PDF edition - Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and

Transcription

VOICES
A l e x A n d e r G r A h A m B e l l A s s o c i At i o n f o r t h e D e A f A n D h A r D o f h e A r i n g
V
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W W W. A G B E L L . O R G • V O L 1 6 , N O . 1
JA n UA r Y/ f e B r UA r Y 20 0 9
VOICES
V
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VO LU M E 16 • N U M B E R 1 • JA N UA R Y/ F E B R UA R Y 20 0 9
F E AT U R E S
What the Neurosciences Tell Us about
Adolescent Development
16
By Ellen A. Rhoades, Ed.S., LSLS Cert. AVT
Understanding an interactive model of brain development can help
professionals who work with children who are deaf or hard of hearing to
facilitate their independent learning, or to “learn how to learn.”
How to Buy a Cell Phone when You Have a Hearing Loss
22
By Janice Schacter
This guide was developed by a parent of a child with hearing loss to
navigate the numerous and sometimes complicated options available
when purchasing a cell phone for someone with a hearing device,
such as a hearing aid or cochlear implant.
24
Keen Guides – Be Your Own Museum Tour Guide
By Catharine McNally
Read about how one AG Bell member is working to make museum
self-guided tours available to anyone with a hearing loss, regardless of
age or method of communication.
26
Providing the Opportunity of Experience
By Melody Felzien
Read about how the experience of attending an AG Bell convention
impacted the lives of four families awarded a scholarship to cover
travel and lodging expenses.
30
Una oportunidad de adquirir experiencia
Por Melody Felzien
Conozca cómo la experiencia de asistir a una convención de AG Bell
tuvo un impacto positivo en las vidas de cuatro familias premiadas
con una beca para cubrir gastos de viaje y alojamiento.
34
Implantable Hearing Devices
By Marshall Chasin, Au.D., Tim Campos, M.A.,
and Mark C. Flynn, Ph.D.
This article discuses implantable hearing devices, providing readers with
an overview of the Vibrant Soundbridge and the Baha®.
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
3 4 1 7 volta p la c e , nw, wa s h i ng t on , d c 2 0 0 0 7 • www. agbell . org
V
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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
Catherine Murphy
Director of Advertising and Exhibit Sales
Garrett W. Yates
Design & Layout
Paul T. Mickus
PixelPoint Design & Production, LLC
AG Bell Board Members
President
John R. “Jay” Wyant (MN)
Cover: Keen Guides founder Catharine McNally and her business partner,
Karen Borchert, demonstrate their product at the Volta Bureau. Photo Credit: Sean Lippy
F E AT U R E S ( c o n t i n u e d )
AG Bell Academy Explains Certification Exam
Scoring Process
38
By Donald Goldberg, Ph.D., CCC-SLP/A, FAAA, LSLS Cert. AVT
AG Bell Academy President Donald Goldberg provides background on the
design process of the Listening and Spoken Language Specialists
certification exam.
D e p art m e n ts
VOICES FROM AG BELL
• Call for Volunteers....................................................................................3
By Jay Wyant
• Doing Business with AG Bell....................................................................5
By Catherine Murphy
• Tips for Parents: Parental Controls....................................................... 41
By Bryan Reynolds
IN THIS ISSUE
• Technology and Access............................................................................6
By Melody Felzien
SOUNDBITES........................................................................................ 10
KIDS ZONE
• Around the World................................................................................. 42
By Sarah Crum
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)
IN EVERY ISSUE
Contributors.................................................................................................8
Directory of Services............................................................................... 44
List of Advertisers.................................................................................... 56
Want to Write for Volta Voices?. ............................................................. 56
Members
Donald M. Goldberg, Ph.D. (OH)
Irene W. Leigh, Ph.D. (MD)
Michael A. Novak, M.D. (IL)
Dan Salvucci, M.Ed., Ed.M., CCC-A (MA)
J. Paul Sommer, M.B.A. (MA)
Peter S. Steyger, Ph.D. (OR)
Joanne Travers (MA)
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 $62 plus $12 for international postage where applicable.
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. 40683045
Return Undeliverable Canadian Addresses to:
P.O.Box 503, RPO West Beaver Creek, Richmond Hill, ON L4B 4R6
2
V OLTA V OICE S • JA NUA R Y / F E BR U A R Y 2009
V O I C E S
F R O M
A G
B E L L
Call for Volunteers
“Paul Revere earned his living as a silversmith. But what do we remember him
for? His volunteer work.” – Anonymous
AG Bell’s Engine
O
ur volunteer corps is the
engine that powers AG Bell’s
success. Simply put, much of
what AG Bell does is the result of the
time and energy from volunteers who
share a common goal of Independence
through Listening and Talking for individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing. From AG Bell’s governance (the
Board of Directors) to the content of
our biennial Convention and Listening
and Spoken Language Symposium,
to enacting change in federal and
state public policy, AG Bell relies on
the input, ideas and hard work of our
volunteers to promote awareness and
accessibility of listening and spoken
language for the deaf and hard of
hearing.
The Value of Volunteerism
Consider the value of volunteerism.
According to Independent Sector, a
national organization that studies volunteerism in the U.S., approximately
109 million American adults volunteer
annually – that’s 56 percent of all
adults. These volunteers contribute an
average of 3.5 hours per week. That’s
19.9 billion hours with an estimated
workforce dollar value of $225.9 billion. Think of how much can be accomplished with those kinds of resources!
Why Volunteer?
While we’re on the subject of money,
let’s address the pay issue up front:
there isn’t any. However, there is a
“payoff.” Join a committee, speak at
a conference or write an article, and
we’ll guarantee that you will have the
opportunity to:
•Share a skill and a perspective
uniquely your own.
•Get to know a community and make
new friends.
•Gain leadership skills and be an
agent of change.
•Receive satisfaction from
accomplishment.
•Have an impact on generations to
come.
•Learn something new.
•Be challenged and test yourself.
•Explore your career and professional
development.
•Have an excuse to do what you love.
•Be part of a team of like-minded
individuals.
Refining Volunteer
Management
Over the last several years, the Board
of Directors and the staff have been
refining AG Bell’s strategic planning
process. This process included surveys
and facilitated discussions. Of the
many issues that were identified, all
parties agreed that we must focus
efforts on our volunteers. From the
structure of the Board of Directors to
establishing volunteer job descriptions,
we have been hard at work refining
our volunteer structure. This refinement process may have sometimes
appeared slow to your eager President,
but the methodical approach has been
necessary to ensure that what’s in
place will stand well over time. That
includes consolidating the association’s
multiple databases and installing and
integrating new software. You can
expect changes and improvements to
be coming at you at warp speed, so get
ready and hang on!
Shared Interest Groups
One of AG Bell’s newest initiatives has
been the conversion from Sections to
Shared Interest Groups (SIGs). And one
of the best ways for SIGs to interact is
through online networking. In January,
we launched the initial phase of an
ongoing roll-out of our new Web site
called “NetCommunities.” This new
online community feature includes a
discussion group function that is currently being tested by our initial SIG
groups – the Auditory-Verbal SIG and
the Public School Caucus SIG. We see
this as a great opportunity to take AG
Bell to the next generation in communications and networking. And, a
great opportunity to increase volunteer
participation!
Make sure that you’re receiving our
weekly AG Bell Update e-newsletter, as
that’s where we will be announcing
updates to the SIG program as well as
how to start or join a SIG. Of course,
we will also post such information in
Volta Voices. To read more about AG
Bell’s Web site initiative, please read
Catherine Murphy’s column in this
issue.
Public Affairs Advocacy
AG Bell’s Public Affairs Council (PAC)
was established last September to help
streamline the focus of our volunteer
(continued on next page)
Q U E S T I O N S ? C O MMEN T S ? C O N C ERN S ?
Write to us : AG Bell • 3417 Volta Place, NW, Washington, DC 20007
V O LTA V OIC ES • JAN U ARY/FE BRUARY 2009
|
Or email us : [email protected]
3
V O I C E S
F R O M
A G
Call for Volunteers
(continued from previous page)
efforts to maximize impact on public
policy. The PAC determined that once
again, AG Bell’s number one issue in
the new Congress is reauthorization
of the Early Hearing Detection and
Intervention (EHDI) Act. Since the
legislation was not able to be enacted
in the last Congressional session, we
are starting all over again with a new
Congress. As we get close to milestones in its passage we will be calling
on all of AG Bell’s constituencies to
generate phone calls and emails to
their Congressional representatives
to urge they sponsor and support this
critical piece of legislation. Once EHDI
is re-enacted, AG Bell has committed
to help enact and implement state-level
EHDI legislation aimed at expanding
4
B E L L
services for early detection and intervention of hearing loss for newborns
and children. This effort, along with
our Children’s Legal Advocacy program, will be AG Bell’s primary goal
this year. If our members even donate
five minutes of time to send an email
to their senators and representatives it
can make a huge difference, so keep
an eye out for AG Bell Update alerts.
While the PAC has identified these
two top priorities, the council and
the AG Bell staff do monitor and act
on other priorities as needed. Visit
www.agbell.org/DesktopDefault.
aspx?p=PositionStatements to see AG
Bell’s positions on issues affecting the
deaf and hard of hearing community.
You can also visit www.agbell.org/
DesktopDefault.aspx?p=Current_
Issues to see what other issues AG Bell
is monitoring. The PAC would appreciate your feedback on these priority
issues. Please send your comments to
[email protected].
We Need You!
I’ve only touched on the tip of the
iceberg on the volunteer opportunities
at AG Bell. There is still much to be
done. If you are not currently involved
in a project with AG Bell, please considering making a contribution at
www.agbell.org. If you are not sure
where or what you would like to do,
please feel free to contact me at
[email protected]. I am just an email
away and I will be glad to assist you in
finding just the right opportunity here
at AG Bell.
Have a safe and happy 2009!
Jay Wyant
President
V O I C E S
F R O M
A G
B E L L
Doing Business with
AG Bell has
Never Been Easier
By Catherine Murphy
L
ater this month, all AG Bell
members will receive an email
and invitation to join AG Bell’s
new online community, Virtual Voices.
AG Bell has made a significant investment in its IT infrastructure in order
to bring you a series of improvements
that will make it easier for you to connect, network and actively participate
in AG Bell’s exciting mission.
The AG Bell staff has worked hard
to implement an online system called
“NetCommunities” into AG Bell’s
current Web site. This software will
connect AG Bell’s online community
directly with its member database,
allowing instantaneous updates to
member contact information, membership renewals and giving history.
According to Bryan Reynolds, AG
Bell director of information systems,
“NetCommunities is a premier product
for non-profit associations like AG Bell
and is a significant investment that
will allow AG Bell to harness the best
of web-based social networking to
bring our community that much closer
together.”
Virtual Voices
AG Bell’s online community, Virtual
Voices, is the association’s investment
in your networking. We hope you will
find it a helpful tool in managing and
growing your relationships with other
members and supporters of AG Bell.
Virtual Voices allows you to update
your contact information and email
preferences instantaneously; access
other members through an online
member directory; access and post
events to the online event calendar;
support AG Bell through membership
renewal and donations as well as a
new and improved bookstore through
a secure, instantaneous payment
system; view and make changes to
your membership; view and access
your giving history; access memberonly content, such as archives of Volta
Voices; and participate in networking
opportunities, such as shared interest groups (SIGs)s, through discussion
groups and weblogs.
In addition, AG Bell will continue
to roll-out additional features, including improved and more interactive
support for chapters, a RSS news
feeder, event information and registration, and survey and poll tools to
collect your suggestions quickly and
efficiently.
SIGs Preview
Shared Interest Groups, or SIGS, are
a networking tool available to members as part of Virtual Voices. SIGs
will bring members and supporters
of AG Bell together around a common cause, goal or purpose. Through
Virtual Voices, SIGs harness the best of
web-based social networking tools to
unite our community around common
issues.
Once a SIG has been approved,
group administrators will be granted
access to start a discussion board
or weblog, store e-documents and
administer polls. Through SIGs, individuals can brainstorm and engage in
meaningful conversation about a specific topic or purpose. The best part is
that you can belong to as many SIGs as
you want. If there isn’t one available,
you can create one. All you have to do
is identify what topics and issues matter the most to you and you will find
others who share the same interests
and concerns as you. Stay tuned to AG
Bell Update and Volta Voices for information about this exciting new addition to AG Bell’s online community.
See For Yourself
Before you can enjoy any of these
exciting new features, you have to login to Virtual Voices. An email with your
username and password will be sent to
your email address on file with AG Bell
in mid January. If you do not receive
the email, please make sure you are
checking the correct email account as
well as your spam and junk mail folders for an email from [email protected].
