Volta Voices September-October 2014 Magazine by Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing

LISTENINGANDSPOKENL ANGUAGE .ORG

VOLUME 21 ISSUE 5 SEP/OCT 2014

RESEARCH, ADVOCACY AND TECHNOLOGY

ALEXANDER GRAHAM BELL ASSOCIATION FOR THE DEAF AND HARD OF HEARING

W CO IN M NE AP M U R O E X N IC F T AW AT HE AR OR 201 DS A N 4 D

Advancing the Future for Individuals Who Are Deaf and Hard of Hearing

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SEP/OCT 2014 // VOLUME 21 // ISSUE 5

FEATURES 1 2 2014 AG Bell Convention: Advancing the Future for Individuals Who Are Deaf and Hard of Hearing Read about this year’s transformational convention and the latest evidencebased knowledge and technology in hearing health care and spoken language development. BY ANNA KARKOVSKA MCGLEW, M.A., ELIZABETH ROSENZWEIG, M.S., CCC-SLP, LSLS Cert. AVT, SUSAN BOSWELL, M.A., CAE, AND MARIA SIGILLITO

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1 8 Hearing Loop Technology: Hear in Places Where Hearing Devices Alone Are Unable to Deliver Learn about hearing loop technology, why it works and how it can foster speech development. BY JULIËTTE STERKENS, Au.D. 2 2 Hearing Aid Retention for Infants and Young Children Keeping hearing aids on children’s ears can be a challenge; yet, wearing them is essential. Read about tips and strategies for hearing aid retention based on a recent survey. BY JANE R. MADELL, Ph.D., AND KAREN ANDERSON, Ph.D. 2 6 Web Conferencing Technology: Fostering Inclusive Course Experiences for Students Who Are Deaf and Hard of Hearing Web conferencing software has the potential to create inclusive experiences for students with hearing loss. Read about an upcoming project aiming to harness this technology. BY ELISSA WEEDEN AND KATHRYN L. SCHMITZ, Ph.D. 3 0 Meet Meredith Sugar: Parent, Volunteer & Attorney Read about AG Bell’s president for the 2014–2016 term. BY SUSAN BOSWELL, M.A., CAE

IN EVERY ISSUE

DEPARTMENTS

4 Want to Write for Volta Voices?

5 Voices from AG Bell A Vision for the Future

7 Editor’s Note

Research, Advocacy and Technology

3 5 LSL Knowledge Center

Listening and Spoken Language at Your Fingertips

3 6 Tips for Parents

Just Breathe: Tips for Parents from a Mother and a Registered Nurse

Voices Contributors

1 0 Sound Bites 4 2 Directory of Services 4 9

List of Advertisers 4 0

Hear Our Voices Getting a Cochlear Implant as an Adult and Tips for Rehabilitation

5 2 Up Front on the Back Page ALEXANDER GRAHAM BELL ASSOCIATION FOR THE DEAF AND HARD OF HEARING 3417 VOLTA PLACE, N.W., WASHINGTON, DC 20007 // LISTENINGANDSPOKENLANGUAGE.ORG

Michelle Tang, M.A./Ed.M. INTERVIEW BY ANNA KARKOVSKA MCGLEW, M.A.

Want to Write for Volta Voices? Advancing Listening and Spoken Language for Individuals Who Are Deaf and Hard of Hearing Adopted by the Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Board of Directors, July 2013

ALEXANDER GRAHAM BELL ASSOCIATION FOR THE DEAF AND HARD OF HEARING 3417 Volta Place, N.W., 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, M.A., CAE Editor Anna Karkovska McGlew, M.A. Advertising, Exhibit and Sponsorship Sales The Townsend Group Design and Layout GRAPHEK AG Bell Board of Directors President Meredith K. Sugar, Esq. (OH) President-Elect Ted Meyer, M.D., Ph.D. (SC) Immediate Past President Donald M. Goldberg, Ph.D., LSLS Cert. AVT (OH) Secretary-Treasurer Catharine McNally (VA) Chief Executive Officer Emilio Alonso-Mendoza, J.D., CFRE Joni Y. Alberg, Ph.D. (NC) Corrine Altman (NV) Rachel Arfa, Esq. (IL) Jonathan Berger, Esq. (NY) Evan Brunell (MA) Kevin Franck, Ph.D., MBA, CCC-A (MA) Donna Grossman, M.A. (VA)

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 and hard of hearing, parents of children who are deaf and hard of hearing, and professionals in fields related to hearing loss (audiology, speech-language pathology, psychology, otology, social services, education). For submission guidelines and to submit content, visit the Volta Voices page at ListeningandSpokenLanguage.org. Subjects of Interest • Technology—related to hearing loss, new technology, improvements to or problems with existing technology, or how people are using existing technology, accommodations. • Education—related to public or private schools through post-secondary education, new approaches and teaching methods, legal implications and issues, etc. • Advocacy—information on legislation, hearing health, special or mainstream education, and accessibility. • Health—audiology issues relating to children or adults with hearing loss and/or their families and friends. • 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, N.W. • Washington, DC 20007 Email: editor@agbell.org Submit online at ListeningandSpokenLanguage.org

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.

Susan Lenihan, Ph.D., CED (MO) Catharine McNally (VA) Teri Ouellette, M.S.Ed., LSLS Cert. AVEd (IN)

On the cover: Research, Advocacy and Technology

VOLTA VOICES Volume 21, Issue 5, September/October (ISSN 1074-8016) is published 6 times per year in J/F, M/A, M/J, J/A, S/O, and N/D for $50 per year by Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, 3417 Volta Pl., N.W., 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., N.W., 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 ©2014 by the Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Inc., 3417 Volta Pl., N.W., 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

VOICES FROM AG BELL

A Vision for the Future The AG Bell convention, which is a focus of this issue, always has had special significance to me. The convention was a tremendous resource for information and support when our son was newly diagnosed with hearing loss. I am deeply honored to serve as AG Bell President and to be able to give back to AG Bell the countless gifts that this organization has given to me and my family, and it is a privilege to succeed Donald Goldberg, who is a leader in the field and has served as a mentor to me and many others. I recall meeting Donald Goldberg as well as Carol Flexer at my first board meeting, both of whose books had a prominent location on my bookshelf at home. As I wondered how I could add value to the association, they quickly reassured me of my contributions and I immediately saw the strong commitment AG Bell has to equipping families on their journey with hearing loss. It is gratifying to hear comments from many other parents that are similar to Lartisha Gaynor’s, who said that the convention changed her life. The convention also equips professionals and adults with hearing loss. I draw on the knowledge and experiences gained through many roles in my professional and personal life—as an attorney, a volunteer in statewide organizations and a board member of the Ohio Chapter of AG Bell. More importantly, I serve in the roles of being a wife and a mother to four amazing children, who are close to my heart and inspired me to this leadership opportunity. When my third son Jonah was born and did not pass his newborn hearing screening, I began an unexpected journey. I wondered whether Jonah would ever hear music, or if he would ever hear me tell him that I love

VO LTA VO I CE S S EP/O C T 2014

him. I didn’t know if he would ever hear the whispers of his big brothers. Fortunately, someone reached out to me and told me that listening and spoken language was an option. It provided hope for the future and a basis to move forward, as Jonah began wearing hearing aids at one month of age. In the following months, I realized that hearing aids weren’t enough to give Jonah full access to the sounds he deserved to hear. I spent many nights reading and searching for information on hearing loss. One day, I came across an organization called AG Bell and saw that they would be holding a convention in Pittsburgh, just three hours from our home. I packed the kids in the car and spent the next three days, soaking in every word from professionals, meeting other parents, and sharing information about therapists and play groups. I learned about the possibility of a cochlear implant and sought out contacts for a surgeon. Following the convention, I demanded additional hearing testing for my son, and the process to receive a cochlear implant was started the next day. AG Bell armed me with the information to fight the insurance company to allow Jonah to receive bilateral cochlear implants at 11 months of age. Our organization must advance listening and spoken language so that we can achieve the future we desire for our children, families, adults and the professionals that support them. I am thrilled that as part of our strategic plan, AG Bell recently bolstered our mission to go beyond advocating—to advancing listening and spoken language. My son’s success makes it easy for me to speak to the path we have taken, especially when I see him reading years above his grade level, or talking back to me like a typical 8 year old with a perfected tone of mockery. I can envision Jonah as an adult with a warm and supportive group of friends who share similar life experiences,

thanks to AG Bell’s community of adults who are deaf and hard of hearing. Because of the advocacy of AG Bell, I can envision a day when families have access to the technology that they need to give their children access to sound and speech needed for language development. Families should not have to threaten an insurance company with a lawsuit in order to get two cochlear implants instead of one. Because of the AG Bell Academy’s credentialing of qualified professionals, I can envision a day when families have access to the listening and spoken language professionals who hold the highest level of qualifications to support them. These professionals will be available in many local communities and through telepractice. Educational laws will more fully support the needs of children who are pursuing a listening and spoken language outcome. In addition, because of AG Bell’s efforts to educate the general public that people who are deaf and hard of hearing can listen and speak, I can envision a day when a new family doesn’t have to be told that listening and spoken language is an option—they already know! I am tremendously grateful for the immeasurable gifts, resources and support AG Bell has given my family, and I look forward to serving as your president and advancing listening and spoken language for individuals who are deaf and hard of hearing. Sincerely,

eredith Sugar, Esq. M President

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EDITOR’S NOTE

Research, Advocacy and Technology Access to hearing care technology is fundamental for a person who is deaf or hard of hearing to access sound and speech as this is the foundation for developing spoken language. To ensure that everyone who needs technology gets it, research and advocacy are essential. The articles in this issue provide a sample of current technology trends and explore how research and advocacy intertwine to promote the delivery of appropriate technology to the greatest number of people with hearing loss. The overview article of the 2014 AG Bell Convention, which took place in Orlando, Florida, at the end of June, gives you a taste of AG Bell’s flagship event. This year’s Research Symposium presented the latest advances in speech and hearing science from experts in the field under the theme of Maximizing Brain Adaptability: Enhancing Listening for Language Development, Speech Perception, and Music Appreciation. Advocacy was a focus of the 2014 Chapter Presidents meeting at the convention, which featured an interactive group activity titled “Building a Strong Chapter: Friendraising, Fundraising and More!” led by AG Bell Nevada Chapter President Corrine Altman. The activity discussed successes and challenges in running a state chapter and shared strategies from two state campaigns to expand access for hearing aids. The article further highlights some of the great information presented at the concurrent sessions focusing on tapping technology’s huge potential for listening and language development. Hearing loops are an assistive listening technology which allow a hearing aid or cochlear implant user to receive sound without any background noise, reverberation or distortion in public venues such as VO LTA VO I CE S S EP/O C T 2014

meeting rooms and high school auditoriums. Juliëtte Sterkens, Au.D., writes about how and why hearing loops work as well as advocacy efforts to make hearing loops more widely available. Keeping hearing aids on children’s ears can be a challenge; yet, for a child with hearing loss to succeed, it is critical that he or she wear hearing aids full time. Jane R. Madell, Ph.D., and Karen Anderson, Ph.D., write about factors that can limit hearing aid use. They present the results of a survey developed to understand which retention devices were most effective, what strategies parents recommended for keeping the hearing aids on, and what information parents learned from audiologists about steps to achieve full-time use of hearing aids. As the number of students with hearing loss enrolled in mainstream post-secondary education courses increases, new technologies are being developed to accommodate these students and create inclusive classrooms in person and online. A student who is deaf or hard of hearing must reconcile several components—such as verbal instruction, projection display, whiteboard and real-time captioning—in order to stay on top of information presented in class. Elissa Weeden and Kathryn L. Schmitz, Ph.D., Editor of AG Bell’s The Volta Review, discuss web conferencing software and its potential to create inclusive classroom experiences for students with hearing loss. The authors are about to undertake a project that will explore a solution which places all components of a class session on a single computer screen that can be viewed by students with hearing loss in real time and, most importantly, recorded for later viewing. Meredith Sugar, Esq., is the incoming president of AG Bell for the 2014-2016 term. She brings a depth of volunteer experience from state and national organizations representing hearing loss and other disabilities. She also brings a passion to

our organization and a dedication to our mission as a mother of four children, one of whom has bilateral cochlear implants. Learn more about her vision for the organization in an interview article. In this issue’s “Hear Our Voices” column, Lindsey Rentmeester, Au.D., an audiologist with hearing loss, writes about her life-changing experience of getting a cochlear implant as an adult and provides useful tips for rehabilitation and learning to access sound with this technology. For many parents, having a child with hearing loss is unanticipated, similar to a birth plan that did not unfold exactly as planned, according to “Tips for Parents” author Andrea Amestoy. A registered nurse, Amestoy is the mother of three children, two of whom have Usher syndrome. She shares tips and tools that every parent of a child with hearing loss can add to her/his toolbox. Our “Up Front on the Back Page” column features Michelle Tang, M.A./Ed.M., an itinerant teacher of the deaf who has hearing loss herself. Tang reflects on taking the risk of attending UCLA (University of California Los Angeles), a large and prestigious university, and credits this as the best decision of her life. She talks about the rewards of itinerant teaching, broadening her scope and the power of collaboration. In a new column, “Listening and Spoken Language at Your Fingertips,” we round up some great content from the AG Bell Listening and Spoken Language Knowledge Center that pertains to the themes of the issue: research, advocacy and technology. Thank you, as always, for reading. We hope that the articles in this issue will provide you with new ideas and information, prompt you to do your own research, and connect you with like-minded individuals to effect change in your community and beyond.

Kind regards,

Anna Karkovska McGlew, M.A. Editor, Volta Voices editor@agbell.org

Every child deserves the best chance to learn

Study proves effectiveness of Oticon’s advanced adaptive FM strategy, VoicePriority i ™ A recent study* by Erin Schafer, PhD, a leading expert in educational audiology and FM research, has validated the ability of VoicePriority i ™ to support hearing in background noise. Her team showed that Oticon Sensei with VoicePriority i ™ provides a significant increase in speech recognition in complex listening environments compared to traditional FM systems or a hearing instrument alone – particularly in localized noise.

Integrated into Oticon Sensei, VoicePriority i ™ automatically adjusts the gain of the incoming FM signal to optimize the signal to noise level at the child’s ear. This advanced adaptive FM strategy instantly responds to changing noise levels, ensuring consistent speech recognition wherever the child is located. And the more a child understands, the better her learning opportunities. It’s as simple as that.

*) Peer-reviewed & accepted for publication in Journal of Educational Audiology, Schafer EC, Sanders K, Bryant D, Keeney K, & Baldus N (2013) Effects of Voice Priority in FM Systems for Children with Hearing Aids.

To learn more about Sensei, VoicePriority i ™ and Dr. Schafer’s study, contact your Hearing Care Professional or visit oticonusa.com/children

VOICES CONTRIBUTORS Andrea Amestoy, R.N., author of this issue’s “Tips for Parents” column, teaches community education classes at the local hospital in Boise, Idaho. She has worked as a pediatric and neonatal intensive care unit nurse, and received her degrees in nursing and health science in 2001. Amestoy started working part-time for Idaho Sound Beginnings, Idaho’s newborn hearing screening program, when her second child, Ryder, was diagnosed with a hearing loss. As a nurse with Idaho Sound Beginnings, she advances and promotes newborn hearing screening to health care professionals and connects with parents of children who need further diagnostic testing or have been diagnosed with a hearing loss. Karen Anderson, Ph.D., co-author of “Hearing Aid Retention for Infants and Young Children,” has been an audiologist for over 30 years, specializing in educational audiology, identification and intervention of infants with hearing loss, serving students who are hard of hearing and classroom acoustics. Anderson is the author or co-author of numerous test instruments, articles and materials for school staff or parents, and has presented widely on these topics. She is a past president of the Educational Audiology Association and the Washington Speech and Hearing Association. She is currently the director of Supporting Success for Children with Hearing Loss, which provides online resources to parents and professionals. Visit successforkidswith hearingloss.com for more information. Anderson can be reached at Karen@ successforkidswithhearingloss.com. Jane R. Madell, Ph.D., LSLS Cert. AVT, co-author of “Hearing Aid Retention for Infants and Young Children,” is an audiologist, a speechlanguage pathologist, and a certified Listening and Spoken Language Specialist (LSLS®). Her clinical and research interests include hearing in infants and children, management of severe/profound hearing loss and auditory processing disorders. She has published five VO LTA VO I CE S S EP/O C T 2014

books, numerous book chapters and articles. She writes the Hearing and Kids section of the HearingHealthMatters.com blog, available at hearinghealthmatters.org/hearingandkids. Madell presents nationally and internationally on topics related to hearing loss in children. Lindsey Rentmeester, Au.D., CCC-A, author of this issue’s “Hear Our Voices” column, currently works as a pediatric and educational audiologist at the Vanderbilt Bill Wilkerson Center and National Center for Childhood Deafness in Nashville, Tennessee, and is a doctoral student at Vanderbilt University. Rentmeester received her B.S. in 2004 from Edgewood College in Madison, Wisconsin, and her Au.D. in 2010 at Vanderbilt University. Her research interests include auditory development, auditory electrophysiology, bilateral cochlear implants, listening effort and fatigue, peer interactions, and socialization of children with hearing loss. Kathryn L. Schmitz, Ph.D., co-author of “Web Conferencing Technology: Fostering Inclusive Course Experiences for Students Who Are Deaf and Hard of Hearing,” is associate professor and associate dean for academic administration at National Technical Institute for the Deaf, a college of the Rochester Institute of Technology in Rochester, New York. She is editor of AG Bell’s peer-reviewed scholarly journal The Volta Review, two-time Elsie Bell Grosvenor scholarship recipient, former John Tracy Clinic student, and lifetime member of AG Bell’s DHHS (Deaf and Hard of Hearing Section). She holds a bachelor’s degree in English from Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, and was awarded her Ph.D. in English education by the State University of New York at Buffalo in May 2008. Her dissertation topic focused on the academic English acquisition experiences of college students who are deaf. Juliëtte Sterkens, Au.D., author of “Hearing Loop Technology: Hear in Places Where Hearing Devices Alone

