Volta Voices September-October 2009 Magazine by Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing

VOICES A l e x a n d e r G r a h a m B e l l A s s o c i at i o n f o r t h e D e a f a n d Ha r d o f H e a r i n g

September/October 2009

Auditory Access in the Classroom Bergen County: A Model Program

K-12

Education W W W. AGBELL .ORG â&#x20AC;˘ VOL 16, ISSUE 5

Remembering Jim Marsters

september /october 2009 V O L U ME 1 6 ISS U E 5

VOICES V

Features Auditory Access in the Classroom

2 6 40 52

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

By Carol Flexer, Ph.D., LSLS Cert. AVT, and John Rollow, B.S.

This article discusses the importance of acoustical accessibility in the classroom, especially for children with hearing loss who use listening and spoken language.

Departments

Acoustical Retrofitting for Learning Spaces

Voices from AG Bell 3 | Cutting-Edge Programs Expand Listening and Spoken Language Opportunities

By Marcus Adrian, AIA

Bergen County – A Model Public School Listening and Spoken Language Program By Catherine Murphy

Classroom Acoustic Accessibility: A Brain-Based Perspective

In Every Issue

Appropriate auditory access in the classroom can be facilitated by the space itself. Learn tips for minimizing noise outside and inside the classroom through adaptations of the physical learning space.

Learn about one public school program that demonstrates best practices in helping children with hearing loss learn listening and spoken language in the classroom.

ENGLISH VERSION

How Students Can A.D.A.P.T. in Life By Jayna Altman and Karen Rothwell-Vivian, M.S.Ed., CCC-A, LSLS Cert. AVT

This article discusses strategies to help students adapt socially to their surroundings and to succeed in their academic and social endeavors.

VERSIÓN EN ESPAÑOL

Cómo pueden los estudiantes ADAPTarse en la vida Por Jayna Altman y Karen Rothwell-Vivian, M.S.Ed., CCC-A, LSLS Cert. AVT

En este artículo se tratan estrategias que ayudan a que los estudiantes se adapten socialmente a su entorno y tengan éxito en sus empeños académicos y sociales.

By Lois Thibault

Implementing Classroom Acoustics Standards: A Progress Report This article provides a status-update for implementing standards that will ensure proper acoustical environments in classrooms.

A Teacher’s Role in the IEP By Jessica Coriat, M.A.

Learn about the educator’s role in supporting the goals and outcomes of the Individualized Education Plan (IEP).

38 | Around the World Alex ander Graham Bell A s s o c i a t i o n f o r t h e D e a f a n d Ha r d o f H e a r i n g

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

VOICES Advocating Independence through Listening and Talking

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

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

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

Volta Voices Staff Production and Editing Manager Melody Felzien Director of Communications and Public Affairs Catherine Murphy Manager of Advertising and Exhibit Sales Garrett W. Yates Design and Layout Alix Shutello and Jake Needham EEI Communications AG Bell Board of Directors President John R. “Jay” Wyant (MN) President-Elect Kathleen S. Treni (NJ) Secretary-Treasurer Christine Anthony, M.B.A., M.E.M. (IL) Immediate Past President Karen Youdelman, Ed.D. (OH) Executive Director Alexander T. Graham (VA) Donald M. Goldberg, Ph.D. (OH) Meredith K. Knueve, Esq. (OH) Michael A. Novak, M.D. (IL) Peter S. Steyger, Ph.D. (OR)

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

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

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

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

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

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

VOICES Letters to the Editor

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

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

Volta Voices (ISSN 1074-8016) is published six times a year. Periodicals postage is paid at Washington, DC, and other additional offices. Copyright ©2009 by the Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Inc., 3417 Volta Pl., NW, Washington, DC 20007. Postmaster: Send address changes to Volta Voices, Subscription Department, 3417 Volta Pl., NW, Washington, DC 20007, 202/337-5220 (voice) or 202/337-5221 (TTY). Claims for undelivered issues must be made within 4 months of publication. Volta Voices is sent to all members of the association. Yearly individual membership dues are $50. Volta Voices comprises $30 of membership dues. Subscriptions for schools, libraries and institutions are $83 domestic and $108 international (postage included in both prices). Back issues, when available, are $7.50 plus shipping and handling. Articles published in Volta Voices do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. Acceptance of advertising by Volta Voices does not constitute endorsement of the advertiser, their products or services, nor does Volta Voices make any claims or guarantees as to the accuracy or validity of the advertisers’ offer. PUBLICATIONS MAIL AGREEMENT NO. 40624074 Return Undeliverable Canadian Addresses to: P.O. Box 503, RPO West Beaver Creek, Richmond Hill, ON L4B 4R6

VOICES FROM AG BELL

Cutting-Edge Programs Expand Listening and Spoken Language Opportunities

hen I left St. Louis following the AG Bell 2009 Listening & Spoken Language Symposium, I felt completely energized. As I watched the keynote speakers deliver their morning programs, I thought of how proud Dr. Bell would have been to have such a cuttingedge and thought-provoking program presented under his name. The impact of hearing loss on Executive Function is still being researched and measured. However, we continue to learn about

and asked Melody to help him learn to talk. After 4 1/2 years of hard work and commitment, he learned to speak. His journey is truly amazing and it reminds us all of what a wonderful gift it is to be able to listen and talk, and that with the right combination of a committed, willing individual and the help of a qualified professional, the sky’s the limit. For many, the subject matter of the Symposium was – excuse the pun – very “cerebral.” However, the program’s purpose is to bring this incredible research and knowledge to professionals

The more opportunities for clinicians and researchers to interact with therapists and educators, the more we gain out of what we are all trying to accomplish together – improved outcomes for individuals with hearing loss. the benefits of listening and spoken language on the overall development of the brain and how it leads to increased cognitive, memory and literacy skill development as well as its impact on social development. The possibilities for children and adults who are learning to listen and talk are endless. This was especially poignant during a panel presentation when Melody Harrison, Ph.D., shared a story about one of her patients. When he first came to her, he was 58 years old and had been profoundly deaf all of his life. He had recently obtained a cochlear implant VOLTA VOICES • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2009

for use in their classroom or therapeutic practices. One of AG Bell’s members, Teri Ouellette, summed it up best when she talked about the Listening & Spoken Language Symposium being akin to AG Bell’s premier 110-year-old research journal, The Volta Review. She described the Symposium as an opportunity for teachers, clinicians and other “front line” specialists to learn about the latest research and theories, often from scientists outside of the hearing health field. Not only does this experience help give educators and therapists more powerful context and additional tools in their

daily work, but they are then able to provide feedback on real-world outcomes to help researchers and clinicians design meaningful, high-impact research. The more opportunities for clinicians and researchers to interact with therapists and educators, the more we gain out of what we are all trying to accomplish together – improved outcomes for individuals with hearing loss. When applying The Volta Review as a metaphor for the Symposium, Ms. Ouellette also pointed to Volta Voices as akin to AG Bell’s biennial convention in that it provides a broader, more community-oriented forum that includes families and adults who are deaf or hard of hearing as well as professionals. When the AG Bell Board of Directors met for its quarterly meeting immediately following the Symposium, Convention Chair Dan Salvucci provided an update on the planning for the next convention. The AG Bell 2010 Biennial Convention is scheduled for June 25-28 in Orlando, Fla., at the brand-new, stateof-the-art Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek, and will again feature the popular Child & Teen Program, social and networking opportunities for parents, professionals, and deaf and hard of hearing adults, general sessions, the research symposium, vendors and exhibitors, and the added bonus of being inside the gates of Disney World. Be sure to enter the dates in your calendar and stay tuned for when you can begin to make reservations…and don’t forget to book your excursion to the theme parks, spa appointments or tee times, after the day’s sessions are over of course! Another outcome of the board meeting was to approve the appointment of two

VOICES FROM AG BELL task forces â&#x20AC;&#x201C; one for membership and one for Chapters â&#x20AC;&#x201C; to first review AG Bellâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s membership and chapter structures to make sure they are working efficiently, and then to ensure that members and Chapters are adequately supported by AG Bell national in its overall programs and services. Part of this initiative will include the introduction of membership â&#x20AC;&#x153;town hallâ&#x20AC;? forums to gather feedback from AG Bell members on how best to serve them, and engage various Shared Interest Groups (SIGs) for participation and guidance. Finally, although AG Bell is experiencing much of the same challenges as other nonprofits in the current economy, its overall financial outlook is healthy and it continues to explore new development opportunities in the way of grants and private foundation outreach. AG Bell is expanding its suite of programs to include an upcoming online seminar based on the

online community, I urge you to do so â&#x20AC;&#x201C; it is the best way to stay on top of all the exciting happenings at AG Bell. If you need help with the log in be sure to contact the AG Bell staff at info@agbell.org, or by calling (202) 337-5220/(202) 337-5221 (TTY).

recent Listening and Spoken Language Capitol Hill briefing and is planning to re-launch the Leadership Enrichment and Achievement Program (LEAP) for young adults with hearing loss and the acclaimed Parent Advocacy Training (PAT) program. Although other organizations are cutting back, we continue to expand our programs due to diligent management of the associationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s financial resources. At the July board meeting I had the pleasure of welcoming the newest member of the AG Bell Board of Directors, Meredith Knueve, Esq., a mother to a 3-year-old with bilateral implants (as well as two other boys) and an attorney at the firm of Brickler & Eckler in Columbus, Ohio. As we continue to cultivate new leaders for the national board, I encourage you to email me at jwyant@agbell.org if you have any suggestions or comments. If you have not already logged in to our

Sincerely,

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

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EDITOR’S NOTE

G Bell is pleased to offer this very special issue of Volta Voices on ways to enhance the education of children with hearing loss who use spoken language and are in grades kindergarten through 12th grade. This edition begins with a series of articles focused on the importance of classroom acoustics. According to Carol Flexer and John Rollow in “Classroom Acoustic Accessibility,” the key to spoken language instruction rests on the ability of the brain to access and process sound. They discuss the importance of providing an optimal listening environment for children in the classroom. In “Acoustical Retrofitting of Learning Spaces,” architect Marcus Adrian provides suggestions for adapting existing classrooms to minimize excess outside and inside noise. Finally, in “Implementing Classroom Acoustics Standards,” Lois Thibault discusses the status of regulating building standards to ensure that proper acoustics are achieved in new and renovated buildings and classrooms. This issue also features a model program for K-12 public education of students with hearing loss who are learning to use spoken language. In “Bergen County – A Model Public School Program,” Catherine Murphy introduces a New Jersey program that combines appropriate intervention and access with staggered levels of mainstream integration and highly qualified and trained teachers. Beyond the structure of the classroom and space, Jayna Altman and Karen Rothwell-Vivian discuss the social integration of children with hearing loss in “How Students

VOLTA VOICES • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2009

Can A.D.A.P.T. in Life.” This article provides suggestions for how to increase a student’s self-confidence and interaction with peers in the classroom as well as in social settings. In addition, Jessica Coriat discusses the important role of a teacher in achieving the goals set forth in a student’s Individualized Education Plan in “A Teacher’s Role in the IEP.” Finally in “Ring, Ring Goes the Bell,” Tiffani Hill-Patterson reviews some of the key school supplies children with hearing loss should bring when returning to school this fall. Celebrating the recently completed Leadership Opportunities for Teens (LOFT) program, Alex Graham sits down with one of the program’s facilitators, Dani Paquin, to discuss her perspective as an adult living with a hearing loss in “Conversations.” This issue of Volta Voices also introduces a brand new column by Paul Jacobs, “Psychosocial Potential Maximization.” In this and future columns, Jacobs discusses eight social themes that allow individuals who are deaf to maximize their potential. This column is complemented by an online discussion forum at www.agbell. org where readers can comment and ask questions of the author.

Finally, AG Bell remembers Dr. Jim Marsters, an AG Bell lifetime member and one of the founders of AG Bell’s Oral Deaf Adult Section (now known as the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Shared Interest Group). His contributions to communications access for individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing made him a role model for those who followed. Thank you for reading. As always, if you have a story idea or would like to submit an article for publication, please contact me at editor@agbell.org with your comments and suggestions. Best regards,

Melody Felzien Editor, Volta Voices

Photo Credit: Abelstock

K-12 Education

VOICES FROM AG BELL Voices contributors Marcus Adrian, AIA, author of “Acoustical Retrofitting of Learning Spaces,” is a principal architect at Mackey Mitchell Architects in St. Louis, Mo., and a recognized expert in the design of learning spaces for children with sensory and cognitive needs. He designed additions to Central Institute for the Deaf in St. Louis in 2000 and a new campus for Sunshine Cottage School for the Deaf in San Antonio, Texas, in 2007. He can be contacted at marcus_a@mackeymitchell.com. Jayna Altman, co-author of “How Students Can A.D.A.P.T. in Life,” has a profound hearing loss and serves as a role model and advocate. She is a graduate of the University of California, San Diego, and is pursuing a doctorate in audiology. She has served as a spokesperson for John Tracy Clinic and Central Institute for the Deaf, and is the reigning Miss International. For more information, visit www.jaynaaltman.com. Jessica Coriat, M.A., author of “A Teacher’s Role in the IEP,” is a teacher of the deaf

with Bergen County Special Services. Previously, she was an itinerant teacher of the deaf in New York City public schools. Coriat has a bachelor’s degree in elementary and special education from Buffalo State College, masters degrees in special education of the deaf from CUNY Hunter, N.Y., and in fine arts and creative writing from the New School in New York. Sarah Crum, co-author of “Around the World,” was a student intern at AG Bell. She is currently a junior at Georgetown University working toward a degree in American Musical Culture. Carol Flexer, Ph.D., LSLS Cert. AVT, co-author of “Classroom Acoustic Accessibility: A BrainBased Perspective,” is past president of the AG Bell Academy and a distinguished lecturer and audiologist specializing in pediatric and educational audiology. Dr. Flexer speaks nationally and internationally on the development and expansion of listening, speaking and literacy skills in infants and children, including those with all degrees of hearing loss. She received her doctorate in audiology from Kent State University and is a distinguished professor emeritus of audiology at the University of Akron School of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology. For more information, visit www.carolflexer.com.

Alexander T. Graham, author of “Conver sations,” is the executive director of AG Bell. He has a bachelor’s degree from Lynchburg College in Lynchburg, Va., and masters degrees in organizational effectiveness and business administration from Marymount University in Arlington, Va. His late mother had a hearing loss as a result of a childhood illness. He can be contacted at agraham@agbell.org. Paul Gordon Jacobs, Ph.D., author of “Psycho social Potential Maximi zation: Risk, Resilience and Lifestyle Strategies for Success,” works for the Institute of Social Participation at La Trobe University in Australia. Profoundly deaf since age 5, Dr. Jacobs is the author of “Neither-Nor: A Young Australian’s Experience with Deafness” (available from Gallaudet University Press). Please visit Dr. Jacobs’ blog at www.agbell.org. Catherine Murphy, author of “Bergen County – A Model Public School Listening and Spoken Language Program,” is director of communications and public affairs at AG Bell. VOLTA VOICES • SEPTE M BER/ OCTOBER 2009

Murphy received her bachelor’s degree in communications from Ohio State University. Her brother, Michael, was born profoundly deaf and recently received a cochlear implant. She can be contacted at cmurphy@agbell.org. Tiffani HillPatterson, author of “Ring, Ring Goes the Bell,” is a freelance writer, newspaper copy editor, sports enthusiast and cochlear implant awareness advocate. She graduated from the University of North Alabama in Florence, Ala., with a degree in journalism. She lives in Harvest, Ala., with her husband, Ryan, and daughter, Riley, a bilateral cochlear implant user. She can contacted at patterson1723@mac.com.

John Rollow, B.S., co-author of “Classroom Acoustic Accessibility: A BrainBased Perspective,” is president of Green Schools Plus, High Performance Schools Consultants. He has 45 years of experience as an architect and engineer for major public and industrial projects. Since 2001, Mr. Rollow has focused his time on research and advocacy for “Green” high-performance building design. Karen Rothwell-Vivian, M.S.Ed., CCC-A, LSLS Cert. AVT, co-author of “How Student Can A.D.A.P.T. in Life,” has worked with children and adults with hearing loss as an auditoryverbal therapist for 30 years. She has a bachelor’s degree in speech language

pathology and audiology and masters’ degrees in special education and audiology. She runs a private auditoryverbal therapy practice in Southern California. Lois L. Thibault, author of “Imple menting Classroom Acoustics Standards: A Progress Report,” has worked as an architect in the private sector and for The American Institute of Architects. Ms. Thibault joined the U.S. Access Board in 1992 and assists in agency rulemaking, currently working on classroom acoustics. She can be contacted at thibault@access-board.gov.

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

call for papers Be an integral part of the program by sharing your knowledge and best practices with your peers.

VOLTA VOICES • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2009

Mark your calendar now to submit a short course or concurrent session to present at the 2010 AG Bell Convention.

submission windows short courses: August 3 – September 24, 2009

concurrent sessions: September 17 – November 12, 2009

Visit www.agbell.org for updates on the submission process for the 2010 AG Bell Convention – Call for Papers.

SOUND CALENDAR OF EVENTS

NE W S B ITES

Photo Credit: Darren Higgins Photography

AG Bell Congratulates LOFT Class of 2009

LOFT class of 2009

On July 9, 2009, the AG Bell Leadership Opportunities for Teens (LOFT) program wrapped up four days of whirlwind activities in Washington, D.C., which included panel exercises with local dignitaries, a tour of the White House, a ROPES course adventure and a special presentation at the U.S. Capitol. In addition, the 20 teens between the ages of 15 and 18 who are deaf or hard of hearing and use spoken language were treated to a closing night reception at the Volta Bureau, AG Bell’s headquarters in Washington, D.C. According to one participant, “LOFT went way above and beyond my initial expectations. It was more than a leadership opportunity – it was something that changed my life…I made connections, friends and found myself among others with the burning desire to make a difference in the world...thank you so much for all that you’ve given me.” The LOFT 2009 program was the kick-off to AG Bell’s reinvestment in youth and family programming. Revised and new programs for parents and college-age adults are also underway.

AG Bell would like to especially thank its lead sponsors, Oticon and National Technical Institute for the Deaf, as well as the Max and Victoria Dreyfus Foundation and the Tenenbaum Family Foundation for their support of this year’s program. None of this would have been possible without the round-the-clock assistance of the LOFT 2009 counselors, Ken Levinson, Danielle “Dani” Paquin and Catharine McNally. Stay tuned for details about next year’s LOFT program to be held in conjunction with the AG Bell 2010 Biennial Convention, June 25-28, at the Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek in Orlando, Fla.

Institute of Medicine Lists Hearing Loss among Top 25 Priorities An Institute of Medicine (IOM) panel released its 100 Initial Priority Topics for Comparative Effectiveness Research. Listed within the top 25 was a recommendation to compare the effectiveness of the different treatments for hearing loss in children and adults, especially individuals with diverse cultural, language, medical and developmental backgrounds. The recommendations were developed in response to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), which provided funding of $1.1 billion to begin comparative effectiveness research and called on the IOM to develop research priorities. Although the priorities are not official policies of the IOM, the recommendations will likely influence the allocation of funding dollars. Visit www.iom.edu/ CMS/3809/63608/71025/71032.aspx to learn more.

6/25-28 2010

Join friends, colleagues, advocates and families in Orlando, Fla., June 25-28, 2010, for AG Bell’s Biennial Convention. Advance your knowledge and skills, learn about the latest products and services, and expand your network of people committed to listening and spoken language for individuals with hearing loss. For updated information, visit http:// nc.agbell.org/netcommunity/ 2010Convention. Wisconsin Mandates Private Health Insurance Plans Cover Hearing Aids and Cochlear Implants On May 21, 2009, Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle signed into law a bill that requires private health insurance plans to pay for cochlear implants, hearing aids and related treatment for anyone under the age of 18. “This is what insurance is about,” Governor Doyle stated. “We all should…help people realize their full potential.” The bill was originally sponsored by Wisconsin State Representative David Cullen, who has two siblings with hearing loss, one of whom uses a cochlear implant. The Wisconsin Insurance Commissioner estimates this mandate will cost the state’s privately insured residents just 17 cents a month.