All you have to do is log-in, update
your contact information (including
preferred email address), agree to AG
Bell’s terms of service, and change
your password to something you will
remember and that is secure. It’s that
simple. Then you can enjoy all the
benefits Virtual Voices has to offer and
start engaging in meaningful and longlasting networking opportunities that
will help all of us to advance AG Bell’s
mission of Advocating Independence
through Listening and Talking!
5
E D I T O R ’ S
N O T E
Technology
and Access
T
his marks the first issue of
2009. While AG Bell continues
to move forward advocating
and promoting awareness for those
who are deaf and hard of hearing and
use spoken language, and the professionals and parents who work with
them, we also continue to see access
and technology advances as well.
As a prelude to AG Bell’s Listening
and Spoken Language Symposium,
July 23-25, 2009, in St. Louis, Mo.,
Ellen Rhoades provides an excellent
overview on how the brain develops
and matures, and relates this maturation to the critical development stage
of adolescence. Read about how an
interactive model of brain development can help professionals who work
with children who are deaf and hard of
hearing facilitate independent learning.
Two articles focus solely on communication access. The first, “How to
Buy a Cell Phone,” is a guide developed
by Janice Schacter, director of the
Hearing Access Program and who has
a daughter with hearing loss. Schacter
developed this guide while researching the various options available to
hearing aid users when purchasing a
cell phone. The article describes what
the ratings mean and what to look
for when searching for a compatible
phone for various hearing devices.
The second article describes “Keen
6
Guides,” created by AG Bell member
and entrepreneur Catharine McNally.
Keen Guides are interactive museum
video tours that are downloadable to a
personal music and video player, such
as an iPod. As McNally discovered, this
works as a wonderful solution to selfguided museum tours for the deaf or
hard of hearing.
In the area of technology,
“Implantable Hearing Devices”
highlights two devices, the Vibrant
Soundbridge and the Baha, and discusses what their advantages are to a
traditional hearing aid option.
In addition, AG Bell Director of
Communication Catherine Murphy discusses a new addition to AG Bell’s Web
site called Virtual Voices. This longawaited update provides a new online
community for AG Bell members
and supporters. Read about the new
features and exciting developments
as AG Bell enhances its web presence to provide enhanced networking
opportunities.
This issue also includes articles
showcasing the work of AG Bell.
First, “Providing the Opportunity of
Experience” highlights the experience of four families who received a
scholarship to attend the 2008 AG Bell
convention in Milwaukee, Wis. The
families recount how the convention
impacted their lives then and now. In
addition, Donald Goldberg, president
of the AG Bell Academy for Listening
and Spoken Language, provides some
background to the Academy’s LSLS
certification process in “Certification
Exam Scoring.” Readers will also want
to read this iteration of “Around the
World,” which introduces Gabriella Hall
and highlights her and her family’s
journey with hearing loss.
Finally, Volta Voices brings back a
popular regular column. “Tips for
Parents” will provide practical, real-life
applications for parents with children
who are deaf or hard of hearing. This
issue’s column discusses parental
controls for the Internet, an important
aspect of technology affecting any
child, regardless of hearing ability.
I hope you stay tuned to Volta Voices
and www.agbell.org for continuous
updates on the activities and initiatives of AG Bell and on how you can
get involved. As always, if you have
an idea for an article or would like to
submit something for consideration,
please contact me at [email protected]
with your comments and suggestions.
Happy New Year!
Melody Felzien
Editor, Volta Voices
V O I C E S
C O N T R I B U T O R S
Tim Campos, M.A.,
author of “Implantable Hearing
Devices,” is director of business
and surgical sales development at
MED-EL Corporation in Durham, N.C. Tim
spent the first ten years of his career as a
clinical audiologist in Denver, Colo. Since
then, he has worked in the industry with an
emphasis on implantable hearing device
technologies in sales, marketing, product
development and surgical education and
support roles.
Marshall Chasin,
M.Sc., Au.D., FAAA,
author of “Implantable Hearing
Devices,” is an audiologist and
director of auditory research at the Center for
Human Performance and Health Promotion
in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. Readers may
contact him at [email protected].
Sarah Crum, author of
“Around the World,” is an intern at
AG Bell. She currently attends
Georgetown University as a
sophomore, majoring in American Musical
Culture. Sarah continues to study piano and
enjoys playing club volleyball. She plans to
pursue a career in journalism.
Mark C. Flynn, Ph.D., author of
“Implantable Hearing Devices,” is director of
research and applications at Cochlear Bone
Anchored Solutions in Gothenburg, Sweden.
Readers may contact Dr. Flynn at
[email protected].
Donald Goldberg,
Ph.D., CCC-SLP/A,
FAAA, LSLS Cert. AVT,
author of “AG Bell Academy
Explains Certification Exam Process,” is the
current president of the AG Bell Academy for
Listening and Spoken Language and
co-director of the Cleveland Clinic’s Head
and Neck Institute’s Hearing Implant
Program. Goldberg is a world leader in the
assessment of and the auditory-based
(re)habilitation of children and adults who
are deaf or hard of hearing who are
recipients of unilateral or bilateral cochlear
implants.
Catharine McNally,
author of “Keen Guides – Be Your
Own Tour Guide,” grew up in
North Carolina and received a
Bachelor of Arts degree from Wake Forest
University in 2006 with a focus in art history.
She moved to the Washington, D.C.-area
shortly after graduation to pursue career
aspirations of working in the arts and
advocating for accessibility. In her free time,
she can be found around Washington, D.C.,
exploring museums, trying new restaurants
or playing sports. McNally is profoundly deaf
and hears with bilateral cochlear implants.
Catharine Murphy,
author of “Doing Business with
AG Bell has Never Been Easier,”
is director of communications at
AG Bell. She has worked in the public
relations field for more than 15 years with an
emphasis on media relations and communications strategy. Previous experience
includes political campaign management,
award-winning marketing communications
and public relations strategy for publicly
traded telecommunications firms, and public
affairs management for the American Water
Works Association. Murphy received her
B.A. in Communications from Ohio State
University. Her brother, Michael, was born
profoundly deaf and recently received a
cochlear implant.
Bryan Reynolds, author of “Tips for
Parents – Parental Controls,” is the director of information systems at AG Bell. He
received bachelor’s degree in computer science from the State University of New York
at Buffalo as well as several other certifications in network and Web programs and
systems. Reynolds lives in Silver Spring, Md,
with his wife and son.
Ellen Rhoades, Ed.S.,
LSLS Cert. AVT, author of
“What Can the Neurosciences
Tell Us About Adolescent
Development?,” is an international consultant, mentor and lecturer for professionals,
families and programs. Since obtaining
graduate degrees from Emory University and
Georgia State University, she established
and directed three non-profit auditory-verbal
programs as well as wrote and directed a
federally funded model pilot Auditory-Verbal
program. Rhoades has served on the AG
Bell board of directors and was founding
director and charter life member of AuditoryVerbal International (AVI).
Janice Schacter, author
of “How to Buy a Cell Phone when
You Have a Hearing Loss,” is a
retired attorney whose 14-yearold daughter is hard of hearing. She is the
director of the Hearing Access Program.
Schacter has appeared before Congress
and the New York City Council and authored
numerous articles to promote advocacy and
accessibility for people with hearing loss.
She is a member of the 2008/2009 inaugural
Interagency Council for Services to the Deaf,
Deaf-Blind and Hard of Hearing. Schacter
lives in New York City.
8
SOUNDB
NEWS BITES
2/17
President-elect
Barack Obama’s
Positions on
Disabilities
Digital Television (DTV), an
advanced broadcast technology, will enable broadcasters to offer television
with better picture and
sound quality. Television
stations serving markets
in the United States will
discontinue broadcasting
in analog after February 17,
2009, and only broadcast
digital signals. Consumers
can connect an inexpensive receiver, a digital to
analog converter box, to
their existing analog television sets to decode DTV
broadcast signals. Coupons are available upon
request for all U.S. households. Two coupons, worth
$40 each, can be used toward the purchase of up to
two analog-to-digital converter boxes. Additional
information can be found
at www.DTV2009.gov.
7/23-25
Union Station Marriott in
St. Louis, Mo., July 23-25.
The theme for the 2009
Symposium will be “Executive Function” (EF).
Vital to the development
of problem solving, social
competence and academic
readiness, EF is a cognitive
or thinking process that
influences and controls
behavior such as working
memory, organizational
strategies and inhibition.
Understanding EF can
help professionals identify
where cognitive breakdowns occur, and may also
help highlight a child or
adult’s areas of strength
and talent. Symposium
attendees will also have
the opportunity to explore
techniques and strategies in applying executive
function to their respective
practices. Continuing education units (CEUs) will also
be offered. Registration
will open mid-January. For
2009 Listening and Spoken
Language Symposium
AG Bell will host its 2009
Listening and Spoken Language Symposium at the
10 more information about the
event or to register, visit
www.listeningandspoken
language.com.
In an effort to educate AG
Bell members on key issues
that will be highlighted in
the new administration,
the following is a summary
of President-elect Barack
Obama’s position on key
issues of importance to AG
Bell and its constituencies:
Individuals with
Disabilities
Education Act
Currently, the federal
government provides only
17 percent of the promised
funding to cover 40 percent
of each state’s “excess
cost” of educating children
with disabilities. As a result,
parents are forced to fight
with cash-strapped school
districts to get the free and
appropriate education for
their children who have
disabilities. Obama has
committed to fully fund the
Individuals with Disabilities
Education Act (IDEA) and to
protect students’ and parents’ rights under IDEA.
Early Intervention
Obama has committed to
invest $10 billion per year
in early intervention educational and developmental programs for children
between the ages of 0 and
5. Obama’s plan will help
to expand Early Head Start
to serve more children with
disabilities and will spur
states through programs like
Early Learning Challenge
Grants to expand programs
for children with disabilities,
such as IDEA Part C.
Universal Screening
Obama supports universal screening of all infants
at birth, and plans to set
a national goal to provide
re-screening for 2-yearolds. Achieving universal
screening is essential so that
disabilities can be identified early enough for those
children and families to get
the special support and
resources they need.
Universal Health Care
Universal health care coverage for pre-existing conditions is critical for Americans
with disabilities, which is why
under Obama’s universal
health insurance plan, insurance companies will not be
able to stop individuals from
getting coverage even if they
have pre-existing conditions
and disabilities.
For a complete description of these and other
positions related to disabilities expected to be
addressed in a new Obama
Administration, please visit
www.barackobama.com/pdf/
DisabilityPlanFactSheet.
pdf. AG Bell will continue
to monitor and report on
presidential transition issues
as they impact our mission
of Advocating Independence
through Listening and
Talking!
Photo credit: Funtup Productions, Inc.
CA L E N DA R O F E V E N T S
DBITES
ClosedCaptioning Being
developed for
radio
National Public Radio, along
with Harris Corporation
and Towson University in
Maryland, have developed
closed-captioning for radio
to assist those who are
deaf and hard of hearing.
This cutting-edge, digital
HD Radio™ technology will
allow individuals to view
radio content on specially
equipped receivers. The initiative, entitled “International
Center for Accessible Radio
Technology” (ICART), plans
to develop digital transmission features to be included
in radio broadcasting.
Through ICART, textual data
will be shown on the screen
of new versions of HD
Radio receivers, providing a
closed-caption transcript of
live broadcasts for people
who are deaf and hard of
hearing. ICART hopes to use
advanced speech-to-text
translation software to
eventually allow for captioning across the radio dial,
not only on HD radio receivers. For more information
about the initiative, visit
www.i-cart.net.
rIT/nTId
Scholarship Fund
renewed
The Rochester Institute
of Technology/National
Technical Institute for
the Deaf (RIT/NTID) has
received a $150,000 gift
from the William Randolph
Hearst Foundation to help
students who are deaf and
hard of hearing who need
financial aid. RIT/NTID also
received $200,000 from the
foundation in 1994 for the
same financial aid program.
Since that time, 102 scholarships have been awarded
to 40 students who are deaf
and hard of hearing. The
scholarship amount is based
on the individual needs
of qualified students, and
more than 25 scholarships
are awarded each year.
Recipients of the scholarship have earned degrees
V O LtA V OicEs • JAN U ARY/FE BRUARY 2009
compiled by
Sarah Crum and
melody Felzien
in industrial technology,
digital imaging and publishing technology, applied art
and computer graphics,
accounting, biology and
more.
