enter school. After the birth of a child who is deaf or hard of hearing, educational audiologists can support families through the IFSP process by being knowledgeable regarding all service options available to infants and young children with hearing loss. They also are instrumental in guiding families through the transition process from Part C to Part B services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Many times, educational audiologists will function as service coordinators to children and youth who are deaf and hard of hearing from the time of identification until they graduate from high school. Educational audiologists serve as a vital link

between families and other service providers, including community-based audiologists, cochlear implant teams, physicians and community family service agencies. As infants reach preschool and then schoolage, educational audiologists become an essential part of the school team responsible for each child’s educational services. When educational audiologists are involved from the time of diagnosis, they provide a measure of consistency for families as their children transition to preschool.

Further Reading DeConde Johnson, C., & Seaton, J. (2011). Educational Audiology Handbook (2nd Ed.). Independence, KY: Delmar Learning. DeConde Johnson, C., & Macione, M. (2011). “Chapter 19: The Role of Educational Audiologists in the EHDI Process.” Early Hearing Detection and Intervention eBook. Logan, UT: National Center for Hearing Assessment and Management, Utah State University. Retrieved from http://www. infanthearing.org/ehdi-ebook/index.html Educational Audiology Association (2009). Recommended Professional Practices for Educational Audiology. Retrieved from http:// www.edaud.org/associations/4846/files/ Professional%20Practices_pos09_REVISED.pdf

Hear Our Voices

A Feeling I Never Want to Lose By Evan Mercer

Pam Mercer

was born with severe hearing loss but did not receive a conclusive diagnosis until age 3, when I was fitted with hearing aids. After spending the first three years of my life in a world of silence, my mother recalls that I smiled the most beautiful smile she had ever seen after I heard sound for the first time. Unfortunately, I had missed those critical early years of language development. I was so far behind kids my age in language development that there seemed to be no way to catch up. At age 3, I started communicating by gestures. At age 4, I started making letter sounds. At age 5, my first words finally arrived.

Around the Clock Education I had a secret weapon—my mother and her unrelenting push for education. She enrolled me in a school that focused on listening and spoken language where I studied for three years. My education did not stop at 3 o’clock each afternoon. While I had my after-school snack, my mom served up flashcards alongside cheese and crackers. She labeled nearly every item in our house with a sticky note. As I walked by the sticky notes, I had to read the word aloud. Sometimes she mixed them up, like switching the one for the refrigerator and the toaster, just to see if I really knew the words. She kept books everywhere, constantly reading to me or having me read to her. Most of all, she talked to me about the importance of education and how deafness was no excuse for not achieving my full academic potential. As time passed, her efforts paid off. As I enter my final year of high school, I am the only student with hearing loss in my class and am ranked #1 out of 500

Evan, front row right, and the Mercer Maniacs at one of their weekly meetings.

students. I have experienced, firsthand, the transforming power of education.

Being an Eagle Scout I am now an Eagle Scout, the highest rank attainable in the Boy Scouting program of the Boy Scouts of America, beginning that journey in first grade as a Cub Scout. Part of becoming an Eagle Scout is planning and executing a community service project. I always knew my project would focus on education. I thought about all the knowledge I had gained during my scouting adventures—such as identifying plant life, caring for the environment, or even using math to figure out how much food was needed to feed my troops during a weekend backpacking trip. The outdoors had taught me practical applications of textbook lessons. When I found a local elementary school that wanted an outdoor classroom, I knew I had found the perfect project. It

combined my love of the outdoors with my love of learning. I set to work. There was an existing pergola near the playground of the school, so I used it as my base, adding a roof so that weather would not be a deterrent from holding lessons outside. I completed the now-covered classroom by adding a whiteboard and a podium. Next, I built and installed six benches, sized for elementary students. Finally, I landscaped the surrounding area. Having a classroom outdoors reinforced that learning new things does not have to be confined to a traditional classroom, but can be done anywhere. The principal later told me how much the students look forward to classes outside.