VOLTA VOICES • SEPTE M BER/ OCTOBER 2009

BITES CDC Releases EHDI Data for 2007 The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) Team has released its 2007 hearing screening and follow-up survey results. The CDC summarized hearing screening, diagnostic, early intervention and demographic data that was reported by states and territories for the 2007 calendar year. Overall, the data showed that about 94 percent of infants (about 3.8 million) are screened for hearing loss in the United State. However, the data continues to reflect a significant

loss to follow-up of about 56 percent of infants who screen for a possible hearing loss. Visit www.cdc.gov/ ncbddd/ehdi/data.htm#2007 to view the 2007 EHDI data.

Landmark Communication Accessibility Legislation Introduced in House On June 26, 2009, Representative Edward Markey (D-MA) introduced H.R. 3101, also known as the â&#x20AC;&#x153;21st Century Communication and Video Accessibility Act of 2009.â&#x20AC;? If enacted, the legislation will ensure that new Internet-enabled telephone and television services are accessible to and

Compiled by: Melody Felzien

usable by people with disabilities as well as close existing gaps in federal laws governing telecommunications access. Karen Peltz Strauss of Communication Services for the Deaf (CSD) stated, â&#x20AC;&#x153;H.R. 3101 puts people with disabilities squarely into 21st century communications. This legislation builds on existing law and puts the U.S. at the forefront of innovations that will ensure that people with disabilities can take

Transforming Lives The possibilites for children who are deaf and hard of hearing are endless. At Clarke every child is given the opportunity to ďŹ&#x201A;ourish.

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HEARING LOSS 101: RESOURCES FOR PARENTS

VOLTA VOICES â&#x20AC;˘ SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2009

www.clarkeschools.org

SOUND BITES full advantage of Internet advantages enjoyed by everyone else.” To learn more about the legislation, visit www.coataccess.org.

MED-EL to Offer Comprehensive Assess ment Tool in Spanish MED-EL has announced the availability of a Spanish version of LittlEARS Auditory Questionnaire, an assessment tool for parents that evaluates auditory behaviors that are observable as a reaction to acoustic stimuli. The questionnaire is designed to assess the auditory development of children after newborn hearing screening, from birth to 24 months of age, or children with hearing loss who use cochlear implants or hearing aids with a hearing age (time after first fitting) of 0-24 months. The questionnaire is part of MED-EL’s BRIDGE to Better Communication program. Visit www.medel.com/US/ Rehabilitation/index.php to learn more. NTID, PEPNet Collaborate on Tip Sheets for College Students with Hearing Loss The National Technical Institute for the Deaf (NTID) has partnered with the Postsecondary Education Programs Network (PEPNet), a group that advances education opportunities for people who are deaf or hard of hearing, to develop a series of eight informational “tip sheets” covering topics related to hearing loss, communication access and the college experience. The tip sheets are provided free of charge and available at www.pen.ntid.rit.edu/resources/ documents/other/tipsheets.php. New Play Mat Promotes Speech Development and Interaction The U-Play Mat is a play tool designed to enhance interaction between parents and children, and is specifically geared toward children with special needs. U-Play Mat was

CHAPTERS The Michigan Chapter of AG Bell will hold its annual fall conference, “We’re All in This Together: Maximizing Success for Students who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing,” November 6, 2009, in Okemos, Mich. The event will include presenters from the Clarke School for the Deaf-Center for Oral Education in Northampton, Mass. Early bird registration ends October 9. Contact Sarah Yu at sarahandrogerye@gmail.com with questions or to register. The Ohio Chapter of AG Bell will hold its annual conference on October 3, 2009, at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. In the morning session, Betsy Moog Brooks, MS-CED, LSLS Cert. AVEd., will present “Advocacy Strategies for Parents of the Deaf or Hard of Hearing.” The afternoon session will include a question and answer session with Brooks as well as a parent-panel discussion on how to navigate the Individualized Education Plan process successfully. Visit www.agbell.org/oh to register or for additional information. The California Chapter of AG Bell’s annual conference on May 30, 2009, “Audiology: Connections and Collaborations,” featured Jane R. Madell, PhD, CCC A/SLP, LSLS Cert. AVT, who spoke on the importance for a multi-disciplinary team collaboration to ensure that every child’s hearing device is working to its full potential. Members of this team include parents, children, auditory-verbal practitioners, speech-language therapists and teachers, who all have significant information that will aid the audiologist in maximizing the child’s access to sound. Congratulations also goes to Kristin Minasian, who received the 2009 Ken Levinson Grant, awarded each year to an outstanding California student who has proven to be a positive role model for the deaf and hard of hearing community.

SHARED INTEREST GROUPS Two New SIGs Available!

AG Bell is pleased to offer two new Shared Interest Groups, available to all current AG Bell members: CI Users – The purpose of this SIG is to share common experiences of cochlear implants (CI) users and assist those seeking information about how to navigate the process of receiving an implant and those learning to interpret their environment. This SIG is led by a dynamic and successful CI user who received a CI at age 30. LSL Students and New Professionals – This SIG brings together gradu-

ate students in speech-language pathology, deaf education, audiology and related fields with practicing professionals in the field of listening and spoken language. The purpose of this group is to make connections, network, share experiences and best practices, assist others in preparing for the Listening and Spoken Language Specialist (LSLS) certification exam, find mentors, and encourage the next generation of professionals in listening and spoken language fields. To participate in these SIGs, please login to www.agbell.org. Once logged in, look for the “Shared Interest Groups” link to access both groups. As AG Bell continues to launch its SIG effort, it is putting out a “call for leaders” to encourage volunteer leadership participation in our online networking community. AG Bell’s volunteers are the heart and soul of the AG Bell community. Visit http://nc.agbell.org/netcommunity/aboutsigs to learn more or to suggest a new SIG for the AG Bell community. Still have questions? Please contact Elizabeth Reed-Martinez, AG Bell director of association relations and administration, at ereed-martinez@agbell.org.

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Photo Credit: Play This Way Everyday

People in the News The National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) appointed AG Bell member John Niparko, M.D., to its Advisory Council. Dr. Niparko is the George T. Nager professor and director of the Division of Otology, Neurotology and Skull Base Surgery in the Department of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery at the Johns Hopkins Medical Center in Baltimore, Md.

created by a pediatrician and mother of four who was having trouble engaging her son in speech therapy lessons. This learning toy allows the child to sit inside the opening of a U-shaped mat and have full access to 15 clear pockets – filled with interactive flash cards – enhancing interactive floor play between the child and parents and helping parents follow up on the language lessons from speech therapy. For more information, visit www.playthisway.com.

Better Hearing Institute Launches Seven-Topic Mega-Blog The Better Hearing Institute (BHI) has launched a seven-topic mega-blog that offers the latest hearing health news and provides a forum for people to discuss hearing concerns and personal stories and challenges. The blogs will post short articles by experts and cover seven key topics: hearing loss, technology, hearing health care journey, pediatrics, hearing loss prevention, family relationship and tinnitus. To learn more, visit www.betterhearing.org/blog. Chinese Government to Fund Cochlear Implant and Follow-Up Services The Chinese Government has allocated special funds to provide free cochlear implant surgery and postsurgery follow-up services to children who are deaf or hard of hearing. According to the China Disabled

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AG Bell lifetime member Carolyn Stern-Spanjer, M.D., is a finalist for Purple Communications’ “Trailblazer of the Year” award, which recognizes leaders in the deaf and hard of hearing community. Dr. Stern, a family physician in Rochester, N.Y., treats and educates patients who are deaf about health issues, trains interpreters for medical settings, educates other doctors and health care professionals on accessibility and works to ensure that national continuing medical education programs are accessible for individuals who are deaf. The 2009 Trailblazer of the Year will be announced in October 2009. To vote for Dr. Stern, visit www.purple.us/dreambigger. On August 3, 2009, the Los Angeles Times ran an in-depth feature article on the cochlear implant process. Tyler de Lara, age 2, was featured as well as his teacher, AG Bell member Caroline Fuentes, with the John Tracy Clinic in Los Angeles, Calif. AG Bell congratulates member Jeanette Hachmeister for receiving the 2009 Golden Apple Award for Excellence in Teaching on May 10, 2009. The award honors teachers in the Chicago area and recognizes her dedication to teaching children with hearing loss to listen and talk. Hachmeister teaches kindergarten and first grade at Child’s Voice in Chicago, Ill., and is one of 10 recipients picked from over 972 individuals nominated for the award. Judith S. Sexton, director of Clarke School’s Pennsylvania campus and an AG Bell member, has been appointed to the Pennsylvania Department of Health’s Infant Hearing Screening Advisory Committee. The committee was established to advise and make recommendations on issues related to program regulation and administration, diagnostic testing, technical support and follow-up. On July 30, 2009, the Wisconsin Law Journal featured AG Bell member Rachel Arfa in its “Up and Coming Lawyers” section. Arfa, who is profoundly deaf, is a staff attorney at Legal Aid Society of Wisconsin.

Persons’ Federation, the goal is to provide cochlear implants and services to 1,500 children by 2011. In addition, a program will be initiated to offer free hearing aids as well as cover follow-up service fees for 9,000 children with hearing loss. The fees will be allocated to children living in rural areas where medical services are seldom offered and whose parents often cannot afford these services.

New Book Focuses on Life of Anne Sullivan “Beyond the Miracle Worker: The Remarkable Life of Anne Sullivan Macy and Her Extraordinary Friendship with Helen Keller” is the first biography in nearly 50 years to focus on the life of Anne Sullivan Macy, Helen Keller’s teacher and companion. With access to privately held diaries, personal letters and recently uncovered photos,

SOUND BITES IN MEMORIAM On July 29, 2009, AG Bell lifetime member and co-founder of AG Bell’s Oral Deaf Adult Section Dr. James C. Marsters passed away at his home in Oakland, Calif. He was 85. AG Bell remembers Dr. Marsters in an article on page 14. On June 10, 2009, Helen Rachael Golf, a former member of the AG Bell board of directors and past president of the Texas Chapter, passed away at the age of 77. Golf dedicated her life to the listening and spoken language education of children with hearing loss. Golf’s career included teaching appointments at Clarke School for the Deaf and Central Institute for the Deaf; serving as the director of the Speech and Hearing Center in Amarillo, Texas; and working for the Vanderbilt Bill Wilkerson Center in Nashville, Tenn., and the Sunshine Cottage School for Deaf Children and San Antonio public school system in San Antonio, Texas. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association, 322 North Greenwood, Fort Smith, AR, 72901, or the Sebastian County Humane Society, 3800 Kelley Hwy, Fort Smith, AR 72904. award-winning historian Kim Nielsen chronicles Macy’s traumatic childhood, her lifelong struggles with partial blindness and depression, her tumultuous marriage and her deep friendship with Helen Keller. To purchase the book, visit www.beacon.org.

Photo Credit: Ben Case

Strong Friendships Still Growing Within LOFT Class of 2008 In June 2009, nine of the 17 teens who participated in the LOFT 2008 program in Milwaukee, Wis., gathered in Greenbus, Mich., for a reunion to catch up with each other and sail, boat and swim on Lake Huron, among

LOFT Class of 2008

processor falls off the ear, it won’t go too far; a Snuggie that securely fits over little ears to keep an active child’s processor in place; and a DVD that explains the cochlear implant process to children in a fun cartoon format. For additional information, visit www.BionicEar.com.

TECHNOLOGY WATCH

other fun summer activities. These teens began LOFT with the intent to strengthen their leadership skills, and completed the program with friendships that will last a lifetime. The LOFT class of 2008 has kept in touch through texting, Facebook, email, video-chat and many other methods of communication. LOFT strengthened the advocacy skills of these teens and they will have the opportunity to use these leadership skills in the year ahead as they head into either their final year of high school or first year of college.

Mercury-Free Hearing Aid Battery Introduced Rayovac has introduced a longlasting, mercury-free hearing aid battery. Mercury has been a key component to hearing aid batteries since their inception, but several U.S. states and Canada have recently banned batteries containing mercury beginning June 30, 2011. In response to the ban, Rayovac has developed cleaner processes and materials to replace the need for mercury. According to tests by the International Electrotechnical Commission and American National Standards Institute, the mercury-free hearing aid battery lasts 30 percent longer than other similar products. The batteries are currently available in Europe, with distribution to the United States expected next year. To learn more, visit www.rayovac.com.

Advanced Bionics Launches New Kit for Children Receiving a CI Advanced Bionics recently launched its Bionic Ears for Kids kit, featuring accessories for children with cochlear implants as well as the new Melody doll to help children through the cochlear implant (CI) process. The kit includes a Platinum Speech Processor Bilateral Harness, available in pink or blue, that holds and protects two processors simultaneously; a Bionic Buddy Critter Clip that attaches to the child’s clothing so that if the

Cochlear Introduces First Programmable Baha Sound Processor Cochlear Americas announced the availability of the Baha BP100, the first programmable sound processor designed to work with bone conduction technology and the Cochlear Baha implant. The new sound processor provides clearer sound in changing environments and is simple for clinicians and individuals using the Baha system to use. For more information, visit http://professionals. cochlearamericas.com/BP100.

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Photo Credit: Catharine McNally

Sonic Alert Introduces New Amplified Telephone Sonic Alert announced the availability of a new telephone for the deaf and hard of hearing. The AmpliPOWER60 multifunction telephone features extra amplification and tone control, including a receiving volume control of up to 67 dB as well as a receiving tone control of +10 dB, and a built-in sound equalizer that automatically increases the volume of high- or low-frequency sounds. The AmpliPOWER60 is designed to help those with a high frequency hearing loss. To learn more, visit www.sonicalert.com. 2009 LOFT attendees participate in outdoor games in Washington, DC

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SOUND BITES AG Bell Remembers Dr. James C. Marsters By Catherine Murphy

Photo Credit: Marsters Family

n July 28, 2009, AG Bell lifetime member and co-founder of AG Bell’s Oral Deaf Adult Section Dr. James C. Marsters passed away at his home in Oakland, Calif. He was 85. Born in Norwich, N.Y. on April 5, 1924, and profoundly deaf since the age of 3 months as a result of scarlet fever, Marsters was a tireless advocate for individuals with hearing loss. He actively promoted awareness of the listening and spoken language option for individuals with hearing loss, and in 1964 was the first deaf keynote speaker at an AG Bell convention. He was also instrumental in the development of text telephones, also known as TTYs. For many years, Marsters ran a successful orthodontics practice in Pasadena, Calif., and was a lecturer and clinical instructor in orthodontics at the University of Southern California. In 1964, Marsters and three other AG Bell members founded the Oral Deaf Adults Section (ODAS) of AG Bell, today known as the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Shared Interest Group (DHH SIG). He served on the AG Bell Board of Directors as vice-chairman, and was a recipient of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Section Achievement Award. In 1990, he was awarded the “Honors of the Association” award for “extreme dedication to and sustained efforts to the betterment of the lives of people with hearing loss.” “Jim’s passing has prompted innumerable reminisces from AG Bell members, signifying the broad and deep impact he had on our lives,” said John R. “Jay” Wyant, president of AG Bell. ”He and the other pioneers of his generation were trailblazers in

From L-R: A secretary, Arthur Simon, Jim Marsters, Richard Zellerbach, Andrew Saks and Robert Weitbrecht participate in the first long-distance telephone call using TTY.

expanding communication access for individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing and their contributions touch us in many ways each and every day.” “He was an icon in my eyes,” said Alan Hurwitz, president of the National Technical Institute for the Deaf (NTID)/ Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), and a lifetime member of AG Bell. Hurwitz considered Dr. Marsters a personal friend for nearly 40 years. “He gave me wonderful advice and guidance whenever I needed to talk with him about anything. He was a very kind man, passionate and always interested in talking with people. He had a great sense of humor…He will be sorely missed.”

His most outstanding contribution to the deaf community started in 1964, when he and two other men who were deaf, Robert Weitbrecht and Andrew Saks, collaborated to advocate for changes that would allow deaf persons to communicate with TTYs from home and work. Before that, individuals who were deaf were limited to communication in person, by letters or by phone with the help of hearing friends or family members. Chronicled in the book “A Phone of Our Own: The Deaf Insurrection Against Ma Bell,” by Harry G. Lang, Weitbrecht made history by calling Marsters with the first long-distance TTY phone call on a traditional telephone line. Their VOLTA VOICES • SEPTE M BER/ OCTOBER 2009

VOLTA VOICES • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2009

Photo Credit: Marsters Family

communication was garbled at first. But after some adjustments, their typed words were clear and concise: “Are you printing me now?” Weitbrecht asked Marsters. “Let’s quit for now and gloat over the success,” Marsters replied. The three men also worked to overcome barriers to TTY communication established by telephone corporations, which at the time prohibited direct connections to telephone lines. They founded Applied Communications Corporation in Belmont, Calif., and obtained discarded teletype machines, repaired them and gave them to people who were deaf to use with acoustic modems. They also educated the deaf community about this new technology and partnered with other organizations to make TTYs a reality. Thick telephone directories of TTY users were eventually published and local organizations were formed to allow people who were deaf or hard of hearing to meet, communicate and disseminate the technology across the country. TTYs liberated people with hearing loss, allowing them for the first time to independently communicate with others in different locations. “I look back with pleasure and satisfaction with time well spent serving the public and fellow man,” Marsters once said about his contributions. “I just think about how he cared about other people – patients, family, friends in the deaf community,” said his son, Jim Marsters, Jr. “When I was growing up, I remember he spent a lot of time fussing around with those big Western Union teletype machines so you could communicate with another person who happened to have another machine on the other end. He also spent a lot of time both in California and Washington, pushing for government support for this program to make telephone communication more accessible to deaf people. I was really impressed by the time and energy he put in to helping deaf people.” Marsters graduated from the Wright Oral School for the Deaf in

New York City in 1943 and earned a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Union College in Schenectady, N.Y. He applied to dental schools but was repeatedly told a person who is deaf could not become a dentist. Undaunted, he was eventually admitted to New York University College of Dentistry with the understanding that they would provide no special accommodations, his family said. In a story recounted by an AG Bell member, Marsters brought a typewriter with him to class so he could take notes without taking his eyes off the teacher. Other students complained about the noise, so he wrapped rubber bands around each individual typewriter key to muffle the sound. He graduated with a D.D.S. degree in 1952, becoming one of the first known deaf dentists in the country. “Jim made significant achievements through his indomitable ‘can-do’ spirit that got him through dental school, he and modeled quiet, persistent leadership by example,” concluded Wyant. An accomplished pilot, Marsters had a second dental office in Lone Pine, Calif., that he would fly to in his private

plane and provide dental services to the underserved community. Often, those services were done for free because the patients could not afford dental care. Although there were other deaf pilots, most would avoid flying to airports that required radio communication. Marsters radioed control towers and announced his proximity to the airport. “He would ask the tower to give him clearance to land using signal lights,” said his son. Marsters was a former member of the NTID’s National Advisory Group and in 2000 started the Dr. James C. Marsters Endowed Scholarship Fund to benefit students who were deaf or hard of hearing. He was honored in 2008 by having the modem he used for the first TTY call between two deaf persons prominently displayed at RIT’s Wallace Memorial Library. Marsters is survived by three children and two grandchildren. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in his memory to the John Tracy Clinic, 806 West Adams Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90007, or to the Jean Weingarten Peninsula Oral School, 3518 Jefferson Ave., Redwood City, CA 94062.