“escape from
Silence” relates
to All Parents
In her new book, “Escape
from Silence,” Simone Green
describes from a parent’s
perspective her family’s
experience with cochlear
implant technology. As a
mother of two boys, both
born profoundly deaf, this
book can relate to all parents
who will appreciate Green’s
honest perspective in coping
and supporting children who
are deaf and hard of hearing.
Parents will find her book
a valuable tool for learning
about and navigating the
cochlear implant process.
Having a child diagnosed
with hearing loss can be a
profound experience, but
Green’s book shows that
families are not alone in this
process. For more information or to order a book, visit
www.hearjourney.com.
11
SOUND
S O U n D B I T E S
NEWS BITES (continued)
Phonak
Introduces new
Products
Recently, Phonak introduced
Versáta and Certéna, two
new product families based
on the CORE platform. In
conjunction with two already
available hearing systems,
Exélia and Naída, these new
products form a unique collection to accommodate all
ages, levels of hearing loss,
personal preferences and
lifestyles. All hearing instruments in the CORE collection can be easily connected
to external audio devices,
such as MP3s, cell phones
and Bluetooth technology. The new Versáta and
Certéna product families are
now available.
12
The 2010 edition of the
“Standard Occupational
Classification (SOC)
Manual,” published by
the U.S. Department of
Commerce, will assign
audiologists their own
separate occupational
category. Audiologists are
currently grouped together
with various types of
therapists. The American
Academy of Audiology has
stated that the current SOC
Manual classification fails to
acknowledge the full scope
of audiology. By classifying
audiology into its own occupational category, people
will be more aware of the
profession. Before finalizing
its 2010 SOC Manual, the
government will consider
comments submitted earlier
this year about the proposed
change. For more information, visit www.bls.gov/SOC.
nIdCd launches
new Campaign
directed at
Tweens
The National Institute
on Deafness and Other
Communication Disorders
(NIDCD), National Institutes
of Health, recently launched
a new campaign to help
parents of 8- to 12-yearolds, or “tweens,” teach
their children how to avoid
hearing loss from overexposure to noise. The campaign
is titled “It’s a Noisy Planet.
Protect Their Hearing.”
NIDCD established a Web
site for the campaign that
offers advice to parents
as well as games, posters
and interactive information
geared to “tweens.” Noiseinduced hearing loss (NHL)
is 100 percent preventable, yet approximately 26
million Americans between
the ages of 20 and 69 have
high-frequency hearing loss
from overexposure to noise,
according to NIDCD’s Web
site. The campaign targets
“tweens” because they are
beginning to make their own
conscious decisions. By
influencing and informing
them now, NIDCD hopes
they will make positive
strides in protecting their
hearing for the future. To
view the campaign’s Web
site, visit http://noisyplanet.
nidcd.nih.gov.
Gallaudet
University Opens
new Building
Gallaudet University
recently opened the new
Sorenson Language and
Communication Center
(SLCC), designed by and
for people who are deaf and
hard of hearing. It is the first
building in the university’s
history to be specifically
designed for people who
are deaf and hard of hearing
using architectural principles that are specific to
their communication needs.
The SLCC also serves as
the university’s first “green”
building, gaining certification as a Leadership in
Energy and Environmental
Design (LEED) structure.
The SLCC project was
launched in November 2004
with a $5 million donation from Sorenson Media
and the Sorenson Legacy
Foundation. The SLCC
houses several departments
including ASL and Deaf
Studies, Communication
Studies, Government and
History, Hearing, Speech
and Language Sciences,
Linguistic, Sociology, and
Gallaudet’s Hearing and
Speech Center.
Siemens
Introduces new
and Improved
hearing
Instrument
Siemens Hearing
Instruments, Inc., introduced
a new product, “Life” hearing
aids. Life has been designed
for hearing aid users who
Sorenson Language and Communication Center at Gallaudet University
V OLtA V Oic E s • JA NUA R Y / F E BR U A R Y 2009
Photo credit: Heery International courtesy of Gallaudet University
Phonak also announced
the release of iSense, a
wireless communication
system designed for users
who do not require hearing
amplification but experience
speech comprehension
problems, particularly in
noisy environments. There
are two iSense versions
available, iSense Micro and
iSense Classic. iSense products are particularly suitable
for children and adults with
unilateral hearing loss,
attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), minimal
hearing loss, multiple sclerosis, autism spectrum disorder or speech and language
disorders as a consequence
of recurring middle ear infections or stroke.
Audiologists
to receive
Occupational
recognition
BITES
want the aids to adapt easily
to their lifestyle. The hearing
aids are light and sleek and
are available in 16 different
colors and designs. “Life”
is easy for audiologists to
fit and requires little maintenance due to its durable
behind-the-ear style, ultrathin LifeTubes and replaceable tips. They can also be
connected to the wearer’s
devices through Bluetooth
communication technology and stream sound from
MP3s, mobile phones and
TVs. “Life” offers naturalsound technology that
remember volume settings
and sound quality adjustments. For additional
information, visit
www.siemens-hearing.com.
“Our Proud Legacy, A Guide
to Planned Giving,” is now
available online. The brochure describes the various
types of legacy gifts, such
as life insurance, donoradvised funds and charitable
gift annuities. Gifts or legacies may be given to AG Bell
at any time or bequeathed
in a will. Through donations, AG Bell can continue
its mission of Advocating
Independence through
Listening and Talking! For
further information and to
learn how to create a legacy,
visit www.agbell.org/
uploads/Donate/Final_
Planned_Giving_Brochure.
pdf.
AG Bell legacy
Brochure now
Available
Auditory-Oral
School of new
York rings
Closing Bell at
nASdAQ
A new AG Bell Legacy
Society brochure, entitled
Students from the Auditory/
Oral School of New York
(AOSNY) in Brooklyn rang
the closing bell at the
NASDAQ stock exchange
on October 31, 2008. The
school was commended for
its “outstanding commitment and service in support
of children who are deaf
and heard of hearing and
providing opportunities for
tomorrow’s leaders and
entrepreneurs.” The AOSNY
was founded to offer the
option of an auditory-oral
education to children who
are deaf and hard of hearing
in New York. The services
at AOSNY include parentinfant, early intervention
and preschool programs,
family training and support groups, counseling,
individual speech and
listening therapy, audiological services, and physical,
occupational and sensory
integration therapy as well
as comprehensive multidisciplinary evaluations.
Parent-Infant
Financial Aid
Applicants
Increase by
43 Percent
The number of applications
for the 2008 Parent-Infant
Financial Aid increased
43 percent over last year.
AG Bell’s Parent-Infant
Financial Aid provides support to families of infants
who have been diagnosed
with moderate to profound
hearing loss who are pursuing a spoken language
outcome for their child.
Grants are awarded to offset
expenses associated with
obtaining services such as
auditory support services,
speech-language therapy
and tuition. For more
information on AG Bell’s
financial aid programs,
visit www.agbell.org.
13
SOUND
S O U n D B I T E S
CHAPTERS
Carol Flexer speaks to attendees at the Ohio Chapter annual
conference.
( from left to right) Dennis
Forsberg, Dr. Carol Flexer, Elise
Forsberg, and Ann Forsberg at
the South Carolina Chapter Fall
Conference.
AG Bell Executive Director
Alexander T. Graham
attended the Virginia
Chapter of AG Bell
annual conference in historic
Photo credit: Michele Jerome
The 15th Annual CCCDP
and north Carolina
AG Bell Fall Conference,
“Hear ‘n’ Now 2008: Music
to their Ears,” featured Chris
Barton, an award-winning
composer and performer
who currently directs the
Central Canal Creative Arts
Therapies in Indianapolis
where she works with young
children across the autistic
spectrum, and with thise
who have speech and hearing disorders. Dr. Carlton
Zdanski, from the University
of North Carolina at Chapel
Hill, presented the “Pediatric
Hearing Loss Update.”
Breakout sessions included
“Conducting Sessions
with a Spanish Interpreter,”
“Make-It, Take-It” and
“Vocabulary, Reading and
Standard Elementary (K-5)
Course of Study.”
The Ohio Chapter
of AG Bell held its fourth
annual conference in
Columbus, Ohio, on
November 1, 2008. One
hundred people attended
the conference, featuring
Dr. Carol Flexer speaking
on “The Science and Art of
Listening for Children with
Hearing Loss” and “Acoustic
Accessibility: Facilitating
Classroom Listening for All
Children.” Eight exhibitors
were in attendance, including Cochlear Americas,
Columbus Speech and
Hearing Center, Deaf
Initiatives, Hearing Loss
Association of America,
National Cued Speech
Association, Ohio School for
the Deaf, Ohio Valley Voices
and Oticon.
On October 24, the South
Carolina Chapter
of AG Bell welcomed 46
attendees from South
Carolina, North Carolina
and Georgia to its 2008 Fall
Conference. The meeting’s keynote speaker, Dr.
Carol Flexer, presented
“The Listening Brain,” challenging each participant
to acknowledge that the
“cheese has moved” and
accept a paradigm shift as
essential in ensuring quality services for individuals
hearing. Elise Forsberg,
recipient of the 2008 Todd
Houston Scholarship Award
and who has a hearing
loss, recounted her life’s
journey, which moved many
attendees to tears. Training
sessions as well as informal
communications among
presenters, sponsors and
exhibitors combined to
make the conference a huge
success!
Photo credit: Kelly Halacka-Gilkey
14
Participants at the “Hear ‘n’ Now
2008” NC AG Bell conference
participate in a group activity.
In response to state budget
travel cuts, NC AG Bell
extended the opportunity
for parents and professionals to attend by providing
$2,000 in scholarship funds.
Proceeds from the conference are donated to provide
scholarships to and to sponsor the Annual Spring Camp
at Camp Cheerio, N.C., an
annual weekend camp held
in May for children who are
deaf and hard of hearing and
their families.
Photo credit: Jack King, Ph.D., CCC-A
heAr Indiana held
its 26th Annual Education
Conference on November
14, 2008, which included
researchers, clinicians,
teachers and parents
speaking on topics relevant
to listening and spoken
language. The conference
is designed for professionals who want to hone their
skills, adults who are deaf
and hard of hearing and
want to learn more about
advanced technology
products, and parents who
want more information on
childhood hearing loss. The
keynote speaker was Maura
Berndsen, M.A., CED, LSLS
Cert. AVT., who provided
recommendations to parents
and professionals for having
an effective partnership for
children who are deaf and
hard of hearing.
In addition, on October 25,
2008, HEAR Indiana hosted
its 2nd Annual Pumpkin
Fest at a pumpkin patch
in Noblesville, Ind. It was
a chance for families of
children with hearing loss to
meet our HEAR Indiana Pen
Pal (HIPP) mentors.
Photo credit: Wendy J. Katsiagianis
The California
Chapter of AG Bell
welcomed 150 professionals, parents, and children
and adults who are deaf
and hard of hearing to their
annual picnic on October 26,
2008. Chapter board members Christa Tamparong
and Bridgette Klaus worked
hard to plan a day of crafts
and games for the kids
while allowing everyone
the opportunity to visit with
old friends and make new
ones while networking and
sharing information. Chapter
members were excited to
see and meet many new
faces, including some for
whom this was their first AG
Bell event.
BITES
NAMES IN THE NEWS
Williamsburg November
7-8, 2008. Guest speaker
Dr. Eileen Rall from the
Children’s Hospital of
Philadelphia presented on
the psychosocial development of children with
hearing loss in keeping
with the conference theme,
“Reaping the Rewards:
Growing Healthy Kids with
Hearing Loss.” Parents
and professionals had the
opportunity to learn more
about how best to support
children and teens as they
grow and mature both within
the family unit as well as in
school and community settings. The conference also
featured award-winning deaf
author Michael Chorost,
who shared his experiences on getting a cochlear
implant as recounted in his
book, “Rebuilt.” A variety
of speakers from Virginia’s
medical and educational
communities presented on
current topics such as bilateral cochlear implantation,
new advances in newborn
hearing screening, positive behavioral strategies
for preschool children and
sound field amplification in
the public school setting.
Photo credit: Michele Jerome
Megan Hopkins and her daughter,
Madeline, who has a hearing loss,
at the Virginia Chapter annual
conference.
The Virginia Department
for the Deaf and Hard of
Hearing (VDDHH) recently
appointed AG Bell member Jill mcmillin to its
State Advisory Board for
a four-year term. Jill is the
mother of J.D., an 8-year-old
recipient of bilateral cochlear
implants who uses spoken language. She is also
a founding member of the
Virginia Chapter of AG Bell
and currently serves on its
board. The VDDHH advisory
board’s mission is to “function as a communication
bridge between deaf, hard of
hearing and hearing people
and help provide an environment in which deaf and hard
of hearing Virginians of all
ages have equal opportunity to participate fully
as active, responsible and
independent citizens of the
Commonwealth.” McMillin is
committed to communication choices for parents and
would like to see all children
hearing and their parents
receive appropriate support
and services for their choice.