Are Unable to Deliver,” holds a degree in speech, language pathology and audiometry from the Hogeschool in Hoensbroek, the Netherlands, a master’s degree in audiology from University of Wisconsin Oshkosh, and a doctor of audiology degree from Arizona School of Health Sciences in Mesa. She is the Hearing Loss Association of America’s Hearing Loop Advocate, traveling around the country to educate consumers and hearing care professionals on the benefits of hearing loop technology. Visit www.loopwisconsin. com for more information. Sterkens can be reached at jsterkens@new.rr.com. Michelle Tang, M.A./Ed.M., is a teacher of the deaf and hard of hearing in the San Francisco Unified School District. She received her master’s degree in deaf education and elementary education from Teachers College, Columbia University in New York. She graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles with a bachelor’s degree in English with minors in disability studies and global studies. In her free time, Tang enjoys traveling, hanging out with her friends, writing, watching movies, listening to music, practicing her guitar, dancing and doing yoga while thinking about her next big meal. Elissa Weeden, co-author of “Web Conferencing Technology: Fostering Inclusive Course Experiences for Students Who Are Deaf and Hard of Hearing,” is an associate professor in the Information Sciences and Technologies Department at Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) in Rochester, New York. She has taught graduate and undergraduate courses in traditional lecture format, computer laboratory settings and online to students with typical hearing and with hearing loss. She earned a B.S. in Information Technology and an M.S. in Software Development and Management from RIT, and is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Computing Technology in Education through Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

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NEWS BITES

Volta Voices Receives 2014 APEX Award The Volta Voices article “What’s New and Notable in Hearing Aids: A Friendly Guide for Parents and Hearing Aid Wearers” by Sara Neumann, Au.D., CCC-A, FAAA, and Jace Wolfe, Ph.D., CCC-A, is a 2014 APEX Award winner! The article, which appeared as a feature in the May/June 2013 issue, was selected for an Award of Excellence in the feature writing category. The APEX Awards recognize excellence in publications work by professional communicators and the 2014 competition featured nearly 2,100 entries. AG Bell Receives $75,000 Diversity Grant from the UPS Foundation Laura Johns, Grants Manager with The UPS Foundation, presented a Diversity Grant award to AG Bell on June 5, 2014, as part of its Diversity Awards program of organizations that support economic empowerment, education, inclusion and mentorship initiatives, including those that represent individuals who are deaf and hard of hearing. “AG Bell is grateful for this award in support of the Listening and Spoken Language Knowledge Center which serves as a worldwide resource for parents and children with hearing loss and the professionals that support them,” said Emilio Alonso-Mendoza, AG Bell chief executive officer. “These funds will enable AG Bell to continue to provide comprehensive information about listening and spoken language as an outcome for children who are deaf and hard of hearing and expand our Knowledge Center Spanish-language website section to provide greater outreach for families in underserved communities.” AG Bell Arts and Sciences Awards Distributed The AG Bell Arts and Sciences Committee is pleased to announce the distribution of this year’s awards. A total of $28,000 was awarded to 37 applicants from 18 U.S. states and Canada. Awards ranged from $285 to $1,700 for programs such as music and dance lessons, musical theater and performing arts classes, summer arts camps and summer programs focused on various aspects of the sciences.

AG Bell College Scholarship Awards Announced The AG Bell College Scholarship Committee is pleased to announce that scholarships—ranging from $2,500 to $10,000 and totaling $100,000—were awarded to 18 outstanding applicants. These recipients were selected through a competitive review process of 131 eligible applicants. We offer wholehearted congratulations to the award winners: • Natalia Antonova, Palo Alto, California • Gary Chang, Victoria, Texas • Julia Filloon, Tallahassee, Florida • Delanie Harrington, Poway, California • Emily Hewlings, Hatfield, Massachusetts • Robert Maggiulli, Emerson, New Jersey • Madeline McCabe, Grand Rapids, Michigan • Evan Mercer, Marietta, Georgia • Julia Miller, Ballwin, Missouri • Alana Murray, Michigan City, Indiana • Adam Schwalje, San Francisco, California • Daniel Seita, Williamstown, Pennsylvania • John Sellers, Marietta, Georgia • Ann Stringer, Cheverly, Maryland • Kyle Underwood, San Diego, California • Samantha Vinik, Millburn, New Jersey • Cassidy Walter, Otis Orchards, Washington • Veronica Zieba, Lindenhurst, New York George H. Nofer Scholarship Awards Announced The committee for the George H. Nofer Scholarship for Law and Public Policy is pleased to announce two scholarships of $2,500 each were awarded this year. AG Bell congratulates the recipients: • Jewell Nile Briggs, rising second year law student at Michigan State University College of Law in East Lansing, Michigan • Trevor N. S. Kezwer, rising second year law student at University of Windsor, Faculty of Law in Ontario, Canada

LI S TE N I N GA N DS P O K E N L A N G UAG E .O RG

COMPILED BY: ANNA KARKOVSKA MCGLEW, M.A.

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CHAPTERS

AG Bell Presents Chapter Awards at 2014 AG Bell Convention At each convention, AG Bell recognizes chapters that have shown ingenuity in making the world a better place for families and children with hearing loss, through building community, improving communications and meeting financial needs.

Chapter Special Activity Award—the New Jersey chapter also received this award for forming “Team New Jersey AG Bell” which participated in the Walk4Hearing through the Hearing Loss Association of America. This activity forged a partnership with a related organization and raised funds for scholarships for chapter members.

Chapter Education Award—the Pennsylvania Chapter hosted a Spring 2013 Conference “Connecting Families Through Listening and Spoken Language” that brought together approximately 75 families and professionals for an opportunity to network and share information with others outside their region.

Chapter Newsletter Award—the Michigan Chapter developed an annual newsletter that features a fresh design, abundance of photos, and news and announcements. The newsletter highlights the involvement of the chapter in the community and offers educational articles about hearing loss.

Chapter Public Relations and Outreach Program Award—the New Jersey Chapter was honored for their C.H.A.T.S. (Conversation, Hearing loss, Advocacy, Teeny boppers, Social) program developed in partnership with the Bergen County Special Services/Secondary Hearing Impaired Program. This outreach effort brings together students in third grade through high school and their parents for an evening of information, conversation and fun.

Chapter New Program Award—Hear Indiana worked to give all children the Gift of Sound, particularly when parents are unable to afford the full cost of hearing technology. In 2013, the program helped 11 children receive hearing technology who could not otherwise afford it through the generous support of local co-sponsor organizations and audiologists.

Members in the Media John Stanton Featured in Alma Mater Football Blog John Stanton, Esq., who serves as chair of AG Bell’s Public Affairs Council and is the 2014 recipient of AG Bell’s prestigious Honors of the Association award, was recently featured in the Green Alert Daily, a blog offering comprehensive coverage of the Dartmouth College football team. Stanton attended Dartmouth as an undergraduate and played on its football team. Visit biggreenalertblog.blogspot. com/2014/07/a-great-story.html to read the full story.

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2014 AG Bell Convention:

Advancing the Future for Individuals Who Are Deaf and Hard of Hearing By Anna Karkovska McGlew, M.A., Elizabeth Rosenzweig, M.S., CCC-SLP, LSLS Cert. AVT, Susan Boswell, M.A., CAE, and Maria Sigillito

he 2014 AG Bell Convention brought the AG Bell community together in Orlando, Florida, for four days of heartfelt connection, the latest evidence-

based knowledge in spoken language development, and pure fun under the banner of advancing listening and spoken language for individuals who are deaf and hard of hearing. Parents of children with hearing loss, individuals who are deaf and hard of hearing, and the listening and spoken language professionals that support them made magic real—celebrating successes and achievements, sharing strategies and experiences, and transforming the future of everyone’s life touched by hearing loss.

The convention offered 10 pre-convention workshops, dozens of concurrent sessions and an exhibit hall full of the latest hearing and assistive technology, publications and book signings, early intervention programs, schools and professional development programs, as well as many prizes from the always-popular exhibit hall scavenger hunt and a fundraising raffle. For the first time this year, AG Bell introduced the teen pass for high school students ages 15–17, which gave teens access to the convention educational program and other activities with specific recommendations for sessions focusing on self-esteem, advocacy and tips for professional success. In addition, AG Bell offered two teen meet-ups which brought teens with hearing loss from all over the nation in relaxed and fun environments, providing the foundation for friendship and connection.

In an inspirational opening general session, AG Bell volunteer leaders affirmed the association’s refocused mission to advance listening and spoken language for individuals who are deaf and hard of hearing. 2014 Convention Chair David Davis, Past President Donald M. Goldberg, Meredith Sugar (President, 2014–2016), and AG Bell CEO Emilio Alonso-Mendoza vigorously articulated the vision for the association’s future and the constituencies it represents. The convention program reflected the organization’s work toward a future defined in its strategic plan in which all families receive unbiased information on listening and spoken language and adequate support from Listening and Spoken Language Specialists (LSLS®), in which individuals with hearing loss live a life free of barriers and one in which the public understands that people with hearing loss can listen and talk.

The session also recognized the 50th anniversary of adults who are deaf and hard of hearing within AG Bell and formally presented the 2014 Honors of the Association award—AG Bell’s highest honor—to John Stanton, chair of AG Bell’s Public Affairs Council, who was profiled in the May/June 2014 issue of Volta Voices.

Keynote Presentation Rosalind Wiseman, the convention’s highly anticipated keynote presenter, whose work aims to help parents, educators and young people successfully navigate the social challenges of young adulthood, spoke about nurturing socially competent children through parenting and education in the school, managing the inevitability of conflict, and creating the conditions for happiness in our children. In her engaging, witty and insightful presentation, Wiseman identified four components to happiness: satisfying work or curiosity, hope of being successful, social connection and meaning beyond oneself. She framed this in the context of conflict, drama and bullying. Conflict is inevitable, and teachers and parents should be there to help children manage it. Drama is an exciting, unexpected, emotional series of events, a type of conflict where both people are actively involved and not serious or hurtful. Bullying, on the other hand, is using power or strength to make someone feel worthless by defining them as being a certain way and repeating it over and over again.

In order for adults—be it educators or parents—to create schools as environments of dignity and respect for children to develop and thrive, Wiseman noted that how we talk about conflict matters. Even well-meaning teachers may sound like they are buying into the system to a child who is bullied. When adults paint conflict with black and white strokes only, children perceive this as insensitive and unhelpful. Instead, in order to model social competence to children, adults need to truly learn to listen to children. True listening means: • Be prepared to be changed by what you hear. • Affirm feelings. Don’t voice your opinion about the truth of the story or ask a barrage of questions. • Ask if s/he is venting or wants advice. • Don’t use her/his slang. • Share your experiences without telling her/him how you would have done it. • Don’t just do something, stand there (unless it is a life-and-death situation). • If you don’t know, admit it. When children come to adults and share their experiences of conflict, they are willing to be vulnerable and are not necessarily looking for answers. By truly listening and modeling social competence parents and educators can show children that asking for help is not a weakness, but can be transformative and even life-saving. To solve problems and deal constructively with conflicts, Wiseman further

ed it : cr a ig talked about h u ey ph oto g r a ph y the SEAL steps. S is for Stop. Who is the conflict with and what is it about? When and where will you talk to the person? E is for Explain. How are you feeling, and what do you want to happen? A is for Affirm and Acknowledge. What rights do you and the other person have in the situation? Do you have a role in the conflict? We all have the right to be treated with dignity and should demand it. L is for Lock. What do you want your relationship to be? Do you want to lock in the friendship, lock it out, or take a vacation? Take your time—you may need to decide this after you speak to the person. Finally, Wiseman noted that conflict resolution and equipping children to manage it effectively is like test taking: success lies in the preparation to deal with it. And this starts with truly listening! cr

To access the article as well as additional downloadable resources from the 2014 AG Bell Convention visit ListeningandSpokenLanguage. org/2014Convention

Research Symposium: Maximizing Brain Adaptability For the past nine AG Bell conventions, attendees have had the opportunity to learn about the latest advances in speech and hearing science from experts in the field during a special three-and-a-half-hour Research Symposium sponsored by the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders at the National Institutes of Health. For the first time in convention history, the Research Symposium featured a panel of all female scientists who shared their work relating to the theme of Maximizing Brain Adaptability: Enhancing Listening for Language Development, Speech Perception, and Music Appreciation. The scientists approached the topic from different angles, giving attendees a multifaceted view of how current scientific discoveries can be applied to improve the lives of people with hearing loss.

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Pamela Souza, Ph.D., from Northwestern University, School of Communication, whose father had hearing loss, discussed the topic of improving audibility to improve speech understanding. Souza investigates how much speech must be audible for listeners with and without hearing loss to be able to understand spoken messages. The general rule of thumb is that if a hearing aid user has aided thresholds within or above the “speech banana,” conversational speech should be audible to that person. However, Souza pointed out that speaking levels tend to vary +/- 30 dB around the average, even within the same conversation. While adults with typical hearing need 50 percent audibility of the speech signal to understand 80 percent of the message, adults with hearing loss require 80 percent audibility to understand 80 percent of what is said. For children with hearing loss, the

percent audibility needed is even higher, as children have fewer years of language experience on which to draw to fill in the gaps. Souza discussed some of the “enemies” of good audibility and how adaptations in hearing aid fitting and programming can address them. In noisy and reverberant environments, various types of masking combine to greatly decrease the audibility of the speech signal. In noise, energetic masking happens when background noise overlaps in pitch and duration with speech, causing only glimpses of the message to get to the listener. Informational masking occurs when background noise does not overlap with the speech signal but draws the listener’s attention away and causes distraction. In rooms with lots of reverberation, or echo, self-masking (distortion within the speech sound) and overlap masking (residual energy overlaps following sounds), also decrease the intelligibility of the speech signal. While younger listeners with typical hearing are able to adapt to reverberation quickly, older listeners and those with hearing loss have a much more difficult time in these harsh listening environments. How can audiologists adapt hearing aid fitting to ameliorate these difficulties? Souza noted that children’s audibility needs are different than adults and that children need greater bandwidth than adults (access to a greater frequency spectrum). Listeners with typical hearing can hear through 8000 Hz, while most hearing aids only amplify through 3000–5000 Hz. This is not enough, especially for children who are learning language and how to produce speech sounds. Hearing aids that feature frequency gain response (providing more amplification at frequencies where there is greater hearing loss) and directional microphones (that can differentially amplify noise coming from behind vs. speech coming from the front of the listener), or digital noise reduction programs can also be of use. These adaptations will improve the signal the listener receives through their hearing aids, but environmental modifications (reducing noise) and assistive technology (FM or soundfield systems) can also improve audibility to enable people with hearing loss to hear and understand speech better in a variety of settings. Beverly Wright, Ph.D., from Northwestern University, School of Communication, presented on the topic of improving auditory skills through training. She discussed perceptual learning, the learning of skills in basic tasks that may later be translated into effective interventions for assisting people with hearing loss improve their auditory skills. She began her talk by explaining that perceptual abilities in all of the senses are not fixed but can be improved through practice. Her research centers around training subjects (in this case, adults with typical hearing thresholds) on basic listening tasks, such as pitch discrimination. From her studies, Wright has identified four principles of perceptual learning:

• Just do it. Learning takes practice. Training sensitizes the brain to help it determine which information is important to focus on, and which to discard. • Practice, practice, practice. The brain needs a high level of exposure to hit the threshold for learning, mastery and retention of a new skill. Practically, this translates into a need to provide children with more talk and language experience to help them hit this threshold. • Enough is enough. Too much training over the threshold does not lead to further learning gains. More research is needed to determine the optimal level of focused training needed to hit the threshold of a task. • Two wrongs make a right. Taking breaks in learning leads to regression unless those breaks are filled with passive exposure. The greatest learning occurs when active training is combined with breaks of passive exposure. In practical terms, this could be translated to mean that children will learn more language when targeted therapy sessions are combined with bathing the child in language all day long. Wright also noted that in her experiments she has contrasted auditory and visual learning, and found that if there is any competition between the two systems (for example, a subject is participating in an auditory learning task but gets visual exposure instead of passive auditory exposure during breaks), the visual system takes over almost immediately. If there is any competition between the two systems, vision will win. These findings have important implications for counseling parents on communication mode choice for their children with hearing loss, and strongly support an auditory-based approach to the development of spoken language, should that be the parents' desired communication outcome for their child. Emily Tobey, Ph.D., at the University of Texas at Dallas, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, gave a historical retrospective on hearing loss and language. Her presentation included a number of photographs and illustrations spanning Volta’s first experiments in electroacoustic stimulation, to early oral training methods, to the creation of the cochlear implant. Cochlear implant technology, which once consisted of a computer “processor” that filled the entire wall of a room, is now small enough to be worn behind the ear. Just as technology has changed, so have outcomes for children with hearing loss learning listening and spoken language. Tobey shared the results of studies tracking speech, language and listening performance of children with hearing loss over time. Her studies indicated consistently better performance across a variety of measures for children who received cochlear implants at a younger age and who were

enrolled in listening and spoken language intervention programs. Tobey stated that we begin to see physiological changes in speech output within 15 seconds of removing a cochlear implant. While it may take longer for these speech changes to become apparent to the human ear, this data provides a strong warning against feeling that “taking a break” from listening has no negative consequences for children who are learning to listen and speak. Kate Gfeller, Ph.D., at the University of Iowa, School of Music, shared her research on music enjoyment among cochlear implant recipients. Cochlear implants were originally designed with the goal of accurately conveying the speech signal to people with hearing loss. Unlike speech, music contains a far greater range of sounds, and while it is the “rule” that one person talks at a time during conversations, during music, there are often dozens of instruments and voices making sounds together. Because of this, cochlear implant (CI) users have historically reported less ability to enjoy music than to comprehend speech. Gfeller’s work, however, shows that with practice, CI users can actually improve their ability to listen to music, and the benefits of this experience may extend beyond the simple pleasure of hearing a good song. Music is a social experience with the power to evoke deep emotions and connect us to our communities and our world. For children, music presents new vocabulary, often at a slower rate and with multiple repetitions, and enables them to participate in typical early childhood experiences with their peers. The presentation included many tips for people with hearing loss on how to get the most out of a music listening experience. In Gfeller’s analysis, the most salient parts of music for people with hearing loss are the rhythm and lyrics, so choosing music with little or no backing track (such as acapella) is a good place to start the rehabilitation process. Environmental modifications, like listening to music in a quiet room, choosing optimal seating at concerts and assistive technology, such as a DAI (direct audio input) cable or even headphones, can help improve sound quality. Today, the sound

quality and performance levels achieved by cochlear implant users are such that learning to play an instrument, not just learning to enjoy music, is not out of reach for CI recipients. Gfeller recommended instruments with constant tuning, like pianos or percussion instruments, as being easiest for children with CIs to learn to play. In Gfeller’s many interviews on music enjoyment with CI recipients, she has identified a number of factors that contribute to success. She noted, though, that accuracy does not always equal enjoyment. Some CI users with good listening accuracy still do not enjoy listening to music, and others with lower accuracy like listening to music a great deal. Gfeller also noted that in her work she did not see statistically significant differences in music enjoyment between users of different CI brands and different processing strategies. Gfeller, a music therapist by training, encouraged attendees to consider music therapy intervention for children with hearing loss, but noted that a music therapist with experience in listening and spoken language is a must, and coordination between all members of the child’s team (music therapist, listening and spoken language professional, audiologist) will lead to the greatest carryover of goals. Music enjoyment is within reach of people with cochlear implants. With practice, the brain is remarkably adaptable!

Advancing Advocacy Campaigns: State Chapter Leaders Share Tips and Strategies AG Bell chapters play an important role in advocacy on many levels by working to support national initiatives, and also by being active in statewide initiatives to support individuals with hearing loss. Advocacy was a focus of the 2014 Chapter Presidents meeting at the convention, which shared strategies from two state campaigns to expand access for hearing aids. Jeanine Gleba, recipient of the AG Bell Award of Distinction for 2013, shared grassroots advocacy tips that led to the passage of the 2008 New Jersey hearing aid insurance mandate. In another presentation, Kelly Jenkins provided an overview of a current initiative to obtain hearing aid coverage in Georgia through the creation of the “Let Georgia Hear” initiative she co-founded with Sara Kogon. Jeanine Gleba was propelled to advocacy when her daughter Grace was born, and she found that her health plan would not

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cover the cost of hearing aids that her daughter needed to access sound and develop listening and spoken language. Gleba felt that early hearing detection and intervention were futile unless children could have access to the hearing technology that they need. Similarly, the motivation for Kelly Jenkins’ parent-led advocacy effort was her daughter Sloane, who is a ballerina, a gymnast, a horseback rider and a 4-year-old with bilateral hearing loss and pink hearing aids. Currently, 20 other states have passed hearing aid insurance legislation and additional states have efforts underway. It is important to note that self-insured plans are not required to comply with state insurance mandates, although Medicaid already covers the cost of children’s hearing aids. In Georgia, hearing aids are not covered by the Affordable Care Act’s Essential Health Benefits plan.

Gleba became a “mom on a mission” and launched a nine-year advocacy effort for a hearing aid mandate in New Jersey which was finally passed in 2008 and named “Grace’s Law” after her daughter. Gleba began her advocacy effort with little background knowledge about the legislative process, and encouraged those entering the advocacy arena to arm themselves with knowledge of the legislative process and an understanding of state politics. When communicating with legislators and staff members, Gleba emphasized that advocates must be accurate with facts, brief, reasonable and realistic, and above all, persuasive and passionate. In Georgia, Jenkins created a nonprofit organization for the initiative, which allowed the organization to fundraise and garner the support of allied and related organizations that represent audiology, pediatrics, hearing instrument specialists as well as women’s organizations. She encouraged advocates to be present in large numbers whenever a bill is up for a vote and to keep their cause on the radar of legislators, particularly those who are the primary sponsors of the bill who need to champion the cause and push for passage. Both advocates emphasized the importance of networking and reaching out to those typically opposed to hearing aid insurance mandates to make a personal connection. The key to all advocacy efforts, Gleba noted, is to get the word out and keep the issue alive. A business plan/position statement can help coordinate a multifaceted effort that integrates traditional

media and online/ social media as well as nonprofit support and personal relationship building to promote passage of the legislation. Particularly effective strategies are letters to the editor of a local newspaper, social media, petitions, events and press releases. In all advocacy efforts, the two most important words that should be used frequently are “thank you” to legislators and to supporters for their efforts. Above all else, both advocates noted that advocacy efforts are guided by patience and persistence and the knowledge that while a bill may not pass in the first legislative session it is introduced, dedication over time will result in a greater likelihood of passage.

TECHNOLOGY The concurrent sessions were organized in six learning tracks: communication, educational/clinical management, living with hearing loss, professional practice, technology and learning labs. Below is a sample of some of the great information that was shared at the convention.

Harnessing Apps’ Potential In a presentation titled “Explode the App!” Lynn A. Wood, M.A., CCC-A, LSLS Cert. AVT, and Dave Sindrey, M.Cl.Sc., LSLS Cert. AVT, invited attendees to consider the potential of apps to enhance listening, auditory skill development and spoken language. Many apps are powerful, creative, captivating and visually enchanting tools that have the potential to open a universe of books, games, music and entertainment for learning. With intentional planning and thoughtful guidance, apps can stimulate a child’s brain through listening, so that learning is caught not taught. However, the presenters cautioned that many apps do not naturally provide opportunities for turn-taking and talking; back-and-forth conversation with mom, dad, siblings or peers; conversational skills such as beginning and changing topics or extended commenting; brainstorming with “popcorn” thoughts; and thinking out of the box—or the app. Further, the more time preschool children and babies spend with screens, the less time they spend interacting with their parents. Even when parents co-view, they spend less time talking to their children than when

they are engaged in other activities. In short, there is a time and a place for technology and its use must be managed. To avoid the trap of simply downloading apps and then letting the apps lead, Sindrey and Wood recommend “exploding” the apps to make them meaningful tools for listening and language development. Their criteria for good apps provide positive answers to the following questions: • Is the app engaging and motivating? • Does it teach the targeted content? • Does it facilitate meaningful exchanges with a communication partner? • Can the content be customized for its pace, repetitions, talking turns and background noise? • Does it teach functional listening skills or language following accepted treatment principles? • Can the app be a motivator or an extension for similar traditional themed activities or content to facilitate learning? The presenters offered further considerations and guiding questions for parents, numerous examples of how to explode apps, plenty of specific app recommendations, and a plethora of auditory-verbal listening and language building strategies to incorporate when using apps with their children. To access their informative and insightful presentation, visit the Listening and Spoken Language Knowledge Center at ListeningandSpokenLanguage.org/June29thHandouts and click on the Explode the App! presentation.

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Traveling and Packing with Hearing Loss In another informative and practical presentation, "Travel Tips and Emergency Preparedness," Tina Childress, M.A., CCC-A, covered traveling for people with hearing loss by plane, train and car, as well as assistive listening devices, packing, water protection, power supplies, lodging, emergency identification, and being prepared at home. Coming from the dual perspective of an audiologist and a late-deafened adult with bilateral cochlear implants, Childress’ passion to bring clear and understandable information to consumers and professionals was on display throughout her presentation. For traveling by plane, Childress offered advice on everything from making a flight reservation and creating a traveler profile, to checking in, to going through the metal detector with hearing technology, to informing the flight crew and traveling companions about hearing loss status and need for accommodations. She provided similar detailed advice for traveling by train and by car, especially if unaccompanied. Childress advises travelers with hearing loss to assume that their luggage will be lost if checked on a flight, so that they have an easier time answering the following question to themselves—What do I need to keep my hearing aid/cochlear implant going?—and pack these items in their carry-on. For cochlear implant users, these include charger (for outlet and for car), batteries, alternative power options, cables, earhooks, headpieces and a spare processor. For hearing aid users, items for the carryon include batteries, charger (if using rechargeable batteries), earmold blower and cleaning tools for wax. To access Childress’ comprehensive presentation, visit the Knowledge Center at ListeningandSpokenLanguage.org/ June28thHandouts and click on the Travel Tips and Emergency Preparedness presentation. Childress also provided her social bookmarking site, www.delicious.com/hlpuears, containing hundreds of links related to hearing loss searchable by tags and categories.

hear. If their speech is “distorted,” it is likely that the brain is receiving distorted sounds. • Interpreting audiologic test results includes estimating the child’s performance outside of the test situation and making appropriate recommendations. The presenters provided a number of important questions that audiologists, LSLS, speech-language pathologists and parents should be asking about pediatric audiologic testing. To access Madell’s and Flexer’s presentation, visit the Knowledge Center at ListeningandSpokenLanguage.org/June28thHandouts and click on the Reviewing Audiologic Test Results to Improve Management presentation. Many of the presentations are available through the Knowledge Center convention page (ListeningandSpokenLanguage. org/2014Convention). AG Bell will continue to post other highlights from the convention, including video interviews with convention attendees. Thank you to all attendees, volunteers, presenters, sponsors and exhibitors for making magic real and for advancing listening and spoken language for individuals who are deaf and hard of hearing. We look forward to seeing you in Denver, Colorado, in 2016!

Ensuring the Validity and Reliability of Audiologic Tests In “Reviewing Audiologic Test Results to Improve Management,” Jane R. Madell, Ph.D., CCC-A/SLP, LSLS Cert. AVT, and Carol Flexer, Ph.D., CCC-A, LSLS Cert. AVT, discussed what it means to have valid and reliable audiologic tests in order to maximize the quality of auditory input for children with hearing loss, so that they can achieve their best spoken language. Madell and Flexer emphasized the following main ideas: • Establish the degree of hearing loss not for its own sake, but to assist in selecting technology and planning management. • Whenever a test is used as part of a diagnostic protocol, the validity and reliability of the test are important because professionals are relying on the results of these tests to determine technological and therapeutic management. • Behavioral and electrophysiological audiologic tests are valid only if professionals are using correct test protocols and interpretation, and using tests on appropriate populations. • The whole point of technology is to get sound and spoken communication to the child’s brain. Children speak what they

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“ Thank you to all attendees, volunteers, presenters, sponsors and exhibitors for making magic real!”

HEARING LOOP TECHNOLOGY Hear in Places Where Hearing Devices Alone Are Unable to Deliver

BY JULIËTTE STERKENS, AU.D.

NEARLY 15 YEARS AGO, David Myers, a professor of psychology, attended a religious service in an 800-year-old Scottish abbey and struggled to hear the words. All he heard through his recently obtained hearing aids for his progressive hearing loss was the garbled sound of the minister’s amplified voice as it reverberated off the walls in the old stone church. Just as he was about to give up, his wife noticed a blue sign—with an illustration of a white ear, a slash mark and a “T” in the bottom right corner—indicating that the worship space offered a “hearing loop.” Myers discovered that by pressing a button and activating the telecoils on his hearing aids the words from the minister came into his ears—directly and crystal clear. Myers did not know this level of clarity and understanding was even possible. Hearing loops, common in the United Kingdom, transmit the sound that is captured by the microphone on the presenter’s lapel wirelessly to a telecoil found in hearing technology, including hearing aids and cochlear implants. A hearing loop minimizes the effects of reverberation, background noise and distance much like an FM system does in the classroom.

Hearing Loop Movement: Beginnings When Myers, who is a professor of psychology at Hope College in Holland, Michigan, returned home, he discovered that most public venues in the United States, which are required by the Americans with Disabilities Act to offer some form of accommodation, primarily provide FM assistive technology. While FM technology can overcome the deleterious effects of distance, background noise

and reverberation on speech understanding, it requires the user to pick up a handheld receiver. Myers was so thrilled to find out about a technology that only required pushing a button on his hearing aids that he installed a loop in his TV room and began advocating for hearing loops in his community. His efforts in western Michigan, with support from local hearing health care professionals, audio engineers and hearing loop installers as well as local grant funding, quickly led to the adoption of hearing loop technology in hundreds of public venues such as meeting rooms, high school auditoriums, houses of

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worship and even funeral homes in the early 2000s. Following this initial success, Myers, who by that time was joined by other ardent hearing loss advocates around the country, advocated for hearing loop technology on a national level through the use of articles in print and speaking engagements.

The Listening Bubble The ability to hear well is sometimes depicted as though the listener is the middle of a bubble. Any sound or talking that goes on inside the bubble is something that the person can hear, or catch. Children with typical hearing can catch talking at home in the same room and sometimes from another room in the house, if there is little or no background noise. By “overhearing” all kinds of conversations in the house children learn the language that surrounds them. A child with hearing loss will have a smaller listening bubble than a child with typical hearing. It may be only a few inches from their ears or a number of feet away. While hearing aids and cochlear implants will help most children have a bigger “listening bubble” to catch language more easily, hearing aids and sound processors do not generally restore the bubble to a range experienced by listeners with typical hearing. To what extent your child’s hearing bubble is increased or improved with the use of hearing devices varies depending on their hearing thresholds and type of hearing loss. However, just because a sound is heard by the listener does not guarantee that it is understood. Researchers have found that the speech signals need to be 15 dB to 20 dB louder than the background noise for speech to be intelligible. Audiologists call this a signal-tonoise ratio (SNR) of +15 or +20 dB. Hearing aids can provide this increased audibility as long as there is no distracting background noise and the speaker is in the listening bubble range. For example, a parent can improve the SNR by always trying to talk close to the child, face-to-face, and by clearly articulating one’s speech, and raising their voice slightly when not directly talking to the child. This can increase the likelihood that what the child hears is also understood and may allow the child to “overhear” speech to benefit his/her overall language and speech development. Most hearing aid and cochlear implant users require more than a volume increase to improve comprehension. This is because the hearing loss often makes it difficult for the brain to process incomplete speech signals and/or because the users’ listening bubble simply doesn’t reach far enough. And remember, even people with typical hearing report difficulty understanding the words when people speak at a fast pace, with accents, or in places where there is background noise or distance involved. While late-deafened adults—who possess a large vocabulary and the ability to fill in the words they did not hear—can sometimes manage by using extra listening effort, this

Seventh-grader Jakob Cherek, who has hearing loss, poses with the hearing loop sign in the auditorium of the John Muir Middle School. credit: daily herald media, wausau, wisconsin

is not the case for children still in the process of developing language. Researchers consistently report that even with appropriately fitted amplification children struggle in classrooms and other public places (Crandell & Smaldino, 2000; Glasberg & Moore, 1989). Children with hearing loss have less listening experience than adults and therefore do not have the vocabulary to fill in the gaps of what they did not hear, which affects their comprehension.

Hearing Loop Mechanism: Why It Works The hearing loop transmits the audio, through magnetic energy, directly to the telecoil in a hearing aid or cochlear implant sound processor. The loop can be one simple loop of wire (or an array of looped wires) which surrounds a seated area, a meeting room, the back seat of a taxi cab or a check-out counter. The listener in a loop hears the speech signal at a much improved signalto-noise ratio, which reduces the work the brain of the listener must do in order to comprehend the speech. The telecoil in the hearing aid or cochlear implant receives the sound without any background noise, reverberation or distortion. To hear the signal from the public address system (the TV or the microphone) wirelessly in a hearing aid or cochlear implant, the hearing device must be equipped with an activated telecoil (also known as T-coil or telephone switch). Fortunately, all cochlear implants and most behind-the-ear hearing devices recommended for children offer the telecoil option. A hearing loop is essentially “hassle-free”—the hearing devices process the sound adjusted for the individual’s hearing loss so it is heard as intended, and the user’s hearing aids and cochlear implants become the user’s assistive listening device. In order to hear in a loop, the telecoil or “T” program in the hearing aid or cochlear implant needs to be activated. If the

MY DAUGHTER IS LYING ON MY LAP RIGHT NOW. WE ARE WATCHING “CUPCAKE WARS.” IN OUR “PRE-LOOP” DAYS, SHE SAT APART FROM US ALL, ABOUT TWO FEET IN FRONT OF THE TV, SO THAT SHE COULD HEAR BETTER. IT’S SO MUCH BETTER WITH HER ON MY LAP! VO LTA VO I CE S S EP/O C T 2014

hearing device is set to “T,” the device’s microphone is turned off—this means that your child would only hear the signals coming through the loop. In order to hear environmental sounds as well as the signal coming through the loop, such as TV signals, ask your audiologist to program a microphone plus telecoil or “M+T” setting, rather than a T-coil only setting. This will facilitate conversation with your child as he or she listens to TV through the loop.