A Brain-Based Perspective

Photo Credit: Ablestock

Classroom Acoustic Accessibility:

By Carol Flexer, Ph.D., LSLS Cert. AVT, and John Rollow, B.S.

ypical mainstream classrooms are auditory-verbal environments where instruction is presented through the teacher’s spoken communication. Children in a mainstream classroom, whether or not they have a hearing loss, must be able to hear the teacher and each other for learning to occur. If the brains of children cannot consistently and clearly receive spoken instruction, the major premise of the educational system is undermined and that is what “acoustic accessibility” is about.

Children Have Organic Listening Limitations We “hear” with the brain; the ears are just a way for sounds to get in. The problem with hearing loss and with poor auditory environments is that intact sound is barred from reaching the brain. The purpose of having favorable listening environments and appropriate acoustic access technologies is to enhance acoustic saliency by channeling complete words efficiently and effectively to the brain (Flexer, 2004). Typical classroom

acoustic environments can be roadblocks to the brain accessing sufficient sounds unless active measures are taken (Nelson, Smaldino, Erler, & Garstecki, 2008). It is important to recognize that children are not able to listen like adults listen; they have organic listening limitations in two main ways. First, the human auditory brain structure is not fully mature until about 15 years of age; thus a child does not bring a complete neurological system to a listening situation (Chermak & Musiek, 2007). Second, children do not have the years of language and life experience that enable adults to fill in the gaps of missed or inferred information (such filling in of gaps is called auditory/ cognitive closure). Therefore, because children require more complete, detailed auditory information than adults, all children need a quieter room and a louder signal – a better signal-tonoise ratio (SNR) (Anderson, 2004). The goal is to develop the brains of children – to create new brain maps – unlike adults where sound enters an already developed brain.

SNR and Acoustic Accessibility SNR is the relationship between the desired auditory signals to all other unwanted sounds – that is, the level of the speaker’s voice relative to the background noise. The more positive the SNR, the more intelligible the spoken message. Adults with typical hearing require a SNR of approximately +6 dB to hear a consistently intelligible spoken message. For them, the desired signal needs to be about twice as loud as background sounds. However, some populations require a much more favorable SNR in order to receive intelligible speech. These groups need the SNR to be approximately +15 dB to +20 dB – that is, the desired signal needs to be about 10 times louder than background sounds! These populations include all children, who generally do not develop auditory maturity until about 15 years of age, and especially children with any type of hearing problems, including ear infections and unilateral hearing loss (Crandell, Smaldino, & Flexer, 2005). Unfortunately, most classrooms contribute to an inconsistent and poor VOLTA VOICES • SEPTE M BER/ OCTOBER 2009

Photo Credit: Ablestock

Proper acoustical environments provide students with optimal access to language and learning.

SNR. In a typical classroom, the SNR can vary minute by minute from about +5 dB to worse than -20 dB, depending on teacher and student positions and background noise levels. The teacher’s voice, at a distance in the room, may be only 40 or 50 dBA. (A-weighted decibels, or dBA, are an expression of the relative loudness of sounds in air as perceived by the human ear, and is the common measurement used for environmental and industrial noise.)

Children Are the Primary Source of Noise in a Classroom Acknowledging that the interfering sound levels in a room originate with the occuVOLTA VOICES • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2009

pants themselves is not a usual part of architectural acoustics design (American National Standards Institute, 2002). There have been few measurements of sound levels in occupied rooms, and little recognition that students and teachers are truly the source of noise in classrooms. In recent years, however, several studies have shown the reality of classroom occupants as the primary source of noise. The British acoustician Bridget Shields, who pioneered studies published in 2002 on the effects of classroom noise on student performance, reported background sound-pressure levels (SPL, or Basic SPL) of 56 dBA for classrooms where all students were engaged in the activity of “silent reading and writing” (Dockrell

& Shield, 2006). In 2004 at the Gratts Elementary School in Los Angeles, tests conducted in a fourth-grade classroom with 30 students showed that average “working” classroom SPL was between 65 and 70 dBA, and Basic SPL was between 47 and 53 dBA (Rollow, 2004a; 2004b). Most significantly, extensive studies in Germany have provided solid field test results clearly showing that the dominant noise levels in classrooms are generated by the occupants and are rarely less than 45 dBA (Oberdorster & Tiesler, 2007; 2008). So, as these studies show, the background sound level (the Basic SPL) in all the working classrooms was almost never less than 45 dBA, and is often 50

Classroom Acoustic Accessibility: A Brain-Based Perspective dBA or more. With this recognition, the question persists: How can we achieve a SNR of +15 dB or greater in the working classroom?

Assistive Listening Devices Assistive listening device (ALD) is a term used to describe a range of products designed to solve the problems of noise, distance from the speaker and room reverberation or echo that cannot be solved with a hearing aid or cochlear implant alone (Boothroyd, 2004). ALDs enhance the SNR to improve the intelligibility of speech, expand the child’s distance hearing and enable incidental learning through the use of a remote microphone worn by the talker. The types of ALDs most relevant to children might be referred to as SNR-enhancing devices, which include personal-worn FM systems and soundfield IR and FM (classroom) amplification systems. By enhancing the SNR, these devices augment the audibility and intelligibility of the speaker’s voice and allow better sound access to the brain. So why are SNR enhancing devices effective as a learning tool, especially for children with hearing loss? Information about brain neuroplasticity offers insights about how and why acoustic access is so important for children’s learning (Doidge, 2007). Learning a new task or acquiring information requires the brain to form neural maps. In order for the brain to develop these maps, the information first has to reach the brain, a process that requires sound to travel from the speaker (the teacher in this case) to the brain of the listener through the environment of the classroom. In order for the information to be useful, the child has to remember it. “When we want to remember something we have heard, we must hear it clearly because memory can be only as clear as its original signal…muddy in, muddy out” (Doidge, 2007, p. 68). Doidge also writes that learning new information/tasks/skills requires active

attention. “While we can learn with divided attention, divided attention does not lead to abiding changes in your brain maps” (2007, p. 68). More positive SNR is provided by personal-worn and/ or soundfield technology, which in turn facilitates auditory attention.

Summary Acoustic accessibility is critical because in environments relying on spoken language instruction, sounds have to

reach the brain in order for learning to occur. Therefore, we need to consider the environment of the classroom – a place where the interfering background noise is generated by the students, where that noise can be mitigated by architectural design features, and where the noise barrier can be overcome with soundfield technologies and assistive listening devices – in order to provide the brain access to spoken instruction.

References American National Standards Institute (ANSI). (S12.60-2002). Acoustical Performance Criteria, Design Requirements, and Guidelines for Schools. New York: American National Standards Institute (ANSI S12.60). Anderson, K. (2004). The problem of classroom acoustics: The typical classroom soundscape is a barrier to learning. Seminars in Hearing, 25(2), 117-129. Boothroyd, A. (2004). Room acoustics and speech perception. Seminars in Hearing, 25(2), 155-166. Chermak, G.D., & Musiek, F.E., Eds. (2007). Differential Diagnosis, Related Neuroscience, and Multidisciplinary Perspectives on (C)entral Auditory Processing Disorder. San Diego, CA: Plural Publishing Inc. Crandell, C.C., Smaldino, J.J., & Flexer, C. (2005). Sound-field amplification: Applications to speech perception and classroom acoustics, 2nd ed. New York, NY: Thomson Delmar Learning. Dockrell, J.E., & Shield, B.M. (2006). Acoustical barriers in classrooms: The impact of noise on performance in the classroom. British Educational Research Journal, 32(3), 509-525. Doidge, N. (2007). The BRAIN That Changes Itself. London, England: Penguin Books Ltd. Flexer, C. (2004). The impact of classroom acoustics: Listening, learning, and literacy. Seminars in Hearing, 25(2), 131-140. Nelson, E.L., Smaldino, J., Erler, S., & Garstecki, D. (2008). Background noise levels and reverberation times in old and new elementary school classrooms. Journal of Educational Audiology, 14, 12-18. Oberdorster, M., & Tiesler, G. (2007). “Modern Teaching” Needs Modern Conditions – Room Acoustics as an Ergonomic Factor, Paper presented at 19th International Congress on Acoustics, Madrid, 2-7 September 2007. Oberdorster, M., & Tiesler, G. (2008). Noise – a stressor? Acoustic ergonomics of schools. Building Acoustics, 15(3), 249-262. Rollow, J. (2004a). Field Report: Background Sound Levels In Classroom. Gratts Elementary School, Los Angeles Unified School District, May 11, 2004. Rollow, J. (2004b). Field Report: Continuous Sound-Level Recording In Classroom. Gratts Elementary School, Los Angeles Unified School District, May 11-13, 2004.

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Photo Credit: Orkan Utkan photography.

Acoustical Retrofitting for Learning Spaces By Marcus Adrian, AIA

eyond the basics of a mere shelter, architects and engineers regard buildings as places that facilitate and celebrate human interaction. Learning, like any other form of human interaction, is necessarily a sensory exchange – there is simply no other path to the brain than through the senses. Every new building provides an opportunity to craft the sensory balance between signal and noise, stimulation and calm. Because the auditory sense is so critical for learning, and because hearing loss in young children can affect their learning, any new building designed for education should be as quiet as possible. The exterior shell should be shaped to deflect and absorb traffic and other outside noises, ventilation systems should be designed to prevent machine noise from traveling through ducts and floor plans should be zoned to keep noisy spaces away from quiet spaces. The strategies are exhaustive and achievable. So what can be done to reduce noise in existing learning environments? To be cost-effective, acoustical retrofitting needs to be approached no less methodically than the noise strategies for a new building. As in the scientific method, the first step is to thoroughly define the problem – identify all sources of noise in each space to be treated and rank them according to sound pressure level and frequency. While highest priority is generally given to sources in the middle to upper portions of the VOLTA VOICES • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2009

human speech frequency range (500 Hz to 6,000 Hz), it may be advantageous to address noises above or below that range if they are interfering with the students’ attention. For instance, a faulty belt in a mechanical unit cycling rapidly between 8,000 and 10,000 Hz, even at relatively low volume, is likely to distract or annoy any student forced to sit nearby. As each source of noise is identified, it should be classified into two types – those which originate outside and filter in, and those generated within the space being treated.

Noise from Outside Outside noise can infiltrate through weak links that occur within the wall, ceiling and floor assemblies, or at the places where they adjoin one another. Often referred to as “flanking paths,” these weak spots occur commonly in walls above suspended acoustical ceilings. Wherever a pipe, duct or conduit passes through a wall, the gap between the pipe and the edge of the wall opening needs to be sealed airtight with a flexible adhesive sealant. These penetrations are often neglected for two reasons: (1) the flawed assumption that small holes can’t compromise the acoustical effectiveness of a heavy wall or slab, and (2) the misunderstanding that acoustical ceiling assemblies are as effective at blocking sound transmission as they are at absorbing reverberation.

Junction boxes for light switches and outlets, while they don’t constitute outright penetrations, can present weak spots in walls as well. Cracks and gaps around windows and doors, though subtle to the eye, can be equally damaging to the acoustical integrity of a building or room. When finding and sealing these weak spots, changes in temperature can be a dead giveaway. Because sound and heat are both types of energy, just about any strategy to reduce a building envelope’s thermal transmittance will also reduce sound transmission. Similarly, because sound pressure energy travels at roughly 1,100 feet per second and in all directions, noise doesn’t just find the most efficient flanking path – it finds every flanking path. Understanding this fact can help determine which conditions are worthwhile to treat and, just as useful, which ones are not. For example, when trying to protect a classroom from corridor noise, it is not at all beneficial to seal wall penetrations above the ceiling unless it can be assured that the teacher will close the classroom door. Sealing penetrations between adjacent classrooms may prove more effective. Sheet metal ducts are designed for delivering hot and cold air over long distances, and because they have to penetrate walls, they can be just as efficient at conducting mechanical and other noise all over a building. It is often possible to replace small sections of ductwork with larger, acoustically-lined

Acoustical Retrofitting for Learning Spaces sections to reduce sound transmission between acoustically critical spaces in existing buildings.

Noise from Inside It has been said that the quietest classrooms are those without children. While it may not be possible to prevent the sound that students generate, a roomâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s finishes can prevent noise from building up by reverberation. Whereas sound waves have to negotiate multiple reflective and absorptive surfaces â&#x20AC;&#x201C; people, equipment, furnishings â&#x20AC;&#x201C; before reaching the floor, nearly every square inch of a classroomâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ceiling is exposed to noise from below. For this reason, it is vastly more effective to use absorptive materials on the ceiling and upper wall surfaces. When acoustical tile is suspended from existing plaster ceilings, a classroomâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s reverberation time is reduced in two ways: (1) from the

introduction of absorptive material and (2) by reducing the roomâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s volume. Where existing ceiling heights prove restrictive, fibrous acoustical panels can be surfacemounted. Soft flooring is also useful in buffering impact noise from upper floors, and can eliminate the grinding and squealing from desks and chairs moving across harder surfaces. Especially in early childhood environments, introduction of area rugs might offer a more economical, more flexible solution than fixed carpeting, but care should be taken to prevent tripping around the edges. Room furnishings can sometimes offer as many opportunities for absorption as the walls themselves. In lieu of traditional base and wall cabinets, large wood cubbies with open fronts can be provided along an entire wall and fitted with heavy fabric flaps instead of doors. Each flap is fastened continuously along

the top edge and held in place by magnets at the bottom corners. The effect is a reduction in auditory and visual noise. Similar heavy fabric treatments can be used to mask upper areas of window glazing, which can be just as problematic visually (from glare) as acoustically (from reverberation).

Conclusion As they age, buildings can only get noisier, not quieter â&#x20AC;&#x201C; cracks form and widen, duct anchors come loose and vibrate, fans and belts begin to squeal. Whatever the mix of exterior and interior noise, the best retrofit solutions are the ones that counteract multiple sources at the same time. Hiring a qualified acoustician who can help find those solutions is highly recommended, and can leverage all the other investments you make in an existing building.

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Implementing Classroom Acoustics Standards: A Progress Report By Lois Thibault Good classroom acoustical performance is critical if young children are to develop the communications skills they need to progress academically. Background noise hardly noticed by adults, who are presumably mature and skillful listeners, can adversely affect learning by young children, who require optimal conditions for hearing and comprehension. Classroom noise – from air conditioning, the playground, classmates, traffic and the classrooms next door – adds extra difficulty for young children who have hearing loss. Voluntary Acoustical Standards

In 1998, the U.S. Access Board joined with the Acoustical Society of America (ASA) to support the development of a classroom acoustics standard. That work culminated in a voluntary standard: ANSI/ASA S12.60-2002, Acoustical Performance Criteria, Design Requirements and Guidelines for Schools. Consistent with long-standing recommendations for good practice in educational settings, room background noise was limited to a maximum of 35 dBA and reverberation time to 0.6 seconds for unoccupied classrooms. Although some school systems – and the state of Connecticut – adopted the standard, it remains largely voluntary for lack of reference in a state code, ordinance or regulation. However, parents have found the standard useful as a guide to classroom accommodations under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA); its preamble language indicates that “a proper acoustical environment” can be a component of a child’s Individualized Education Plan. Growing public awareness of the educational benefits of good listening conditions has broadened support for good classroom acoustics, making it possible to proceed to the next level: moving the voluntary standard toward enforceability. Parents of students who are deaf or hard of hearing have renewed calls for regulations to ensure that all new schools are designed to meet the ANSI/ASA standard. This is particularly important for the fast-growing numbers of children being identified early and receiving cochlear implants, making them particularly sensitive to reverberation in mainstream classrooms. Educators are also making the connection between poor listening conditions and failure to learn and progress in school. Progress Report

In November 2008, the Access Board convened a stakeholders’ roundtable to explore the potential of regulation under the ADA, the model building codes, IDEA, Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) and even a Green Schools bill (H.R. 2187, which was passed by the House on May 14, 2009). Participants included members of the Access Board, acoustical and code consultants, congressional staff, and representatives from ASA, the U.S. Department of Education, the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research, the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) and the Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center on Hearing Enhancement. Stakeholders agreed to pursue a range of activities as developing conditions and organizational mandates warranted. Subsequently, the Access Board became a member of ASA’s S12 Committee on Noise so it could pursue an initiative to reference the ANSI/ASA standard in the International Building Code (IBC) and provide for local enforcement. This work is now underway. If successful (a first public hearing is scheduled in Baltimore, Md., in October 2009), the standard could appear in the 2012 edition of the IBC. This would provide for local enforcement by building code officials, a key benefit. In May 2009, representatives from AG Bell attended an ASHA briefing on Capitol Hill to address the critical need to plan and design classrooms for good acoustics to facilitate a quieter and more productive learning environment for children with and without hearing loss. Panel members stressed that classrooms and school buildings must be designed with the same level of attention to ensure that access to spoken language is as available as, for example, access for a student who uses a wheelchair. Continued advocacy efforts on the federal level may result in a reference to the standard in a schools funding bill or through upcoming reauthorizations of IDEA and ESEA. Parents can help by voicing their support of quiet classrooms to their legislators. The Access Board has developed a series of handouts that may help parents advocate for proper acoustics locally; these can be accessed at www.quietclassrooms.org/ada/ada.htm. The Board’s Web site also has other useful information on classroom acoustics: www.access-board.gov/acoustic.

VOLTA VOICES • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2009

Bergen County – A Model Public School Listening and By Catherine Murphy

hen we think of the possibilities for children today who are deaf or hard of hearing, particularly those who are learning to listen and talk, we sometimes focus so much on the outcome that we forget about the steps it takes to get there. It takes years for even a child with typical hearing to learn to talk. When hearing loss is present, the process becomes even more intensive and strategic. Approaches to deaf education vary widely in the United States, but one method growing in demand is the listening and spoken language approach in the mainstream setting of the public school system. Some states have documented that parents are choosing the listening and spoken language outcome as high as 9 out of every 10 cases. As such, school districts are facing what one administrator with the U.S. Department of Education has referred to as a “tsunami” of children with hearing loss who are learning to listen and talk entering mainstream public schools. An ideal scenario to ensuring a successful listening and spoken language outcome for a child with hearing loss is to continually work on those skills in a classroom learning environment, and through interaction with other students with typical hearing and with hearing

Program

loss. Central to that focus is the presence of a qualified professional who is trained and, ideally, certified in listening and spoken language instruction. Because this approach is limited to just a few of the 14,000 school districts in the United States, educators and administrators are examining existing model programs to determine best practices.

A Model Listening and Spoken Language Program in the Public Schools New Jersey’s Bergen County Special Services School District Programs for the Hearing Impaired are programs that demonstrate best practices in deaf education. They offer a continuum of communication support services including listening and spoken language. The professional staff consists of two audiologists, 11 speech-language pathologists, 23 teachers of the deaf, seven interpreters, seven CART (Communication Access Realtime Translation) providers and eight itinerant teachers. Nine of these professionals are certified by the AG Bell Academy for Listening and Spoken Language as specialists in their field (LSLS Cert. AVEd or LSLS Cert. AVT). The program serves more than 300 students who are deaf or hard of hearing; about half of those students

Photo credit: AG Bell

Spoken Language are completely mainstreamed and receive support in their home districts. The remainder are served at one of four central locations, depending on their grade level and chosen communication method: 110 in the listening and spoken language program, and 42 in the total communication program. When a child enters the program, he or she is assessed to determine the most appropriate placement. A wide range of children come into the program with varying needs. The program assesses and places each student as individuals based on his or her unique circumstances and in consultation with their family. Factors such as age at identification, use and type of hearing assistive devices, family involvement and parental choice are all considerations in determining placement (see Figure). For example, a child on “Track A” may have received intensive intervention services and appropriate amplification. A child on “Track D” may have been identified late and/or has received no amplification or intervention services. Then there are those in between that may require a little, or a lot, of accommodation in the classroom environment. Some of the classroom accommodations might include personal FM systems, portable mics or CART. Once a student has been placed, he or she and the family are provided with VOLTA VOICES • SEPTE M BER/ OCTOBER 2009

services to support the language and communication outcome(s) best suited for that child. That may include audiological evaluation, FM amplification, speech therapy, sign language classes for parents and/or Spanish translation. Each child is continually monitored and evaluated on his or her progress and is reassessed for placement as his or her language skills improve.