Recently, AG Bell members Josh Swiller and
michael Chorost
were featured in “Inside
Gallaudet” by Gallaudet
University about their Fall
2008 course on “The History
of Change.” The course,
offered by the Department
of American Sign Language,
examines the stories of
communities, companies
and even species that found
ways to evolve when faced
with crisis. Both Chorost
and Swiller use cochlear
implants and use spoken
language. “An improved relationship between Gallaudet
and AG Bell could be a
win-win for everyone,” said
Swiller. “They [AG Bell] could
be a source of students and
we [Gallaudet] could be a
source of resources and
community.”
Clarke School for the
Deaf/Center for Oral
Education President Bill
Corwin announced that
meredith Berger,
m.S., will become the new
director of Clarke School
– New York. Berger has
many years of experience
as a teacher of the deaf
in the New York City area
and most recently worked
at the New York Eye and
Ear Infirmary as an educational specialist. “We are
very pleased to welcome
Meredith to Clarke,” said
Corwin in a press release.
“She has extensive experience as a teacher of the deaf
with a strong understanding of the New York City
education system.” Clarke
School has five locations on
the East Coast and serves
more than 500 students and
their families. Thousands of
others benefit from research,
curriculum development
and professionals trained
by the school system.
For more information, visit
www.clarkeschool.org.
IN
MEMORIAM
natalie Weil, a life
member of AG Bell, passed
away in San Rafael, Calif., on
September 24, 2008, at the
age of 94. A 1923 graduate of the Central Institute
for the Deaf (CID), Natalie
taught children who are
deaf or hard of hearing for
many years. She built the
public school program in
Marin County, Calif., into a
noted oral program, serving
children from birth through
high school. Natalie maintained close friendships with
former students and their
families through the years.
The sister of Arthur Simon,
one of the four founders of
the Oral Deaf Adult Section
(then the Deaf and Hard of
Hearing Section), Natalie
was the recipient of the 1990
Bell Centennial Award in San
Francisco in recognition of
her outstanding commitment to teaching. Natalie
inspired many people with
her passion for teaching
children with hearing loss,
including her son, John,
who wrote the script for the
“Dreams Spoken Here” videos for the Oberkotter Film
Office, and her daughter,
Janet, also a CID graduate who has taught at the
Jean Weingarten Peninsula
Oral School for the Deaf for
many years. A scholarship
fund has been established
in Natalie’s memory at the
Jean Weingarten School.
Donations may be sent to
JWPOSD/Weil Scholarship
Fund, 3518 Jefferson Ave.,
Redwood City, CA 94062.
15
By Ellen A. Rhoades, Ed.S., LSLS Cert. AVT
What Can the
Neurosciences
Tell Us About
Adolescent
Development?
T
The most significant brain
growth is often attributed
to development during
infancy. However,
over the past decade,
neuroscientists have
learned much about
the modifiability, or
neuroplasticity, of the
adolescent brain.
Their findings enable us to perceive
adolescence as “a time of great risk
and great opportunity.”1 Understanding
essential neurobiological changes deepens the perspective on information
processing theory. By knowing how
the brain develops, those who work
with children of all ages who are deaf
or hard of hearing will be better able
to facilitate executive functions – the
learning capacities that enable infants
as well as adolescents to develop strong
personal resources.
This article will cover the dynamic
nature of the adolescent brain and
how its functions are highly amenable
to change by exploring the interdependencies of all critical brain areas,
because when one part is impacted, all
16 parts are impacted, and the importance of adolescent neurobiological or
developmental processes in the overall
life span. A second part to this article
will be published in an upcoming issue
of Volta Voices and will focus on the
correlates between brain development
and executive function capacities,
which are the underpinnings of goaldirected, problem solving behaviors
necessary for adolescents to achieve
optimal language performance.
Understanding an interactive model of
brain development helps explain the
cognitive, socio-emotional and behavioral status of adolescents and how
adults can facilitate their independent
learning.
Interdependencies
All parts of the brain are interrelated.
Just as no single brain area is an
exclusive thinking, feeling, motor or
language center, each sensory or learning experience impacts all parts of the
brain.2 All subsystems within the brain
have specific functions and cannot
operate outside the larger structural
systems of which they are a part. What
affects one subsystem affects the
entire brain structure as well as other
subsystems.3
When an individual’s brain structure
is not functioning normally, it affects
other brain structures. Every thought
and experience arises from and creates a cascade of neural events. For
example, hearing loss is often associated with a variety of nonverbal developmental dysfunctions. These include
sensory processing dysfunctions,4,5
visual-spatial atypicalities,6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11
vestibular dysfunctions12 and motor
disorders,13, 14, 15 all of which impact
Executive Functions – Executive Functions (EF) are how children learn how
to learn. Vital to the development of language learning, social competence and
academic readiness, EF are a cognitive or thinking process that influences and
controls behavior such as working memory, organizational strategies, inhibition
and other goal-directed problem solving behaviors.
EF begin in infancy, are especially rapid in development during early childhood,
further develop in adolescence and peak in young adulthood. Executive functions involve the global coordination, integration and functional connectivity of
multiple underlying brain systems used in speech perception, production and
spoken language processing. Understanding EF can help professionals identify
where cognitive breakdowns occur, and may also help highlight a child’s or adult’s
areas of strength and talent.
Neuroplasticity – the modifiable or changeable neuron.
learning. Likewise, it has been demonstrated that unused auditory neurons
can be reorganized to sub-serve
other sensory modalities.16 Moreover,
all brain structures are affected by
external stimuli, i.e., environmental
conditions that include family dynamics, educational experiences and peer
relationships. Each adolescent behavior or thought arises from a cascade of
neural events and those same neural
networks are impacted by life experiences affecting behavior. The fact that
one has a significant hearing loss, in
all likelihood, implies vulnerability.
However subtle, adolescents with hearing loss are at risk for having multiple
challenges.
A variety of non-invasive brain-imaging techniques can determine how
adolescent physical growth and behaviors impact the brain, thus altering the
adolescent’s neurobiological and neurocognitive status.17 For example, brain
imaging scans show that adolescents
who are sleep-deprived become incapable of forming those synaptic connections needed to encode a memory
that, in turn, affects synaptic pruning
and strengthening of neural networks.18
Given that sleep is a time for memory
consolidation, motor coordination and
problem solving,19 it makes sense that
tired adolescents cannot recall what
they recently learned.
For better or worse, the adolescent
brain is re-wired during the learning
process. The adolescent mind has the
intrinsic capacity for reaching out and
making creative sense of the world.
This capacity for explosive change can
be very empowering for adolescents;
knowledge of one’s own brain as a
work in progress warrants its protection and guidance.
Developmental Processes
Understanding brain development
in adolescents can have profound
consequences for educational, social
and clinical practices. Only those brain
structures undergoing the greatest
change during adolescence are briefly
highlighted here.
The human brain, active whether
asleep or awake, has about 100 billion
neurons at any given time, with about
100 trillion instructions processed
per second.20 The most significant
transformation that occurs within
the developing brain is the wiring of
connections between cells, known
as synapses. The formation of new
synapses increases learning capacity
because of an increase in number and
thickness of synaptic connections.
Frequently used synaptic connections
are strengthened, known as synaptogenesis – the neurobiological hallmark
of puberty. Likewise, infrequently used
synaptic connections are eliminated,
known as pruning – the infamous principle of ‘use it or lose it.’ This synaptic
17
What Can the
neurosciences Tell
Us About Adolescent
development?
Typical neuron
Axon terminals
(transmitters)
Dendrites
pruning occurs across adolescence and
is believed to be essential for efficient
transmission of nerve impulses.21
Consequently, the adolescent brain
seems more susceptible to experiential input as brain maturation is an
experience-dependent process.
Brain maturation is associated with
age, gender and hormones.22 This is
manifested in gender-specific tendencies toward different cognitive capacities. Females typically perform better
in verbal memory and fluency as well
as phonological awareness and reading, whereas males typically excel in
spatial perception.23 Dynamic and dramatic changes in brain anatomy occur
across adolescence. New neurons
grow, distributed neural networks are
made, unused neurons are discarded
and neuronal connectivity becomes
more efficient. Synaptic pruning during post-pubescent adolescence is
critical so that learning becomes more
effective.24
‘Peripheral’ Gray Matter
and ‘Central’ White Matter
Both gray and white matter permeate the brain. Gray matter, also known
as the neocortex or “processing” or
“thinking” tissue, consists mostly of
neurons, dendrites and synapses.
Across an individual’s life span,
the production of gray matter both
increases and decreases in different brain areas. However, there are
two great waves in the overproduction of gray matter – during infancy
and adolescence. The volume of gray
matter peaks at about age 11 years in
girls and age 12 years in boys, steadily
reorganizing across adolescence and
continually declining after,25 thereby
preparing the brain for much learning.
White matter, fibers that connect
brain regions, is the layer below gray
matter. Mostly comprised of axons
covered by fatty tissue (or myelin),
18
Cell body
Axon
(the conducting fiber)
Myelin sheath
Nucleus
(insulating fatty layer
that speeds transmission)
• Neuron – cell that conducts nerve impulses (nerve cell).
• Dendrite – fiber that conducts nerve impulses toward the cell body of the neuron.
• Axon – fiber that conducts nerve impulses away from the cell body of the neuron.
• Synapse – the junction between two neurons.
• Myelin – the fatty tissue that enables speedier communication between neurons.
white matter serves as insulation for
the brain’s circuitry. As people mature,
these fibers become myelinated
and produce more white matter.26
Myelination increases the speed of
neuronal communication as well as
modulates the timing and synchrony
of neuronal firing patterns that convey
meaning to the brain.27 The volume of
white matter, mostly myelinated axons
that connect different regions of the
central nervous system, consistently
increases across and beyond adolescence, peaking in the late 40s and
early 50s.28
Neocortex
There are four lobes within the neocortex: frontal, parietal, temporal
and occipital lobes. While each lobe
is primarily associated with certain
processes, there is much interaction
between all brain areas. The volume
of white matter significantly increases
within the frontal and parietal lobes
during adolescence.29 Because the
occipital lobe does not seem critical for
either language or cognition, it will not
be discussed here.
The frontal lobe is the largest part
of the brain; it permits responsible,
future-focused behavior and is associated with verbal fluency.30 Gray matter
does not reach adult levels in the
frontal lobe until towards the end of
adolescence, while at the same time
myelination continues. At no other
phase of life does the frontal lobe
undergo more change than during
adolescence.
The prefrontal cortex, located within
the frontal lobe, is critical for advanced
cognition. The prefrontal cortex is
often referred to as the ‘executive’ of
the brain and affects attention, impulse
control, cognitive flexibility, working
memory, strategizing, organizing and
decision-making – all of which affect
learning and goal-directed problem
solving. The prefrontal cortex is the last
area of the brain to mature and undergoes the most pronounced course of
structural development during adolescence, especially between 17 and 20
years old. The volume of white matter
particularly increases in the adolescent prefrontal cortex. While sensory
and motor brain regions become fully
Although cognitive
control of behavior is not
Parietal lobe
yet mature, adolescents
Frontal lobe
engaged in decisionOccipital
lobe
making tend to rely on
their prefrontal cortex
much more than adults.
This can be problem
problematic as adolescents may
react to external factors,
such as peer pressure
and stress, rather than
overriding them. In
contrast, adults involved
Temporal lobe
in decision-making
Cerebellum
recruit fewer neurons in
their prefrontal cortex,
myelinated during the first few years of employing different strategies to do
life, frontal lobe white matter volume
the same job. Adults are more able to
peaks at about age 16 years old. The
recruit resources from other parts of
rate and intensity of pruning and
their brain and thus exert better conmyelination persist through late adoles- trol over external stimuli.32
cence. Greater synaptic density in the
While the prefrontal cortex underprefrontal cortex is thought to reflect
goes the most pronounced course
its information processing capacity.31
of structural development across
human Brain
adolescence, changes within the
other lobes of the neocortex are also
occurring. The temporal lobe is critical
because it is primarily responsible for
hearing, language, memory, speech,
spatial awareness and social cognition,
which include the ability to understand
what other people think and feel.33
Within the temporal lobe is the superior temporal cortex, known to subserve language, and its growth is the
most protracted during adolescence.
Although all the ramifications of this
protracted growth are not fully known,
it is clear that gray matter declines
steadily and significantly within the
superior temporal cortex after adolescence, indicating a decline in ability to
acquire language.