Hearing Loops and Speech Development It is important to realize that users of hearing technology report difficulty hearing in public places—no matter how well their devices work in quiet listening environments. This was confirmed by recent surveys among nearly 800 adult hearing aid and cochlear implant users (data to be published). Users were asked to rate their ability to understand speech in public places (Figure 1) on a scale of 1 to 10 (where 1 indicated “I heard nothing” and 10 indicated “I heard every word”). Hearing aid and cochlear implant users rated their subjective ability to hear with their hearing devices at an average of 4.90 (Figure 2). While listening in the loop, respondents rated their ability to hear at an average of 8.46 (Figure 3). Further, survey respondents, whose hearing losses were mostly in the moderate to profound range, expressed a distinct preference for hearing loop technology. Because hearing loops provide the same SNR signals as the FM systems, which have been shown to maximize a student’s hearing and learning abilities for success in the classroom, they provide the same benefits for your youngster in public places and venues where personal FM systems are not easily used. Jill Villnow, a mother who installed a hearing loop in the TV room for her daughter who is deaf in one ear and has a mild hearing loss in the other, wrote me following their successful home hearing loop installation: “My daughter is lying on my lap right now. We are watching “Cupcake Wars.” In our “pre-loop” days, she sat apart from us all, about two feet in front of the TV, so that she could hear better. It’s so much better with her on my lap!”

FIGURE 1: T hink back to a venue where

N = 862

you used a hearing loop

213

House of Worship 168

Theater/Auditorium 79

Home Conference Room

207

Courtroom 3 Drive-through

Airport/Train Station

Other

186 0

100

150

200

250

Other: U sing a neckloop on computer, (cell)phone or with a Pocketalker in the car

FIGURE 2: On a scale of 1 to 10 rate your ability to hear in the

venue using your hearing devices only (no telecoil)?

1 = “I heard nothing” 10 = “I heard every word” Heard nothing 1 2 3 4 5 6

N = 786

Average = 4.90

14 percent of respondents indicated their listening experience was an 8, 9 or 10.

9 Heard every word 10 0

100

150

200

250

300

Differences Between Bluetooth and Hearing Loop Technology There is some confusion about the benefits of Bluetooth (BT) technology versus hearing loops. While BT technology can wirelessly connect hearing aids with a smartphone, iPad or TV transmitter, BT devices are not designed for settings where there is a large audience (like a theater or meeting hall), as BT devices only connect one-to-one and cannot be shared. BT technology and wireless BT clip-on microphones can benefit users in an intimate setting between two people like in a noisy restaurant or in a car; however, they currently do not have applications in larger venues (see Kirkwood, 2014).

Installing a Hearing Loop Installing a home TV loop is not difficult. If your house has a basement, the loop wire can be installed against the ceiling of the basement underneath the TV room; or it can be hidden in the TV room itself underneath the carpeting; or the wire can be looped multiple times around the legs of a sofa. A loop pillow can make installation very easy and makes the system more portable although the wire leading up to the chair can pose a tripping hazard.

FIGURE 3: On a scale of 1 to 10, rate your ability to hear in the venue using the telecoil in the loop?

1 = “I heard nothing” 10 = “I heard every word” Heard nothing 1 2 3

N = 786

Average = 8.46

4 5

Over 85 percent of respondents indicated their listening experience in the loop equaled an 8, 9 or 10.

6 7 8 9 Heard every word 10 0

100

150

200

250

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In public venues such a house of worship, school auditorium or meeting room, the loop signal has to deliver the correct magnetic signal to the telecoils in all hearing aids and cochlear implants and will most likely require professional installation to ensure that the loop meets the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) standard. The cost of a hearing loop can vary significantly. The cost is affected by the size of the venue, the amount of metal in the structure, and the difficulty of installing the loop wire where it needs to be in order to meet the IEC standard. Trained loop installers are therefore a must. For more on IEC standard 60118-4—the induction loop performance standard—visit www.ampetronic.com/Performance-Standards. Fortunately, hearing loops are becoming more common thanks to the combined efforts of consumers, hearing health care providers, and listening and spoken language professionals who are working together to make hearing access more userfriendly by installing hearing loops. You can find where hearing loops are publicly available through www.aldlocator.com and explore Myers’ website www.hearingloop.org. The Hearing Loss Association of America and the American Academy of Audiology started a collaborative public education campaign in 2010 called “Get in the Hearing Loop.” Visit hearingloss.org/content/ get-hearing-loop to learn more.

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Hearing loops help people with hearing loss stay connected because they are able to hear what is going on and participate fully in the world when watching TV, enjoying the arts or plays in theaters and auditoriums, or simply interacting with someone behind a ticket counter. Loops improve the quality of life for anyone whose life is touched with hearing loss. Let’s all work towards a greater adoption of hearing loops. Let’s loop America! REFERENCES Crandell, C., & Smaldino, J. (2000). Classroom acoustics for children with normal hearing and with hearing impairment. Language, Speech and Hearing Services in Schools, 31, 362-370. Glasberg, B. R., & Moore, B. C. (1989). Psychoacoustic abilities of subjects with unilateral and bilateral cochlear impairments and their relationship to the ability to understand speech. Scandinavian Audiology Supplement, 32, 1-25. Kirkwood, D. (2014). As hearing industry seeks a new wireless standard for hearing aids, t-coil advocates say not so fast. Hearing News Watch, May 19, 2014. Retrieved from http://hearinghealthmatters.org/hearingnewswatch/2014/ hearing-industry-seeks-new-wireless-standard-hearing-aids-t-coil-advocates-say-fast/

To access the article as well as additional downloadable resources on assistive listening technology, visit ListeningandSpokenLanguage.org/HearingLoops

Hearing Aid Retention for Infants and Young Children

BY JANE R. MADELL, PH.D., AND KAREN ANDERSON, PH.D.

credit : craig huey photography

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eeping hearing aids on infants and young

children can be a challenge. A child may take the hearing aids off or they may not stay on the childâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ears. Infants are actively finding out about their world and may remove hearing aids as part of their learning. Toddlers may remove hearing aids as part of exploring their environment and may even attempt to take them apart. Preschoolers may remove them as part of a power struggle with parents, especially when having a temper tantrum. Yet, for a child with hearing loss to succeed, it is critical that he or she wear hearing aids full time. Full-time use of hearing aids will likely make a significant difference in language development, literacy and, potentially, lifelong outcomes. Early hearing aid use is critical to take advantage of brain plasticity. If a child wears hearing aids only four hours per day, it will take him or her six years to hear what a child with typical hearing hears in one year (Stovall, 1982). Even more critical, time is of the essence. Brain development has critical periods so auditory development needs to happen early (Berlin & Weyand, 2003; Boons et al., 2012; Boothroyd, 1997; Chermak, Bellis, & Musiek, 2007; Gordon, Papsin, & Harrison, 2004; Kraus & Anderson, 2012).

Factors Limiting Hearing Aid Use Adjusting to hearing aid use can be very difficult for infants, children and their families. Putting hearing aids on a baby can be upsetting, and putting on hearing aids and taking a child out in public and to family gatherings can be difficult. Grieving parents may find it difficult to deal with comments about hearing aids from family and friends. Parents may find

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excuses to limit the use of hearing aids. As children get older, they, too, sometimes find reasons to limit hearing aid use. A number of factors can limit a childâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hearing aid use. If hearing aids do not fit comfortably on infants and young children, it may be difficult to keep them on the head. Many parents report that it is difficult to keep the aids on the head, as the outer ear may bend when a large hearing aid is worn, causing the hearing aids to fall off. Using a pediatric ear hook and short earmold tubing may help to improve the fit of the hearing aid to the head size of a young child. Both infants and older children will have problems keeping hearing aids on the head when they are active. When hearing aids flop around or fall off while the child is active, parents may feel that it is easier to remove them than to deal with continually putting them back on. However, whenever the hearing aid is off, even for a few minutes, the child is missing language, listening input and auditory brain development, which should be avoided.

The Pediatric Hearing Aid Retention Project Survey Because full-time hearing aid use is always the goal for a child with hearing loss, and because so many parents report that hearing aid retention is a significant challenge, we developed the Pediatric Hearing Aid Retention Project Survey in an effort to explore this problem further. The survey was sent via email to parent groups and by mail to individuals who were members of the American Academy of Audiology and who identified themselves as pediatric audiologists. We sought information about which retention devices were most effective, what strategies parents recommended for keeping the hearing aids on, and what information parents learned from audiologists about steps to achieve full-time use of hearing aids. The survey received responses from 286 parents and 101 audiologists. All respondents were asked to rate each product on effectiveness, child safety, durability and ease of use. Parents were asked questions about keeping the device on and working, and audiologists were asked about the level of compliance by families.

Survey Results and Implications Table 1 shows responses provided by parents. Table 2 shows responses provided by audiologists. The results of the survey clearly illustrate that, although different families preferred different devices, as a group, the families have a significantly different view of the effectiveness and safety of the devices than do audiologists. For example, one device was rated as good by one-third of parents for effectiveness, child safety and durability, by two-thirds for ease of use, and by less than half for keeping the device on. The same device was rated as good by 75 percent of audiologists for effectiveness and child safety, by 58 percent for durability, and by 98 percent for ease of use. Several other devices had significant differences in ratings between parents and audiologists but there also were devices that received similar scores from both audiologists and parents. Ear Gear, Hannah Anderson Caps and SafeNSound received the best ratings by both parents and audiologists. Critter Clips and Phonak Junior Kidz Clips received high scores from audiologists but not parents. The difference in parent and audiologist ratings is significant and may indicate that audiologists are not communicating with parents about this issue or that audiologists are overestimating the effectiveness of retention accessories that are most easily available to them. Further, audiologists may not be aware of the problems parents experience with hearing aid retention devices. As a result, audiologists may be making

TABLE 1: PARENT RATINGS OF HEARING AID RETENTION ACCESSORIES/STRATEGIES Based on the results of the Children’s Hearing Aid Retention Survey completed by 286 parents (Anderson & Madell, 2014). Retention Accessory

Effectiveness

Child Safety

Durability

Ease of Use

Keeps Aids on & Working

Average of All Areas

Ear Gear

Cap

Safe-N-Sound

Wig / Toupee Tape

Oto / Critter Clips

Headbands

Parents were asked to rate each accessory as excellent, good, fair, poor or don’t know. Scores were combined to report parents' opinion of the accessory in each category with 1 indicating most preferred.

recommendations without real practical information to draw upon. We were concerned about the number of parents who reported never having heard of some of the hearing aid retention accessories. It ranged from 57 parents having never heard of one device to 159 parents having never heard of another. Of 101 audiologist respondents, the range of those who had not heard of specific devices was 23 to 54.

Tips for Audiologists If parents are having a problem keeping hearing aids on a child, it would be critical to provide them with information about all of the available hearing aid retention accessories. Audiologists need to assume the responsibility of supplying this information to parents. If you are an audiologist, make sure to check with the parents to determine if they are experiencing problems with

hearing aid retention for their child with hearing loss. Upon the child’s initial visit to your office, parents should be told that there are accessories available to assist in retention and be given specific information to assist in selecting the appropriate product that will work for their child. By collecting accurate information and working as a team, it should be possible to find appropriate retention accessories to keep children “on the air” in order to

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TABLE 2: AUDIOLOGIST RATINGS OF HEARING AID RETENTION ACCESSORIES/STRATEGIES Based on the results of the Children’s Hearing Aid Retention Survey completed by 101 audiologists (Anderson & Madell, 2014). Retention Accessory

Effectiveness

Child Safety

Durability

Ease of Use

Keeps Aids on & Working

Average of All Areas

Ear Gear

Cap

Safe-N-Sound

Wig / Toupee Tape

Oto / Critter Clips

Headbands

Audiologists were asked to rate each accessory as excellent, good, fair, poor or don’t know. Scores were combined to report audiologists' opinion of the accessory in each category with 1 indicating most preferred.

facilitate listening, spoken language development and age-appropriate learning. As a start, visit our websites to download the Children’s Hearing Aid Retention Strategies brochure at no charge from successforkidswithhearingloss.com/ hearing-aids-on and www.JaneMadell. com. Audiology clinics are encouraged to print ready-made brochures for families using this information.

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REFERENCES Anderson, K., & Madell, J. (2014). Improving hearing and hearing aid retention for infants and young children. Hearing Review, 21(2), 16-20. Available at www. hearingreview.com/2014/03/improving-hearing-hearingaid-retention-infants-young-children/ Berlin, C. I., & Weyand, T. G. (2003). The brain and sensory plasticity: Language acquisition and hearing. Clifton Park, NY: Thomson Delmar Learning. Boons, T., Brokx, J. P., Dhooge, I., Frijns, J. H., Peeraer, L., Vermeulen, A., Wouters, J., & van Wieringen, A. (2012). Predictors of spoken language development following pediatric cochlear implantation. Ear & Hearing, 33(5), 627-639.

Boothroyd, A. (1997). Auditory development of the hearing child. Scandinavian Audiology, Supplemental, 46, 9–16. Chermak, G. D., Bellis, J. B., & Musiek, F. E. (2007). Neurobiology, cognitive science, and intervention. In G. D. Chermak & F. E. Musiek (Eds.), Handbook of central auditory processing disorder: Comprehensive intervention volume II (pp. 3–28). San Diego, CA: Plural Publishing Inc. Gordon, K. A., Papsin, B. C., & Harrison, R. V. (2004). Thalamocortical activity and plasticity in children using cochlear implants. International Congress Series, 1273, 76–79. Kraus, N., & Anderson, S. (2012). Hearing matters: Hearing with our brains. The Hearing Journal, 65(9), 48. Stovall, D. (1982). Teaching speech to hearing impaired infants and children. Springfield, IL: Charles C. Thomas.

WEB CONFERENCING TECHNOLOGY Fostering Inclusive Course Experiences for Students Who Are Deaf and Hard of Hearing

By Elissa Weeden and Kathryn L. Schmitz, Ph.D.

A post-secondary education course in a mainstream setting has several components that a student who is deaf or hard of hearing must reconcile. In class, components can include the instructor, projection display, whiteboard and real-time captioning. Outside the classroom, components can include materials from the instructor, note taker generated notes and a lecture transcript generated via real-time captioning. Web conferencing software has the potential to create inclusive experiences for students with hearing loss inside and outside the classroom. Such software can place all components of a class session on a single screen viewed by students in real time and recorded for later, self-paced review. This solution may increase performance and comprehension of students who are deaf and hard of hearing in mainstream courses at the college and university level. 26

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Web conferencing software has the potential to place all components of a class session on a single computer screen that can be viewed by students with hearing loss in real time and recorded for later viewing. Educational Access Technology: The RIT/NTID Example Providing effective access is a university-wide goal at Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) in Rochester, New York, home to the National Technical Institute for the Deaf (NTID). In addition to the largest population of undergraduates who are deaf and hard of hearing on a single campus, the university also serves many other students with some form of disability, including military veterans. Given the fertile ground for inquiry and experimentation in this area, RIT has held the Effective Access Technology Conference the past two years. This year’s conference held in June presented papers on topics related to the development of technology that enables people with disabilities to participate fully in societal activities. Featured were examples of the development of hardware, software or processes that assist people with disabilities in daily living activities, the workplace, the classroom, the rehabilitation process and/or recreational activities. Universal design, needs assessment and the interaction between individuals, service providers, developers and manufacturers also play a role in the incorporation of technology to provide effective access. Also highlighted were a variety of research projects related to challenges faced by individuals with sensory, physical and/or cognitive disabilities. Our project, “Using Web Conferencing Technology to Foster Inclusive Course Experiences for Deaf Students,” explores the use of commonly available web conferencing software in ways that provide students access to course content in real time and for later viewing through a single-screen solution.

The Reality of a Mainstream Classroom for Students with Hearing Loss In a mainstream class setting, the majority of instruction and communication between an instructor with typical hearing and students who are deaf and hard of hearing is mediated through services such as real-time captioning and notes taken by a note taker (Lang, 2002). Students with hearing loss can read live captions, but when doing so, they divert their attention from what the instructor has projected or written on the board. In the case of a sign language or oral interpreter, any content not seen is missed. For real-time captioning, it is possible to look at what was previously typed, but that can cause students to fall further behind as they attempt to catch up. Also, real-time captioning cannot capture nonverbal course content such as graphs, diagrams, etc. So in addition to real-time captioning, note taking services are provided to students with hearing loss. A study by Marschark and colleagues (2005) used

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eye-tracking equipment to record where each participant’s eyes were focused and found that students who are deaf spent 63 percent of the time watching the interpreter, 22 percent of the time looking at the instructor’s projected material, and 16 percent of the time looking at the instructor. Students with hearing loss could therefore miss up to 38 percent of the information being conveyed through access services. Although not explicitly stated that the following support services were provided solely or specifically for students with hearing loss, a study, which focused broadly on students with disabilities, found that 77 percent of the institutions sampled provided classroom note takers or scribes, 25 percent provided real-time captioning, and 48 percent provided sign language interpreters/translators (Raue & Lewis, 2011). Students with hearing loss in mainstream higher education courses may have the choice between real-time captioning and sign language interpreting. Studies have shown that there is no significant difference in comprehension demonstrated on post-tests between real-time captioning and interpreting (Smith-Pethybridge, 2009; Stinson, Elliot, Kelly, & Liu, 2009). For example, a study of 20 college students who were deaf found no significant difference in content-based post-test scores when lectures were accommodated through sign language interpreting, real-time captioning or both (Smith-Pethybridge, 2009). When reviewing course material after class, there is an additional load placed on students who are deaf and hard of hearing. A student with hearing loss has several different sources of information that must be reconciled to determine what transpired during class, none of which was created directly by the student. These sources include materials provided by the instructor, notes from a note taker and a transcript from real-time captioning, if provided. Each of these sources can vary in quality, clarity and completeness. The student then must review each source, attempting to resolve the information provided with their perception of the presented content. One study examined the variations in the amount of pictorial and textual information to determine which mix yielded the highest levels of task completion with the lowest number of errors (Reynolds & Booher, 1980).