Trends in Listening and Spoken Language This program was truly ahead of its time in preparing for an increasing number of children who are deaf or hard of hearing and learning to listen and talk. In 1997, just 16 percent of elementary level and no secondary level students in the program were pursuing a spoken language outcome. Today, 73 percent of elementary and 68 percent of secondary level students are learning through spoken language. That’s a dramatic shift to occur over just one generation, and that’s just within the program. “I actually have another 100 students attending classes in their own home districts because of readiness and having all the skills necessary to be mainstreamed,” said Kathleen Treni, principal of the Bergen County Special Services School District program and AG Bell’s president-elect. Students attending school in their own home districts continue to receive support from itinerant teachers of the deaf as well as audiological services. Children entering the program come from all walks of life. Many come with no language or no vocalizations at all. One such student, Miguel, is a perfect example of what happens when a child is identified early and obtains the appropriate hearing technology, but does not have access to a qualified professional. Miguel has a profound hearing loss and received an implant at 19 months of age. But when he came to the Bergen County Special Services School District program at the age of 3, he had not yet developed effective listening and spoken language skills. As a result, Miguel did not respond to any sounds and had neither expressive nor receptive language or communication skills. He receded into his own VOLTA VOICES • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2009

Figure 1: Educational lifecycle scenarios of students who are deaf or hard of hearing entering the Bergen County Special Services program (provided no other learning issues are present).

Newborn screening

Child B Newborn screening

Early intervention at 6 weeks

Early intervention at 16 months

CI at 12 months old

CI at 2 years old

Child A

Typical preschool

Center-based LSL Preschool

Mainstream for kindergarten and onwards

Return to home district with supports

Collaborative kindergarten

Little or no support services Child C

Child D

Newborn screening

Early intervention at 2 years old

No early intervention

CI or amplification at 2.5 years old

Little or no amplification

Center-based LSL preschool

Center-based ASL preschool

Self Contained Kindergarten

K-12 ASL programming for HI students

Several grades of collaborative education Return to home district with supports world with no eye contact and no social interaction. Miguel was monitored in the classroom environment by his teacher, a listening and spoken language specialist, and his speech-language pathologist. After working with Miguel on behavioral issues, proper listening skills and obtaining an improved setting on his cochlear implant, he began to imitate sounds, attend to conversations and spontaneously babble – all of the stepping stones that lead to spoken language. “Miguel began to make great progress in a very short period of time. He is happier and more engaged, and now calls people by name, asks and answers simple ques-

tions, and comments on events,” said Treni. “He uses spontaneous greetings and converses with his peers, and continues to make significant gains through his listening and spoken language training. This is truly a success story. But so much could have been circumvented had he worked with a professional trained in listening and spoken language development at the beginning of his journey.” Treni often credits her dedication to the listening and spoken language model in her program to her own experience in 1992 when she received a cochlear implant. “I myself was born with a profound hearing loss and when I was a child, it was a long and labori-

Photo credit: Kathleen Treni

Bergen County – A Model Public School Listening and Spoken Language Program

Thanks to Bergen County’s services, Miguel can actively engage in class projects and lessons.

ous process to learn to talk. I had very dedicated parents and I learned to lipread and rely on visual and tactile cues to develop language,” said Treni. “When I received my first cochlear implant, I was stunned by how much hearing I gained from it. It was this awesome experience that reframed my entire teaching philosophy with children who are deaf.” When Treni became the principal of the Bergen County program in 1998, she implemented an intensive professional development training program aimed toward listening and spoken language in anticipation of the increasing number of children entering the school district with cochlear implants. In the following years, 50 to 60 percent of the student body had cochlear implants and the rest of the students came in with very sophisticated digital hearing aids. The success of this program can be demonstrated in two ways: (1) the number of students who have “graduated” from the program and are attending school in their own home school districts, and (2) the high

school graduation rate of this particular student population. “I am very proud to point out that since beginning this program, I have never had a student who did not graduate from high school,” said Treni. That is quite an achievement when compared to average public high school dropout rates for any major metropolitan area.

A Model for Professional and Public Policy Support Even today, many teachers of the deaf continue to be trained extensively in sign language with very little exposure to speech and language development or even in the basics of audiology. To meet the needs of today’s children who are deaf or hard of hearing, the model professional should have a background in education of the deaf, speech-language pathology and/or audiology; should know how to troubleshoot equipment such as hearing aids and cochlear implants; and should know how to help a child maximize his or her

listening skills and apply them to developing spoken language. However, professional development programs rely in large part on public policy support. Of the 64 teacher of the deaf training programs in the United State., just 12 emphasize listening and spoken language. As recently as 2007, only 64 out of 572 graduates from teacher of the deaf training programs received instruction that emphasized listening and talking. When compared to the existing data that show that parents are choosing listening and spoken language outcomes upwards of 70, 80 and 90 percent of the time, it is clear that the necessary skill set for educators to serve these children is underrepresented and, as a result, public school systems are underprepared. In addition, for general education teachers who may have a student who is deaf in their classroom for the very first time, they need to be provided with instruction and training on how to best facilitate learning for these kids. “Because of the lack of public policy support for professional development, we are quite literally experiencing a ‘crisis of capacity’ in the public school system,” said Treni. “Public policy needs to catch up with the technology and the capabilities of this new generation; otherwise we will be doing a great disservice to these children if we don’t help them maximize their potential. “As I travel around the country, I see how rare our program is in the grand scheme of public school offerings for these kids,” concluded Treni. “I am very proud of the program we have developed in New Jersey and with our state and local districts we are able to serve a wide range of needs – and that really is the ideal situation for a positive outcome for children with hearing loss in the public system.” Editor’s Note: To learn more about the Bergen County Special Services School District Programs for the Hearing Impaired, please contact Kathleen Treni at kattre@bergen.org.

VOLTA VOICES • SEPTE M BER/ OCTOBER 2009

Build Your Listening and Spoken Language Library Today! The AG Bell bookstore offers reading materials suggested by the AG Bell Academy for Listening & Spoken Language for LSLS Cert. AVT and Cert. AVEd certification test preparation. In addition, the bookstore carries a wide selection of books, videos and resource materials on deafness and spoken language. AG Bell members receive a 15% discount on every title. Bulk purchases are also eligible for a discount.

Visit AG Bellâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Online Bookstore at www.agbell.org to Order Now!

Academy Recommended Reading Materials Include:

Auditory-Verbal Therapy and Practice

Speech and the Hearing-Impaired Child: Theory and Practice

50 FAQs about Auditory-Verbal Therapy

The ABCs of AVT

Songs for Listening! Songs for Life!

You May Also Be Interested In These Titles:

Learn to Talk Around the Clock

8 www.agbell.org

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SMILE

Hear & Listen! Talk & Sing!

Listen to This, Volumes 1 and 2

A.D.A.P.T. By Jayna Altman and Karen Rothwell-Vivian, M.S.Ed., CCC-A, LSLS Cert. AVT

tudents with hearing loss who listen and use spoken language must employ creative strategies at an early age in order to be successful, especially in the area of social interaction with peers. These tactics can include speech reading to enhance listening skills, asking questions from those next to them and uttering the wellknown “What?” response when engaged in conversation. While these aspects may become second nature in communicating with others, there are five other important facets of social engagement that should be practiced to ensure success in any setting, regardless of hearing loss. Here we present them in the form of an acronym entitled A.D.A.P.T.:

dvocating for A — AYourself to D — Determination Succeed A — Attitude Check! P — Preparation echnology and T — Tthe Use of It

in Life

dvocating for A — AYourself Students living with hearing loss are most successful when they learn to advocate for themselves and express their thoughts, ideas and opinions. Building confidence and self-advocacy skills is a life-long process that should begin as early as possible. Encouraging students to be expressive and to ask and respond to questions are all ways through which students learn to speak for themselves. Self-expression helps motivate students toward activities that will bolster their self confidence, such as sports and extracurricular activities. These avenues also provide students with a vested interest in an activity. For example, drama teaches students to project their voices to an audience, whereas sports focus on communication and teamwork. Parents play a key role in teaching their children to be comfortable sharing their hearing loss with others and to speak up when they need assistance in certain settings. Advocacy starts with parents in the early intervention and preschool years, and then transfers to the student progressively through his or her educational journey. The student will need to be coached through this process. Allow the child or teen to explain his or her hearing loss to peers and teachers, and to participate

in the Individualized Education Plan (IEP) process so that he or she will take ownership of his or her educational development. Jayna’s Real-Life Tip: Sometimes in social settings, both academic and non-academic, a speaker responds to a request for clarification with, “Oh never mind, it wasn’t important” or “I’ll tell you later.” These responses devalue the individual’s advocacy efforts, which can lead to less initiative in future situations. The student should use the opportunity to speak up and say, “It’s important for me to understand what you said. I would really appreciate it if we could go over it again.”

Determination to D — Succeed Determination to persevere in the presence of a hearing loss is one way the student can be taught to overcome obstacles, and is one of the best lessons of life. The message should always be, “You can accomplish your goals!” Examples of determination in action can be seen in successful individuals across history, music, sports and academics. For example, did you know that Lucille Ball was dismissed from drama school because it was assumed she was too shy to put her best foot forward? Or that the Beatles were told by record executives that they didn’t like their VOLTA VOICES • SEPTE M BER/ OCTOBER 2009

Photo Credit: Darren Higgins Photography

How Students Can

music style and it was on the way out? Or Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team? Or Walt Disney was fired from a newspaper because he lacked imagination and was told he had no original ideas? All of these individuals didn’t just quit. They persevered in their dreams and achieved great success in life. In fact, if we haven’t been faced with a setback or obstacle, how do we learn to succeed in life?

A — Attitude Check! In the popular children’s book “The Little Engine That Could,” we learn the can-do attitude of “I think I can! I think I can!” The same thought process can be applied to student life, especially in the middle and high school years. Although cliché, it’s very true that “your attitude determines your attitude.” How students in middle or high school view life and their perception of their hearing loss determines how well they will accept their hearing loss and interact with those around them. Why? Because most people dislike negativity, and if you are comfortable with your hearing loss, then other people will be comfortable with it too. In middle school, high school and even college, everything in a student’s life is changing, including how one looks, acts and feel about things in life. Encourage students to focus on being comfortable with themselves, and that includes being comfortable with their hearing loss.

P — Preparation There is a widely used business mantra, “Success is when preparation meets opportunity.” The same can be applied to academics and everyday life because when we are prepared, then we are more likely to succeed, or at least able to handle the unexpected. Studying for a big test, rehearsing a presentation or practicing for the big game are all ways in which we prepare for success. Federal and state laws provide a level playing field for students with hearing loss to request necessary VOLTA VOICES • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2009

accommodations, such as captioning for video/TV in class, a note taker, real-time captioning and study guides, to name a few. Parents and students should learn about the services available through federal and state legislation, which enable students with hearing loss to put their best foot forward in academics and social settings. This is where a student can practice advocacy skills by requesting a study guide before each test as well as daily and/or weekly notes via a note taker or real-time captioning in the classroom. Jayna’s Real-Life Tip: You may be surprised by how thankful your fellow students will be when captioning is requested for in-class videos or by offering to share each other’s notes. Chances are that if you help others, then they will want to help you.

echnology and T — Tthe Use of It Technology is critical for a person with hearing loss to be able to fully access both academic and social information. There are several ways that students can benefit from technology. yy Facebook and MySpace are two of the fastest-growing social networking Web sites for individuals to connect, world-wide. Best of all, students with hearing loss can give their ears a break while still engaging socially. yy Chat Rooms and Instant Messaging (IM) are another way to communicate with peers. These are widely growing as a primary method of both professional and personal communication for hearing individuals and those with hearing loss. yy Video Conferencing is fun! You can choose to use chat, IM, a headset to talk through and/or cued speech/sign to communicate, all through video interaction. yy Assistive Listening Devices, such as FM systems, amplified telephones, telecoil/loop and other options, pick up the speaker’s voice and transmit it directly to the users’ technology as if the speaker

is standing right next to them, and help students hear more clearly in the classroom. Plus, the latest FM systems on the market are wireless and snap into the bottom of a hearing aid or cochlear implant sound processor, making it less obvious. Jayna’s Real-Life Tip: I love listening to music from my iPod through the FM boots to my hearing aids, especially during those long study break hours where one can get bored staring at the occasional text book (or ceiling). yy Mobile Phones/Smartphones provide an additional resource for communication. Today, students with and without hearing loss prefer texting to communicate with others. However, many teens and young adults with hearing loss choose to make communicating orally through the phone a goal of their speech therapy.

Conclusion Even under typical circumstances, coping with academic, social and physical situations can be challenging. For students with hearing loss, this can even be more of a hurdle. With the help of A.D.A.P.T. and a willingness to problem-solve and advocate for themselves, students can learn to manage and achieve success in these situations with grace and composure.

Cómo pueden los estudiantes en la vida

Por Jayna Altman y Karen Rothwell-Vivian, M.S.Ed., CCC-A, LSLS Cert. AVT

os estudiantes con hipoacusia que escuchan y usan la lengua hablada deben usar estrategias creativas desde temprana edad para tener éxito, especialmente en el área de la interacción social con sus pares. Estas tácticas pueden incluir la lectura labiofacial (speech reading) para mejorar las habilidades auditivas, hacer preguntas a quienes están cerca y pronunciar la bien conocida palabra “¿Qué?” cuando participan en una conversación. Mientras que estos aspectos pueden convertirse en una segunda naturaleza al comunicarse con los demás, existen otras cinco facetas importantes de la actividad social que deben practicarse para garantizar el éxito en cualquier caso, independientemente de la hipoacusia. Las presentamos a continuación, bajo la forma de una sigla llamada ADAPT:

bogar por uno A — Amismo D — Determinación para lograr el éxito Atención a la A — ¡actitud! P — Preparación ecnología y su T — Tutilización

bogar por uno A — Amismo Los estudiantes que viven con hipoacusia tienen más éxito cuando aprenden a abogar por sí mismos y a expresar sus pensamientos, ideas y opiniones. Fortalecer la confianza y las habilidades para abogar por uno mismo es un proceso que dura toda la vida y que debe comenzar tan pronto como sea posible. Estimular a los estudiantes para que se expresen, hagan preguntas y den respuestas son formas para que aprendan a hablar por sí mismos. La autoexpresión ayuda a motivar a los estudiantes para que realicen actividades que aumenten la seguridad en sí mismos, como los deportes y las actividades extracurriculares. Estos caminos también les proveen un interés personal en una actividad. Por ejemplo, el arte dramático les enseña a proyectar la voz hacia un público, mientras que los deportes se concentran en la comunicación y el trabajo en equipo. Los padres tienen un papel clave en cuanto a enseñarles a sus hijos a sentirse cómodos al compartir la hipoacusia con los demás y a expresarse si necesitan asistencia en determinadas situaciones. La tarea de abogar comienza con los padres, en los años de intervención temprana y preescolar y, luego, se va transfiriendo progresivamente al estudiante a lo largo de su trayectoria

educativa. El estudiante necesita entrenamiento durante este proceso. Permita que el niño o adolescente hable sobre la hipoacusia con sus pares y maestros, y que participe en el proceso del Programa Educativo Individualizado (PEI) para que pueda sentirse responsable de su desarrollo educativo. El consejo de Jayna para el mundo real: A veces, en los entornos sociales, tanto académicos como no académicos, es posible que alguien responda con “No te preocupes, no era importante” o “Te lo diré después”, cuando se le pide que aclare algo. Estas respuestas desvalorizan los esfuerzos de la persona que aboga por sí misma, y esto puede llevar a que no demuestre tanta iniciativa en situaciones futuras. El estudiante debe aprovechar la oportunidad para hablar por sí mismo y decir: “Para mí es importante entender lo que dijiste. Te agradecería de veras si pudieras repetirlo”.

D — Determinación para lograr el éxito En los casos de hipoacusia, la determinación para perseverar es algo que se le puede enseñar al estudiante para que supere los obstáculos, y es una de las mejores lecciones de vida. El mensaje siempre debe ser: “¡Tú puedes lograr tus objetivos!”. Pueden verse ejemplos de “determinación en acción” en personas que alcanzaron el éxito a lo largo de la historia, la música, los deportes y los estudios. Por VOLTA VOICES • SEPTE M BER/ OCTOBER 2009

Photo Credit: Darren Higgins Photography

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ejemplo, ¿sabía que a Lucille Ball la echaron de la escuela de arte dramático porque se suponía que era demasiado tímida como para dar lo mejor de sí misma? ¿O que los ejecutivos de las discográficas les dijeron a los Beatles que no les gustaba su estilo de música y que ya estaba pasando de moda? ¿O que a Michael Jordan lo sacaron del equipo de baloncesto de su escuela? ¿O que Walt Disney fue despedido de un periódico porque le faltaba imaginación y le dijeron que no tenía ideas originales? Todas estas personas no se contentaron con abandonar. Perseveraron en sus sueños y lograron enormes éxitos en su vida. De hecho, si no nos hemos enfrentado con un contratiempo o un obstáculo, ¿cómo aprendemos a vivir y a tener éxito en la vida?

Atención a la A — ¡actitud! En el popular libro para niños La pequeña locomotora que sí pudo, aprendemos la actitud positiva, que es “¡Pienso que puedo! ¡pienso que puedo!”. Puede aplicarse el mismo proceso de pensamiento a la vida estudiantil, especialmente en los años de escuela secundaria obligatoria y bachillerato. Aunque sea un cliché, es muy cierto que “tu actitud determina tu actitud”. La forma en que los estudiantes de escuela secundaria obligatoria o bachillerato vean la vida y su percepción de la hipoacusia determinan cuán bien la aceptarán e interactuarán con los que los rodean. ¿Por qué? Porque a la mayoría de la gente le desagrada la negatividad y, si uno se siente cómodo con la hipoacusia, las demás personas se sentirán cómodas también. En la escuela secundaria obligatoria, el bachillerato e, incluso, en la universidad, todo está cambiando en la vida de los estudiantes, desde cómo se ven y actúan hasta qué sentimientos tienen respecto de la vida. Los estudiantes deben ser alentados para que se concentren en sentirse cómodos consigo mismos, y eso incluye sentirse cómodos con la hipoacusia.