The Mercer Maniacs While I was looking for a potential Eagle Scout project, the disabilities coordinator at my school district heard about my search. She told me about a group of 4th

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and 5th grade boys with hearing loss at a nearby elementary school. Although technology had granted them the gift of hearing, they were still academically and socially behind their peers with typical hearing. They did not possess the self-assurance to envision themselves thriving with hearing loss in the mainstream. They needed to be around a role model— someone who had persevered through difficulties of his own and understood their path. While I had already committed to the outdoor classroom for my project, I knew I had to help. So the Mercer Maniacs mentoring group came to life. The Mercer Maniacs meet each week, and I focus on teaching these boys new skills and the vocabulary to describe them. I work hard on making our time together fun so they will never want to miss a meeting. I recruited my two brothers to help so each student receives individual attention. It is important that each of the boys feels special and knows that someone is there just for him.

Starting each meeting with a special “Maniac” handshake, I lead the boys in confidence-building activities, such as knot-tying, setting up tents or geocaching, an outdoor recreational activity, in which the participants use a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver or mobile device and other navigational techniques to hide and seek containers. A favorite of the group is doing science experiments. Anything that bubbles, fizzes or explodes is always a big hit. For one project, I armed them with hammers and nails, and we built birdhouses. None of them had ever done woodwork before so they had a blast. Their teacher told me later they did a great job telling their classmates with typical hearing about the birdhouses. They explained to them why the entrance holes were of different sizes, how the inside was arranged so the baby birds could climb out, and why they need to be mounted on a certain side of the tree. They did all that using words that were new to them and they did it with great confidence. One

of the 4th graders said he found a friend that likes birds, too. Now, they’re sitting together at lunch. I believe I was happier than he was when I heard that.

One Word at a Time My goal is that these boys are not defined as boys who are deaf, but as boys who are successful. I want them to understand that while they may always have challenges, these challenges do not have to be limitations, but rather opportunities in disguise. Seeing them conquer their problems constantly reminds me of what can be achieved—one step, or rather, one word at a time. College applications will fill my next few months. I am not sure where I will go to college or even what I will study. But I do know that wherever I go and whatever I study, community service will be a big part of my college years. The funny thing is, I feel as if I receive far more benefit from my work for others than they ever do. That is a feeling I never want to lose.

St. Joseph Institute for the Deaf

At St. Joseph Institute for the Deaf (SJI), we believe that children with hearing loss deserve the opportunity to listen, speak and read. As international leaders in listening and spoken language (LSL) based education, our highly trained staff of certified deaf educators, speech therapists and audiologists help children develop oral language without the use of sign language. SJI is the only school for the deaf to be fully accredited by the prestigious Independent Schools Association of the Central States (ISACS). Visit us at sjid.org & ihearlearning.org for more information on our locations and services

Indianapolis Campus ihear- Internet Therapy St. Louis Campus 9192 Waldemar Rd. Indianpolis, IN 46268 (317) 471-8560

AGBELLAD.indd 1 VOLTA VOICES • SEPTEMBER /OCTOBER 201 3

ihearlearning.org (636) 532-2672

1809 Clarkson Rd St. Louis, MO 63017 (636) 532-3211

4/4/2012 8:37:08 AM

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.

Jean Weingarten Peninsula Oral School for the Deaf, 3518 Jefferson Ave. Redwood City, Ca. 94062 • jwposd@jwposd.org ( email ) • www.deafkidstalk.org ( website ) • Kathleen Daniel Sussman – Executive Director – Pamela Hefner Musladin – Director of School A listening and spoken language program where deaf and hard of hearing children listen, think and talk ! Cognitive based program from birth through Kindergarten. Students develop excellent language, listening and social skills with superior academic competencies. Services include educational programs, parent/infant, speech /language/auditory therapy, mainstream support, educational/clinical audiology, occupational therapy and Tele-therapy. 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.

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.

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. 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 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!

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. 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.

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n Florida 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. 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 Georgia Atlanta Speech School – Katherine Hamm Center, 3160 Northside Parkway, NW Atlanta, GA 30327 • 404-233-5332 ext. 3119 (voice/TTY) • 404-266-2175 (fax) • scarr@ atlspsch.org (email) • www.atlantaspeechschool. org (website). A Listening and Spoken Language program serving children who are deaf or hard of hearing from infancy to 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.