Like the temporal lobe, the parietal
lobe includes a language area whereby
neurons decode or compose written
and spoken messages. Additionally,
19
What Can the
Neurosciences Tell
Us About Adolescent
Development?
both lobes integrate information
being received from different senses
at the same time. This can, in turn,
facilitate balance during adolescence.
Furthermore, the parietal lobe is
critical for selectively attending to new
information. The frontal, parietal and
temporal lobes are all essential for
spoken language and cognition.34 And
those who employ spoken language
process communication differently
than those who employ a visual-spatial
means of communication.35
Limbic System
There is a great deal of neural activity in the adolescent limbic system,
which includes both the hippocampus
and the amygdala. The hippocampus
is crucial to memory storage and
retrieval as well as spatial locations.
This structure affects the acquisition
of both language and factual knowledge.36 Just as high self-esteem seems
to increase the size of the hippocampus, stress seems to decrease neuronal
growth.37 This is important given that
some adolescents experience much
stress in school as well as low selfesteem. Likewise, relying heavily on
spatial memory can increase the size
of the hippocampus. Clearly, experience shapes the brain.
Another brain structure within
the limbic system is the amygdala,
Endnotes
Giedd, J.N. (2008). The teen brain: Insights from neuroimaging. Journal of
Adolescent Health, 42, 335-343.
2
Day, S., Chiu, S., & Henderson, R. (2005). Structure and function of the
adolescent brain: Findings from neuroimaging studies. Adolescent Psychiatry,
29, 175-215.
3
Zelazo, P.D., Qu, L., & Mueller, U. (2005). Hot and cool aspects of executive
function: Relations in early development. In W. Schneider, R. SchumannHengsteler, & B. Sodian (Eds.). Young children’s cognitive development:
Interrelationships among executive functioning, working memory, verbal ability,
and theory of mind (pp.71-93). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
4
Bharadwaj, S.V., Daniel, L.L., & Matzke, P.L. (2009). Sensory processing
disorders in children with cochlear implants. American Journal of Occupational
Therapy (In press).
5
Rhoades, E.A. (2001). Language progress with an auditory-verbal approach for
young children with hearing loss. International Pediatrics, 16 (1), 41-47.
6
Cleary, M., & Pisoni, D. B. (2004). Visual and visual-spatial memory measures
in children with cochlear implants. Research on spoken language processing,
Progress Report No. 26, 259-273.
7
Erden, Z., Otman, S., & Tunay, V.B. (2004). Is visual perception of hearingimpaired children different from healthy children? International Journal of
Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology, 68 (3), 281-285.
8
Mitchell, T.V. & Maslin, M. . (2007). How vision matters for individuals with
hearing loss. International Journal of Audiology, 46 (9), 500-511.
9
Rajput, K., Brown, T. & Bamiou, D-E. (2003). Aetiology of hearing loss and
other related factors versus language outcome after cochlear implantation in
children. International Journal of Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology, 67, 497-504.
10
Rietveld, S., Spiering, M., Rotteveel, M., & Van Beest, I. (2005). Visual
performance of adults with prelingual auditory impairment. American Annals of
the Deaf, 149 (5), 421-427.
11
Rothpletz, A.M., Ashmead, D.H., & Tharpe, A.M. (2003). Responses to targets
in the visual periphery in deaf and normal-hearing adults. Journal of Speech,
Language, and Hearing Research, 46 (6), 1378-1386.
12
Suarez, H., Angeli, S., Suarez, A., Rosales, B., Carrera, X., & Alonso, R. (2007).
Balance sensory organization in children with profound hearing loss and
cochlear implants. International Journal of Pediatric Otolaryngology, 71, 629637.
13
Horn, D.L., Davis, J.M., Pisoni, D.B., & Miyamoto, R.T. (2004). Visuomotor
integration ability of prelingually deaf children predicts audiological outcome
with a cochlear implant: a first report. International Congress Series, 1273, 356359.
14
Gheysen, F., Loots, G., & Van Waelvelde, H. (2008). Motor development of deaf
children with and without cochlear implants. Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf
Education, 13 (2), 215-224.
15
Schlumberger, E., Narbona, J., & Manrique, M. (2004). Non-verbal development
of children with deafness with and without cochlear implants. Developmental
Medicine and Child Neurology, 46 (9), 599-606.
16
Finney, E.M., Clementz, B.A., Hickok, G., & Dobkins, K.R. (2003). Visual stimuli
activate auditory cortex in deaf subjects: Evidence from MEG. NeuroReport,
14 (1), 1425-1427.
17
Day et al., 2005.
18
Stickgold, R., & Walker, M. P. (2007). Sleep-dependent memory consolidation
and re-consolidation. Sleep Medicine, 8, 331-343.
1
20 Wagner, U., Gais, S., Haider, H., Verleger, R., & Born, J. (2004). Sleep inspires
insight. Nature, 427, 352-355.
20
Pakkenberg, B., & Gundersen, H.J.G. (1997). Neocortical neuron number in
humans: Effect of sex and age. Journal of Comparative Neurology, 384, 312320.
21
Blakemore, S. (2007). The social brain of a teenager. The Psychologist, 20 (10),
600-602.
22
Giedd, 2008.
23
Kimura, D. (2000). Sex and cognition. Cambridge MA: MIT Press.
24
Giedd, 2008.
25
Giedd, 2008.
26
Fields, R.D. (2008). White matter in learning, cognition, and psychiatric
disorders. Trends in Neurosciences, 31(7), 361-370.
27
Giedd, 2008.
28
Blakemore, 2007.
29
Giedd, 2008.
30
Conklin, H.M., Luciana, M., Hooper, C.J., & Yarger, R.S. (2007). Working
memory performance in typically developing children and adolescents:
Behavioral evidence of protracted frontal lobe development. Developmental
Neuropsychology, 31(1), 103-128.
31
Giedd, 2008.
32
Luna, B., & Sweeney, J.A. (2006). The emergence of collaborative brain
function: fMRI studies of the development of response inhibition. Annals of the
New York Academy of Sciences, 1021, 296-309.
33
Blakemore, 2007.
34
Guenther, F.H. (2006). Cortical interactions underlying the production of speech
sounds. Journal of Communication Disorders, 39 (5), 350-365.
35
Emmorey, K., Grabowski, T., McCullough, S., Ponto, L.L.B., Hichwa, R.D., &
Damasio, A. (2005). The neural correlates of spatial language in English and
American Sign Language: a PET study with hearing bilinguals. Neuroimage, 24,
832-840.
36
Giedd, 2008.
37
Lupien, S.J., Maheu, F., Tu, M., Fiocco, A., & Schramek, T.E. (2007). The effects
of stress and stress hormones on human cognition: Implications for the field of
brain and cognition. Brain and Cognition, 65 (3), 209-237.
38
Casey, B.J., Jones, R.M., & Hare, T.A. (2008). The adolescent brain. Annals of
the New York Academy of Sciences, 1124, 111-126.
39
Lupien et al., 2007.
40
Giedd, 2008.
41
Fryer, S.L., Frank, L.R., Spadoni, A.D., Theilmann, R. J., Nagel, B.J.,
Schweinsburg, A.D., & Tapert, S.F. (2008). Microstructural integrity of the
corpus callosum linked with neuropsychological performance in adolescents.
Brain and Cognition, 67(2), 225-233.
42
Brown, S., Martinez, M.I., & Parsons, L.M. (2006). The neural basis of human
dance. Cerebral Cortex, 16 (8), 1157-1167.
43
Giedd, 2008.
45
Giedd, 2008.
45
Dahl, R.E. (2004). Adolescent development and the regulation of behavior and
emotion. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1021, 294-295.
19
responsible for emotional processing,
reactionary decision-making and selective attention. This is critical in assessing the importance of environmental
stimuli for survival.38 Adolescent
behavior often relies on the amygdala
rather than the frontal lobe, meaning
adolescents react on their gut, intuition
or emotions rather than with logic by
evaluating consequences. Stress can
negatively impact emotional processing and decision-making by the adolescent amygdala,39 affecting learning
capacities in language or academics.
Other Brain Structures
The corpus callosum is a thick cable
of fibrous nerves connecting both
halves of the brain. This connecting
structure is involved in creativity and
higher cognitive processes, also serving to unify sensory fields, memory,
attention and arousal as well as language. The size, shape and structural
composition of the corpus callosum
changes considerably through early
adolescence, but then seems to level
off in the mid-20s, which represents
the end of adolescence.40 Although the
corpus callosum may be under genetic
control, it influences language learning
and associative thinking.41
Still another part of the brain that
dramatically changes during adolescence is the cerebellum. The seat of
motor control and coordination, the
cerebellum can be viewed as a “neural
metronome.”42 Linked to many other
brain parts, it is also involved in
higher cognitive functions that include
social interactions. Giedd suggests that
physical activity may have a profound
effect on the cerebellum’s development.43 As a whole, the brain is largely
wired for social interaction and for
bonding with others.
Conclusion
To summarize, significant cortical re-organization occurs during
adolescence. Female adolescent brains
tend to begin maturation a year earlier
than males, yet the rate of maturation
is the same for both sexes.44 Different
parts of the brain mature at different times throughout adolescence.
Conditions are created that uniquely
affect self-regulation of impulsive
behaviors and risk-taking as well as
irrationality and decision-making.45
Neurobiological markers tend to be
viewed from an information processing perspective by cognitive neuroscientists. The second part of this article,
to be published in the next issue of
Volta Voices, will explain how neurobiological markers are associated with
executive functioning skills and how
these skills translate into adolescent
social and cognitive behaviors. This, in
turn, can assist practitioners in facilitating the development of skills needed
by adolescents with hearing loss.
21
By Janice Schacter
How to Buy a
Cell Phone
when You Have
a Hearing Loss
P
Purchasing a cell phone
when you have a
hearing loss can be a
daunting task.
1. What do the ratings
mean?
Effective September 16, 2006, the FCC
mandated that cell phone providers
must offer at least two handset models
that have a minimum M3/T3 rating.
22 2.What is my hearing
aid’s Radio Frequency
(RF) immunity level to the
interference caused by
cell phones?
Immunity refers to how well your
hearing aid is protected from the
interference that may be caused by cell
phones. Your audiologist can provide
this information and it is important to
know prior to purchasing a cell phone.
The M ratings of the hearing aid
and the cell phone need to be added
together to have a sum of 5 or more,
or an M5 rating. The higher the sum
of the two ratings, the more likely
the cell phone will not interfere with
Photo credit: AbleStock
How do consumers know which cell
phones will work for their hearing
needs? Why do some cell phones work
for some people with a hearing loss but
not others?
The Federal Communications
Commission’s (FCC) fact sheet on
“Hearing Aid Compatibility for Wireless
Telephones” provides an excellent overview of this topic and can be accessed
at www.fcc.gov/cgb/consumerfacts/
hac_wireless.html. ATIS Hearing Aid
Compatibility Incubator and CTIA-The
Wireless Association also developed
a terrific brochure on “Hearing Aid
Compatibility for Wireless Telephones
and Services,” which can be viewed at
www.accesswireless.org/files/pdf/
HACBrochure.pdf.
Notwithstanding these brochures,
consumers are still confused by the
process of buying a cell phone. Our
family found the choices overwhelming and the terminology baffling when
we went to purchase a cell phone for
our daughter who has a hearing loss.
During our family’s quest, I developed
the following decision tree.
The M rating (M3 or 4) represents
microphone interference potential to a
hearing aid from the cell phone and the
T rating (T3 or 4) represents the telecoil
coupling capability of the cell phone.
The higher the rating, the more likely
the cell phone will be compatible with a
hearing aid.
The minimum number of compliant
handset models will soon be increasing. Service providers will have to meet
an M3 rating for 50 percent of their
models or 8 models per air interface,
whichever is less, and a T3 rating for 33
percent of their models or 3 models per
air interface, whichever is less. An M4/T4 rating is available only for
cell phones using CDMA technology
and carried by Sprint and Verizon. M4/
T4 ratings are not available in phones
using GSM technology and carried by
AT&T and T-Mobile. Phones using GSM
technology can only achieve M3/T3 as
their highest rating.
your hearing aid when it is used on its
main program. Therefore, a hearing
aid should have a minimum immunity
rating of at least M2 since compatible
cell phones will be rated either M3 or
M4. Most current hearing aids have a
rating of M2 or better. The hearing aid
immunity rating varies by company
and product. A higher M rating is likely
to perform better then one with a
lower M rating. A higher phone rating is
needed if the hearing aids have a lower
M rating, such as for older hearing aids.