P — Preparación Hay un mantra muy utilizado en el mundo de los negocios que dice: “El éxito se da cuando la preparación se encuentra con la oportunidad”. Lo mismo puede aplicarse

VOLTA VOICES • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2009

a los estudios y a la vida cotidiana porque, cuando estamos preparados, tenemos más probabilidades de tener éxito, o al menos somos capaces de manejar lo inesperado. Estudiar para un examen importante, ensayar una presentación o practicar para un gran partido son maneras de prepararnos para tener éxito. Las leyes estatales y federales establecen condiciones de igualdad para estudiantes hipoacúsicos, y ellos pueden solicitar las adaptaciones necesarias, como subtitulados para video/televisor en una clase, sistemas de toma de notas, subtitulados en tiempo real y guías de estudio, para nombrar sólo algunos. Los padres y estudiantes deben aprender acerca de los servicios disponibles a través de las leyes estatales y federales, que permiten que los estudiantes hipoacúsicos den lo mejor de sí mismos en los entornos académicos y sociales. En estas situaciones un estudiante puede ejercitarse en abogar por sí mismo y pedir una guía de estudio antes de cada examen así como notas diarias o semanales por medio de sistema de toma de notas o subtitulado en tiempo real en la clase. El consejo de Jayna para el mundo real: Puede sorprenderte lo agradecidos que estarán tus compañeros si pides subtitulado para los videos que se muestran en la clase u ofreces compartir tus notas con los demás. Lo más probable es que, si ayudas a los demás, los demás querrán ayudarte a ti.

ecnología y su T — Tutilización La tecnología es fundamental para que una persona con hipoacusia sea capaz de tener acceso completo a la información académica y social. Los estudiantes tienen varias maneras de beneficiarse de la tecnología. yy Facebook y MySpace son dos de los sitios web de redes sociales que más rápido crecen para que las personas de todo el mundo se conecten. Lo mejor de todo es que los estudiantes hipoacúsicos pueden descansar sus oídos y aun así participar socialmente. yy Las salas de chat y la mensajería instantánea son otras formas de comunicarse con los pares. Se encuentran en rápido crecimiento como

método de comunicación profesional y personal para personas con audición normal y también para personas con hipoacusia. yy ¡Las videoconferencias son divertidas! Es posible elegir entre distintos medios para establecer la comunicación, como el chat, la mensajería instantánea, unos auriculares para hablar o palabras/ signos complementados, todo por medio de interacción con video. yy Los dispositivos de audición asistida, como los sistemas FM, teléfonos amplificados, telebobina/loop y otras alternativas, captan la voz del hablante y la transmiten directamente al dispositivo auditivo de los usuarios igual que si el hablante estuviera justo al lado de ellos, y ayudan a que los estudiantes escuchen con más claridad en la clase. Además, los últimos sistemas FM del mercado son inalámbricos y se enganchan en la base de un audífono o implante coclear, lo que los hace más estéticos y menos evidentes. El consejo de Jayna para el mundo real: Me encanta escuchar música con mi iPod, que va desde mis receptores FM hasta mis audífonos, especialmente durante esas interminables horas de estudio, cuando uno puede aburrirse de tanto fijar la mirada en el libro (o en el techo). yy Los teléfonos celulares/teléfonos inteligentes brindan otro recurso más para la comunicación. Hoy en día, estudiantes con hipoacusia y sin ella prefieren enviar mensajes de texto para comunicarse con los demás. Sin embargo, muchos adolescentes y adultos jóvenes con hipoacusia eligen hacer que comunicarse oralmente por medio del teléfono sea una meta de su terapia del habla.

Conclusión Incluso en circunstancias normales, enfrentar situaciones de la vida académica, social y física puede constituir un desafío. Para los estudiantes con hipoacusia, esto puede ser más difícil aún. Con la ayuda del enfoque ADAPT y la voluntad de resolver problemas y abogar por sí mismos, los estudiantes pueden aprender a manejarse y lograr el éxito en estas situaciones con gracia y calma.

Photo Credit: AG Bell

A Teacher’s Role in the IEP

By Jessica Coriat, M.A.

s a teacher, I work in a classroom of approximately 23 students, some of whom are deaf or hard of hearing. And as a teacher of the deaf, it is my responsibility to make sure the needs of my students with hearing loss are being met, especially those who learn in a mainstream setting. This involves advocating on behalf of those children, offering advice to other professionals about individual learning styles and surroundings, and keeping parents informed about their child’s progress. These are the elements of my job that I must not only know inside and out, but adjust if I feel they are no longer working to benefit the child’s educational progress.

Advocacy By definition, an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) is designed with careful consideration of the specific needs of the child. In every educational setting, it is my job as a teacher of the

deaf to make sure that what is included in a child’s IEP is being applied by everyone involved in his or her education. My advocacy skills must be sharp so that I can defend my student’s right to a quality education that meets the child’s particular needs. For students with hearing loss, their IEP highlights their needs in areas such as modifications, supplementary aids, supports and services. If the IEP states that a child should learn in amplified surroundings, then anyone speaking to the class will be handed a microphone, including the principal making a brief announcement and the student’s fellow classmates participating in a class discussion. If the IEP states a child is allowed extended time on an assignment, then I will make certain the term “time’s up” does not apply to him or her. The ability to advocate on behalf of the child is necessary regardless of the educational setting. It is important to remember that an IEP is not worth

the paper it is printed on unless it is carried out effectively and religiously; not within the confines of a conference room, but within and beyond the four walls of a classroom.

Working with Other Teachers Advising other teachers and staff members about a child’s learning needs, or how to create and maintain the best learning environment possible, is another facet of my job. Sifting through the pages of an IEP can be overwhelming and time-consuming for a teacher who is unfamiliar with the needs of a child with hearing loss learning in a listening and spoken language environment. One way to ease this process is to create a “student information” sheet, which can summarize key areas in an IEP such as modifications, environmental accommodations and the child’s learning style, strengths and weaknesses. The student information sheet VOLTA VOICES • SEPTE M BER/ OCTOBER 2009

More formal methods of communicating with the parents about their child’s education include progress reports, written PLEP’s (Present Levels of Educational Performance) as seen in the IEP, report cards and annual IEP review meetings. If for any reason either the teacher or the parent feels that an aspect of the child’s education is no longer working in favor of that child, parents should request a meeting with the teacher and a case manager to discuss changes to the IEP.

can also include basic notes about the child’s hearing loss and amplification technology. What cannot be covered on an information sheet can be learned by example, and I will usually demonstrate ways for a teacher to make that child’s learning experience more rich and full. This can include modeling the importance of not talking while facing the blackboard so that the child can hear more clearly and/ or speech read, or demonstrating how a U-shaped seating arrangement can be beneficial for the student to hear everyone in the class.

Executing the IEP The IEP is a legal document, one which needs an executor to ensure that what is written is actually carried out. A teacher is crucial in that regard because a teacher can provide consistency in learning to ensure the goals of the IEP are being met. A teacher of the deaf must find ways to infuse the targeted IEP objective or goal into daily learning experiences. For example, an auditory processing goal, such as “the student will correctly follow a series of 3-5 verbal directions in the presence of background noise,” is one that can be seamlessly incorporated into any academic activity. This particular goal can be exercised several times a day, at the beginning of any test or quiz, or long- and short-term assignments and projects. Even transitioning to a lunch period can be used as a teachable moment, one which can exemplify the use of this goal. “Please put your papers away, push in your chair and line up

Working with Parents Providing guidance about the education of a child with hearing loss can be extended to parents as well. Parents should be provided updates about their child’s progress, should understand the annual goals and objectives selected for their child, and should be informed as to how those goals are being approached and implemented in the classroom. It is also beneficial for parents to receive updates on their child’s assessments, including the academic and/or social successes of the child in the mainstream environment. Encouraging parents to relay their questions or concerns in a “communication journal” is a good way to open the lines of communication. For the teacher, asking the parents how the child is progressing at home can be useful when assigning homework.

for lunch” are examples of a series of directives spoken in the presence of the ambient noise of a classroom. A receptive language goal, such as “the student demonstrates the ability to make predictions based on information provided,” can be incorporated into a reading lesson, where students have read a story and are asked to predict what happens next. A math word problem read aloud to a student can also serve to enhance receptive language skills. Word problems can be particularly difficult for students with hearing loss, as they can easily get lost in the language of math. Initially, answering fact-based questions from the problem, i.e. “From where did the train leave?” “Where is it going?” “How many miles from point A to point B?” may help a student to break down the problem and better understand the question being asked.

Conclusion From advocacy to advice, from the start of the academic year to its end, a teacher’s involvement in the education of a child who is deaf or hard of hearing is pivotal to the outcome of his or her learning, especially when that child is immersed in a listening and spoken language environment such as a mainstream classroom. Regardless of the unique challenges each child will face, it is our job as teachers of the deaf to make sure our students are provided every opportunity to learn and to excel.

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Ring, Ring Goes the Bell

Must-have school gear for children with assistive hearing devices By Tiffani Hill-Patterson

Testing, Testing Parents should make sure their child’s cochlear implants (CIs) or hearing aids are working properly. If your child is having problems with a hearing device, he or she is missing out on valuable instruction. Several tools can help your child’s teacher check CI and/or hearing aid equipment while your child is in school. For children who use CIs, a variety of testing equipment is available to check that sound is being transmitted through the processor. The type of testing equipment will depend on the device used, so check with your child’s audiologist or CI manufacturer to determine what equipment you should get. For children who use hearing aids, a testing stethoscope can be used to check that the device is receiving and transmitting sound. This device allows parents or teachers to hear the sounds the device is producing. Check with your child’s audiologist to identify the best way to purchase one.

Photo Credit: FunTup Productions

otebooks…pencils…glue…soundfield system…scissors…paper… wait a minute, a soundfield system? In a list of school supplies? For some children with hearing loss, a soundfield system can be as essential to success in the classroom as notebooks and pencils. A soundfield system helps cut through background noise so students can better hear the lesson because a teacher’s voice is amplified through a microphone and broadcast through a speaker in the classroom. Other supplies – some high-tech, some basic – can also help your child with hearing loss make the most of his or her class time.

School-age children with hearing loss will need a wide variety of special school supplies in addition to books, pencils and paper.

Finally, Jodi Cutler Del Dottore, mom to Jordan who uses a CI, says extra batteries are a must. “We keep a supply at the school in case of emergency,” she says. If your child is old enough, he or she can be responsible for changing the batteries in the sound processor or hearing aid. If not, show your child’s teacher how to do it. It’s also a good idea to have a battery tester in the classroom to ensure that your child’s hearing aids are working at optimal power each day.

Safety First In addition to making sure the hearing devices are working properly, you also want to make sure the equipment stays safe at school, especially when it’s time for gym or recess. Val Blakely, an Alabama mom to two children who both use bilateral cochlear implants, shares this tip: “We use fabric tape to keep the processors on, so we send a roll of tape to the teacher.” Other families find toupee tape or body glue (think beauty pageant contestants) work

well to keep the sound processors and hearing aids from falling off. Parents should also find a way to secure the CI sound processor or hearing aid to their child’s body. Some devices have body clips built in to ensure that the hearing device does not fall off and get lost. For those devices without this feature, a mic lock (small plastic tubing that attaches to the ear hook and bottom of the sound processor or hearing aid to form a loop) may be a viable option. A cord clip ensures that if the processor does fall off, it will still stay attached to the child. A sound processor swinging from a child’s back is much better than one lying on the ground in danger of being trampled. Finally, while some sound processors are no longer susceptible to static electricity, this remains a concern for many parents. Blakely sends a box of fabric softener sheets in the winter to help tame static. “The kids like the freshscent rubdown they get when their hair is standing on end,” Blakely adds. VOLTA VOICES • SEPTE M BER/ OCTOBER 2009

Classroom Enhancements Like a soundfield system, an FM system is another high-tech way to enhance a student’s hearing in the classroom. With an FM system, sound is broadcast directly into the student’s sound processor or hearing aid, reducing background noise and reverberation. In addition, TV-video cables and personal audio cables can help children with hearing loss get more out of the classroom experience. While children with typical hearing can easily use headphones, children with CIs or hearing aids may find it difficult. Personal audio cables allow sound to be transmitted directly to a child’s sound processor or hearing aid, making listening to videos or computer programs much easier. However, be sure to use these cables with battery-operated devices only. Using the cables with a device that is plugged into a wall can result in an energy-surge that could damage the hearing device or frighten the child. Also, CART and C-print systems can be good alternatives for students with hearing loss during a lecture, says Elizabeth

VOLTA VOICES • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2009

Boschini, a speech-language pathology graduate student at Fontbonne University in St. Louis, Mo. “Systems like CART or C-print are like closed captioning for the classroom. They can give students with hearing loss a text display or print summary of what is being said during a lecture or in a class discussion.”

Low-Tech Essentials Despite all the electronic enhancements available, sometimes a simple notebook can be your child’s most valuable asset in the classroom. “We have a separate folder that goes back and forth with notes that Jordan’s support teacher sends us,” Del Dottore says. “He carries a journal so that we know what his assignments are at least a week in advance. It works really well.” Boschini also notes, “If your child has a note taker, carbon paper is another helpful tool.” This ensures that a copy of the notes is available in case the originals are lost. Special education teacher and bilateral cochlear implant user Valerie Deleon of Clarksville, Tenn., says, “Make sure you label everything! And put hearing supplies in a hard case; pencil cases are too

easy to lose.” Elizabeth Harris of Wrentham, Mass., whose daughter Li-Li uses bilateral cochlear implants, agrees with Deleon’s labeling suggestion. “Li-Li is in class with nine little pre-K kids with cochlear implants, mostly bilaterals, and they love to take apart and share parts – it can look like a Transformers set some days. So I’m all for labeling, even down to the small parts level.” Harris also suggests giving your child’s teacher a “cheat sheet” for the CI or hearing aid’s programs and any special settings. “I tape an index card to the inside of Li-Li’s backpack with some basic information for the teacher,” said Harris. Whether it’s a soundfield system or simply a communication notebook, adding a couple of these supplies to your stash of glue sticks and erasers can enhance your child’s time in the classroom. Tiffani Hill-Patterson writes about parenting, fitness and health. She is author of Sound Check Mama, http://soundcheckmama.blogspot.com, a blog about her daughter’s hearing loss and cochlear implants.

VOICES FROM AG BELL

Conversations With Alex Graham

he cover of this issue of Volta Voices celebrates one of AG Bell’s most exciting and fun youth programs – Leadership Opportunity for Teens (LOFT). So it was only natural to feature one of the program’s counselors in “Conversations.” Meet Danielle “Dani” Paquin. Dani has served as a LOFT counselor for the past two years. While her contributions to the LOFT program are tremendous, I thought it would be more interesting to focus our conversation on Dani’s perspective as an adult living with hearing loss. Alex Graham: How did you first get involved with AG Bell? Dani Paquin: In 1999, I attended AG Bell’s college-age program, Leadership Enrichment Adventure Program (LEAP). LEAP proved to be the most enriching opportunity I had ever participated in, and to this day remains at the top of my list of once-in-a-lifetime experiences. Prior to attending LEAP, my involvement in AG Bell was only at the state level. As a mainstream student, I was usually the only individual with hearing loss in my classes, so attending LEAP was the first time I engaged with other peers who had hearing loss. I had never before experienced the mutual understanding of missing parts of group conversations and

the immediate willingness of my peers to ensure that everyone was included during all aspects of the program. AG: When did you realize that you wanted to dedicate your career to working with children that have a hearing loss? DP: My undergraduate degree is in elementary education and psychology, but it wasn’t until my junior year that I realized I wanted to pursue a career in special education. As a college student with strong listening and spoken language skills, I found myself learning Cued Speech to support my academics and began realizing that not everyone with hearing loss was afforded equal opportunities. Meeting individuals who used Cued Speech to learn language and who were able to communicate effectively and efficiently with the hearing world and receiving my first cochlear implant as a junior in college also contributed to my decision. Because I experienced auditory (re)habilitation as a young adult, I am able to connect with other adults and parents of children with hearing loss who have also pursued this option. AG Bell members Paul and Sarah Sommer also provided me with excellent resources to explore a variety of graduate degree programs. Visiting the Smith College program reaffirmed that I wanted

Photo Credit: Dani Paquin

AG: What is your viewpoint on your own hearing loss and its impact on your approach as an educator of the deaf? DP: Dreams are the catalyst for achievement and personal growth. Thanks to my parents, the one thing I learned early on is the power of perseverance and a “can-do” attitude. I am grateful my parents viewed my hearing loss as a part of me and didn’t allow it to define me. Working with children with hearing loss, I interact with some parents who are afraid to let their child make mistakes or who fear their child won’t achieve success in life because he or she is deaf. My job is to work with the entire family and the family becomes my team; I coach them on a positive path so that they can help their child be successful. As a teacher who is “just like them,” I see it as my job to help my students navigate successfully through their personal challenges by providing my own stories of how “sometimes things were just too hard” and my strategies for beating life’s challenges. Most important, I emphasize with every student that it’s okay to admit “I’m not sure” or ask questions in front of their peers because more often than not, their friends have the same question! AG: What, if any, are the differences between children with hearing loss today and when you were a student?

Who is Dani Paquin? Dani is a teacher of the deaf at Sunshine Cottage School for Deaf Children in San Antonio, Texas. After graduating from Roger Williams University with a degree in elementary education and psychology, she received a master’s in education of the deaf and hard of hearing from Smith College. Dani is a transplant from the east coast to San Antonio, where she serves on the board of the Texas Chapter of AG Bell and the Alumni Advisory Board for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society Team in Training program. Dani has personally raised more than $16,000 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society in honor of her grandfather.

to teach children with hearing loss to listen and talk.

Dani enjoys being active in sports and the outdoors.

DP: The technological boom, including cochlear implants and digital hearing aids, has afforded more children with hearing loss a chance to access the world through sound. While teaching practices have become more defined and research has evolved to support a variety of instructional methods within the classroom, the bottom line remains the same: parents who are invested in their child’s education will reap the rewards of success. A team VOLTA VOICES • SEPTE M BER/ OCTOBER 2009

working together toward a common goal – the teachers, the child and the parents – almost always results in success. As an educator, I would love to be able to solve the language needs of each child in my classroom, but I know it is imperative that I have the parents working with me to help their child fulfill his or her potential. AG: In your opinion, what’s missing in today’s approach to early childhood education for children who are deaf and hard of hearing? DP: The Chinese proverb, “Tell me and I’ll forget; Show me and I may remember; Involve me and I’ll understand,” is so helpful when talking about approaches to education for individuals with hearing loss. I think it is important to be continually reminded that each child is a unique individual, requiring different techniques and tools to be successful. Having personal experience with listening and spoken language, Cued Speech and total communication and seeing how each used alone or in combination can effectively promote language development, it

is safe to say that teachers need a variety of tools at their disposal. I’d love to see more children for whom the listening and spoken language approach isn’t entirely meeting their needs be offered the opportunity to incorporate another type of support, such as Cued Speech, into their spoken language instruction both at school and at home. I believe that it isn’t necessarily important how you get the end result, as long as you get there. AG: AG Bell often gets labeled as an organization that serves only families dealing with their children’s hearing loss. What role would you like for AG Bell to play in lives of adults living with hearing loss? DP: I believe I speak for many when I say we adults with hearing loss are happy to be a part of the mainstream society, yet we long for more opportunities to connect with one another. Providing more opportunities like those at the AG Bell Biennial Convention for adults with hearing loss to gather would be beneficial. AG Bell should also enhance its

online offerings beyond the DHH SIG to provide knowledge about tools that make communication easier as well as information about access and advocacy issues. AG: You are a marathon and triathlon participant – why? DP: I grew up an athlete because it was the one place where I was an equal to my peers. You don’t necessarily need to hear clearly to catch a baseball, shoot hoops, run around a track or swim in a pool. If anything, I had an advantage. My keen vision gave me an edge, providing me with quicker reaction times and the ability to track various movements; thus athletic fields were my second home. Sports became an incentive to pay attention in school and get my work done, and to this day as an adult I still find sports to be an incentive! I find that participating in organized athletics gives me an opportunity to decompress, relax and connect with individuals who are not necessarily associated with deafness and hearing loss. Of course, the thrill of completing a challenge is also enticing!

For Single-Sided Deafness

Finally hear what you’ve been missing. Do you have single-sided deafness or know someone who does? Ask about TransEar®. Your hearing healthcare provider can help you decide. For more information about single-sided deafness visit www.transear.com or call 1.888.382.9327

VOLTA VOICES • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2009

Psychosocial potential maximization

Risk, Resilience and Lifestyle Strategies for Success By Paul Jacobs, Ph.D

hether deaf or hearing, proactive thinking and social skills are crucial for our everyday living. Profoundly deaf since the age of 5, my social, academic and professional survival has depended on proactive, psychosocial tactics and attributes. But what skills do individuals who are deaf use to maximize their social and career potential? Are these skills similar or different to those of people with typical hearing? Through the next several issues of Volta Voices and my online column at www.agbell.org, I hope to discuss these questions and provide a framework to help people who are deaf maximize their social and career potential.