Auditory-Verbal Center, Inc.—Atlanta, Macon, Teletherapy—1901 Century Boulevard, Suite 20, Atlanta, GA 30345 OFFICE: 404-633-8911 FAX: 404-633-6403 EMAIL: Listen@avchears.org WEBSITE: www. avchears.org The Auditory-Verbal Center, Inc. (AVC) is a premier provider of comprehensive Auditory-Verbal and Audiological Services to infants, children, adults, and their families. Through the auditory verbal approach, we teach children with mild hearing loss to profound deafness to listen and speak WITHOUT the use of sign language or lip reading. AVC provides auditory-verbal therapy through their two main locations in Atlanta and Macon but also virtually through teletherapy. AVC also has a full Audiology & Hearing Aid Clinic at the Atlanta location that provides diagnostic testing, dispensing and repair of hearing aids and cochlear implant mapping for adults only.

n Illinois Alexander Graham Bell Montessori School (AGBMS) and Alternatives In Education for the Hearing Impaired (AEHI), www.agbms.org (website) • info@agbms. org (email) • 847-850-5490 (phone) • 847-1!505493 (fax) • 9300 Capitol Drive Wheeling, IL 60090 • AGBMS is a Montessori school educating children ages 15 months-12 who are deaf or hard of hearing or have other communicative challenges in a mainstream environment with hearing peers. Teachers of Deaf/Speech/Language Pathologist / Reading Specialist/Classroom Teachers emphasize language development and literacy utilizing Cued Speech. Early Intervention Services available to children under 3. AEHI, a training center for Cued Speech, assists parents, educators, or advocates in verbal language development for children with language delays or who do not yet substantially benefit from auditory technology. Child’s Voice School, 180 Hansen Court, Wood Dale, IL 60191 • (630) 595-8200 (voice) • (630) 595-8282 (fax) • info@childsvoice.org (email) • www.childsvoice.org (website). Michele Wilkins, Ed.D., LSLS Cert. AVEd., Executive Director. A Listening and Spoken Language program for children birth to age 8. Cochlear implant (re) habilitation, audiology services and mainstream support services provided. Early intervention for birth to age three with 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.

Directory of Services The University of Chicago, Comer Children’s Hospital Pediatric Hearing Loss and Cochlear Implant Center, 5841 S. Maryland Avenue, DCAM 4H, Chicago, IL 60637 • 773-702-8182. Program Director, Sally Tannenbaum, M.Ed., CED, LSLS Cert. AVT, stannenbaum@surgery.bsd.uchicago.edu. Dr. Dana Suskind, dsuskind@surgery.bsd.uchicago. edu. Website: www.uchicagokidshospital.org/ cochlear. The center provides full medical and audiological services for infants, children and adults. Comprehensive services for children with hearing loss and their families are provided from time of diagnosis through schools years. Services include otolaryngology, audiology services including cochlear implants and loaner hearing aids, and listen and spoken language therapy. Mentoring in Listening and Spoken Language, Auditory-Verbal therapy is available for professionals. In addition, the Center is actively involved in research projects including developing an evidenced-based, listening and spoken language curriculum called Project ASPIRE.

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 Missouri for other campus information)

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

n Minnesota

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.

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.

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 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.

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Directory of Services n Missouri CID – Central Institute for the Deaf, 825 S. Taylor Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63110 314-977-0132 (voice) • 314-977-0037 (tty) • lberkowitz@cid.edu (email) • www.cid. edu (website) Lynda Berkowitz/Barb Lanfer, co-principals. Child- and family-friendly learning environment for children birth-12; exciting adapted curriculum incorporating mainstream content; Family Center for infants and toddlers; expert mainstream preparation in the CID pre-k and primary programs; workshops and educational tools for professionals; close affiliation with Washington University deaf education and audiology graduate programs. The Moog Center for Deaf Education, 12300 South Forty Drive, St. Louis, MO 63141 • 314-692-7172 (voice) • 314-692-8544 (fax) • www.moogcenter.org (website) • Betsy Moog Brooks, Executive Director, bbrooks@ moogcenter.org. Services provided to children who are deaf and hard-of-hearing from birth to 9 years of age. Programs include the Family School (birth to 3), School (3-9 years), Audiology (including cochlear implant programming), mainstream services, educational evaluations, parent education and support groups, professional workshops, teacher education, and student teacher placements. The Moog Center for Deaf Education is a Certified Moog Program. St. Joseph Institute for the Deaf – St. Louis, 1809 Clarkson Road, Chesterfield, MO 63017 • (636) 532-3211 (voice/TYY) • www.sjid.org • 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, ihear 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 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.