Ratings for a hearing aid’s telecoil
immunity to interference are not currently offered. This rating will, hopefully, be available from the hearing aid
industry in the near future. For now, T
ratings do not provide much insight.
3.What type of hearing
aid do I have?
In-the-ear-canal (ITE) hearing aids may
provide less interference than behindthe-ear (BTE) hearing aids. ITE hearing
aids have a greater distance between
the microphone on the hearing aid and
the antenna on the cell phone, which
can lessen interference for the user.
Switching hearing aid styles may allow
the user to purchase a cell phone with
a lower M rating that may not have
previously been an option.
My daughter was able to purchase a
Blackberry with a lower M rating in a
GSM transmission technology because
she switched from a BTE to an ITE
hearing aid. She was previously unable
to use this phone in the GSM transmission technology when she wore a BTE
hearing aid. Not all hearing aid styles
are appropriate for all levels of hearing
loss, but a switch is worth investigating.
Keep in mind that sometimes
repositioning the cell phone over the
ear or hearing aid can also help lessen
interference, especially for those who
are unable to switch hearing aids.
4.What type of cell phone
coverage do I need?
It is important to determine whether
domestic or international coverage is
needed. There are four transmission
technologies worldwide. In the United
States, there are essentially two transmission technologies, CDMA and GSM,
with four tier one carriers that provide
coverage across the U.S. – Sprint,
Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile. Different
transmission technologies provide different coverage. In addition, the dominance of GSM and CDMA technologies
differs internationally. Some phones can
now operate using either CDMA or GSM
technology. The following Web sites provide coverage maps for the CDMA and
GSM transmission technologies:
www.cdg.org/worldwide/index.asp and
www.gsmworld.com/index.shtml.
Cell phones operating in the CDMA
transmission technology are rated
either M3 or M4, but cell phones in the
GSM transmission technology are only
rated M3. Weighing GSM coverage versus an M4 rating is a personal decision.
•AT&T –www.wireless.att.com/about/
disability-resources/hearing-aidcompatibility.jsp
•Sprint – www2.sprint.com/mr/gp_
dtl.do?article=341
•T-Mobile – www.t-mobile.com/
Company/Community.aspx?tp=Abt_
Tab_Safety&tsp=Abt_Sub_
TTYPolicy
•Verizon – http://aboutus.vzw.com/
accessibility/products.html
Another Web site that provides thirdparty information and user reviews
on most of the cell phones is www.
phonescoop.com/phones/finder.php.
Every cell phone store should provide
documentation for cell phones rated as
hearing aid compatible. The information should be on the placard by the
cell phones and on the box. Sometimes
the information on the placard is really
tiny, so look carefully.
6.Can I do an in-store
cell phone test?
Only carrier stores are required to
allow consumers to test the phones
rated as hearing aid compatible prior
to purchase. It is important to test the
phone in a noisy as well as a quiet setting. Make sure there is room to adjust
the volume control of the phone when
testing the phone in a noisy setting.
7.Am I able to test the
cell phone at home?
Every vendor has a different return
policy, so read it carefully and ask if
there are any early termination fees.
Save all the packaging. Stores will not
take back merchandise without all the
packaging and a receipt.
8.Is there too much
magnetic noise in the
background when the
volume is adjusted?
The backlight typically turns on every
time the volume control is adjusted.
Manufacturers are not required to test
the interference potential of the backlighting on the phone, but it can create
interference for consumers who use
their telecoil for listening. Telecoil users
should assess whether they can hear
interference when the backlight is on
when testing a cell phone.
In conclusion, technology is constantly changing so keep this in mind
when selecting a contract length, especially if you have a fluctuating or diminishing hearing loss. A carrier may not
allow early termination of a contract if
your hearing loss changes.
There is no perfect phone for every
person with hearing loss. It is a matter
of trial and error. Answering the above
questions can assist in narrowing your
options when buying a cell phone.
Editor’s Note: This material may not be
copied, reproduced or forwarded without
the author’s permission. The author can
be reached at [email protected]. 5.What is the cell phone
rated?
Researching different cell phones
prior to entering the store will save
you a tremendous amount of time and
frustration. Look on the carrier’s Web
site prior to visiting the store. The Web
sites for the four major carriers are:
23
By Catharine McNally
As a person with a
hearing loss, you visit
a museum and you’re
given a 50-page
transcript, an apology for
not being able to receive
an equitable service to
an audio tour and sent
on your way.
Do you think that’s fair? Unfortunately,
it’s the norm in most museums today.
Audio guides are not accessible in
other formats for people with hearing
loss. People with all degrees of hearing
loss face a barrier to the independent
and educational tour opportunities in
America’s public spaces today.
Those who are deaf or hard of hearing have probably experienced this situation at one time or another. Maybe
it’s even happened several times. I simply got fed up with carrying bulky transcripts around museums and reading
the art narrations. Actually, I felt more
like I walked around museums with a
bright, blinking yellow sign above my
head that said, “LOOK, DEAF PERSON
HERE.” I just knew that there was a
better solution out there.
One day, I took the transcript home
and recorded myself using Cued
24 Speech to transliterate one stop of the
tour onto video. I then transferred the
video to my computer for download
onto my iPod. The very next day I
walked back to the gallery and viewed
that one stop on my iPod, and for the
first time I felt included and engaged
with the art. In my hands was a solution that I envisioned would transform
the way people of all languages and levels can attend, enjoy and understand
their visits to public museums and
spaces everywhere. This would revolutionize the traditional live or audio tour
by offering customized video tours,
played on personal media devices in
multiple spoken languages and in multiple modalities for people with disabilities. After my initial experience using a
video guide, I walked back to the visitor
services desk and asked, “Why don’t
you offer this?” The response was, “We
would, but no one offers it.”
Thus, Keen Guides were born. I
could not take that answer sitting
down after realizing that I could
provide this service to museums. The
very thought of the antiquated solution
of handing out transcripts was too
much to bear as it did a disservice to
the museum experience. I took my
experience in advocacy and outreach
to launch Keen Guides. In 2008, three
other founding partners and I launched
Keen Guides with the intent to make
the nation’s public spaces more accessible to all. The founding partners are
each incredibly talented in their area
of expertise to make the experience of
paper transcripts history and enhance
the museum experience.
The most important appeal of Keen
Guides is that the product offers the
same audio tours visually, not a separate or “special” tour for people with
disabilities. Rather, this product is a
tour for everyone. It is easy to access
by Web download onto personal media
players and smart phones, such as
iPods and Sidekicks. At the core of
this product is an all access package,
which features tours in all communication modalities that anyone can use,
regardless the degree of hearing loss:
spoken English, captions, American
Sign Language (ASL) and Cued Speech.
Individuals have full control over how
they receive the information – and
the ability to choose without having to
take steps to secure accommodation
and services. If an individual does not
have a personal media player or smart
phone available, then he or she may
check one out at the visitor services
desk as long as the museum subscribes to Keen Guides.
In February and October 2008,
Keen Guides conducted pilot studies
of the product at the National Gallery
of Art in Washington, D.C., where 190
participants, ranging from children
to senior adults who had a range of
hearing loss from none to profound
deafness, took the tour. The results
from the pilot revealed that overall
satisfaction across all age groups and
devices tested was above 85 percent.
However, the most striking satisfaction
results were observed by participants
who were previously intimidated by
the lack of accessibility options that
prevented them from going to museums and cultural institutions. One of
our participants who has a hearing
Photo credit: Sean Lippy
I
Imagine this scenario:
Photo credit: Keen Guides
Keen Guides –
Be Your Own
Museum
Tour Guide
Photo credit: Sean Lippy
to take a museum tour,
as well as the independence of Keen Guides,
to be quite appealing,
leading to a high satisfaction level.
Best of all, Keen
Guides give individuals
the full control over their
accessibility needs without having to self-identify
or seek out resources.
Keen Guide founding partners ( from left to right): Frank McNally,
This is an important eleKaren Borchert, Catharine McNally and Martin Franklin.
ment of our mission. As
loss summed up the overall experience an individual who grew up using Cued
this way, “I’ve been all over the world.
Speech, I recognized that a lot of museTo the Louvre, to Italy...And there’s
ums do provide access by offering ASL
never been anything as good as this.”
tours on a scheduled basis, but I’m not
Participants instantly felt included and
fluent in ASL and know that is the case
part of the museum experience, and
for a lot of people who are deaf and
claimed that with Keen Guides the arts hard of hearing. I’m also aware of the
will be even more enjoyable.
increasing number of aging adults with
There were many highlights from
hearing loss who won’t necessarily
the pilot studies, including a large
self-identify to receive services, which
number of AG Bell members testing
makes our product appealing. They
the product and providing great supcan watch the tour with closed captions
port. However, what was particularly
to follow along just like everyone else.
notable was the heightened interKeen Guides are applicable to everyest from people without disabilities
one, and soon that bright, blinking yelusing our products. We often receive
low sign won’t exist anymore. Families
inquiries for our product from these
can enjoy the museum experience
individuals because the product seems together without having to take addimore interactive, dynamic and visual.
tional steps to call in advance for an
Students in school groups attending
interpreter or take the time to repeat
the museum found the use of an iPod
the tour to another member who
cannot receive equitable access.
Unfortunately, museums may not
be aware that there’s a demand for
better access by people with hearing
loss. The current “solution” is to use
the printed transcript or provide two
to three weeks advance notice for an
interpreter. That’s the reality today
and we’ve accepted it, and museums
assume that everyone’s happy because
no one is offering a different solution.
The museum experience is passive
right now, and we have the opportunity to become active participants in
the cultural experience by using Keen
Guides and demanding museums
carry this product. Change begins on
a grassroots level, and that includes
enlisting the help of other individuals
with hearing loss who desire an active
museum experience. You know that
a 50-page transcript isn’t enough. We
can work together for a new chapter in
arts access using the most mainstream
and familiar technology out there.
Are you in?
To learn more about
Keen Guides, please visit
www.keenguides.org. Keen
Guides is interested in working with
advocacy groups to get this product out into
the market. If you have insight or recommendations, please contact Catharine
McNally at [email protected].
25
By Melody Felzien
Providing
the Opportunity
of Experience
I
In 2008, AG Bell
introduced a “family
scholarship” program for
its biennial convention in
Milwaukee, Wis. A total of
$14,180 was raised and
then donated to families
that otherwise would
not be able to afford to
attend the convention.
AG Bell was able to offer each family
one hotel room for four nights, two
adult and two child program registrations, and four tickets to Parent’s
Night. Criteria for the scholarship
included having at least one child
with hearing loss who uses spoken
communication and never having
attended an AG Bell convention. Out
of the numerous applications received,
the Convention advancement committee awarded seven families the
opportunity to network and learn in
Milwaukee.
Four of the seven families responded
to Volta Voices’ request to describe
their experience at the Convention and
the impact the experience had on their
lives.
Volta Voices: What did you enjoy
most about attending the AG Bell
Convention?
Evans Family: My family and I
enjoyed the opportunity to see many
26 other families just like ours. In our area
of Wisconsin, there are not many other
kids with cochlear implants (CIs). So for
our son Zach, who has a CI, to see all
the kids just like him was really unique.
He kept pointing out all the kids with
the same device he has, saying “that’s
my ‘ear’.” His big brother, Sam, really
connected with other siblings of kids
who are deaf or hard of hearing, which
was a first for him. As parents, seeing
our kids make those connections for
the first time was terrific. Also, it was
reassuring and reaffirming to realize
how many families utilize CIs, hearing
aids and spoken language as their communication method of choice.
Hine Family: We really didn’t know
what to expect, but loved the different program tracks. It was so nice to
see exactly what the topics were going
to be and the brief descriptions for
each one. One of our favorite topics is
sports and hearing loss; the panel did
a great job and provided such good
information.
Hood Family: I thoroughly enjoyed
the Convention as a whole…There was
so much to do and to learn. The entire
experience was fantastic. The feeling
of generosity from AG Bell to provide
us with such a wonderful opportunity
is beyond words. The AG Bell staff and
volunteers were welcoming, informative and helpful to the point where
they made you feel like you had been
coming for years. Most importantly,
I enjoyed getting to know children,
college students and adults who are
all deaf and hard of hearing. It was
amazing to see everyone’s success and
capabilities as well as to see that I am
not the only one who has a child with a
hearing loss.
Pendley Family: I think what my
family enjoyed most was being around
other families “like us” where we did
not have to explain our son, Max’s,
CI. Personally, I took away so much
great information. That truly was what
I enjoyed most, being able to learn
things that I could do to help Max on
his road to success.
VV: Why was it important for your
family to attend the Convention?