Background Research I first explored these questions in my autobiography “Neither-Nor: A Young Australian’s Experience with Deafness” (2007), which documented some deafness-related social challenges that I and others experienced. My doctorate research went further and investigated how individuals successfully deal with these social challenges. My research was conducted at the University of Melbourne with 49 participants, including 30 adults who are deaf and 19 adults with typical hearing, from all over the world. They had all maximized their career potential in areas such as academia, journalism, fashion design, medicine, town planning, education, dentistry, legislation, accountancy, retail and information technology. For my research I used a framework of eight psychosocial themes used in Reiff, Ginsberg and Gerber’s (1995) groundbreaking study of successful individuals with a learning disability. However,

my research revealed an additional ninth theme – Psychosocial Potential Maximization: the outcome of successfully executing the eight themes. “Psychosocial” combines two meanings in one word. “Psych” is Greek for “soul,” and also explains thought processes. The word “social” defines engagement with numerous people and environments. Therefore, Psychosocial Potential Maximization is the maximization of our social and career potential. The research findings were remarkable. The information gathered was rich and detailed, and the skills were simple, practical and many. But, above all, there were two main findings. First, the participants who are deaf used similar or identical proactive cognitive attributes and social tactics as the participants with typical hearing. Secondly, the participants who are deaf used additional skills to master deafness-related social challenges. All of these skills required competence with risk and resilience. Therefore, “Psychosocial Potential Maximization” is not possible without risk and resilience. Taking strategic risks enable us to learn about our own abilities and to understand the world around us. In addition, it is through resilience we gradually master our psychosocial skills.

Real-Life Application Living with deafness has required that I develop specialized life skills. But until now, a framework of practical lifestyle skills has been missing. We now understand how people who are deaf can maximize their social and career potential. This newfound knowledge will be explained in my forthcoming Volta Voices’ and online columns. It is designed for parents, clinicians and educators, and

individuals who are deaf. I will demonstrate real-life scenarios and practical examples of these themes to help people who are deaf maximize their social and career potential. The purpose of this article, however, is to outline the framework that we will be exploring over the next several months: Control – Control is empowerment and the mastery of social skills over time and in given circumstances. I will show you how to identify issues you can and cannot control. Strategies will also be outlined. Desire – Desire is putting motivation into action. Here I will outline how to sensibly recognize and practice some attributes of Desire. Goal Orientation – Goal Orientation is the purposeful pursuit of short- or long-term goals. Pre-preparedness is a main theme. I will demonstrate how Goal Orientation can operate in a daily situation. Long-term career planning will also be discussed. Reframing – Reframing is purposefully challenging negative thought processes. I will show you how to recognize negative beliefs and reframe these in a positive manner. Reframing creates positive behavioral outcomes. Persistence – Persistence is dealing with adversity. I will explain how persistence can be put into action. The behavioral outcome involves strategies like self-advocacy, assertiveness and having back-up conversational strategies. Goodness of Fit – Goodness of Fit involves choosing social environments that suit personal strengths as well as avoiding or minimizing entry into settings where success is unlikely. I will exhibit social strategies designed for maximizing social and career potential. VOLTA VOICES • SEPTE M BER/ OCTOBER 2009

Learned Creativity – Learned Creativity involves the creative use of learned skills. I will demonstrate a series of tactics related to captioned TV/DVD and text-based communications (e.g., email and text messages) to improve conversational skills, including humor. Social Ecologies – Social Ecologies relates to social networking. I will elabo-

These are designed to expand your knowledge of proactive cognitive attributes and social tactics related to deafness. Keep all columns, backtrack if need be. All themes relate to each other and all activities can be practiced and mastered. Below is a question, exercise and quote related to next month’s column on Control:

Living with deafness has required that I develop specialized life skills. But until now, a framework of practical lifestyle skills has been missing. rate on how individuals with deafness can employ the assistance of hearing peers without being overly dependent. Potential Maximization – An individual’s ability to put all these eight themes into action determines the maximization of their potential. This final column will provide a real-life scenario showing all of the eight themes in action. As my research has shown, degree of hearing or hearing loss has nothing to do with cognitive strategies or behavioral outcomes (Jacobs, 2009). Some people who are deaf can succeed in areas that many people with typical hearing have not. Whether deaf or hearing, Psychosocial Potential Maximization depends on how the individual uses cognitive strategies and social tactics to create positive social and professional outcomes. The refusal to take risks and the lack of resilience severely limits psychosocial potential. People with hearing loss who are successful also use specific skills to master deafness-related difficulties. The focus of my work has been to discover and understand how these skills work and my expertise offers a blend of research and personal experience. Each of my upcoming columns will end with an exercise, a question and a quote. VOLTA VOICES • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2009

Question: Has there been a recent unpleasant incident(s) related to your or your child’s hearing loss?

Exercise: Read an autobiographical account by a person who is deaf and pay attention to social and career issues. Suggestions include (in alphabetical order): “Wired for Sound: A Journey into Hearing” by Beverly Biderman, “Voices of the Oral Deaf: Fourteen Role Models Speak Out” by Jim Reisler, “Hear Again – Back To Life with a Cochlear Implant” by Arlene Romoff, “The Unheard: A Memoir of

Deafness and Africa” by Josh Swiller, and “Deafness: An Autobiography” by David Wright.

Quote: “It may seem a paradox, but the deaf person – so far from being liable to be left out – is often in a strong position psychologically…though this is only true of those who have dominated, not merely accepted, the disability. Every disability offers the same alternative: Either it dominates you or you dominate it…once a disability has been dominated it ceases, truly, to be a disability but becomes an asset, a weapon.” David Wright, Deafness: An Autobiography. (1994). New York, NY: Harper Perennial Publishing

Dr. Jacobs’ column is complemented by an online discussion forum, available at www.agbell.org. The next issue of his column, “Control,” will be published in October 2009, exclusively on AG Bell’s Web site. AG Bell encourages you to discuss this and future columns with Dr. Jacobs through AG Bell’s online community.

References Jacobs, P.G. (2009). The psychosocial attributes and tactics of vocationally and socially successful who are deaf: A Pragmatist study. Doctorate dissertation. University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia. Jacobs, P.G. (2007). Neither-Nor: A young Australian’s experience of deafness. Washington DC: Gallaudet University Press. Reiff, H.B., Ginsberg, R., & Gerber, P.J. (1995). New perspectives on teaching from successful adults with learning disabilities. Remedial and Special Education, 16(1), 29-37.

kid's zone

Around the World By Melody Felzien and Sarah Crum

Credit: Slayton Family

ate Wesley Slayton is a fearless and outgoing 6-year-old Texan with a passion to learn and grow. Nate lives in Coleman, Texas, with his parents, Kerry and Buddy, and younger brother, Bode, age 4. Plagued from a young age by ear infections, Nate’s parents never suspected he had a hearing loss. “Around a year old, he started having chronic ear infections until tubes were put in when he was 14 months old,” explained Kerry. “At first, the chronic ear infections explained why his vocabulary was behind. Nate’s doctors told us he would catch up with his peers by the age of 4.” And, up until then, Nate seemed to be developing at the same rate as his peers with typical hearing. However, in November 2006, Nate experienced a sudden drop in his hearing. According to Kerry, “he started losing his hearing rapidly and noticeably. By the time the month ended, he was completely unresponsive to sound.” At the age of 4, Nate was diagnosed with a bilateral, severe-to-profound hearing loss. Kerry and her husband, Buddy, felt a sense of shock and urgency. “We took him to Cook Children’s Medical Center to get help and figure out what was going on, what to do next and what our options were,” Kerry said. Kerry and Buddy sought resources through the cochlear implant team at Cook Children’s Medical Center, other parents who had children with hearing loss and Internet searches. Fortunately, the Slaytons met Dr. Paul Bauer, an ear, nose and throat physician working with the center. According to Kerry, Dr. Bauer helped them understand that due to the severity of Nate’s hearing loss, cochlear implants were

The Slayton Family (from L to R): Buddy, Kerry, Nate and Bode.

his best option for developing spoken language. “[Dr. Bauer] was so wonderful with Nate and us. He was straightforward, but compassionate and he told us what receiving cochlear implants entailed.” Kerry and Buddy weighed their options and ultimately made the decision to have Nate receive bilateral cochlear implants. He received the first one at age 4 years, 3 months, and the second three months later. According to Kerry, Dr. Bauer helped them understand that cochlear implants were not a “quick fix…as parents, we have to be 100 percent committed and supportive (as well as rely on our family and friends for support) to ensure success using cochlear implants in helping our child achieve spoken language.” Entering first grade this fall at Coleman Elementary School, Nate

will continue to be supported by FM systems and speech and auditory therapists at school, and receive listening and spoken language instruction outside of school. He also participates in Terrific Kids Only (TKO), an afterschool program. Nate is personable and vivacious. In school, his favorite subjects are math and music. “These classes are independent work,” said Kerry. “He’s good at these subjects, so it builds self-confidence and self-expression.” However, the majority of Nate’s time is spent outside. He is currently in his second year of T-ball through the Coleman Youth Baseball Association and enjoys playing with his brother and friends, riding his bike, playing football, hunting, fishing, gymnastics, swimming and doing pretty much anything outdoors. Nate and his family go bike riding and to church VOLTA VOICES • SEPTE M BER/ OCTOBER 2009

VOLTA VOICES • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2009

Photo Credit: Slayton Family

together. He also likes to play rodeo. “He’s crazy about rodeos, especially bull riding and rodeo clowns,” said Kerry. Kerry and Buddy have learned a lot through their experience with Nate’s hearing loss. “We are stronger parents than we thought we were,” she said. Kerry advises other parents to discover options for your child. “You must be your child’s advocate! Do all you can, never stop finding resources and read, read, read to your child.” Kerry hopes that Nate will continue to grow and develop the more he adapts to using cochlear implants. “We’ll work hard together to bridge the gap with his typical-hearing peers so that he never feels left behind, and teach him self-advocacy skills to be able to tell others what he needs to hear them,” said Kerry. “Our hope for both our boys’ futures is the same: to be joyful, happy, loving, thoughtful, kind and productive human beings and be the best they can be. The sky’s the limit for them both,” said Kerry.

Nate in his element: biking and enjoying the outdoors.

Directory of Services

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

210, Birmingham, AL 35223 • 205-879-4234 (voice) • 205-879-4233 (fax) • www.alabamaearinstitute.org • The AEI Auditory-Verbal Mentoring Program: ongoing professional development / AVI curriculum / Mentoring by Cert. AVTs®. “The AEI Summer Institute in AuditoryVerbal Therapy” - Two weeks of intense A-V training; AVI Modules and Practicum; hands-on practice of A-V Therapy. Education, research, public policy, family & culturally oriented programs & services.

n Arizona Desert Voices, 3426 E. Shea Blvd., Phoenix, AZ

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

n California Auditory Oral School of San Francisco, 1234

Divisadero, San Francisco, CA 94115 • 415-921-7658 (voice) • 415-921-2243 (fax) • Offers auditory-oral day classes for toddlers, PreKindergarten and K-2 levels with daily individual therapy. Also consultation and itinerant teacher of the deaf services; aural rehabilitation for children and adults; family education groups; and workshops. Our experienced staff includes credentialed teachers of the deaf and speech therapists, all with specialized training in CI technologies. Contact Janet Christensen, M.A., at jan@auditoryoralsf.org.

Auditory-Verbal Services, 10623 Emerson

Bend, Tustin, CA 92782 • 714-573-2143 (voice) • email KarenatAVS@aol.com • Karen Rothwell-Vivian, M.S.ED. M.A. CCC-A. LSLS-Cert.AVT. Listening and Spoken Language Specialist - Certified Auditory-Verbal Therapist providing Auditory-Verbal Therapy and both audiological and educational consultation for children from infancy through college age. Auditory Rehabilitation is also provided for adults. Extensive expertise with amplification, cochlear implants, and FM systems.

Auditory-Verbal Therapy Services, 980 E.

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

Echo Horizon School, 3430 McManus Ave., Culver

City, CA 90232 • 310-838-2442 (voice) • 310-838-0479 (fax) • 310-202-7201 (TTY) • www.oraldeafed.org/ schools/echo/index.html • www.echohorizon.org • Vicki Ishida, Echo Center Director. Private elementary school, incorporating an auditory/oral mainstream program for students who are deaf or hard of hearing. Daily resource support in speech, language, auditory training and academic follow-up.

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

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

HEAR to Talk, 547 North June St., 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®, Licensed Audiologist, California NPA Certified. Trained by Dr. Ling. Extensive expertise with cochlear implants and hearing aids.

InSight Cinema - The Audience is Reading,

2800 28th Street, Suite 380, Santa Monica, CA 90405 • 310-452-8700 (voice) • 310-452-8711 (fax) • www. insightcinema.org • The “Go To” place for all forms of captioned entertainment - blockbuster movies, live theatre, opera, museums, lectures and much more in your area! InSight Cinema is a non-profit organization dedicated to bringing Captioned Entertainment Experiences to the 31 million deaf and hard-of-hearing patrons in the U.S. Captioning the Imagination of Audiences Nationwide. Jean Weingarten Peninsula Oral School for the Deaf, 3518 Jefferson Avenue, Redwood City, CA

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

John Tracy Clinic, 806 West Adams Blvd., L.A.,CA 90007 • 213-748-5481 (voice) • 213-747-2924 (TTY) • 800-522-4582 (parents) • www.jtc.org • Since 1942, free Worldwide Correspondence Education and onsite comprehensive audiological, counseling and educational services for families with children ages birth to 5 years. Intensive 3-week Summer Sessions (ages 2-5), with sibling program. Online and on-campus options for an accredited Master’s and Credential in Deaf Education. Let’s Talk About It, 800 Santa Ynez Street, San

Gabriel, CA 91775 • 626-451-9920 (voice) • bk-avt@ sbcglobal.net (e-mail) • Bridgette Klaus, M.S. Ed., Certified Auditory-Verbal Therapist®. Providing Auditory-Verbal therapy for children with a hearing loss and their families. Services for individuals with hearing aids and/or cochlear implants, infancy through adulthood. 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.

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

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

Blvd., 2nd Floor, Culver City, CA 90232 • 310-280-0878, 800-948-7712 • www.nolimitsspeaksout.org • Free individual auditory, speech and language therapy for dhh children between the ages of five-and-eighteen as well as a biweekly literacy program, computer training, weekly parent classes and a nationwide theatrical program. Oralingua School for the Hearing Impaired,

North Campus – 7056 S. Washington Avenue, Whittier, CA 90602 • 562-945-8391 (voice) • 562-945-0361 (fax) • info@oralingua.org (email) • www.oralingua. org (website) South Campus – 221 Pawnee Street, San Marcos, CA 92078 • 760-471-5187 (voice) • 760-5914631 (fax) Where children are listening and talking. An auditory/oral program serving children from infancy to 10 years. Audiological, Speech, Itinerant, AVI Therapy, and other related Designated Instructional Services available. Contact Elisa J. Roche, Executive Director.

West Coast Cued Speech Programs, 348 Cernon St., Suite D, Vacaville, CA 95688 • 707-448-4060 (voice/TTY) • www.cuedspeech.org • A resource center serving deaf and hard-of-hearing children and their families. Cued Speech training available to schools/ agencies.

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

B030 Aurora, CO 80045 • www.thechildrenshospital. org (website) • 720-777-6531(voice) • 720-777-6886 (TTY). We provide comprehensive audiology and speech-language services for children who are deaf or hard-of-hearing (ages birth through 21years). Our pediatric team specializes in family-centered care and includes audiologists, speech-language pathologists, a deaf educator, family consultant, and clinical social worker. Individual, group and parent educational support and programs are designed to meet each family desire for their preference of communication needs. We also provide advanced technology hearing aid fitting and cochlear implant services.

Rocky Mountain Ear Center, P.C. • 601 East Hampden Avenue, Suite 530, Englewood, CO 80113 • 303-783-9220 (voice) • 303-806-6292 (fax) • www. rockymountainearcenter.com (website). We provide a full range of neurotology and audiology services for all ages, ranging from infants to seniors. Using a multidisciplinary approach, our board-certified otologist and doctors of audiology rest and diagnose hearing, balance, facial nerve and ear disorders and we provide full-service hearing aid, cochlear implant and BAHA services. We offer medical and surgical treatment as well as language therapy and support groups, and are actively involved in various research studies.

n Connecticut CREC Soundbridge, 123 Progress Dr., Wethersfield, CT 06109 • 860- 529-4260 (voice/TTY) • 860-2578500 (fax) • www.crec.org/soundbridge (website). Dr. Elizabeth B. Cole, Program Director. Comprehensive audiological and instructional services, birth through VOLTA VOICES • SEPTE M BER/ OCTOBER 2009

Directory of Services post-secondary, public school settings. Focus on providing cutting-edge technology for optimal auditory access and listening in educational settings and at home, development of spoken language, development of self advocacy – all to support each individual’s realization of social, academic and vocational potential. Birth to Three, Auditory-Verbal Therapy, integrated preschool, intensive day program, direct educational and consulting services in schools, educational audiology support services in all settings, cochlear implant mapping and habilitation, diagnostic assessments, and summer programs. New England Center for Hearing Rehabilitation (NECHEAR), 354 Hartford

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

VOLTA VOICES • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2009

n Florida Bolesta Center, Inc, 7205 North Habana Avenue,

Tampa, FL 33614 • 813-932-1184 (voice) • 813-9329583 (fax) • jhorvath@bolestacenter.org (email) • www. bolestacenter.org (website) • Non-profit Listening and Spoken Language Center dedicated to teaching children who are deaf and hard of hearing to listen and speak. No family turned away based on ability to pay. Services provided to families, professionals, and school districts. Specializing in auditory-verbal therapy, educational outreach, and professional development programs. Kids and professionals immersion and summer programs available. Talk to us about our success with late implanted children! Contact Judy Horvath, LSL Cert. AVEd. Clarke Jacksonville Auditory/Oral Center,

9857 St. Augustine Rd., Jacksonville, FL 32257 • 904880-9001 (voice/TTY) • info@clarkeschool.org (email) • www.clarkeschool.org (website). Susan G. Allen, Director, LSLS Cert. AVEd. A program of Clarke School for the Deaf/Center for Oral Education, serving families with young children with hearing loss. Auditory/ Oral programs include early intervention, preschool, toddler PreK/kindergarten, primary, parent support, individual listening, speech and language services, cochlear implant habilitation.

Orange County Auditory-Oral Program for the Hearing Impaired, Kaley Elementary School,

1600 East Kaley St., Orlando, FL 32806 • 407-897-6420 (voice) • 407-897-2407 (fax) • www.eak.ocps.k12.fl.us • Available to residents of Orange and Lake Counties. We have self-contained classes PreK (3 & 4 yrs) to 5th grade with partial and full-time mainstream options.

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

GA 30327 • 404-233-5332 ext. 3119 (voice/TTY) • 404-266-2175 (fax) • eestes@atlspsch.org (e-mail) • www.atlantaspeechschool.org • An auditory/oral and Auditory-Verbal program serving children who are deaf or heard of hearing from infancy to elementary school age. Children receive language-rich lessons and highly individualized 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 educational evaluations. Established in 1938.

Auditory-Verbal Center, Inc - Atlanta, 1901

Century Boulevard, Suite 20, Atlanta, GA 30345, 404-633-8911 (voice) • 404-633-6403 (fax) • listen@ avchears.org (email) • www.avchears.org (website). Auditory-Verbal Center, Inc - Macon, 2720 Sheraton

Directory of Services Drive, Suite D-240, Macon, GA 31204 • 478-471-0019 (voice). A comprehensive Auditory-Verbal program for children with hearing impairments and their families. Home Center and Practicum Site programs provide intensive A-V training for families and professionals. Complete audiological services for children and adults. Assistive listening devices demonstration center.

n Illinois

n Indiana

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

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

n Idaho

297-3206 (voice) • info@aehi.org (email) • 2020 E. Camp McDonald Road, Mount Prospect, Il 60056 • 847297-4660. AGBMS is a Montessori school educating children ages 3-12 who are deaf or hard of hearing or have other communicative challenges in a mainstream environment with hearing peers. Teacher of Deaf/ Speech/Language Pathologist/ Reading Specialist/ Classroom Teachers emphasize language development and literacy utilizing Cued Speech. AEHI, a training center for Cued Speech, assists parents, educators, or advocates in verbal language development for children with language delays or who do not yet substantially benefit from auditory technology.