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Summit Speech School for the Hearing-Impaired Child, F.M. Kirby Center is an exclusively auditory-oral/ auditory-verbal school for deaf and hard of hearing children located at 705 Central Ave., New Providence, NJ 07974 • 908-508-0011 (voice/TTY) • 908-508-0012 (fax) • info@ summitspeech.org (email) • www.summitspeech. org (website) • Pamela Paskowitz, Ph.D., CCCSLP, 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. 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.

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

Directory of Services Cleary School for the Deaf, 301 Smithtown Boulevard, Nesconset, NY 11767 • 631-588-0530 (voice) • www.clearyschool. org Kenneth Morseon, Superintendent. Offers Parent Infant/Toddler Program with services of Teacher of the Deaf, Speech Therapy & AV therapy. Transition Program into our Preschool Auditory-Oral Program. The primary focus of the Auditory-Oral Program is to develop students’ ability to “listen to learn” along with developing age appropriate speech, language, and academic skills, this program offers intensive speech therapy services with a goal to mainstream students when they become school age. Additional services offered include: Music, Art, Library, OT, PT and Parent Support. 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. Certified Auditory Verbal Educators are on staff. 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) • http://www.med.unc.edu/earandhearing/ castle (website) • CASTLE is a part of the UNC Ear & Hearing Center and 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. Hands-on training program for hearing-related professionals/university students.

n Oklahoma 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.

n Pennsylvania 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.

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

n South Carolina The University of South Carolina Speech and Hearing Research Center, 1601 St. Julian Place, Columbia, SC, 29204 • (803) 777-2614 (voice) • (803) 253-4143 (fax) • Center Director: Danielle Varnedoe, daniell@mailbox.sc.edu. The center provides audiology services, speech-language therapy, adult aural (re)habilitation therapy, and Auditory-Verbal Therapy. Our audiology services include comprehensive diagnostic evaluations, hearing aid evaluations and services, and cochlear implant evaluations and programming. The University also provides a training program for AV therapy and cochlear implant management for professional/university students. Additional contacts for the AVT or CI programs include Wendy Potts, CI Program Coordinator (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).

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.

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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.

n Texas Callier Center for Communication Disorders/UT Dallas - Callier-Dallas Facility 1966 Inwood Road, Dallas, TX, 75235 • 214-905-3000 (voice) • 214-905-3012 (TDD) • Callier-Richardson Facility: 811 Synergy Park Blvd., Richardson, TX, 75080 • 972-883-3630 (voice) • 972-883-3605 (TDD) • cpiloto@utdallas.edu (e-mail) • www.callier. utdallas.edu (website). Nonprofit Organization, hearing evaluations, hearing aid dispensing, assistive devices, cochlear implant evaluations, psychology services, speech-language pathology services, child development program for children ages six weeks to five years. The Center for Hearing and Speech, 3636 West Dallas, Houston, TX 77019 • 713-5233633 (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.

Directory of Services 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

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

Utah Schools for the Deaf and the Blind (USDB), 742 Harrison Boulevard, Ogden UT 84404 - 801-629-4712 (voice) 801-629-4701 (TTY) - www.udsb.org (website). USDB is a state funded program for children with hearing loss (birth through high school) serving students in various settings including local district classes and direct educational and consulting services throughout the state. USDB language and communication options include Listening and Spoken Language. USDB has a comprehensive hearing healthcare program which includes an emphasis on hearing technology for optimal auditory access, pediatric audiological evaluations, and cochlear implant management. Services also include Early Intervention, fullday preschool and Kindergarten, intensive day programs, and related services including speech/ language pathology and aural habilitation.

n Wisconsin 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.

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 • 0114-207-3833834 (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.

I NTERNATIONAL 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 auditoryoral 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.

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LANDIS continued from page 52

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One of my favorite—and most challenging—trips was rafting the Salmon River, which flows through central Idaho and is known as “The River of No Return.” During the day, my cochlear implants went into a dry bag that was kept on the big raft and I was placed into a ducky, or inflatable kayak. The most challenging part for me was paying attention and keeping an eye on my dad so he could tell me specific places to go. Several times I went through the most dangerous part of the rapids because my dad could not get my attention. I do a lot of work to take care of my cochlear implants on outdoor trips but sometimes there are challenges. Last summer on a backpacking trip, I had a lot of issues with moisture getting into the processor. It was July and extremely hot. The cochlear implant processor started to turn off completely when it got too wet. In order to get my cochlear implants working again, I had to bake it in the hot sun for 15 to 20 minutes to dry it out when I got to camp. I plan to pursue a double major in outdoor education and elementary education at Northern Arizona University because of the awesome location. I love the desert, and being less than two hours away from the Grand Canyon and Utah was appealing. My dream is to set up a foundation where I can take children with hearing loss into the backcountry, on backpacking trips, river trips—you name it. I feel that many children who are deaf and hard of hearing are afraid to try these activities because they don’t know what to do with their cochlear implants and hearing aids. My goal is to try and get more children into the outdoors. Too many children are staying inside and engaged in sedentary activities and are not introduced to our amazing backyard.