Evans: To gain more knowledge and
new insight. It is very easy to be “out
of the loop” at times, especially when
dealing with day-to-day family life. The
Convention helped bring focus and
resilience back to our efforts. It was a
much needed recharge on the information front.
Hine: We come from a pretty small
town where there are not that many
families with children who are deaf or
hard of hearing. The exposure to other
families and their children was the
most important issue for us, as well
as learning more about advocacy and
teaching techniques that could help us
in our daily lives.
Hood: There are several reasons.
First, my family needed to know that
outside our own circle there are others
going through a similar journey. You
never know what the future holds,
so it is good to see what others are
doing to address hearing loss. We also
think it is important to stay current on
research, technology and education,
and what better place to receive all of
this information but the Convention.
Finally, I think it is important to come
into contact with adults who started
out where our son, Drew, is today
and who are now teachers, writers or
public speakers. It is important to see
how successful you can be despite having a hearing loss, and to know that
everything I am doing today will lead
to that same success for Drew.
Pendley: There are not a lot of
resources for the deaf or hard of hearing where we live. Being able to attend
this conference and have a full week
of education, to interact with other
families and to receive all kinds of
information was very helpful to us. The
Convention was kind of like a one-stop
shopping center for information.
VV: How has attending the
Convention impacted your family
today?
Evans: The kids gained so much by
feeling part of something bigger than
just our family and our journey with
hearing loss. They still talk about the
Convention even now. For me and my
husband, the information has been
invaluable. We have used that knowledge to help make decisions about
Zach’s future and possible bilateral
implants. The information has also
helped us write goals for school and
really empower ourselves, even more,
to be advocates for this generation of
kids who are deaf and hard of hearing.
Hine: Our oldest son, Robbie, was
able to make some really good friends
and it showed him that Evan, his little
brother, isn’t that different from other
kids except that he wears hearing aids.
For my husband, meeting adults who
have grown up with a hearing loss and
to hear about their life experiences
eased many of his concerns. Also, it
helped to hear so many different views
on different issues so we could have
choices to apply to our lives.
Hood: I didn’t think the Convention
would have as much impact on my
family as it has – it made us stronger
and brought us closer together. We
learned a lot about ourselves, our
beliefs and our dreams for Drew.
We learned to stand up for what we
believe in when approached with
different views. Now more than ever,
pursuing spoken language for our son
allows him every opportunity to be
whoever he wants to become. The
Convention was also our first time as
a family to learn about hearing loss
together. Drew was able to meet other
children or adults alongside us and
create relationships with others just as
we did.
Pendley: Besides all of the friends
we met, the information we received
inspired us to see all that is possible for
Max. Meeting older users of cochlear
implants and what some of them have
accomplished is truly inspiring. I think
it also helped my daughter, Emily, to
see kids her age with CI’s and hearing
27
Providing the Opportunity
of Experience
aids and learn what is possible for her
younger brother.
VV: What is the most important information you learned from other
AG Bell members? How will this benefit your family?
Evans: Talking to other families
whose children have grown up with
AG Bell was a very positive experience.
Everyone was so friendly and had
such wonderful stories and thoughts to
share. Even just small tips about equipment management were awesome.
Hine: The most important advice we
received is to let our child be a child
because he will grow up so fast, to
enjoy each moment and know that
there are other families out there who
want to help you, whether they be in
your state or across the country, and to
know it is all going to be okay. 2008 Family Scholarship
Recipients
Evans Family (Neenah, Wis.) – Jennifer,
Scott, Sam and Zachary, who is deaf and
hears with a cochlear implant.
Hine Family
(Lebanon, Ind.)
– Leslie, Bret,
Robbie, and
Evan ( left), who
is hard of
hearing and
hears with
hearing aids.
Pendley
Family (French
Lick, Ind.)
– Kim, Trent,
Emily and Max
( left), who is
deaf and hears
with a cochlear
implant.
28 Pendley: Seeing some of the teens
and talking with their parents gives
us who have really just started in this
journey assurance and hope. Having
met others who are friends and experiencing the same things we are is
extremely beneficial.
VV: What advice do you have for
other families with limited resources
that are seeking information and
support services for their child/children with hearing loss?
Evans: Become as connected as possible. Those connections first provided
us with information about the scholarship. I would also encourage parents
to take the time to get to know the
people in your community and your
state who can be a resource to you,
such as the school administration and
teachers, state government representatives, and individuals in your child’s
education department. All of these
people are there to help families with
children. Those connections are far
more valuable than what money can
provide and can be very supportive,
enlightening and even powerful, if that
is what is needed.
Hine: Do the research on all the
options for everything, not just communication options, seek out other
families, ask any question (there is no
dumb question) and don’t be afraid
to say “NO” if an option is not what
you want for your child or doesn’t
best fit your family’s needs. There are
great Web sites and books to use as
resources if your community doesn’t
have anything to offer. And do not
settle for what people say is the “typical” child with hearing loss. Your child
can accomplish anything by setting
your minds to it!
Hood: Always research every
resource, no matter how small, before
giving up on an opportunity. I was
going to cancel my reservation for the
Convention before finding out about
the scholarship that was available. I
never even thought about contacting
my son’s school for financial information. The more you ask around, the
more likely you are to find additional
resources. I would also recommend
checking out resources like AG Bell’s
Web site, www.agbell.org, which will
connect you with other AG Bell members or Internet chat groups. Sites like
these open up a world of references
and information. That way, if you live
in an area with little resources you can
still connect with others.
Pendley: I would definitely recommend that they attend an AG Bell
Convention. When you live in an
area with very limited resources, it is
hard to get the information needed
to help your family. Being able to get
everything in a week’s time is a huge
benefit. You have the time to relax
and focus solely on the courses you’ve
selected that would benefit your situation. Those presenting the courses
are very knowledgeable and share
information in such a way that makes
it easy to use, whether you’re an early
intervention provider, teacher of the
deaf or a parent.
Photos credit: Funtup Productions, Inc.
Hood Family
(O’Fallon, Ill.)
– Tracie,
Shane, Alex
and Drew
( left), who is
deaf and hears
with a cochlear
implant.
Hood: The most important information came from the college bound
students, Leadership Opportunities
for Teens (LOFT) participants and
young adults who are deaf and hard of
hearing. When you first enter into the
world of hearing loss, so much information is directed to you about infants
or younger children, technology and
even older adults, but you rarely hear
about the in-between stages. This
was the first time I learned about the
obstacles or challenges that come with
high school, college and the beginning
steps to a career, which are stages of
life I had completely overlooked.
VV: If possible, will you
attend future AG Bell Conventions?
Evans: We will absolutely
make every effort to attend
future events. We all are
looking forward to Orlando.
Maybe we can start fundraising now....wanna buy a
candy bar?
Hine: We have already
started saving for the 2010
Convention in Florida. We
can’t wait!
Hood: It was such a
meaningful and memorable
experience that I can’t
see us missing future AG
Bell Conventions. I feel it
is extremely important to
keep in contact with an
organization that addresses
Drew’s needs.
Pendley: ABSOLUTELY!
AG Bell would like to express great appreciation to all of the donors
that made the Convention Family Scholarship possible.
Candace J. Alper
Jill L. Bader
Theresa Ballard
John and Maureen Bard
Mary Bartholomew
Edwin Beck and Nancy
Bolton-Beck
Nancy Bellew and Sidney
Arfa
Megan Bethel
Law Offices of Joseph L.
Bornstein
Stella Boyle
Ralph and Faith
Braunschweigh
William Buckley
John M. Burke
Julie Burke
Paul and Christine
Corcoran
Guy R. Crane
David J. Davis
James and Claire Davis
Julianne F. Delaney
Jean M. Dennis
Joseph and Meredith
DiBattista
R. Neil Dickman
Phyllis B. Feibelman
Frank N. Fleischer
Carol Flexer
Cindy G. Fluxgold
Robert M. Goldberg
Bruce and Betsy Goldstein
Tim Grafft
Alexander T. Graham
Barry and Sue Griebler
Mark and Susan Griffin
Elisabeth Grunig
Ralph and Nu Nu Guertin
Inez K. Janger
Jacqueline JankoffErshow
John and Mary Kneen
Richard and Laura
Kretschmer
David Lefkowitz
The Leigh Foundation
Laura Levy
Pam Lewis
Ajay Marwah
Robert and Pamela Matje
Jim McCord
Donald I. McGee
Kevin J. Miller
Robert Moyer and Anita
Nagler
George H. Nofer
Jonathan Petromelis
Priscilla Pike
David and Cathy Price
Gary and Eva Quateman
Neil and Lisa Quateman
Ramesh K. Ramanathan
Paul Richards
Regan D. Rohde
Samuel and Eleanor
Rosenfeld
Joseph Rosenstein
Janet S. Scheeline
Harvey A. Schneier
Richard L. Schulze
John and Virginia Skold
Elizabeth P. Sloan
Edward and Luann Snow
Emily Soloff
Gwendolyn Sommer
Richard and Janice Sparr
Belle Steinberg
Gary Stern
Barbara A. Stone
Sally Tannenbaum
Michael H. Tecklenburg
Scott and Susan Telesz
Robert H. Topel
Kristen Van Dyke
Frank and Barbara Van
Husen
Susan and Harvey
Vanhoven
Eleanor R. Vorce
Charles and Judith
Wagner
Cindy A. Walter
John and Denis Wray
John R. Wyant
Alice Wylie
Karen L. Youdelman
Every effort was made to verify the accuracy of this list. If your name was left off the list, please contact
[email protected] so that we can properly acknowledge your contribution in a future issue of Volta Voices.
29
Por Melody Felzien
Una oportunidad
de adquirir
experiencia
presentó un programa
de “becas familiares”
en su convención bienal
en Milwaukee, Wis.
Se recaudó un total
de $14.180 que luego
fue donado a familias
que de otro modo no
hubieran podido asistir a
la convención.
AG Bell pudo ofrecer a cada familia
una habitación de hotel durante cuatro
noches, inscripciones en el programa
para dos adultos y dos menores y cuatro
entradas para la “Noche de padres”. Los
criterios para la beca incluyeron tener al
menos un hijo con pérdida auditiva que
utilice comunicación oral y no haber asistido nunca a una convención de AG Bell.
De las numerosas solicitudes recibidas,
el comité de mejoras de la Convención
otorgó a siete familias la oportunidad de
asistir, establecer contactos y aprender en
Milwaukee.
Cuatro de las siete familias respondieron a la solicitud de Volta Voices para
describir su experiencia en la Convención
y el impacto que la experiencia tuvo en
sus vidas.
30 Volta Voices: ¿Qué es lo que más disfrutaron de asistir a la Convención de
AG Bell?
Familia Evans: Mi familia y yo disfrutamos la oportunidad de conocer a
muchas otras familias como nosotros.
En el área donde vivimos, Wisconsin,
no hay muchos otros niños que tengan
implantes cocleares (IC). Por lo tanto,
para nuestro hijo Zach que tiene un IC,
conocer a otros niños como él fue una
experiencia realmente única. Apuntaba a
todos los niños con el mismo dispositivo
que él tiene y decía “ese es mi oído”. Su
hermano mayor, Sam, se relacionó por
primera vez con otros hermanos de niños
sordos o con dificultadas auditivas. Como
padres, ver a nuestros hijos relacionarse
de esa manera por primera vez fue
estupendo. Además, nos dio confianza y
nos fortaleció descubrir la forma en que
muchas familias utilizan IC, audífonos
y lenguaje oral como medio de comunicación elegido.
Familia Hine: Nosotros realmente no
sabíamos qué esperar, pero nos encantaron los diversos temas del programa.
Fue tan agradable ver exactamente cuáles
serían los temas y las breves descripciones de cada uno. Uno de nuestros
temas favoritos es el deporte y la pérdida
auditiva; el panel hizo un gran trabajo y
ofreció muy buena información.
Familia Hood: Yo disfruté muchísimo
la Convención en su totalidad… Había
tantas cosas para hacer y aprender. Toda
la experiencia fue fantástica. No puede
describirse con palabras la sensación
de generosidad que AG Bell generó al
brindarnos esta maravillosa oportunidad.
El personal y los voluntarios de AG Bell
nos dieron una cálida bienvenida, nos
informaron y ayudaron hasta el punto
en que nos hicieron sentir que habíamos
asistido a la Convención por años. Lo más
importante fue que disfruté conocer a
los niños, a los estudiantes universitarios
y a los adultos que eran completamente
sordos o tenían dificultades auditivas. Fue
maravilloso ver el éxito y las capacidades
de cada uno, así como también saber que
no soy la única persona que tiene un hijo
con pérdida auditiva.