Idaho School for the Deaf and the Blind,

Child’s Voice School, 180 Hansen Court, Wood

Georgia Relay, 866-787-6710 (voice) • garelay@

hamiltonrelay.com (email) • www.georgiarelay.org (website). Georgia Relay provides services that enable people who are deaf, hard of hearing, deaf-blind and speech impaired to place and receive calls via a standard telephone. Free specialized telephones are available to applicants who financially and medically qualify through the Georgia Telecommunications Equipment Distribution Program (TEDP). Georgia Relay is easily accessed by dialing 7-1-1 and is overseen by the Georgia Public Service Commission.

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

Dale, IL 60191 • (630) 595-8200 (voice) • (630) 595-8282 (fax) • info@childsvoice.org (email) • www. childsvoiceschool.org (website). Michele Wilkins, Ed.D., Executive Director. An auditory/oral school for children ages 3-8. Cochlear implant (re) habilitation, mainstream support services and audiology services provided. Early intervention for birth to age three with parent-infant and toddler classes. Child’s Voice is a Moog Curriculum school.

IN 46268 • 317-471-8560 (voice) • 317-471-8627 (fax) • touellette@sjid.org (e-mail) • www.sjid.org • Teri Ouellette, M.S. Ed., Director. St. Joseph Institute for the Deaf – Indianapolis, a campus of the St. Joseph Institute system, serves children with hearing loss, birth to age 6. Auditory/oral programs include early intervention, toddler and preschool classes, cochlear implant rehabilitation and daily speech therapy. Challenging speech, personal development and academic programs are offered in a nurturing environment. First Steps Provider. (See Illinois, Kansas, and Missouri.)

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

913-383-3535 (voice) • 913-383-0320 (fax) • www.sjid. org • jfredriksen@sjid.org • Jeanne Fredriksen, M.S., Ed., Director. St. Joseph Institute for the Deaf - Kansas City, a campus of the St. Joseph Institute system, serves hearing-impaired children, birth to age 6. Auditoryoral programs include early intervention, toddler and preschool classes, cochlear implant rehabilitation and daily speech therapy. Challenging speech, personal development and academic programs are offered in a nurturing environment. (See Illinois, Indiana and Missouri).

VOLTA VOICES • SEPTE M BER/ OCTOBER 2009

Directory of Services n Maine hear ME now, 19 Yarmouth Drive, Suite 201,

Yarmouth Hall, Pineland Farms, New Gloucester, ME 04260 • 207-688-4544 (voice) • 207-688-4548 (fax) • info@hear-me-now.org (e-mail) • www.hear-me-now. org • Maine’s Oral Deaf Learning Center. Maine’s only OPTION school for infants and children who are deaf or hard of hearing. Utilizing specially trained staff in promoting spoken language and developing listening skills, our loaner hearing aid program, parent infant, toddler, preschool and kindergarten offers the opportunity for children with hearing loss to develop spoken language at a rate similar to their normal hearing peers without sign language support. Auditory/ oral and Auditory-Verbal programming available.

n Maryland The Hearing and Speech Agency’s Oral Center, 5900 Metro Drive, Baltimore, MD 21215

• 410-318-6780 (voice) • 410-318-6758 (TTY) • 410318-6759 (fax) • hasa@hasa.org (e-mail) • www.hasa. org • Jill Berie, Educational Director, Olga Polites, Clinical Director, Heather Eisgrau, Teacher of the Deaf/ Coordinator. Auditory-oral education and therapy program for young children who are deaf or hard of hearing ages three through five with early intervention services for birth to age 3. Self-contained state-of-theart classrooms located in the Gateway School approved by the Maryland State Department of Education. Additional services include speech-language therapy, family education and support, pre- and post-cochlear implant habilitation, collaboration and support of

inclusion and audiological management. Applications are accepted year-round. Families are encouraged to apply for scholarships and financial assistance. HASA is a direct service provider, information resource center and advocate for people of all ages who are deaf, hard of hearing or who have speech and language disorders.

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

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

Clarke School East, 1 Whitman Road, Canton,

MA 02021 • 781-821-3499 (voice) • 781-821-3904 (tty) • info@clarkeschool.org (email) • www.clarkeschool. org (website). Cara Jordan, Director, LSLS Cert. AVEd. A program of Clarke School for the Deaf/Center for Oral Education, serving families with young children. Auditory/Oral programs include early intervention, preschool, kindergarten, parent support, cochlear implant habilitation, and support for mainstream placements.

The Clarke School for the Deaf - Center for Oral Education, 47 Round Hill Road,

Northampton, MA 01060 • 413-584-3450 (voice/tty) • info@clarkeschool.org (email) • www.clarkeschool.org (website). Bill Corwin, President. Early intervention, preschool, day, and boarding school, cochlear implant assessments, summer programs, mainstream support, evaluations for infants through school age children, audiological services, assistive devices, graduateteacher-education program.

June A. Reynolds, Inc., Auditory-Verbal Inclusion

Program for Hearing Impaired Children, 10 Yale Blvd. Beverly, MA 01915 • June Reynolds, M.Ed., CED, Cert. AVT® • 978-927-2765 (voice) • 978-921-9459 (fax) • jreyno2727@aol.com (e-mail) • www.juneareynolds. com. Comprehensive auditory program providing parent-infant A-V therapy, licensed preschool program, cochlear implant habilitation, mainstream support services, preschool through high school.

SoundWorks for Children, 18 South Main Street, Topsfield, MA 01983 • 978-887-1284 (voice) • soundworksforchildren@verizon.net (e-mail) • Jane E. Driscoll, MED, Director. Satellite program serving Southern Maine. Katelyn Driscoll, MED, Program Coordinator. A comprehensive non-profit program dedicated to the development of auditory-oral 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

The Source

for Deaf and

Hard of Hearing

Individuals

From vibrating alarm clocks, signaling systems and emergency devices to books, DVDs and CD-ROMS, Harris Communications carries a variety of products for Deaf and hard of hearing individuals. Check out our large selection! Visit us online or request a free catalog to see all we have to offer. www.harriscomm.com (800) 825-6758 voice (800) 825-9187 tty

Directory of Services Intervention services and social/self-advocacy groups for mainstreamed students are offered at our Family Center. Summer programs, in-service training, and consultation available.

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

9778 • 734-269-3875 (voice/TTY) • 734-269-3885 (fax) • whitman@ida.k12.mi.us (e-mail) • www.misd.k12.mi.us • Kathleen Whitman, Supervisor. Auditory/oral program, full continuum of services, birth to 25 years. Staff: 21. Redford Union Oral Program for Children with Hearing Impairments, 18499 Beech Daly Rd.

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

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

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

Northern Voices, 1660 West County Road B, Roseville, MN 55113-1714 • 651-639-2535 (voice) • 651639-1996 (fax) • director@northernvoices.org (e-mail) • Kristina Blaiser, Executive Director. Northern Voices is a nonprofit early education center focused on creating a positive environment where children with hearing loss and their families learn to communicate through the use of spoken language. Our goal is for students to become fluent oral communicators and to join their hearing peers in a traditional classroom at their neighborhood schools.

n Mississippi DuBard School for Language Disorders, The University of Southern Mississippi, 118 College Drive #10035, Hattiesburg, MS 39406-0001 • 601-2665223 (voice) • dubard@usm.edu (e-mail) • www.usm. edu/dubard • Maureen K. Martin, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, CED, Director • The school is a clinical division of the Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences and serves children from birth to age 13 in its state-of-the-art facility. Working collaboratively with 22 public school districts, the school specializes in coexisting language disorders, learning disabilities/dyslexia and speech disorders, such as apraxia, through its non-graded, 11-month program. The Association Method, as refined, and expanded by the late Dr. Etoile DuBard and the staff of the school, is the basis of the curriculum. Comprehensive evaluations, individual therapy, audiological services and professional development programs also are available. AA/EOE/ADAI

Magnolia Speech School, Inc., 733 Flag Chapel Rd., Jackson, MS 39209 • 601-922-5530 (voice) • 601-922-5534 (fax) • sullivandirector@comcast.net (e-mail) • www.oraldeaf.org • Anne Sullivan, M.Ed. Family Services (age 0 to 3 served free), Auditory/oral classrooms, association method classroom, audiological services, mainstream services, evaluations and outpatient services available in an 11-month school year.

n Missouri CID – Central Institute for the Deaf, 825

South Taylor Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63110 • 314977-0135 (voice) • 314-977-0037 (tty) • lberkowitz@ cid.edu (email) • www.cid.edu (website) • Child- and family-friendly learning environment for children birth-12; exciting adapted curriculum incorporating mainstream content, emphasizing early literacy and childhood development; family center for parents and babies; expert mainstream preparation; professional workshops, consulting and in-services for schools, auditory learning and educational materials; close affiliation with Washington University deaf education and audiology programs.

The Moog Center for Deaf Education,

12300 South Forty Drive, St. Louis, MO 63141 • 314-692-7172 (voice) • 314-692-8544 (fax) • Betsy Moog Brooks, Director of School and Family School • bbrooks@moogcenter.org (e-mail) • 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 to 9 years), Audiology (including cochlear implant programming), mainstÚdam seÚoices, educational evaluations, parent education and support groups, professional workshops, teacher education and student teacher placements. The Moog School at Columbia, 3301 West Broadway, Columbia, MO 65203 • 573-4461981(voice) • 573-446-2031 (fax) • Judith S. Harper, CCC SLP, Director • jharper@moogschool.org (e-mail). Services provided to children who are deaf and hard-of hearing from birth to kindergarten. Programs include the Family School (birth to 3). School (3 years to kindergarten). Mainstream services (speech therapy/ academic tutoring) ,educational evaluations, parent education, support groups, and student teacher placements. The Moog School—Columbia is a Moog Curriculum School. St. Joseph Institute for the Deaf – St. Louis, 1809 Clarkson Road, Chesterfield, MO 63017

• 636-532-3211 (voice/TYY) • 636-532-4560 (fax) • mdaniels@sjid.org (e-mail) • www.sjid.org • Mary Daniels, M.A., Principal. An independent, Catholic auditory/oral, day and residential school serving children with hearing loss ages birth through the eighth grade. Auditory-oral programs include early intervention, toddler and preschool classes, K-8th grade, on-site audiology clinic, full evaluations, mainstream consultancy, summer camp, after-school enhancement program, financial aid. Fontbonne University graduate and undergraduate practicum site. Mainstream academic accreditations (ISACS and NCA), Approved private agent of Missouri Department of Education.

n Nebraska Omaha Hearing School for Children, Inc.

1110 N. 66 St., Omaha, NE 68132 402-558-1546 ohs@hearingschool.org An OPTIONschools Accredited Program offering auditory/oral education for birth to three, preschool and K – 3rd grades. Serving Omaha and the surrounding region.

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Directory of Services n New Hampshire HEAR in New Hampshire, 11 Kimball Drive,

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

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

E. Center Street, Midland Park, N.J. 07432 • 201-3438982 (voice) • kattre@bergen.org (email) • Kathleen Treni, Principal. An integrated, comprehensive preK-12th grade auditory oral program in public schools. Services include Auditory Verbal and Speech Therapy, Cochlear Implant habilitation, Parent Education, and Educational Audiological services. Consulting teacher services are available for mainstream students in home districts. Early Intervention services provided for babies from birth to three. SHIP is the state’s only 7-12th grade auditory oral program. CART (Computer Real Time Captioning) is provided in a supportive, small high school environment.

VOLTA VOICES • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2009

The Ivy Hall Program at Lake Drive, 10 Lake

n New Mexico

Drive, Mountain Lakes, NJ 07046 • 973-299-0166 (voice/tty) • 973-299-9405 (fax) • www.mtlakes.org/ ld. • David Alexander, Ph.D., Principal. An innovative program that brings hearing children and children with hearing loss together in a rich academic environment. Auditory/oral programs include: early intervention, preschool, kindergarten, parent support, cochlear implant habilitation, itinerant services, OT, PT and speech/language services. Self-contained to full range of inclusion models available.

Presbyterian Ear Institute – Albuquerque, 415 Cedar Street SE, Albuquerque, NM 87106 • 505-224-7020 (voice) • 505-224-7023 (fax) • Contact: Bettye Pressley, Executive Director. A cochlear implant center, auditory/ oral school for deaf and hard-of-hearing children and parent infant program. Serves children from infancy to early elementary school years. Comprehensive audiology, diagnostic and speech therapy services. Presbyterian Ear Institute is a Moog Curriculum School.

Speech Partners, Inc., 26 West High Street,

n New York

Somerville, NJ 08876 • 908-231-9090 (voice) • nancyschumann@hotmail.com (email) • Nancy V. Schumann, M.A., CCC-SLP, Cert.AVT. Auditory-Verbal Therapy, Communication Evaluations, SpeechLanguage Therapy and Aural Rehabilitation, School Consultation, Mentoring, Workshops.

Summit Speech School for the HearingImpaired Child, F.M. Kirby Center, 705 Central

Ave., New Providence, NJ 07974 • 908-508-0011 (voice/ TTY) • 908-508-0012 (fax) • info@summitspeech.com (e-mail) • www.summit-speech.org • Pamela Paskowitz, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, Executive Director. Auditory/ oral services for deaf and hard of hearing children. Programs include Parent Infant (0 to 3 years), Preschool (3 to 5 years) and itinerant services for children in their home districts. Speech and language, OT and PT services available.

Anne Kearney, M.S., LSLS Cert. AVT, CCCSpeech Language Pathology, 401 Littleworth

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

Directory of Services Buffalo Hearing & Speech Center-Oral Deaf Education Program, 50 E. North Street, Buffalo,

NY 14203 • 716-885-8318 (voice) • 716-885-4229 (fax) • lshea@askbhsc.org (e-mail) • www.askbhsc.org • Buffalo Hearing & Speech Center is a non-for profit organization that offers a auditory/oral program for children ages birth to 5 years who are deaf and hard of hearing. The Oral Deaf Education Program consists of parent/infant program, early intervention classroom and a preschool program. BHSC also offers innovative services to children and adults with communication and educational needs including a cochlear implant center and comprehensive audiological services. Our dedicated and skilled staff is focused on the mission of improving the quality of life for adults, children and infants in need of speech, hearing or educational services. The Oral Deaf Education Program is a Moog Curriculum School.

Center for Hearing and Communication (formerly the League for the Hard of Hearing), 50 Broadway, 6th Floor, New York, NY 10004

• 917 305-7700 (voice) • 917-305-7888 (TTY) • 917305-7999 (fax) • http://www.chchearing.org (website). Florida Office: 2900 W. Cypress Creek Road, Suite 3, Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33309 • 954-601-1930 (Voice) • 954601-1938 (TTY) • 954-601-1399 (Fax). A leading center for hearing and communication services for people of all ages who are hard of hearing or deaf. Comprehensive array of services include: audiology, otology, hearing aid evaluation, fitting and sales, communication therapy, cochlear implant training, assistive technology consultation, emotional health and wellness, public

education, support groups and Mobile Hearing Test Units. Visit http://www.chchearing.org to access our vast library of information about hearing loss and hearing conservation. For more information or to make an appointment, contact us at info@chchearing.org. Clarke School - New York, 80 East End Avenue,

New York, NY 10028 • 212-585-3500 (voice/tty) • info@ clarke-nyc.org (email) • www.clarkeschool.org (website) • Dan Salvucci, Acting Director. A program of Clarke School for the Deaf/Center for Oral Education, serving families of young deaf and hard of hearing children. Auditory/oral programs include early intervention, preschool, kindergarten, comprehensive evaluations, hearing aid and FM system dispensing and related services including occupational, physical and speechlanguage therapies.

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

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

Park, NY 11042 • 718-470-8910 (voice) • 718-470-1679 (fax) • The Long Island Jewish Hearing and Speech Center provides services for individuals of all ages with communication disorders. The Center serves two tertiary care hospitals, Long Island Jewish Medical Center and North Shore University Hospital, providing both in-patient and outpatient services. As the largest hearing and speech center on Long Island, the Center

VOLTA VOICES • SEPTE M BER/ OCTOBER 2009

Directory of Services accepts referrals from physicians, schools, community speech pathologists and audiologists, and self-referrals from Long Island and New York City. The professional staff consists of 14 audiologists, 10 speech-language pathologists, a social worker and a deaf educator. Audiologic services available at Center include complete diagnostic and habilitative services, a cochlear implant program, a voice and laryngeal laboratory and a hearing aid dispensary. Mill Neck Manor School for the Deaf, GOALS (Growing Oral/Aural Language Skills) Program, 40 Frost Mill Road, Mill Neck, NY 11765

• 516-922-4100 (voice) • Mark R. Prowatzke, Ph.D., Executive Director, Francine Bogdanoff, Assistant Superintendent. Publicly-funded integrated preschool program, serving Deaf and hard of hearing children (ages 3-5) on Long Island. Literacy-based program with auditory/oral approach, curriculum aligned with NY State Preschool Standards, art, music, library, audiology, speech, language therapy, related support services and family programs.

Nassau BOCES Program for Hearing and Vision Services, 740 Edgewood Drive, Westbury,

NY 11590 • 516-931-8507 (Voice) • 516-931-8596 (TTY) • 516-931-8566 (Fax) • www.nassauboces.org (Web) • JMasone@mail.nasboces.org (Email). Dr. Judy Masone, Principal. Provides full day New York State standards - based academic education program for children 3-21 within district-based integrated settings.

An auditory/oral or auditory/sign support methodology with a strong emphasis on auditory development is used at all levels. Itinerant services including auditory training and audiological support are provided to those students who are mainstreamed in their local schools. Services are provided by certified Teachers of the Hearing Impaired on an individual basis. The Infant/Toddler Program provides centerand home-based services with an emphasis on the development of auditory skills and the acquisition of language, as well as parent education and support. Center-based instruction includes individual and small group sessions, speech, parent meetings and audiological consultation. Parents also receive 1:1 instruction with teacher of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing on a weekly basis to support the development of skills at home. Comprehensive audiological services are provided to all students enrolled in the program, utilizing state of the art technology, FM assistive technology to maximize access to sound within the classroom, and cochlear implant expertise. Additionally, cochlear implant mapping support provided by local hospital audiology team will be delivered on site at the school. New York Eye & Ear Cochlear Implant and Hearing & Learning Centers, (formerly Beth Israel/New York Eye Ear program). New Location: 380 Second Avenue at 22nd Street, New York, NY 10010 • 646-438-7800 (voice). Comprehensive diagnostic and rehabilitative services for infants, children and adults including audiology services, amplification and FM evaluation and dispensing, cochlear implants, auditory/oral therapy, otolaryngology and counseling.