Rendering of composite screen delivery system, which uses web conferencing technology, to create an inclusive course experience for all students. credit: elissa weeden

Another compared the study habits of college students with and without hearing loss and found that both groups were similar in approaches taken and both groups were equally capable of processing the materials (Richardson, MacLeodGallinger, McKee, & Long, 2000).

Harnessing Common Technology and Creating Inclusiveness We believe web conferencing software could be harnessed to create inclusive experiences for students who are deaf and hard of hearing in mainstream higher education courses. Web conferencing software has the potential to place all components of a class session (instructor, captioning, interpreter, presentation display and whiteboard) on a single computer screen that can be viewed by students with hearing loss in real time and, most importantly, recorded for later viewing. The opportunity for students who are deaf and hard of hearing to focus on a single-screen solution, in addition to having class content captured for later self-paced review, has the potential to increase performance and comprehension in mainstream courses. The proposed treatment will also provide online access to recorded lectures and

would therefore be applicable to blended or distance learning courses. A study found that a blended learning environment had the greatest positive impact on the participants with hearing loss (Long, Vignare, Rappold, & Mallory, 2007). Another study administered a survey at the Open University in the United Kingdom involving 239 students with a hearing loss and 166 students with typical hearing. For the open-ended questions about distance learning, “being able to study at my own pace, scheduling my study time around work or family, or being able to concentrate on the material,” was a significant advantage for 67 percent of the group with hearing loss (Richardson, Long, & Foster, 2004). Based on this information, we are in the process of undertaking a semesterlong study which will offer insight into the educational potential of web conferencing software which could benefit all students.

Research Plan to Study Web Conferencing Technology This semester-long study, which we plan to undertake in the fall of 2014, will explore the use and effectiveness of a composite screen delivery system, which uses web conferencing technology, to create an inclusive course experience for all students, but specifically NTIDsupported students in mainstream courses. We will work to provide answers to a number of questions:

• How does a composite screen solution impact perceived cognitive load experienced by students in a mainstream class? • How do students in a mainstream class utilize recorded class lectures delivered through a composite screen solution? • What impact does a composite screen solution used during a mainstream class session have on student comprehension? • What impact does a composite screen solution used during a course have on student performance? The study will follow an experimental, mixed methods research approach focusing on student performance through the collection and analysis of quantitative data, but also considering the student perceptions of the treatment through qualitative data. The results of both the quantitative and qualitative portions of the study will be important considerations for members of higher education institutions to consider. The study will feature four groups of students. Two groups, one composed of students with hearing loss and the other of students with typical hearing, will use a composite screen delivery system in the selected experimental course section. The other two groups will not use this system in a different course section, selected to be the control section. Each of the four groups will include approximately 12 students. Data collected during the study will allow an examination of performance on various assessments between students that had access to the composite screen solution and those that were in the control section. In addition, the performance of students who are deaf and hard of hearing can be compared to that of students with typical hearing within and across the experimental and control course sections. An analysis of viewing logs completed by students about their out-of-class viewing habits of the recorded lectures could provide insight as to how each population may tend to utilize the resource. Focus groups will be formed with representation of participants with and without hearing loss from the course section that used the composite screen

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solution. Focus group questions will center on participants’ perceptions of their experiences in the study, allowing for shared discussion and stimulated recall for information that may not be directly gleaned from survey questions. The focus groups will be conducted at the end of the study, so that students are able to discuss their entire experience. As the number of students with hearing loss enrolled in mainstream courses increases, so must the provision of support services. Such growth makes it imperative that institutions of higher education provide inclusive course experiences so that all students have the potential to learn in today’s knowledge- and service-based economy. Our upcoming study aims to understand what is currently done to support students with hearing loss and whether harnessing existing technology can make learning and success more inclusive for everyone with and without hearing loss.

REFERENCES Lang, H. G. (2002). Higher education for deaf students: Research priorities in the new millennium. Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education, 7(4), 267-280. doi: 10.1093/‌deafed/‌7.4.267 Long, G. L., Vignare, K., Rappold, R. P., & Mallory, J. (2007). Access to communication for deaf, hard-ofhearing and ESL students in blended learning courses. The International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning, 8(3), 1-9. Retrieved from http://www.irrodl. org/‌index.php/‌irrodl/‌article/‌view/‌423/‌933 Marschark, M., Pelz, J. B., Convertino, C., Sapere, P., Arndt, M. E., & Seewagen, R. (2005). Classroom interpreting and visual information processing in mainstream education for deaf students: Live or Memorex? American Educational Research Journal, 42(4), 727-761. doi: 10.3102/‌00028312042004727 Raue, K., & Lewis, L. (2011). Students with disabilities at degree-granting postsecondary institutions (NCES 2011-018). U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office. Retrieved from http://nces.ed.gov/ pubs2011/2011018.docx Reynolds, H. N., & Booher, H. R. (1980). The effects of pictorial and verbal instructional materials on the operational performance of deaf subjects. The Journal of Special Education, 14(2), 175-187. doi: 10.1177/‌002246698001400206 Richardson, J. T., Long, G. L., & Foster, S. B. (2004). Academic engagement in students with a hearing loss in distance education. Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education, 9(1), 68-85. doi: 10.1093/‌deafed/‌enh009 Richardson, J. T., MacLeod-Gallinger, J., McKee, B. G., & Long, G. L. (2000). Approaches to studying in deaf and hearing students in higher education. Journal

of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education, 5(2), 156-173. doi: 10.1093/‌deafed/‌5.2.156 Smith-Pethybridge, V. (2009). Effects of real-time captioning and sign language interpreting on the learning of college students who are deaf or hard of hearing (Doctoral dissertation, Florida International University, Miami, FL). Retrieved from ProQuest Dissertations and Theses database. (UMI No. 3380847) Stinson, M. S., Elliot, L. B., Kelly, R. R., & Liu, Y. (2009). Deaf and hard-of-hearing students’ memory of lectures with speech-to-text and interpreting/‌note taking services. The Journal of Special Education, 43(1), 52-64. doi: 10.1177/‌0022466907313453

Listen, Talk, and Grow Preschool programs at Clarke enhance children’s listening, speech, language and pre-literacy skills while fostering their social, emotional, cognitive, and creative development.

“When I first observed a Clarke classroom, I saw immediately that the children were really involved and asking thoughtful questions. There was an emphasis not just on language, but on thinking and building confidence. I knew this would be the place for my daughter because I saw how accepting and wonderful the teachers were. I knew she would blossom at Clarke.” —Parent, Boston campus

Boston • Jacksonville • New York • Northampton • Philadelphia

At Clarke, we teach children who are deaf and hard of hearing to listen and talk.

Clarke Preschool Volta Voice Half page

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info@clarkeschools.org

MEE T MEREDITH SUGAR: PARENT, VOLUNTEER & AT TORNE Y BY SUSAN BOSWELL, M.A., CAE

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uring the 2014 AG Bell Convention,

Meredith Sugar, Esq., officially assumed the role of president of AG Bell. Through Sugar’s many roles in her life, she brings

a depth of professional experience and personal passion to the association that make her uniquely positioned to lead AG Bell forward into the future. Sugar is an associate attorney at Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP in Columbus, Ohio where she focuses her practice on business, finance and estate planning, and was named a Super

Lawyer’s " Ohio Rising Star” in 2013. Her educational background combines a bachelor’s and master's degrees in mathematics, and a law degree from The Ohio State University. VO LTA VO I CE S S EP/O C T 2014

Meredith Sugar with her son Jonah at the 2014 AG Bell Convention in Orlando, Florida. credit: craig huey photography

A personal and professional passion is volunteer service to her community and profession. Sugar actively volunteers for a wide range of statewide organizations and is the immediate past president of the board for Easter Seals Central and Southeast Ohio. She also has served on the parent advisory board of the nationwide Children’s Hospital and for the Ohio Chapter of AG Bell in addition to service on other civic and professional organizations. One role closest to her heart is as a parent. She and her husband David Sugar have four young children, including her third son Jonah who is now 8 years old and has bilateral cochlear implants. When Jonah didn’t pass his newborn screening in the hospital, Sugar began an unexpected journey—one that she says has been a gift, and one that serves as an inspiration to leadership. Following Jonah’s diagnosis and not knowing all of the options, Sugar called a local school for the deaf to inquire about programs for her son. She was told that she could enroll her three young sons in their daycare and they would be permitted to talk at lunchtime, but otherwise the program was “sounds off.” Sugar hung up the phone and cried. Trying to find information and resources, Sugar spent many nights searching the Internet. She came across AG Bell which was holding a convention that year in Pittsburgh, just three hours away from her home. At the convention, she soaked up all of the information she could and learned more about hearing loss in those three days than she could have in a year of Internet

research. The information that she received led her to pursue a cochlear implant for Jonah, so that he could have access to the sounds he deserved to hear and the voices of his brothers and his parents. As president-elect, Sugar has helped guide the association through many critical initiatives, helping to craft the revised strategic plan and helping the association to draft a position statement on the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). In this interview, Sugar shares her vision for the association and critical issues for the field as well as her perspective on balancing her many roles in life.

Volta Voices: You’ve served in several other volunteer leader positions. How have these experiences prepared you for your tenure as president of AG Bell? The Ohio chapter of AG Bell gave me great insight into the grassroots and groundbreaking efforts of the national association, as chapters are in place all over the country. It taught me about the communities that we serve and showed me the impact first-hand that AG Bell has on the lives of families. As past president of Easter Seals Central Ohio, I was able to learn how to govern a board of directors and learn to serve an organization’s constituents, as well as how to follow an organization’s strategic plan. The experience provided insight into how to support an organization’s growth and evolution over time, while also appreciating the rich

The AG Bell Board of Directors at the recent 2014 AG Bell Convention in Orlando, Florida. First row from left to right: Corrine Altman, Joni Y. Alberg, Donald M. Goldberg, Teri Ouellette, Lyn Robertson, Catharine McNally and Kathleen Treni. Second row from left to right: Emilio AlonsoMendoza, Evan Brunell, Ted Meyer, Meredith Sugar and Jonathan Berger. credit: mike anthony

history and heritage of an organization. Undoubtedly, it is a great privilege to serve AG Bell, an organization about which I’m so passionate. I am deeply honored to serve as AG Bell president for the next two years.

Volta Voices: AG Bell is at an exciting juncture in serving families and children with hearing loss as well as professionals with the development of a strategic plan and revised mission. What is your perspective on this initiative? I am thrilled about our revised mission. The AG Bell Board of Directors spent a great deal of time discussing it and I believe that the mission of the organization has been strengthened as we go beyond advocating for independence for individuals who are deaf and hard of hearing—to actually advancing listening and spoken language. The effect of this new mission will help individuals who are deaf and hard of hearing, their families and the professionals who support them as well as the general public. This new mission conveys our association’s strong desire for all to know about listening and spoken language for individuals who are deaf and hard of hearing.

Volta Voices: What are your goals for AG Bell during your tenure as president? What role do you think AG Bell can play in advancing the field of listening and spoken language? As AG Bell president, my goals are to continue—and to improve—meeting our four strategic goals of serving individuals who are deaf and hard of hearing, their families, the professionals that support them and the general public. I would like to work toward exponentially increasing the number of Listening and Spoken Language Specialists (LSLS®) through credentialing by the AG Bell Academy for Listening and Spoken Language, and to ensure a professional home for these professionals. I would like the parents of a baby born with hearing loss to know that their child can develop listening and spoken language with the support of hearing technology—and not to have to find this out by chance. I would like insurance companies to work with families to allow children to gain access to sound through two ears as early as possible in life so that children can access critical language development periods. I would like listening and spoken language—and the technology that makes it possible—to become the standard of care in the medical community, rather than the third or fourth option presented to families. I would like individuals who are deaf

and hard of hearing to feel that they have a home and a community within AG Bell, and to volunteer their time giving back to children and families through sharing their experiences and welcoming them into their network. Through advocacy and public outreach, AG Bell will continue to have a seat at the table in shaping public policy and will continue to work to shape public perception through the voices from our community.

Volta Voices: What do you consider the most important issues affecting children and adults with hearing loss, their families and professionals in the field of listening and spoken language, and how can AG Bell address those issues? Challenges to our field include the lack of professionals qualified to provide listening and spoken language services worldwide. Families are challenged by the cumbersome costs associated with hearing technology as well as battles with insurance companies to obtain appropriate technology needed for listening and spoken language. Often, families are not always provided information about listening and spoken language as an option in a timely manner and are not always informed about the outcomes of various options. The world needs to know that people who are deaf and hard of hearing can listen and speak.

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Volta Voices: AG Bell recently conducted a Family Needs Assessment which showed that while there are successes to celebrate in meeting the needs of families of children with hearing loss, many families have clear and present needs. How does your own experience as a parent of a child with hearing loss relate to the Family Needs Assessment? Many of the challenges uncovered by the Family Needs Assessment are challenges my own family faced. The year my son was born, Ohio had just four LSLS, the closest being two hours away. Even today, eight years later, we have just 13 LSLS certified professionals. It was difficult to find qualified professionals. The financial commitment for my son’s cochlear implant and speech therapy were great. At the time, our insurance covered just 21 speech sessions per year, which equated to seven weeks. We also had an insurance battle for my son to receive a cochlear implant at a young age and for him to receive bilateral cochlear implants. The Family Needs Assessment showed that many families face similar challenges.

Volta Voices: As a parent of four children, what is your perspective on balancing work and family life and the needs of a sibling with hearing loss with other children? It’s funny to me when I’m asked how I “keep all the balls in the air”—it makes me worry that I must be dropping one of them! My perspective is to breathe, breathe, breathe. The balance between priorities differs from day to day, but when a family puts their values first, the rest falls into place. When my son was a baby and we spent a great deal of time going to doctor appointments and therapy, I involved his siblings in the effort and made it a whole-family endeavor. The children were a part of therapy, and we went round-robin around the table so that my son could model his brothers. I let his siblings know how important and instrumental they would be in teaching their brother to listen and speak, and to this day I often remind them that they are the reason that Jonah talks! I make sure that my children know that they have been given tremendous

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gifts and talents and health and love, and that it is their responsibility to give back. We make community services a family activity. We make it fun! We work hard, but we find time to have fun. I try to do one-on-one activities with the kids as well. I also practice law at a law firm that greatly values community service.

Volta Voices: What are your tips and strategies as a parent of a child with hearing loss? When the cochlear implant falls off 276 times the day after activation, and you’re in tears wondering how you’ll get through, take heart: The next day it will be only 275 times, then 274, etc. The work pays off! When you call for an ENT doctor appointment, and you are told that they can give you an appointment in three months, ask to be seen that week. When insurance tells you that they will only pay for a cochlear implant in one ear, find people who can help you craft an argument for bilateral cochlear implants. In other words, don’t give up—ever. Allow yourselves the time to occasionally look at your child’s cochlear implants and possibly drop a tear that it’s them and not you who wears then, but spend a hundred times more than that marveling at what the technology does for these children.

Most importantly, tell your story and give back. Even with the limited time that many parents have, take just a minute here and there to reach out to another parent for a play date so that a parent can see firsthand how much her own child will talk two years down the road. When someone looks at your child’s cochlear implants in the grocery store and you know they’re just dying to ask but too shy to do so, start the conversation and let them know! Help us inform the public that people who are deaf and hard of hearing can listen and talk and that they thrive in every way.

Volta Voices: What inspires you? By far, my children are my biggest inspiration. I love being a mother. I strive to be a good example for them. Other parents, who “fight the good fight” in the hearing loss community inspire me with their endless energy. Adults who are deaf and hard of hearing who have worked hard to acquire listening and spoken language, and who show us every day how successful and happy they are, provide hope for our children and are a source of inspiration as well. The energy in the AG Bell community is electric and tremendously inspirational.