Advanced Bionics Corporation............................................................................5 Atlanta Speech School/Southeast Listening & Spoken Language Conference........................................................................................27 Auditory-Verbal Center, Inc..................................................................................3 CapTel...................................................................................... Inside Back Cover Central Institute for the Deaf..............................................................................19 Clarke Schools for Hearing and Speech...........................................................35 Cochlear Americas.............................................................................................13 DuBard School for Language Disorders.............................................................4 Ear Technology Corp. (Dry & Store)...................................................................23 Harris Communications.................................................................................... 34 Jean Weingarten Peninsula Oral School for the Deaf.........................................7 John Tracy Clinic .............................................................................................. 30 MED-EL Corporation.......................................................................... Back Cover National Technical Institute for the Deaf - RIT...................................................41 Oticon...................................................................................... Inside Front Cover St. Joseph Institute for the Deaf................................................................... 8, 43 Tucker-Maxon School for the Deaf....................................................................22 UT Health Science Center San Antonio............................................................31 AG Bell 101 FAQs About Auditory-Verbal Practice.............................................6 AG Bell Learn & Earn............................................................................................9

VOLTA VOICES • SEPTEMBER /OCTOBER 201 3

Up Front

on the Back Page

Kaitlyn Landis Exploring the Great Outdoors with Cochlear Implants Interview by Susan Boswell

was born deaf and had fewer than 20 words when I was 3 years old. My parents began to use cued speech with me and I received my first cochlear implant just before I turned 4 years old. While I don’t really remember the activation or hearing for the first time, I do remember learning how to talk. When I was 14 years old, I received a second implant on the other side. The activation was interesting because I didn’t really know what it would be like—but I didn’t expect that there would be little or no sound at all. I learned that you have to work at hearing with the implant; it doesn’t just magically happen. As a 2012 LOFT participant, I took away a newfound pride in being deaf. Before LOFT, I never talked about my deafness unless I really needed to let someone know that I was deaf. Now, I talk about my deafness all the time and mention it as it relates to the conversation. I live in the small town of Hailey, Idaho, where there is no one my age that is deaf, so it was an amazing experience to meet 20 deaf teens, all at once. I still keep in touch with many in my LOFT class. My parents are really outdoorsy and spend their free time camping, hiking, skiing, running and engaged in other active pursuits. Before I was even able to walk well, my dad strapped me into a pair of alpine skis and towed me down the trail, or he carried me in a backpack while climbing mountains. They never let me watch TV or movies, so I was always

Kaitlyn skied with her father Rob Landis as a toddler, beginning a lifelong love for the sport. Inset: She skied with the Sun Valley Nordic ski team for 11 years and competed in the Junior Olympics as a high school student.

“My dream is to set up a foundation where I can take children with hearing loss into the backcountry. Too many children are staying inside and engaged in sedentary activities and are not introduced to our amazing backyard.” playing outside in the summer. My parents instilled in me a great love and respect for the outdoors that I will have for the rest of my life. I joined the local Nordic ski team when I was 7 years old and stayed on the team for 11 years. It was a huge time commitment when I joined the high school level competition team. We trained

5 or 6 days a week, year round, which took extreme dedication and motivation. I qualified for the Junior Olympics in my sophomore year of high school and it was an amazing experience to travel to Minneapolis, Minn., and hang out with skiers from across the nation for a week. Continued on page 51

We Want You on the Back Page! Read the entire interview online on the Listening and Spoken Language Knowledge Center at ListeningandSpokenLanguage.org/BackPage. If you have stories to tell, experiences to share and a perspective on hearing loss for this column, please send an email to editor@agbell.org and tell us a bit about yourself.

VOLTA VOICES • SEPTE M BER/ OCTOB ER 201 3

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