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

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

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

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

to Hear from the Start

dvances in newborn hearing screening, early intervention detection and intervention A are giving more children with hearing loss the opportunity to learn to listen, talk and thrive along with their hearing peers. That’s why AG Bell offers programs designed to support children and youth with hearing loss who are pursuing spoken language education. PARENT-INFANT FINANCIAL AID PROGRAM DEADLINE: OCTOBER 1, 2009

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

TEL  • TTY 

VOLTA VOICES • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2009

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

5475 Brand Road, Dublin, OH 43017 • 614-5987335 (voice) • auditoryoral@columbus.rr.com (email) • http://auditoryoral.googlepages.com (website). AOCC is a non-profit auditory and spoken language development program for children with hearing loss. We offer a blended approach by combining an intensive therapy-based pre-school program integrated into a NAEYC preschool environment. Therapy is provided by an Auditory-Verbal Therapist, Hearing –Impaired Teacher, and Speech Language Pathologist. Birth to three intervention, and parent support services are also available. Millridge Center/Mayfield Auditory Oral Program, 950 Millridge Road, Highland Heights,

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

Ohio Valley Voices, 6642 Branch Hill Guinea Pike, Loveland, OH 45140 • 513-791-1458 (voice) • 513-791-4326 (fax) • mainoffice@ohiovalleyvoices. org (e-mail) • www.ohiovalleyvoices.org (website). Ohio Valley Voices teaches deaf and hearing-impaired children to use spoken language as their primary means of communication. The vast majority of our students utilize cochlear implants to give them access to sound, which in turn, allows them to learn to speak when combined with intensive speech therapy. We offer a birth-to-3 program, a preschool through second grade program, a full array of on-site audiological services, parent education and support resources. Ohio Valley Voices is a Moog Curriculum School.

n Oklahoma Hearts for Hearing, 3525 NW 56th Street, Suite A-150, Oklahoma City, OK 73112 • 405-5484300 • 405-548-4350(Fax) • Teresa H. Caraway, Ph.D.,CCC-SLP, LSLS Cert. AVT and Joanna T. Smith, M.S., CCC-SLP, LSLS Cert. AVT, Jace Wolfe, Ph.D., CCC-A. Comprehensive hearing healthcare program which includes pediatric audiological evaluations, management and cochlear implant mapping. AuditoryVerbal therapy, cochlear implant habilitation, early intervention, pre-school, summer enrichment services and family support workshops are also provided. Opportunities for family, professional education and consultations. www.heartsforhearing.org

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

Oklahoma City, OK 73112 • 405-947-6030 (voice) • 405-945-7188 (fax) • Pamela.mathews@integrisok.com (email) • www.integris-health.com (website) • Our team includes board-certified and licensed speech-language pathologists, pediatric and adult audiologists, as well as neurotologists from the Otologic Medical Clinic. Services include hearing evaluations, hearing aid fittings, cochlear implant testing and fittings, newborn hearing testing, and speech/language therapy. The Hearing Enrichment Language Program (HELP) provides speech services for children and adults who are deaf or hard of hearing. Our speech-language pathologists respect adults’ and/or parents’ choice in (re) habilitation options that can optimize listening and language skills.

n Oregon Tucker-Maxon Oral School, 2860 S.E. Holgate,

Portland, OR 97202 • 503-235-6551(voice) • 503-2351711 (TTY) • tminfo@tmos.org (e-mail) • www.tmos. org (website) • Established in 1947, Tucker-Maxon is an intensive auditory-oral school that co-enrolls children with hearing loss and children with normal hearing in every class. Each class is taught by a regular educator or early childhood specialist and a teacher of deaf children. Programs for children with hearing loss start at birth and continue through 5th grade. Tucker-Maxon provides comprehensive pediatric audiology evaluations, cochlear implant management, habilitation and mapping, early intervention, and speech pathology services.

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Directory of Services n Pennsylvania Archbishop Ryan School for Children with Hearing Impairment, 233 Mohawk Ave., Norwood,

PA 19074 • 610-586-7044 (voice) • 610-586-7053 (fax) • Our Oral Academy is located within a regular elementary school enabling some children to learn with hearing peers in a mainstream classroom with the support of a Deaf educator. Some children learn in selfcontained classrooms with other deaf children. We offer a full academic program from preschool through age 14. For more information visit www.ces-msa.org, click registry and our school by name.

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

Shady Retreat Road, Doylestown, PA 18901 • 215-3482940 x1240 (voice) • 215-340-1639 (fax) • kmiller@ bucksiu.org • Kevin J. Miller, Ed.D., CCC-SP, CED, Supervisor. A publicly-funded program serving local school districts with deaf or hard of hearing students (birth -12th Grade). Services include itinerant support, resource rooms, audiology, speech-language therapy, auditory-verbal therapy, C-Print captioning, and cochlear implant habilitation. Center for Childhood Communication at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, 3405 Civic

Center Boulevard, Philadelphia 19104 • 800-551-5480 (voice) • 215-590-5641 (fax) • www.chop.edu/ccc • Judith S. Gravel, Ph.D., Director. The CCC provides children with audiology, amplification, speech-language and cochlear implant services and offers support through our Family Wellness Program. We serve families at our main campus in Philadelphia and at our Pennsylvania satellite offices in Bucks County, Exton, King of Prussia, Springfield, and at our New Jersey satellite offices in Voorhees, Mays Landing and Princeton.

Clarke Pennsylvania Auditory/Oral Center,

455 South Roberts Road, Bryn Mawr, PA 19010 • 610525-9600 (voice/tty) • info@clarkeschool.org (email) • www.clarkeschool.org (website). Judith Sexton, Director. A program of Clarke School for the Deaf/ Center for Oral Education, serving families with young children with hearing loss. Auditory/Oral programs include early intervention, preschool, parent support, individual auditory speech and language services, cochlear implant habilitation, audiological support, and mainstream support.

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

Western Pennsylvania School for the Deaf,

300 East Swissvale Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15218 • 412-244-4207 (voice) • 412-244-4251 (fax) • vcherney@ wpsd.org (e-mail) • www.wpsd.org.The Western Pennsylvania School for the Deaf is a non-profit school with high academic expectations. WPSD, located in Pittsburgh since 1869, has provided quality educational services, cutting-edge technology and a complete extracurricular program to deaf and hard-of-hearing children from birth through grade 12. Serving over 250 day and residential students, from more than 100 school districts and 30 counties, WPSD is the largest comprehensive center for deaf education in the state. For more information: wpsd.org

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

Columbia, SC 29204 • 803-777-2614 (voice) • 803253-4143 (fax) • Center Director: Danielle Varnedoe, daniell@sc.edu (e-mail). The center provides audiology services, speech-language therapy, adult aural rehabilitation therapy and Auditory-Verbal therapy. Our audiology services include comprehensive evaluations, CAPD evaluations, and cochlear implant evaluations and programming. The University also provides a training program for AVT and cochlear implant management for professional/ university students. Additional contacts for the AVT or CI programs include: Nikki Burrows (803-777-2669), Wendy Potts (803-777-2642) or Cheryl Rogers (803777-2702).

n South Dakota South Dakota School for the Deaf (SDSD),

2001 East Eighth Street, Sioux Falls, SD 57103 • 605-367-5200 (V/TTY) • 605-36705209 (fax) •sdsd@ sdbor.edu (e-mail). Serving children and youth with hearing loss by offering services on site and through its outreach program. Academic option includes auditory/ oral program for students using spoken language and are preschool through third grade. SDSD utilizes the Sioux Falls School District Curriculum and prepares students to meet state standards. Instructional support in other areas is available as dictated by the IEP, including parent/child education, speech language pathology, auditory training and special education. Arranges for dual enrollment of students in their local schools to expand curricular and social options. Outreach staff provides support to families with

newborns and children through the ages of 2 years and continues to work with the families and school district personnel of older students who are either remaining in or returning to their local districts. Any student in South Dakota with a documented hearing loss can take advantage of services offered through SDSD, including audiological testing, speech evaluation, and triennial multidisciplinary assessment.

n Tennessee Memphis Oral School for the Deaf, 7901 Poplar Avenue, Germantown, TN 38138 • 901-758-2228 (voice) • 901-531-7050 (fax) • www.mosdkids.org (website) • tschwartz@mosdkids.org (email). Teresa Schwartz, Executive Director. Parent-infant program, auditory/ oral day school (ages 2 to 6), speech-language and cochlear implant therapy, mainstream services. Vanderbilt Bill Wilkerson Center - National Center for Childhood Deafness and Family Communication, Medical Center East South

Tower, 1215 21st Avenue South, Nashville, TN 372328105 • 615-936-5000 (voice) • 615-936-1225 (fax) • nccdfc@vanderbilt.edu (email) • www.mc.vanderbilt. edu/root/vumc.php?site=hearing (web). Tamala Bradham, Ph.D., Director. The NCCDFC Service Program is an auditory/oral learning program serving children with hearing loss from birth through 18 years. Services include educational services at the Mama Lere Hearing School at Vanderbilt as well as audiological and speech-language pathology services. Specifically, the Service Program includes audiological evaluations, hearing aid services, cochlear implant evaluations and programming, parent-infant program, individual speech, language, and listening therapy, educational assessments, toddler program, all day preschool through kindergarten educational program itinerant/academic tutoring services, parent support groups, and summer enrichment programs.

n Texas Bliss Speech and Hearing Services, Inc., 12700 Hillcrest Rd., Suite 207, Dallas, TX 75230 • 972387-2824 • 972-387-9097 (fax) • blisspeech@aol.com (e-mail) • Brenda Weinfeld Bliss, M.S., CCC-SLP/A, Cert. AVT®. Certified Auditory-Verbal Therapist® providing parent-infant training, cochlear implant rehabilitation, aural rehabilitation, school visits, mainstreaming consultations, information, and orientation to deaf and hard-of-hearing children and their parents.

Avenue, Morton, PA 19070 • 610-938-9000, ext. 2277 • 610938-9886 (fax) • mdworkin@dciu.org • Program Highlights: A publicly funded program for children with hearing loss in local schools. Serving children from birth through high school. Services include audiology, speech therapy, cochlear implant habilitation (which includes auditory-verbal therapy),psychology and social work. DePaul School for Hearing and Speech, 6202 Alder Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15206 • (412)924-1012 (voice/TTY) • mk@depaulinst.com (email) • www. speakmiracles.org (website) • Mary Beth Kernan - Family Service Coordinator. DePaul is Western Pennsylvania’s only auditory-oral school serving families for 100 years. A state-approved, private magnet school, DePaul’s programs are tuition-free to parents and caregivers of approved students. Program includes: early intervention services for children birth to 3 years; a center-based toddler program for children ages 18 months to 3 years; a preschool for children ages 3-5 years and a comprehensive academic program for grades K-8. Clinical services include speech therapy, cochlear implant habilitation services, audiological support including cochlear implant mapping, physical and occupational therapy, mainstreaming support, parent education programs and a parent support group. VOLTA VOICES • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2009

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

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

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

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

denisegage.com (email) • www.denisegage.com • Over 25 years experience providing services for children and adults with hearing loss. Services include cochlear implant rehabilitation, parent-infant training, individual therapy, educational consultation, onsite and offsite Fast ForWord training. Speech and Hearing Therapy Services, North Dallas • 214-458-0575 (voice) • speechandhearingtherapy@ yahoo.com (e-mail) • www.speechandhearingtherapy. com (website) • Tammi Galley, MA, CCC-SLP, Aural Habilitation Specialist. Comprehensive Aural Habilitation therapy, specializing in pediatric populations, cochlear implant habiltation, parent-infant/child and individual therapy, Auditory-Verbal therapy, auditory/oral, or total communication offered with strong emphasis on auditory skill development. Home visits or office visits. Sunshine Cottage School for Deaf Children,

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

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

84322-1000 • 435-797-0434 (voice) • 435-797-0221 (fax) • www.soundbeginnings.usu.edu • lauri.nelson@usu.edu (email) • Lauri Nelson, Ph.D., Sound Beginnings Director • todd.houston@usu.edu (email) • K. Todd Houston, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, LSLS Cert. AVT, Graduate Studies Director. A comprehensive auditory learning program serving children with hearing loss and their families from birth through age five; early intervention services include home- and center-based services, parent training, a weekly toddler group, pediatric audiology, and Auditory-Verbal Therapy. The preschool, housed in an innovative public lab school, provides self-contained Auditory-Oral classes for children aged three through five, parent training, and mainstreaming opportunities with hearing peers. The Department of Communicative Disorders and Deaf Education offers an interdisciplinary graduate training program in Speech-Language Pathology, Audiology, and Deaf Education that emphasizes auditory learning and spoken language for young children with hearing loss.

Utah Schools for the Deaf and the Blind, 742

Harrison Boulevard, Ogden, UT 84404 • 801-6294700 (voice) • 801-629-4701 (tty) • www.usdv.org • A state-funded program for children with hearing loss (birth through high school) serving students in various settings including local district classes throughout the state and residential options. Audiology, speech instruction, auditory verbal development and cochlear implant habilitation provided.

VOLTA VOICES • SEPTE M BER/ OCTOBER 2009

Directory of Services n Virginia Chattering Children, Richmond Center,

1307 Lakeside Avenue, Richmond, VA 23228 • 804-290-0475 (voice) • NOVA Center, 1495 Chain Bridge Road, Suite 100, McLean, VA 22101 • www.chatteringchildren.org (website) • adavis@ chatteringchildren.org (email). Chattering Children, Empowering hearing-impaired children through spoken communication. Infants through school age. Parent-Infant Program, AV Therapy, mainstream support. SPEAK UP (an auditory oral school). Familycentered conversational approach. In-service training and an internship program for graduate students. NoVa Center: 1495 Chain Bridge Road, Suite 100, McLean, VA 22101 (Metro DC area), Tel: (571) 633-0770. Richmond Center: SPEAK UP auditory-oral school and auditoryverbal therapy: 1307 Lakeside Ave Richmond VA 23228. Tel: (804) 290-0475. Contact Anne Davis, Executive Director, Anne Davis, adavis@chatteringchildren.org.

Listen Hear Audiology, 1101 S. Arlington Ridge Rd. #117, Arlington, VA 22202 • 202-997-4045 (voice) • listenhearaudiology@yahoo.com (e-mail) • www. listenhear.net • Rachel Cohen, Au.D., CCC-A • Auditory/ oral services provided to children or adults who are hard-of-hearing or deaf using preferred methodology (Auditory/oral, Cued, TC, or ASL) when needed. Auditory (re)habiliation is provided in your home/ natural environment or at my office. Birth through geriatric cochlear implant habiliation, aural (re) habilitation, assistive listening device information, parent-infant training and consultation.

VOLTA VOICES • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2009

Lynchburg Speech Therapy, Inc., 1049

The Listen For Life Center at Virginia Mason, 1100 9th Ave. MS X10-ON Seattle, WA 98111

Claymont Drive, Lynchburg, VA 24502 • 434-8456355 (voice) • 434-845-5854 (fax) • dclappavt@aol. com (e-mail) • Denice D. Clapp, M.S., CCC-SLP, Cert. AVT®, Director. Auditory-Verbal habilitation services provided for hearing impaired children with all degrees of hearing loss and their families to develop spoken language through listening. Auditory re(habilitation) provided for older children through adults who use cochlear implants to access hearing. Consultations and mainstream educational support for children and their families. Early inter-vention provided in the home.

• 206-223-8802 (voice) • 206-223-6362 (tty) • 206223-2388 (fax) • lsnforlife@vmmc.org (email) • www. vmmc.org/listen (website) • Non-profit organization offering comprehensive diagnostic and rehabilitation services from infancy through senior years. Audiology, otolaryngology, hearing aids, implantable hearing aids, cochlear implants, communication classes, assistive listening devices, Aural Rehabilitation, counseling, support groups, school consultations, professional training workshops, community days, library.

n Washington

n Wisconsin

Listen and Talk – Education for Children with Hearing Loss, 8610 8th Avenue, NE, Seattle,

Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing,

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

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

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

6014, Australia • 61-08-9387-9888 (phone) • 61-089387-9888 (fax) • speech@tsh.org.au • www.tsh.org.au • Our oral language programs include: hearing impairment programs for children under 5 and school support services, Talkabout program for children with delayed speech and language, audiology services, Ear Clinic for hard to treat middle ear problems, Variety WA Mobile Children’s Ear Clinic, newborn hearing screening and Cochlear Implant program for overseas children.

List of Advertisers Advanced Bionics...............................................................................................Inside Back Cover Auditory-Oral School of San Francisco...................................................................................... 41 Auditory-Verbal Center, Inc (Atlanta)........................................................................................... 23 Central Institute for the Deaf ....................................................................................................... 20 Clarke School for the Deaf ............................................................................................................ 9

University of Newcastle, Graduate School.

GradSchool, Services Building, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, 2308, Australia • 61-2-49218856 (voice) • 61-2-49218636 (fax) • gs@newcastle.edu.au (email) • www.gradschool.com.au (website). Master of Special Education distance education through the University of Newcastle. Program provides pathways through specialisations in Generic Special Education, Emotional Disturbance/Behaviour Problems, Sensory Disability, Early Childhood Special Education. The Master of Special Education (Sensory Disability Specialisation) is available through the Renwick Centre and is administered by the Australian Royal Institute for Deaf and Blind Children. Program information and application is via GradSchool: www.gradschool.com.au, +61249218856, or email gs@newcastle.edu.au.

DePaul School for Hearing and Speech .................................................................................... 18 DuBard School for Language Disorders ................................................................................... 31 Ear Technology Corporation........................................................................................................ 35 Harris Communications................................................................................................................ 43 Jean Weingarten Peninsula Oral School for the Deaf................................................................49 Logital Company, Ltd. ................................................................................................................. 50

n Canada Montreal Oral School for the Deaf, 4670

St. Catherine Street, West, Westmount, QC, Canada H3Z 1S5 • 514-488-4946 (voice/ tty) • 514-488-0802 (fax) • info@montrealoralschool.com (email) • www. montrealoralschool.com (website). Parent-infant program (0-3 years old). Full-time educational program (3-12 years old). Mainstreaming program in regular schools (elementary and secondary). Audiology, cochlear implant and other support services.

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

Moog Center for Deaf Education........................................................................................... 39, 44 National Technical Institute for the Deaf/RIT.............................................................................. 48 National Cued Speech Association ........................................................................................... 37 Oticon Pediatrics . ..............................................................................................Inside Front Cover St. Joseph Institute for the Deaf.................................................................................................. 51

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

Sound Aid Hearing Aid Warranties ............................................................................................ 45

Children’s Hearing and Speech Centre of British Columbia (formerly, The Vancouver Oral

Sound Clarity, Inc. ........................................................................................................................ 13

Centre for Deaf Children), 3575 Kaslo Street, Vancouver, British Columbia, V5M 3H4, Canada, 604-437-0255 (voice), 604-437-1251 (tty), 604-437-0260 (fax) - www. childrenshearing.ca (website). Our auditory-oral program includes: on-site audiology, cochlear implant mapping, parent-infant guidance, auditory-verbal therapy, music therapy, preschool, K, Primary 1-3; itinerant services.

n England The Speech, Language and Hearing Centre,

Christopher Place, 1-5 Christopher Place, Chalton Street, Euston, London NW1 1JF, England • 0114-207-383-3834 (voice) • 0114-207-383-3099 (fax) • info@speechlang. org.uk (e-mail) • www.speech-lang.org.uk • Assessment, nursery school and therapeutic centre for children under 5 with hearing impairment or speech/language difficulties.

Sorenson Communications ........................................................................................................ 42

Sprint Relay .................................................................................................................................. 46 Sunshine Cottage School for Deaf Children.............................................................................. 33 Tucker-Maxon Oral School............................................................................................................ 4 AG Bell 2010 Biennial Convention .............................................................................. Back Cover AG Bell 2010 Biennial Convention (Call for Papers) ................................................................... 7 AG Bell – Financial Aid . ............................................................................................................... 47 AG Bell – Listening & Spoken Language Library ...................................................................... 25

VOLTA VOICES • SEPTE M BER/ OCTOBER 2009

We’ve Been in Your Shoes Advanced Bionics has answers for helping your child hear their best.

You want your hearing-impaired child to learn, play, grow, and talk right along with their normalhearing peers. Cochlear implants can bring the rich world of sound to your child and help them develop the language skills needed to succeed in life. With Advanced Bionics’ Connect to Mentor program, you can learn more about cochlear implants and have all your questions answered by someone who’s really been there—the parent of a child with a cochlear implant.

Connect to a mentor of your very own today by visiting bionicear.com/ctm or calling the Bionic Ear Association at 866-844-HEAR (4327)

oin friends, colleagues, advocates and

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

endless possibilities Advocating Independence through Listening and Talking!

Attend the 2010 AG Bell Biennial Convention

JUNE 25-28, 2010 HILTON BONNET CREEK HOTEL ORLANDO, FLORIDA