Family portrait at the 2014 AG Bell Convention in Orlando, Florida. credit: craig huey photography

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

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

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listeningandspokenlanguage.org

LSL KNOWLEDGE CENTER

More information ADVOCATE FOR YOUR CHILD IN THE CLASSROOM Read about how Michael Macione, Au.D., establishes a relationship with teachers to provide services for children who are deaf and hard of hearing. Learn about steps you can take to ease your child’s path into the classroom. ListeningandSpokenLanguage.org/School_Year_Advice

on technology, research and advocacy online through video

TECHNOLOGY SYSTEMS AND COMMUNITY SUPPORT Thanks to his hearing aids, FM system and support from his teachers, Andre is able to enjoy school and friends like everyone else! http://bit. ly/1oKvkBr

EMPOWER YOUR CHILD Start with the three P’s—persistence, patience and positive attitude—when you assist your child on her/his road to listening and spoken language. Use this list of behaviors to keep you both engaged with the process. ListeningandSpokenLanguage.org/ Empowering_Your_Child

HEARING AID CHECK Daily hearing aid checks are important as your child is learning to hear and develop speech and language. Troubleshoot problems with this video at http://bit.ly/1vDkOjf

#AGBELL2014 RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM Continue the discussion about the Research Symposium presented at the 2014 AG Bell Convention. Download the presenters’ presentations, and the Symposium booklet for more information on Maximizing Brain Adaptability. ListeningandSpokenLanguage.org/ResearchSymposium2014

WHAT COCHLEAR IMPLANTS CAN DO The technology behind cochlear implants within the last 20 years resulted in children reaching amazing heights in listening and spoken language. http://bit.ly/1oH5592

LET’S KEEP THE CONVERSATION GOING:

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TIPS FOR PARENTS

Just Breathe: Tips for Parents from a Mother and a Registered Nurse BY ANDREA AMESTOY

As a registered nurse who teaches childbirth preparation classes in Idaho, I discuss the importance of various skills to help manage labor. These include massage, breathing, aromatherapy, breathing, self-affirmations, heat and cold applications, breathing, music, partner support, and breathing. You may have noticed I mentioned “breathing” a few times. Very important! Labor, like the impending child one is going to deliver, is unpredictable at best. Labor can be approached with the best laid out birth plan explicitly stating what your wishes and desires are. However, plans are not always rooted in reality and one can end up with an emergency cesarean section which is not what one planned, anticipated or expected. Much the same can be said of having a child with hearing loss. Like a birth plan that did not happen exactly as planned, for the majority of parents, having a child with hearing loss can initially be a shock and not what one anticipated at all. All the tools you knew of and brought with you to assist in birth and raising a child without a hearing loss get tossed out. A new toolkit is needed to change with the ever-changing demands that both labor and raising a child with hearing loss demand. With every birth, the goal is a healthy child, no matter what route it took to get there. When parents choose a listening and spoken language outcome for their child as the ultimate goal, there are fortunately many tools to get there! When my first child was born and passed his hearing screen at birth, I remember wondering how odd it was that they even tested hearing. “Of course he would pass his hearing screen. Why wouldn’t he?” passed through my schema at the time. When my second child, who weighed 10 pounds at birth and referred

on his hearing screen, I was a bit concerned but chalked it up to fluid in his ears. Four weeks later at his audiologist appointment, I experienced the devastation of being told he had a bilateral moderate to severe sensorineural hearing loss and would need hearing aids. Having worked as a pediatric nurse and neonatal intensive care unit nurse, this was not on my radar. I had never taken care of a child with hearing loss and didn’t learn about the newborn hearing screening program as it wasn’t around when I was in nursing school. Thinking I had erroneously done something that caused Ryder’s hearing loss, I berated myself and spent a lot of energy wondering what caused it. When my Ryder, Wyatt, Andrea and Kylie Amestoy enjoying ice cream third child was born and also outside an ice cream shop in Florida. credit: mike amestoy referred on her hearing screen other parents of children with hearing at birth and was diagnosed loss. Start by asking your audiologist for with the exact same hearing loss as her local support groups. AG Bell state chapbrother, I knew it was genetic. ters, your state’s Early Hearing Detection Time helps heal everything, including and Intervention (EHDI) program and a difficult labor or a child’s unexpected your state’s Hands and Voices chapters are diagnosis of hearing loss. Depending on all wonderful places to contact in order to where you are on your journey, the tips receive further information or to talk or I am going to share below are “tools” for meet with other parents of children with your toolbox—just like various labor tools hearing loss. may have been packed into your labor bag A huge step in healing occurred for me for various times in that endeavor. when I met a mother of a 6-year-old boy Connect with Parents with cochlear implants. When I heard Who Have Been There him conversing and asking her a question Once the initial numbness, pain and shock before running off to the playground, a of the diagnosis have abated, connect with salve began to remedy my anguish. Before

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that, I wasn’t sure if my son Ryder would talk or read. Those assumptions sound ludicrous to me now, but at the time of diagnosis they were very real and very burdensome. Meeting other parents assuaged me in my fears and refocused my energy into a positive direction. While you may feel lost in a turbulent sea, just like a painful contraction, there are tools available to help you navigate. I took advantage of early intervention services and that made an incredible difference in my children’s lives. They were immersed in speech therapy and visits from outreach educators from the Idaho Educational Services for the Deaf and Blind.

Genetic Testing As a nurse, I was very motivated to find out the cause of my children’s hearing loss. Just like educating yourself on the process of labor, I wanted to educate myself on what caused my children’s hearing loss—not only for my own curiosity but to advance biomedical knowledge and take advantage of any further breakthroughs, technologies or therapies that may occur. When my daughter was born in 2010, I was able to enter my family in a large study through the University of Iowa. They were developing a test that can screen all known genes that cause deafness in a single run. We found out that the cause of my children’s hearing loss was due to Usher

The following websites can provide more information on genetic testing: • Otoscope, University of Iowa: http://morl-otoscope.org •O toSeq, University of Cincinnati: http://www.cincinnatichildrens.org/ service/g/genetic-hearing-loss/default/ • OtoGenome, Harvard University: http://personalizedmedicine. partners.org/Laboratory-For-Molecular-Medicine/Tests/Hearing-Loss/ OtoGenome.aspx

Some Words on Usher Syndrome Although a diagnosis of Usher syndrome may initially seem hopeless, there is a lot that can be done. I make sure my children eat a healthy diet, wear sunglasses and visors outside, and have connected with the Usher Syndrome Coalition. http:// www.usher-syndrome.org. I recently attended a conference in Boston where I was able to connect with researchers and other parents from around the world. I believe the cure lies within getting genetic testing, enrolling in the Usher Syndrome Registry and connecting to other families and support groups. The quote “Chance favors the prepared mind” by Louis Pasteur reminds me of the utmost importance of getting genetically tested in order to identify the genes and be prepared to benefit from future medical technologies, treatments and breakthroughs coming down the medical pipelines in regards to Usher syndrome and progressive retinal degenerations. As a researcher mentioned at the conference: “It is easier medically to prevent retinal degeneration than to cure what is already broken.” Although vision loss is a ways down the road, I prefer to be proactive rather than reactive. I have had services in orientation and mobility and Braille from the Idaho Educational Services for the Deaf and Blind for my children. Additionally, my son Ryder attended a Braille Early Language Learners camp this summer which he thoroughly enjoyed. Our family is

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syndrome type 2c. There are different types of Usher syndrome but the one my children have causes hearing loss at birth and progressive vision loss beginning in their teen years. While this is a difficult diagnosis, I have become involved in the Usher Syndrome Coalition and have a pulse on all research involved in vision loss. I feel empowered knowing the cause of the hearing loss and having the ability to nurture nature. Without genetic testing, the average age of learning of Usher type 2 is in the person’s 20s and with Usher type 1, it is in the early to mid teens. It is imperative to know if children diagnosed with hearing loss have any other co-morbidities as often hearing loss is not the only challenge children may be facing.

Keep the Hearing Instruments On! Knowing that accessing sound and language was imperative for my children, I did everything to ensure that their hearing aids were on at all waking hours. This quickly became tricky as their pudgy little

engaged with the blind community in Boise, Idaho, and I have made some wonderful friends in this process. Getting involved on this level demystifies blindness and provides a forum for us to discuss the vernacular surrounding vision loss. I haven’t told Ryder about the diagnosis but have mentioned that it may be harder for him and his sister Kylie to see in the dark or later on to explain why we are learning about all these cool techniques to help us out right now. Ryder has a head lamp in his bedroom that I told him he could use if it got harder for him to see in the dark. I will educate him on what is developmentally appropriate for his age; as I was advised by Mark Dunning, the founder of the Usher Syndrome Coalition, “tell kids a little, a lot.” In Ryder’s accommodations at school, I have included wearing a hat and glasses at all times while outside. We have yearly exams with a retinal specialist at Oregon Health Science University in order to provide a needed natural history of Usher syndrome, track his vision and stay connected with researchers involved in Usher syndrome. Spurred on and inspired by this diagnosis, I recently commenced an educational program to get my teaching certificate in being a teacher of the blind and visually impaired. I am continually encouraged and motivated by the people I have met and want to learn everything I can in order to enrich the lives of my children and of others.

TIPS FOR PARENTS hands started yanking out the hearing aids and using them as teething toys. Just as a mother in labor may toss her partner’s hands away in frustration, so can a child with hearing aids or cochlear implants. Determined to keep them on, I used a variety of methods including wig/toupee tape to anchor the hearing aids, hearing aid retainers to keep them from getting lost, and pilot caps from Hanna Andersson to keep them from getting dirty and as another layer to keep inquisitive and busy hands distracted. While in the car, I kept age appropriate snack food available for their hands to hold and novel toys to engage with to detour them from pulling their aids out. When my children inevitably pulled their hearing aids off, I would calmly put them in and sing these words: “This is the way we hear mom’s voice, hear mom’s voice, hear mom’s voice, this is the way we hear mom’s voice so we can have some fun” to the tune of “The Mulberry Bush” song. (Check out Jane Madell’s and Karen Anderson’s article on p. 22 for more information on hearing aid retention.)

Let Your Child Hear Your Voice Just like you may have learned about the process of pregnancy and delivery from your health care practitioner, the way your child is going to learn to listen and speak is by hearing a voice he or she loves…yours! Talk to your child, sing lullabies, and read them copious amounts of books at breakfast, lunch, dinner, naptime and bedtime. Take them to the local library often for story time. I implore you to not be lackadaisical about using complex words like “prodigious,” “recalcitrant” and “imperative.” Grow your child’s vocabulary garden with a steady downpour of language and interaction. There is nothing more magical and charming than hearing an incredulous word roll off a 3-year-old’s tongue! The website www.hearingjourney.com has a section called “The Listening Room.” Dave Sindrey and Chris Barton, both speakers at the recent AG Bell Convention in Orlando (see article on p. 12), provide

amazing songs and activities to incorporate in speech therapy with your children. In addition, I learned and utilized cued speech in order to assist my children with pronunciation and accessing vital language.

Advocacy When in labor, you or your partner has to be an advocate for what the laboring mother needs. It is never too early to teach your children advocacy skills and the opportunities present themselves frequently throughout the day. When we were recently returning from the wonderful AG Bell convention in Orlando, I took advantage of being at the airport as an advocacy opportunity for my children with hearing loss. I spoke with the airline attendant at the counter and asked her how a person who is deaf or hard of hearing could access boarding and flight information in a loud environment like an air terminal. I let her know about my children’s hearing loss and asked if she would mind explaining how they could access flight information. She was excited to do this and politely told my children how they could read the TV screen in order to look up their flight times and boarding zones. This became an excellent opportunity to use spoken language to discuss how they can advocate for their needs and how certain environments are difficult for listening. In addition, the AG Bell Listening and Spoken

Language Knowledge Center website (ListeningandSpokenLanguage.org) is an absolute treasure trove for advocacy skills, parental advice, tips, explanations, education and trusted advice on everything from swim lessons to preparation for your child’s Individualized Education Program. Make sure to thoroughly peruse all of the up-to-date, articulate and comprehensive material you will find there. I completed the Parent Advocacy Training (P.A.T.) course and it was extremely beneficial. Another tool I borrowed and utilized from this incredible site was the Quick Cards for Teachers resource. I placed a photo of Ryder on five different copies and laminated them. Ryder and I then distributed them to his music, French, physical education, art and main teacher before school started.

Listening and Spoken Language Specialists Just as a mother would make sure an experienced and certified practitioner will assist in her labor, the same should be true for those working with her child with hearing loss. It is imperative to know if your child’s

Kylie Amestoy studying a book on ballet that she just got from the public library. credit: andrea amestoy Right: Ryder Amestoy celebrating his last baseball game of the season with a cupcake in May 2014. credit: andrea amestoy

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speech-language pathologist or teacher is a Listening and Spoken Language Specialist (LSLS®). While many may not be, asking these questions will urge professionals to look into this certification and will ultimately set the bar higher for our children with hearing loss.

didn’t think he would read on grade level… he does. Or have friends…he has a plethora of friends. Oftentimes one’s thoughts can be the worst enemy and we must be mindful to breathe, take one thing at a time, put things in perspective and connect with others when a situation seems overpowering.

Breathe!

Discover the Possibilities

In labor, it is vital and imperative to just breathe. There will be times during this journey that things may become overwhelming, complex and seemingly unnavigable. It is important to be prepared but to also remain in the moment….and breathe. Seven years down this path, I can honestly say that nothing my mind frighteningly envisioned when my son was diagnosed with a hearing loss ever came to fruition. I use this same logic when confronting the Usher diagnosis. I didn’t think he would talk…he does…or sing…he is like an opera with legs. I

After attending my first AG Bell convention this past June, I am going to strive to make sure my family can attend all future conventions. The AG Bell convention was educational, enlightening and empowering. I felt an instant bond to parents on the same journey. This was fortified as we learned of ways to help our children. Instead of lamenting my children’s hearing loss, I have gained new insight, wisdom and intelligence into a world I did not know existed. Every life has his or her unique blanket that is woven of distinctive experiences.

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Both exultant and melancholy threads make up the weave of any human experience. This story blanket happens to be mine. If something good can come out of it, capitalize on that. Having children with Usher syndrome has fortified my strength and stamina to continue to work hard to accelerate the lives of not only my children but to hopefully impact others in a positive way. I am doing this currently by working on my certificate to teach children who are blind or visually impaired. Remember to breathe deeply on this journey and just like that amazing baby you brought into the world, a miraculous and astounding gift is waiting to be unwrapped and delivered to you. Just like labor, a tremendous amount of work, toil, sweat and effort is involved but the rewards are infinite and breathtaking. Just remember to keep breathing…deeply.

HEAR OUR VOICES

Getting a Cochlear Implant as an Adult and Tips for Rehabilitation BY LINDSEY RENTMEESTER, Au.D.

As I write this, my cochlear implant has been activated for just over five months. You would think that, as an audiologist and as an adult who is deaf with many peers with their own cochlear implants, I would be prepared for the process of getting a cochlear implant; however, there were still many things that I was unprepared for. It was a life-changing decision that I am still coming to terms with but one with which I have no regrets. The road to getting my cochlear implant was a long one and yet when I made the decision, it happened much more quickly than I ever thought it would. For a long time, I was not considered a cochlear implant candidate because of my hearing thresholds and speech understanding with hearing aids. My hearing has been relatively stable and consistent since diagnosis with moderately severe to severe sensorineural hearing loss in my right ear and severe to profound sensorineural hearing loss in my left ear. I have worn hearing aids on both ears for most of my life, but in particular I have depended on my right ear. I would position myself in classrooms and restaurants to provide the best possible access via my right ear. If I went walking or running with a friend, I was always on the left. During my clinical training I witnessed a teenager receive a cochlear implant—she had a very similar history as me, and was reporting greater difficulty hearing especially in noisy environments. It was around this time that I really started to explore the idea. Would I consider a cochlear implant if I could get one? The answer was yes. Would my current insurance cover a cochlear implant? The answer was no. With my student health

Lindsey Rentmeester, right, running with her friend Jeanne Stoker in the 2011 Country Music Half Marathon in Nashville, Tennessee. credit: caroline stoker

insurance, I had no benefits for hearing Lindsey Rentmeester getting ready to see a evaluations, hearing aids and most research subject at the Vanderbilt Bill Wilkerson definitely not for a cochlear implant. Center in Nashville, Tennessee. credit: kate carney Over the years I became slowly aware that hearing was requiring more At this point in time it was still six work than I remembered and I felt like I months before the implementation of the was struggling more to fill in the gaps and Affordable Care Act (ACA) but as I mulled stay engaged in conversation. This was the idea about getting a cochlear implant happening even in the presence of friends I wondered if I might be able to change to that were extremely knowledgeable and a different health insurance plan where sensitive to my hearing loss. My parents my hearing loss would not be considered a commented somewhat routinely that I pre-existing condition. needed to get my hearing aids checked When the health care market place because I wasn’t responding the way they opened, I applied for comprehensive expected I could. health insurance for 2014 without fear of Last summer I experienced a sudden exclusion of coverage due to a pre-existing drop in my hearing along with vertigo. condition. I had my cochlear implant I was tested and was seen by an otolarwork-up and learned that I was, in fact, a yngologist. The visit revealed that I had candidate for a cochlear implant in my left a significant drop in hearing at a high ear and that I derived little, if any, benefit frequency in my good (right) ear and my in terms of speech understanding from my word recognition scores were getting left ear when I added it to right ear. My poorer in both ears. The doctor asked if I right ear was doing all the heavy lifting. had ever thought about getting a cochlear When it came down to it, the process implant. Still on student health insurance, of getting my cochlear implant occurred I told him that it wasn’t an option for me quickly. Right after the start of the new right now. year, under my new health insurance plan,

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my audiologist submitted paperwork to the insurance company to request authorization for the procedure. When I learned that my insurance had approved the procedure, I called to schedule an appointment for surgery. It was a Tuesday and the scheduler said, “How about Monday for surgery?” That was it—it happened so quickly that I did not really have time to think or really worry about things. After I received my cochlear implant, everyone was excited for me. Five months into accessing sound and speech through the implant, I have finally reached a place where I am getting comfortable with my implant and really happy with my progress, although it still requires a great deal of patience and work on my part. I compare hearing with a cochlear implant to training for a marathon. During the grueling training runs, you are trying to be optimistic and you are giving it your best but it is still really hard work. It is like getting asked in the middle of a training run where maybe you are struggling a little bit, with a cheerful “How’s it going?” At the end of the run, you feel a sense of achievement like you have gotten over a hurdle but, in that moment, it is hard to muster enthusiasm about how you are feeling. On the other hand, it is so helpful to have people as cheerleaders supporting you in the process. I will have completed my marathon when listening with my implant has become second nature to me. I don’t have all the answers and I am still learning what works best for me. Below are some tips that I can share from my journey so far:

Use an FM system During post-op and pre-activation: It was challenging to be without any sound coming in my left ear while I was waiting for my initial activation even though my right ear was used to doing the heavy lifting. After activation while practicing using the implant only: I first used it FM-mode only using only sound input from the FM microphone and not the implant microphone. Using an FM made me more confident to only wear the implant (without my hearing aid) when I was out and about with friends and family. Now I’ve become more confident going into different environments with just

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the implant but if I know a situation may be challenging, I utilize the FM.

Monitor and Keep Track After activation, I was getting input that was completely novel. Be prepared that things may not make sense and to be frustrating initially. Take a step back and concentrate on what you can do and figure out where your starting point is. Watch and keep track as your skills build. You need to know where you are starting to figure out what you need to develop and practice to improve. Here are some questions to consider: 1. Can I detect sound? 2. Can I tell the difference between two sounds? (i.e., pitch—low vs. high, duration—short vs. long, loudness—soft vs. loud)? 3. Can I figure out how many syllables a word is? (i.e., one, two, three) 4. Given context (with limited options), can I understand/figure out what word has been said? 5. Given context (with limited options), can I understand/figure out what sentence/phrase has been said? 6. Without context, can I figure out what has been said?

Be Prepared to Work and Think Getting a cochlear implant has been a lot of work. It remains a lot of work but I am getting more skilled in using this new way of hearing. Even though this process has required a lot of work on my part, I now have access to high frequency sounds that were not previously available to me. Hopefully there will be a point where it doesn’t require as much effort and thinking to understand but I haven’t gotten there yet.

Figure out Meaningful and Difficult Practice Activities That You Can Stick to We lead busy lives and it’s hard to find time to practice. I have a long commute so I try to use that time wisely. I listen to the radio with only my implant—either music or National Public Radio (NPR). While initially music did not sound natural, music was easier for me to listen to at first because I could pick out rhythms in the music or a chorus that repeated that I

recognized. Now I frequently recognize songs and can even sing along. With listening to NPR, I am a little less informed about what is going on in the world right now compared to pre-implant because sometimes it still sounds a little Charlie Brown “wa-wa” to me. I read the headlines in the morning or check out the recent posting for NPR on Facebook to give me context before tuning in. NPR was and still is very challenging for me to listen to but it is good practice because there are many different speakers with different accents and vocal quality. One or two days a week, I take the commuter bus to read and listen to audiobooks for my book club. I buy Kindle books that have Whispersync. Basically this means that I buy the book through Kindle and Audible. Using Whispersync, I can read visually with the Kindle, I can listen with Audible, or I can do both at the same time, and it always knows where the last place I read was no matter the mode I used. This allows me to transition easily between reading for fun and for therapy.

Ask Others for Help and Let Them Know When You Need to Practice This tip is one that I still struggle with. People are used to you communicating or performing a certain way in different environments. You have to tell people, “I need to practice with my implant and I may not respond the way that I normally do,” as well as remind them to look at you. You have to practice good communication repair strategies and be prepared to request clarifications. When I am practicing with my implant, I have to balance the tendency that I have to spend time internalizing what I heard to try to figure out what was said on my own without exercising good communication repair strategies. I also need to have patience with myself. This is actually more challenging for me than expecting it from others. Learning to listen with a cochlear implant as an adult is like marathon training—it is hard and challenging, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything. This training is giving me the tools for the marathon of life!

DIRECTORY OF SERVICES

Directory of Services

The Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing is not responsible for verifying the credentials of the service providers below. Listings do not constitute endorsements of establishments or individuals, nor do they guarantee quality.

California

Echo Center/Echo Horizon School, 3430 McManus Avenue, Culver City, CA 90232 • 310-8382442 (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 • 213-748-5481 (voice) • 800-522-4582 · PALS@JTC.org • www. jtc.org & www.youtube.com/johntracyclinic. Early detection, school readiness and parent empowerment since 1942. Worldwide Parent Distance Education and onsite comprehensive audiological, counseling and educational services for families with children ages birth-5 years old. Intensive Summer Sessions (children ages 2-5 and parents), with sibling program. Online and on-campus options for an accredited Master’s and Credential in Deaf Education. Listen and Learn, 4340 Stevens Creek Blvd., Suite 107, San Jose, CA 95129 • 408-345-4949 • Marsha A.

Haines, M.A., CED, Cert. AVT, and Sandra Hamaguchi Hocker, M.A., CED • Auditory-verbal therapy for the child and family from infancy. Services also include aural habilitation for older students and adults with cochlear implants. Extensive experience and expertise with cochlear implants, single and bilateral. Mainstream support services, school consultation and assessment for children in their neighborhood school. California NPA certified.

No Limits Speech and Language Educational Center and Theatre Program, 9801 Washington Blvd., 2nd Floor, Culver City, CA 90232 310/ 2800878, 800/ 948-7712 www.nolimitsspeaksout. org. Free individual auditory, speech and language therapy for dhh children between the ages of five-and-eighteen as well as a biweekly literacy program, computer training, weekly parent classes and a nationwide theatrical program.

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.

Connecticut

CREC Soundbridge, 123 Progress Drive, Wethersfield, CT 06109 • 860- 529-4260 (voice/ TTY) • 860-257-8500 (fax) • www.crec.org/ soundbridge (website). Dr. Elizabeth B. Cole, Program Director. Comprehensive audiological and instructional services, birth through post-secondary, public school settings. Focus on providing cuttingedge technology for optimal auditory access and listening in educational settings and at home, development of spoken language, development of self advocacy–all to support each individual’s realization of social, academic and vocational potential. Birth to Three, auditory-verbal therapy, integrated preschool, intensive day program, direct educational and consulting services in schools, educational audiology support services in all settings, cochlear implant mapping and habilitation, diagnostic assessments, and summer programs. New England Center for Hearing Rehabilitation (NECHEAR), 354 Hartford Turnpike, Hampton, CT 06247 • 860-455-1404 (voice) • 860-455-1396 (fax) • Diane Brackett. Serving infants, children and adults with all degrees of hearing loss. Speech, language, listening evaluation for children using hearing aids and cochlear implants. AuditoryVerbal therapy; Cochlear implant candidacy evaluation, pre- and postrehabilitation, and

creative individualized mapping. Post-implant rehabilitation for adults with cochlear implants, specializing in prelingual onset. Mainstream school support, including onsite consultation with educational team, rehabilitation planning and classroom observation. Comprehensive audiological evaluation, amplification validation and classroom listening system assessment.

Florida

Clarke Schools for Hearing and Speech/ Jacksonville, 9803 Old St. Augustine Road, Suite 7, Jacksonville, FL 32257 • 904-880-9001 • info@ clarkeschools.org • www.clarkeschools.org. Alisa Demico, MS, CCC-SLP, LSLS Cert AVT, and Cynthia Robinson, M.Ed., CED, LSLS Cert. AVEd, CoDirectors. A member of the Option Schools network, Clarke Schools for Hearing and Speech provides children who are deaf and hard of hearing with the listening, learning and spoken language skills they need to succeed. Comprehensive listening and spoken language programs prepare students for success in mainstream schools. Services include early intervention, toddler, preschool, pre-K, kindergarten, parent support, 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.

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 • EMAIL: Listen@avchears.org • WEBSITE: www. avchears.org AVC provides Auditory-Verbal Therapy that teaches children who are deaf and hard of hearing to listen and speak WITHOUT the use of sign language or lip reading. AVC provides AV therapy

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DIRECTORY OF SERVICES expertly by their Listening & Spoken Language Specialists (LSLSTM) through their two main locations in Atlanta and Macon but also virtually through teletherapy. Together, the LSLS and the parents work together to maximize each child’s listening and spoken language skills. AVC also has a full Audiology & Hearing Aid Clinic that provides diagnostic testing, dispensing and repair of hearing aids and cochlear implant mapping for adults. Additional offices: 2720 Sheraton Drive, Suite D-240, Macon, GA 31204, 478-471-0019 (voice)

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!50-5493 (fax) • 9300 Capitol Drive Wheeling, IL 60090 • AGBMS is a Montessori school educating children ages 15 months-12 who are deaf or hard of hearing or have other communicative challenges in a mainstream environment with hearing peers. Teachers of Deaf/Speech/ Language Pathologist /Reading Specialist/ Classroom Teachers emphasize language development and literacy utilizing Cued Speech. Early Intervention Services available to children under 3. AEHI, a training center for Cued Speech, assists parents, educators, or

advocates in verbal language development for children with language delays or who do not yet substantially benefit from auditory technology.

Child’s Voice School, 180 Hansen Court, Wood Dale, IL 60191 • (630) 565-8200 (voice) • (630) 5658282 (fax) • info@childsvoice.org (email) • www. childsvoice.org (website). Michele Wilkins, Ed.D., LSLS Cert. AVEd., Executive Director. A Listening and Spoken Language program for children birth to age 8. Cochlear implant (re) habilitation, audiology services and mainstream support services provided. Early intervention for birth to age three with parent-infant and toddler classes and home based services offered in Wood Dale and Chicago. (Chicago–phone (773) 516-5720; fax (773) 516-5721) Parent Support/Education classes provided. Child’s Voice is a Certified Moog Program.

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.

Massachusetts

Clarke Schools for Hearing and Speech/ Boston, 1 Whitman Road, Canton, MA 02021 • 781-821-3499 (voice) • 781-821-3904 • 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.

100 FALL 2014

WORKSHOP WEEKS

IT’S NOT YOUR GRANDMA’S TAGS!

St. Louis

Introducing CID’s new and improved TAGS* system designed to track language skills, set IEP goals, plan lessons and share progress

Monday, October 13 Tuesday, October 14

Wednesday, October 15

Thursday, October 16

Tuesday, November 4 Early Intervention for Children with Hearing Loss: A–Z Wednesday, November 5

Thursday, November 6 Preschool Observation Workshop Friday, November 7

TEACHER ASSESSMENTof GRAMMATICAL STRUCTURES

*based on the classic by Moog and Kozak

INTRODUCTORY PRICE

$35* includes new manual and forms 1, 2, 3 (5 each)

pkg. of 25 forms: $15 *regularly $45

NEW! CID WEBINARS at LEARN.CID.EDU

• Getting Your Feet Wet with TAGS • Diving In with TAGS • Audiology 101: The Basics

Curricula and course registration at learn.cid.edu 314.977.0133 dgushleff@cid.edu

VO LTA VO I CE S S EP/O C T 2014

DIRECTORY OF SERVICES Clarke Schools for Hearing and Speech has locations in Boston, Bryn Mawr, Jacksonville, New York City, Northampton and Philadelphia.

Clarke Schools for Hearing and Speech/ Northampton, 45 Round Hill Road, Northampton, MA 01060 • 413-584-3450 • 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.

Minnesota

Northeast Metro #916 Auditory/Oral Program, 1111 S. Holcombe Street, Stillwater MN 55082 • 651-351-4036 • auditory.oral@nemetro. k12.mn.us (email). The purpose of Northeast Metro 916’s Auditory/Oral Program is to provide a listening and spoken language education to

children who are deaf or hard of hearing. Services strive to instill and develop receptive (listening) and expressive (speaking) English language skills within each student. Well-trained specialists carry the principles of this program forward using supportive, necessary and recognized curriculum. The program’s philosophy is that children who are deaf or hard of hearing can learn successfully within a typical classroom environment with peers who have typical hearing. This can be achieved when they are identified at an early age, receive appropriate amplification, and participate in an spoken language-specific early intervention program. Referrals are through the local school district in which the family lives.

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

Mississippi

DuBard School for Language Disorders,

The University of Southern Mississippi, 118 College Drive #5215, Hattiesburg, MS 394060001 • 601-266-5223 (voice) • dubard@usm. edu (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 – 601-922-5530 (voice), 601-922-5534 (fax)– anne.sullivan@ magnoliaspeechschool.org–Anne Sullivan, M.Ed. Executive Director. Magnolia Speech School serves children with hearing loss and/or severe speech and language disorders. Listening and Spoken Language instruction/therapy is offered to students 0 to 12 in a home-based early intervention program (free of charge), in classroom settings and in the Hackett Bower Clinic (full educational audiological services, speech pathology and occupational

Online Professional Education for educators, parents and professionals who wish to expand their knowledge on topics related to children who are deaf and hard of hearing. • Online Seminars • Study Groups • Workshops • Education Materials Visit the Professional Education page on BoysTownHospital.org.

Consultant uditory Resource A

Network

Boys Town National Research Hospital

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DIRECTORY OF SERVICES therapy).Assessments and outpatient therapy are also offered to the community through the Clinic.

Missouri

CID–Central Institute for the Deaf, 825 S. Taylor Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63110 314-977-0132 (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 • 314692-7172 (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), Teleschool, 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.

New Jersey

HIP of Bergen County Special Services, Midland Park School District, 41 E. Center Street, Midland Park, NJ 07432. • Contact Kathleen Treni, Principal (201) 343-8982, kattre@bergen.org. An integrated, comprehensive pre-K through 6th grade auditory oral program. Services include AV Therapy, Cochlear Implant Habilitation, Parent Education and Audiology services. STARS Early Intervention for babies, 0 to 3, with Toddler and Baby and Me groups available. SOUND SOLUTIONS consulting teacher services for mainstream students in North Jersey public schools. Contact Lisa Stewart, Supervisor at 201-343-6000 ext 6511 for information about teacher of the deaf, speech and audiology services to public schools. SHIP is the state’s only 7 through 12th grade auditory oral program. CART (Computer Realtime Captioning) is provided in a supportive small high school environment and trained Social Worker is onsite to work with social skills and advocacy issues.

Summit Speech School for the HearingImpaired Child, F.M. Kirby Center is an exclusively auditory-oral/auditory-verbal school for deaf and hard of hearing children located at 705 Central Ave., New Providence, NJ 07974 • 908-508-0011 (voice/TTY) • 908-508-0012 (fax) • info@summitspeech.org (email) • www. summitspeech.org (website) • Pamela Paskowitz, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, Executive Director. Programs include Early Intervention/Parent Infant (0-3 years), Preschool (3-5 years) and Itinerant Mainstream

Support Services for children in their home districts. Speech and language, OT and PT and family support/family education services available. Pediatric audiological services are available for children birth-21 and educational audiology and consultation is available for school districts.

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

Center for Hearing and Communication, 50 Broadway, 6th Floor, New York, NY 10004 •

St. Joseph Institute for the Deaf

At St. Joseph Institute for the Deaf (SJI), we believe that children who are deaf or hard of hearing 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 audiological team help children develop spoken language. Visit us at sjid.org & ihearlearning.org for more information on our locations and services

Indianapolis

9192 Waldemar Rd. Indianpolis, IN 46268 (317) 471-8560 VO LTA VO I CE S S EP/O C T 2014

ihear Internet Therapy ihearlearning.org (636) 532-2672

St. Louis

1265 Strassner St. Louis, MO 63144 (636) 532-3211

DIRECTORY OF SERVICES 917 305-7700 (voice) • 917-305-7888 (TTY) • 917305-7999 (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 • 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.

Cleary School for the Deaf, 301 Smithtown Boulevard, Nesconset, NY 11767 • 631-588-0530 (voice) • www.clearyschool.org • Jacqueline Simms, Executive Director. Auditory Oral Programs include Parent-Infant (birth-3years) and Preschool (3-5 years). Offers Teacher of the Deaf, Speech Therapy & AV therapy. 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. These programs offer intensive speech therapy services with a goal to prepare students for life long learning. Additional services: Autism Resource, Audiological, 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). Francine Atlas Bogdanoff, Superintendent. State-supported school: Infant Toddler Program focusing on parent education and support including listening and spoken language training by a speech therapist and TOD. Certified AVEd and Audiological services onsite, integrated auditory-verbal preschool and kindergarten programs; comprehensive curriculum utilizes play, music, literacy and hands on experiences to promote listening and spoken language skills and academic standards. Speech, occupational and physical therapies, as well as counseling and Cochlear Implant MAPpings, are available onsite.

Rochester School for the Deaf, 1545 St. Paul Street, Rochester, NY 14621 • 585-544-1240 (voice/ TTY) • 866-283-8810 (videophone) • info@RSDeaf. org • www.RSDeaf.org • Harold Mowl, Jr., Ph.D., Superintendent/CEO. Serving Western and Central New York State, Rochester School for the Deaf

(RSD) is an inclusive, bilingual school where children who are deaf and hard of hearing and their families thrive. Established in 1876, RSD goes above and beyond all expectations to provide quality Pre-K through 12th grade academic programs, services and resources to ensure a satisfying and successful school experience for children with hearing loss.

St. Joseph’s School for the Deaf, 1000 Hutchinson River Pkwy., Bronx, NY 10465 • 718-828-9000 (Voice) • 718-828-1671 (TTY) • 347-479-1271 (Video Phone) • www.sjsdny. org. Debra Arles, Executive Director. SJSD has a long history of providing academically rich programs for students with hearing loss from birth to 8th grade. All students receive individual and/or small group speech therapy sessions. Individual and sound field FM systems are utilized throughout the school day. Onsite audiological services (assessments and amplification fitting/ maintenance) are available in addition to occupation and physical therapies, and counseling. Our ParentInfant Program offers individual family sessions and a weekly group session, and emphasizes language acquisition, development of spoken language and auditory skills. In addition, our vibrant, multi-lingual Parent Education program provides practical information and peer support to empower parents raising a child with hearing loss.

North Carolina

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,

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preschool language groups, Auditory-Verbal parent sessions, and distance therapy through UNC REACH. Hands-on training program for hearing-related professionals/university students.

find time tested as well as new titles covering language skill building, professional resources, and other interesting and informative publications. Visit our website to see the scope of our line.

OHIO

Pennsylvania

513-791-4326 (fax) • mainoffice@ohiovalleyvoices. org (email) • www.ohiovalleyvoices.org (website). Ohio Valley Voices’ mission is to teach children with hearing loss to listen and talk. Our primary goal is for children with hearing impairment to leave our program speaking within normal limits and reading at or above grade level. Our vision is for all children with hearing loss to have a bright future with endless possibilities. We provide early intervention, oral deaf education through 2nd grade, intensive speech/ language therapy, parent education, and support groups for families. We offer a 1:3 therapist to child ratio and complete audiology services, including daily maintenance/repairs on children’s cochlear implants and/or hearing aids.

Bryn Mawr, PA 19010 • 610-525-9600 • 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.

Ohio Valley Voices • 6642 Branch Hill-Guinea Pike, Cincinnati, OH 45140 • 513-791-1458 (voice) •

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.

OREGON

Butte Publications, Inc., P.O. Box 1329, Hillsboro, OR 97123 • 866 312-8883 • www. ButtePublications.com. Butte Publications is an educational publisher focused on the needs of deaf or hard-of-hearing students, their families, teachers and other professionals. At Butte, you’ll

ihear

online therapy

Clarke Schools for Hearing and Speech/ Pennsylvania, 455 South Roberts Road,

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,

family centered, convenient, outcomes oriented, HIPAA compliant online therapy using a computer, webcam and high speed internet connection.

ihear is changing livesare you ready?

6202 Alder Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15206 • 412-924-1012 (voice) • 412-924-1036 (fax) • www.depaulhearingandspeech.org (website) • nl@depaulhearingandspeech.org (email) • Mimi Loughead, Early Childhood Coordinator.

Weingarten Children's Center is the new name for Jean Weingarten Peninsula Oral School for the Deaf located in Redwood City, California. The new name reﬂects our expansion of services to children who are deaf and hard of hearing and their families. Our programs include:

ihearlearning.org 636.532.2672 A program by St. Joseph Institute for the Deaf VO LTA VO I CE S S EP/O C T 2014

DIRECTORY OF SERVICES DePaul School is the only school in the western Pennsylvania tri-state region that provides Listening and Spoken Language (LSL) education to children who are deaf or hard of hearing. DePaul School serves 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 (LSL) skills needed to succeed and transition to their neighborhood schools by first grade.

Tucker Maxon Oral School, 2860 SE Holgate Blvd., Portland, OR 97202.(503) 235-6551. info@ tuckermaxon.org. www.tuckermaxon.org. Glen Gilbert, Executive Director. Linda Goodwin, Principal. Founded in 1947, Tucker-Maxon is an OPTION-accredited school offering early intervention, tele-intervention, preschool, and K-5 education for deaf and hearing-impaired children with a focus on listening and speaking. On-site audiology and speech-language pathology provide cochlear implant and hearing aid assessment and assistance. Our collaborative, family-centered approach develops children’s listening and speaking abilities while supporting the family in providing a language-rich environment at home. Our small classes with an average 8:1 student-toteacher ratio and co-enrollment with typically hearing children results in improved listening and speaking skills. Art, Music and PE programs augment our focus on building communication, problem-solving and scholastic achievement.

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 (803-777-1698), Nikki Herrod-Burrows (803-777-2669), Gina Crosby-Quinatoa (803) 777-2671, and Jamy Claire Archer (803-777-1734).

Tennessee

Child Hearing Services (CHS) - University of Tennessee Health Science Center, 578 South Stadium Hall • Knoxville, TN 37996 • 865-974-5451

(voice) • 865-974-1793 (fax) • http://www.uthsc. edu/allied/asp/hsc/chs.php (website) • Eclark1@ uthsc.edu (email) • Emily Noss, M.A. CCC-SLP • CHS provides aural re/habilitation services for children who are deaf or hard of hearing ranging in age from birth-21. Group and individual treatment as well as aural/oral communication assessments, pre and post cochlear implant assessments, auditory training, adult cochlear implant training, and parent guidance are offered. The objectives of CHS are for each child to develop listening and spoken language skills commensurate with their peers. CHS is also a training program for audiology and speech-language pathology students.

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, Speech-Language Therapy, Mainstream Service. Vanderbilt Bill Wilkerson Center - National Center for Childhood Deafness and Family Communication, Medical Center East South Tower, 1215 21st Avenue South, Nashville, TN 37232-8718 • www.mc.vanderbilt.edu/ VanderbiltBillWilkersonCenter (web). Fred Bess, Ph.D., Director NCCDFC fred.h.bess@vanderbilt. edu; Michael Douglas, M.S., Principal, Mama Lere Hearing School William.m.douglas@vanderbilt.edu; Lynn Hayes, Ed.D., Director, Master’s in Education of the Deaf Program lynn.hayes@vanderbilt.edu; Anne Marie Tharpe, Ph.D., Associate Director of Education, NCCDFC anne.m.tharpe@vanderbilt.edu. The National Center for Childhood Deafness and Family Communication (NCCDFC) at the Vanderbilt Bill Wilkerson Center houses a comprehensive program of research, education, and service for infants and children (birth through 18 years) with hearing loss and their families. Early intervention services include newborn hearing screening, full range of pediatric audiology services (diagnostic services, hearing aid fittings, and cochlear implant program), infant-family training, and toddler group. The Mama Lere Hearing School provides preschool educational services for listening and spoken language development. Telepractice services, including deaf education, speech-language intervention, audiology services, and professional coaching are available. The Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences offers an innovative, highly-ranked, interdisciplinary graduate program for audiology, speech-language pathology, and deaf education students. The NCCDFC is engaged in cutting-edge, basic and applied research in the area of childhood hearing loss.

972-883-3630 • Appointments: 972-883-3630 • calliercenter@utdallas.edu (email) • www.utdallas. edu/calliercenter. For half a century, the Callier Center has been dedicated to helping children and adults with speech, language and hearing disorders connect with the world. We transform lives by providing leading-edge clinical services, conducting innovative research into new treatments and technologies, and training the next generation of caring clinical providers. Callier provides hearing services, Auditory-Verbal therapy, and speechlanguage pathology services for all ages. Audiology services include hearing evaluations, hearing aid dispensing, assistive devices, protective devices and tinnitus therapy. We are a partner of the Dallas Cochlear Implant Program, a joint enterprise among the Callier Center, UT Southwestern Medical Center and Children’s Medical Center. Callier specializes in cochlear implant evaluations and post-surgical treatment for children from birth to 18 years. Our nationally accredited Child Development Program serves children developing typically and allows for the inclusive education of children with hearing impairments.

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

Utah

Sound Beginnings at Utah State University, 2620 Old Main Hill • Logan, UT • 84322-2620 • 435-797-9235 (voice) • 435-797-7519 (fax) • www. soundbeginnings.usu.edu • Ali Devey, MA, Sound Beginnings Program Coordinator, ali.devey@usu. edu • Kristina Blaiser, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, kristina. blaiser@usu.edu • Listening and Spoken Language Graduate Program. A comprehensive listening and spoken language program serving children with hearing loss and their families. Services include early intervention, parent training, toddler and preschool classrooms, pediatric audiology, tele-intervention and individual therapy. The Department of Communicated Disorders offers an interdisciplinary Listening and Spoken Language graduate training program in Speech-Language Pathology, Audiology, and Deaf Education. Sound Beginnings partners with the Utah School for the Deaf.

Texas

Wisconsin

Road, Dallas, TX 75235 • Main number: 214905-3000 • Appointments: 214-905-3030. Callier-Richardson Facility: 811 Synergy Park Blvd., Richardson, TX 75080 • Main number:

WI 53227 • 414-604-2200 •414-604-7200(Fax) • www.cchdwi.org • Amy Peters Lalios, M.A,. CCC-A, LSLS Cert. AVT, Director, Therapy Services. Private non-profit agency, near Milwaukee,

Callier Center for Communication Disorders/ UT Dallas, Callier - Dallas Facility: 1966 Inwood

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

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DIRECTORY OF SERVICES providing quality, state-of-the-art comprehensive therapy services to individuals, of all ages, who have hearing loss. Highly qualified professionals at CCHD include: LSLS certified practitioners; speech-language pathologists (including bilingualSpanish); audiologists; teachers of the deaf and hard of hearing; and social worker. Services include family-focused, culturally responsive individualized early intervention; parent education; auditory-verbal therapy; tele-therapy via ConnectHear Program; speech-language therapy; toddler communication groups with typically hearing peers; pre- post cochlear implant therapy for all ages; specialized instruction; consultations; professional mentoring as well as agency related programs, resources, ongoing educational and parent-to-parent events.

INTERNATIONAL Canada

Children’s Hearing and Speech Centre of British Columbia , 3575 Kaslo Street, Vancouver, British Columbia, V5M 3H4, Canada • 604-4370255 (voice) • 604-437-0260 (fax) • www. childrenshearing.ca (website) • Janet Weil, Principal and Executive Director, jweil@childrenshearing.ca. Celebrating our 50th year, our listening and spoken language clinical educational centre serves children and families from birth through Grade 12 including audiology, SLP, OT, First Words family guidance,

preschool and primary classes, itinerant services and video-conferencing/tele-therapy.

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Montreal Oral School for the Deaf,

Advanced Bionics Corporation.....................Inside Front Cover, 1

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). Parentinfant 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.

Auditory-Verbal Center, Inc..................................................................46

England

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

LIST OF ADVERTISERS

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• Further our mission to Advance Listening and Spoken Language for Individuals Who Are Deaf and Hard of Hearing at diagnosis and transitions throughout life. • Help families, students and young adults through our scholarship programs. • Provide culturally relevant and sensitive materials for families and children. • Increase access to professionals who hold the Listening and Spoken Language Specialist (LSLS®) certification.

HOW IT WORKS You determine the amount and frequency of your donation. • We will charge your gift to your credit card at the predetermined interval (charges are made on or around the same date each period). • We will send you an e-mail confirming the charge. • Your gift will automatically renew each year. • You can increase, decrease or suspend your gift at any time by contacting AG Bell. • We will send you an annual statement that can be used for tax purposes. It’s simple, secure and one of the best ways that you can support AG Bell.

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TANG CONTINUED FROM PAGE 52 B.A. in English, a minor in Disability Studies, and a minor in Global Studies. This was empowering for me because it allowed me to reconsider my own experiences from the vantage point of opportunity rather than struggle. By the time I graduated, I loved UCLA with a passion. The rewards of itinerant teaching are that I have the chance to get to know my students one-on-one and be part of their individual successes. One of the challenges I have faced as an itinerant teacher is knowing that my students sometimes feel self-conscious when I walk into their classrooms. I know how awkward it makes them feel because it once made me feel awkward, too. I try to make it less scary for them by showing them my hearing aid during the initial meeting. That way, they know I’m not there to intentionally make them feel different. I’m there because I want to support them. My hearing loss influences how I practice as a teacher of the deaf by making the students’ hearing losses a factor of our work together without making it the focal point. In other words, I ask them for their likes and dislikes so that I can try to incorporate them into lessons that address hearing loss and academics. In addition to asking myself what accommodations and services my students need to succeed,

Celebrating Michelle’s 24th birthday at a New York City karaoke bar with friends from Columbia University and UCLA. credit: jane kim and karaoke duet 35

I also ask myself: “Who are my kids as people?” One of the benefits of being an itinerant teacher is that I can advocate on behalf of my students and encourage them to advocate for themselves. I rarely got involved in actively making friends until after I participated in AG Bell’s Leadership Opportunities for Teens (LOFT) program. The stories and experiences of LOFT mentors showed me that someone with a hearing loss could be successful. Attending LOFT and meeting people like Ken Levinson inspired me to create my own goals and take them seriously. Programs like LOFT and No Limits for Deaf and Hard-ofHearing Children (a nonprofit organization with which I’m involved that combines speech therapy and theater) are invaluable because they give teens with hearing loss a place to hang out with other teens who are deaf and hard of hearing. Through camaraderie and banter, something changes in them— they emerge as different people.

From left to right, Kathleen Hsu, Michelle Tang and Amanda Yang at their UCLA Commencement. credit: stephanie martinez

VO LTA VO I CE S S EP/O C T 2014

Don’t be afraid to speak up! I grew up really timid and afraid to talk to people about not being able to hear. There wasn’t as much awareness about hearing loss when I was a kid, so I felt a certain level of confusion and formality from kids and adults, which made me feel selfconscious. One thing I learned is that it’s okay to express what you

thought you heard. For example, it’s okay to let people know that you heard something like, “That’s a great thong” when, in fact, they said, “That’s a great song.” It can be a funny ice-breaker for people who may not know how to approach you due to hearing loss. Even if you embarrass yourself a little, at least you’re being open about what you can hear. Don’t limit your scene. Broaden it. In improv, there’s a central concept that imbues any scene with creative potential: “Yes, and…”. The idea is that whatever zany plotline or comment gets thrown your way, you respond by accepting it with a “yes,” and transforming the scene with your own words and actions. It keeps the story going. If you respond with a negative, like a “Yes, but…” or a flat-out “No,” you limit the scene by shutting down potential opportunities. It is so important for parents, classroom teachers, administrators and teachers of the deaf to work together. Our individual work matters and our collaboration can make a difference in someone’s life. Now that I’m an educator who works with children, administrators, other teachers, and parents, I have learned to appreciate my own teachers and parents more. I realize how much my mom had to go through to help me succeed in school. She didn’t raise me alone, and it’s important that parents know there’s a community out there that’s willing and available to support them. Educators of the deaf, audiologists and communities produce results.

UP FRONT ON THE BACK PAGE Michelle Tang On being an itinerant teacher of the deaf, making the best decision of her life, and responding with “Yes, and…” INTERVIEW BY ANNA KARKOVSKA MCGLEW, M.A.

There are no limits to how much a person with hearing loss can achieve if they receive support, set their own goals and work to reach them. I wanted to work with children who are deaf and hard of hearing in mainstream education so that I could support them. Becoming a teacher of the deaf happened gradually rather than of my own volition. I attended graduate school for deaf education because I was interested in studying the space between the hearing and d/Deaf worlds. I was fascinated by the question: “If you’re not part of the hearing world or the d/Deaf world, where do you belong?” Out of this academic quest, I fell into learning about Deaf culture, schools for the d/Deaf, American Sign Language and Cued Speech. These experiences really gave me a broader perspective on deafness and solidified my goal of working with children and families. I believed that children with hearing loss in mainstream education face unique struggles as (one of) the only individuals with hearing loss. By using my personal history and professional background, I hope to help younger students who are experiencing similar or related challenges. I have a severe-to-profound sensorineural hearing loss in my left ear. I have trouble hearing high-pitched sounds like chirping birds, whistling noises, and the /s/ and /t/ and /sh/phonemes. In my right ear, I have

Bottom: On a family trip in Hawaii. From from left to right: Danny Lam, Choy Ying Fung Fok, Michelle Tang and Nina Tang. credit: michelle tang Top: Michelle Tang, left, walking across the Brooklyn Bridge in New York with her friend Liann Ishizuka. credit: michelle tang

a profound hearing loss. I can’t hear out of that ear at all, but I can feel the vibrations of sound waves if they’re powerful enough. The reason I am deaf/hard of hearing is because I was born three months premature. To access sound and speech, I use Phonak BiCROS hearing aids. Attending UCLA (University of California Los Angeles) was the best decision I have ever made in my life. Initially, I was afraid that I would fall behind at such a large and prestigious university. When my acceptance letter arrived, I couldn’t help but wonder what it would be like to seriously consider UCLA. It felt like my world opened up—that letter of acceptance gave me the confidence and validations I sought. I felt like I owed it to myself to take a risk and experience something different. That risk—although terrifying—paid off.

At UCLA, I learned that college can be as big or as small as you want. UCLA’s Office for Students with Disabilities became my “go-to” administration office, where everyone was very welcoming. As I got more comfortable with explaining my hearing loss in different situations such as dorms, discussion classes and student groups, school became less daunting and started to feel like a great adventure. I joined different student groups on campus because I wanted to take advantage of what the school has to offer. In my four years, I explored being president of the UCLA Disabled Students Union, a Christian fellowship, dorm life, a sorority, a theater group, an ethnic cultural student group, and studying abroad. In my studies, I learned about disability through the lens of social justice as well as health/medicine. I graduated with a CONTINUED ON PAGE 51

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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.

LI S TE N I N GA N DS P O K E N L A N G UAG E .O RG

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