Familia Pendley: Creo que lo que mi
familia disfrutó más fue el hecho de estar
rodeada de otras familias “iguales a la
nuestra” a quienes no debimos explicar el IC que nuestro hijo Max utiliza.
Personalmente, recopilé muy buena
información. Eso fue verdaderamente lo
que más disfruté, poder aprender cosas
que puedo hacer para ayudar a Max en su
arduo camino hacia el éxito.
VV: ¿Por qué fue importante para su
familia asistir a la Convención?
Evans: Para obtener más conocimientos y
una nueva perspectiva. Es muy fácil “quedar al margen” todo el tiempo, especialmente cuando nos enfrentamos a la vida
familiar cotidiana. La Convención nos
ayudó a centrarnos y a poner optimismo
nuevamente en nuestros esfuerzos. Fue
una recarga muy necesaria en cuanto al
campo de la información.
Hine: Venimos de un pequeño y agradable pueblo donde no hay muchas
familias que tengan niños sordos o con
dificultades auditivas. El contacto con
otras familias y sus hijos fue lo más
importante para nosotros, así como
aprender más sobre las técnicas de enseñanza y apoyo que podrán ayudarnos en
nuestra vida diaria.
E
En 2008, AG Bell
Programa de becas
familiares para el
año 2008
Familia Evans (Neenah, Wis.): Jennifer,
Scott, Sam y Zachary, que es sordo y escucha con un implante coclear.
Familia Hine
(Lebanon, Ind.):
Leslie, Bret,
Robbie y Evan,
que tiene
dificultades
auditivas y
utiliza
audífonos.
Familia Hood
(O’Fallon, Ill.):
Tracie, Shane,
Alex y Drew,
que es sordo y
escucha con
un implante
coclear.
Familia
Pendley
(French Lick,
Ind.): Kim, Trent,
Emily y Max,
que es sordo y
escucha con un
implante
coclear.
Hood: Hay varios motivos. Primero, mi
familia necesitaba conocer que fuera de
nuestro propio círculo existen otras personas que atraviesan una situación similar.
Uno nunca sabe qué le deparará el futuro,
por eso es bueno saber lo que otros hacen
para tratar la pérdida auditiva. También
consideramos que es importante mantenernos actualizados sobre investigación,
tecnología y educación, y qué otro lugar
mejor para recibir toda esta información
que esta Convención. Finalmente, creo
que es importante ponernos en contacto
con adultos que comenzaron en el lugar
en el cual nuestro hijo, Drew, se encuentra hoy y que actualmente son maestros,
escritores u oradores. Es importante
conocer el éxito que se puede lograr a
pesar de tener una pérdida auditiva y
saber que todo lo que hacemos hoy guiará a Drew hacia ese mismo éxito.
Pendley: No existen muchos recursos
para la gente sorda y con dificultades
auditivas donde vivimos. Poder asistir a
esta conferencia y disfrutar una semana
completa de educación, interactuar
con otras familias y recibir todo tipo de
información fue muy útil para nosotros.
La Convención fue una especie de fuente
única para obtener información.
VV: ¿Cómo impacta su asistencia a la
Convención en su familia actualmente?
Evans: Los niños disfrutaron mucho
sentirse parte de algo más grande que
nuestra familia y nuestra travesía en
cuanto a la pérdida auditiva. Todavía
hablan sobre la Convención. Para mí y mi
esposo, la información ha sido invaluable.
Hemos utilizado ese conocimiento para
tomar decisiones sobre el futuro y los
posibles implantes bilaterales de Zach. La
información también nos ha ayudado a
establecernos objetivos para la escuela y
realmente capacitarnos, aún más, sobre
cómo ayudar a esta generación de niños
sordos y con dificultades auditivas.
Hine: Nuestro hijo mayor, Robbie, pudo
hacer algunos amigos realmente buenos y
esto le demostró que su hermano menor
no es tan diferente de otros niños excepto
porque utiliza audífonos. Para mi esposo,
conocer adultos que han crecido con una
pérdida auditiva y conocer sus experiencias de vida alivió varias de sus preocupaciones. Además, fue muy útil conocer
varios puntos de vista diferentes sobre
distintos temas para poder tener opciones
para aplicar en nuestras vidas.
Hood: Nunca imaginé que la Convención
tendría el gran impacto que tuvo en mi
familia, nos hizo más fuertes y nos unió
aún más. Aprendimos mucho sobre
nosotros mismos, nuestras opiniones y
nuestros sueños para Drew. Aprendimos
a defender aquello en lo que creíamos
cuando se abordaban diferentes temas.
Ahora más que nunca, dedicarnos al lenguaje oral para el bien nuestro hijo le permite asegurarse todas las oportunidades
de ser cualquier persona en quien desee
convertirse. La Convención también fue
la primera vez que juntos, como familia,
aprendimos sobre la pérdida auditiva.
Drew pudo conocer a otros niños y adultos junto con nosotros y pudo crear relaciones con otras personas de la misma
manera en que nosotros lo hicimos.
Pendley: Además de todos los amigos
que hicimos, la información que recibimos nos inspiró a descubrir todas las
posibilidades que tiene Max. Conocer a
personas mayores que utilizan implantes
cocleares y lo que algunas de ellas han
logrado es verdaderamente inspirador.
Creo que conocer niños de su edad con
IC y audífonos también ayudó a mi hija
Emily a conocer las posibilidades que
tiene su hermano menor.
VV: ¿Qué fue lo más importante que
aprendieron de otros miembros de AG
Bell? ¿Cómo beneficiará ese aprendizaje
a su familia?
Evans: Hablar con otras familias con
niños que han crecido junto a AG Bell
fue una experiencia muy positiva. Todas
las personas eran tan amables y tenían
pensamientos e historias maravillosas
para compartir. Incluso los pequeños
consejos sobre manejo de equipo eran
impresionantes.
Hine: El consejo más importante que
recibimos es dejar que nuestro hijo sea un
niño porque crecerá muy rápido, disfrutar
cada momento y saber que hay otras
familias que desean ayudarnos, independientemente de si están en nuestro
estado o al otro lado del país, y estar
seguros de que todo estará bien.
Hood: La información más importante
la obtuvimos de los chicos que cursan
estudios universitarios, adultos jóvenes y
participantes de Leadership Opportunities
for Teens (LOFT, Oportunidades de
liderazgo para adolescentes) que son
sordos o padecen dificultades auditivas.
Cuando uno entra al mundo de la pérdida
auditiva, recibe mucha información sobre
bebés o niños, sobre tecnología e incluso
sobre adultos mayores, pero es poco
común obtener información sobre las
etapas intermedias. Fue la primera vez
que conocí los obstáculos o desafíos que
aparecen con la escuela secundaria, la
universidad y los primeros pasos de una
carrera, que son etapas de la vida que yo
había pasado por alto completamente.
Pendley: Conocer a algunos de los adolescentes y hablar con sus padres brinda
seguridad y esperanza a quienes recientemente comenzamos a transitar este
(continuación en la página siguiente)
31
Una oportunidad de
adquirir experiencia
(continuación de la página anterior)
camino. Conocer a otras personas que
son amigos y experimentan las mismas
situaciones que nosotros es extremadamente beneficioso.
VV: ¿Qué consejo brindarían a otras familias con recursos limitados que buscan información y servicios de respaldo
para sus hijos con pérdida auditiva?
Evans: Relaciónense todo lo posible. Esas
relaciones fueron las primeras en brindarnos información sobre la beca. También
aconsejaría a los padres a hacerse un
tiempo para conocer a las personas de su
comunidad y de su estado que pueden
ser un recurso, como la administración
de la escuela y los maestros, los representantes del gobierno estatal y las personas
a cargo del departamento de educación
de sus hijos. Todas estas personas tienen
la función de ayudar a las familias con
sus hijos. Esas relaciones son mucho más
valiosas de lo que el dinero puede proporcionar y pueden ser muy comprensivas,
informativas e incluso poderosas, si eso
es lo necesario.
Hine: Investiguen todas las opciones,
no sólo las opciones de comunicación,
busquen a otras familias, realicen
cualquier pregunta (ninguna pregunta
es tonta) y no teman decir “NO” si una
opción no les parece adecuada para su
hijo o no cubre las necesidades de su
familia. Hay sitios web y libros increíbles
que se pueden utilizar como recursos si
su comunidad no puede ofrecerles algo
más. Y no se conformen con lo que la
gente llama el niño “típico” con pérdida
auditiva. ¡Su hijo puede lograr lo que sea
si se proponen hacerlo!
Hood: Investiguen siempre todos los
recursos, sin importar qué tan pequeño
sea, antes de abandonar una oportunidad. Yo iba a cancelar mi reserva para la
Convención antes de descubrir la beca
que había disponible. Nunca pensé en
comunicarme con la escuela de mi hijo
para obtener información financiera.
Mientras más preguntas se hacen,
32 AG Bell desea expresar su inmensa gratitud hacia todos los
contribuyentes que hicieron posible la beca familiar de la convención.
Candace J. Alper
Jill L. Bader
Theresa Ballard
John y Maureen Bard
Mary Bartholomew
Edwin Beck y Nancy BoltonBeck
Nancy Bellew y Sidney Arfa
Megan Bethel
Law Offices of Joseph L.
Bornstein
Stella Boyle
Ralph y Faith Braunschweigh
William Buckley
John M. Burke
Julie Burke
Paul y Christine Corcoran
Guy R. Crane
David J. Davis
James y Claire Davis
Julianne F. Delaney
Jean M. Dennis
Joseph y Meredith DiBattista
R. Neil Dickman
Phyllis B. Feibelman
Frank N. Fleischer
Carol Flexer
Cindy G. Fluxgold
Robert M. Goldberg
Bruce y Betsy Goldstein
Tim Grafft
Alexander T. Graham
Barry y Sue Griebler
Mark y Susan Griffin
Elisabeth Grunig
Ralph y Nu Nu Guertin
Inez K. Janger
Jacqueline Jankoff-Ershow
John y Mary Kneen
Richard y Laura Kretschmer
David Lefkowitz
The Leigh Foundation
Laura Levy
Pam Lewis
Ajay Marwah
Robert y Pamela Matje
Jim McCord
Donald I. McGee
Kevin J. Miller
Robert Moyer y Anita Nagler
George H. Nofer
Jonathan Petromelis
Priscilla Pike
David y Cathy Price
Gary y Eva Quateman
Neil y Lisa Quateman
Ramesh K. Ramanathan
Paul Richards
Regan D. Rohde
Samuel y Eleanor Rosenfeld
Joseph Rosenstein
Janet S. Scheeline
Harvey A. Schneier
Richard L. Schulze
John y Virginia Skold
Elizabeth P. Sloan
Edward y Luann Snow
Emily Soloff
Gwendolyn Sommer
Richard y Janice Sparr
Belle Steinberg
Gary Stern
Barbara A. Stone
Sally Tannenbaum
Michael H. Tecklenburg
Scott y Susan Telesz
Robert H. Topel
Kristen Van Dyke
Frank y Barbara Van Husen
Susan y Harvey Vanhoven
Eleanor R. Vorce
Charles y Judith Wagner
Cindy A. Walter
John y Denis Wray
John R. Wyant
Alice Wylie
Karen L. Youdelman
Every effort was made to verify the accuracy of this list. If your name was left off the list, please contact
[email protected] so that we can properly acknowledge your contribution in a future issue of Volta Voices.
mayores son las posibilidades de encontrar recursos adicionales. También recomendaría consultar recursos como el sitio
web de AG Bell, www.agbell.org, que los
pondrá en contacto con otros miembros
de AG Bell o grupos de chat por Internet.
Sitios como éstos nos proporcionan un
mundo de referencia e información. De
ese modo, si viven en un área con pocos
recursos, aún así pueden ponerse en
contacto con otras personas.
Pendley: Yo definitivamente recomendaría que asistan a una Convención de AG
Bell. Cuando una persona vive en un área
con recursos muy limitados, es difícil
obtener la información necesaria para
ayudar a su familia. Poder obtener toda
esa información en el período de una
semana es un gran beneficio. La persona
tiene tiempo de relajarse y centrarse solamente en los cursos que ha seleccionado
que beneficiarán su situación. Las personas que presentan los cursos son muy
inteligentes y comparten información
de una manera que se hace muy fácil
ponerla en práctica, independientemente
de si usted es proveedor de intervención
temprana, maestro de personas sordas o
padre.
VV: De ser posible, ¿asistirá a futuras
Convenciones de AG Bell?
Evans: Haremos absolutamente todos los
esfuerzos por asistir a futuros eventos.
Todos estamos esperando la Convención
en Orlando. Tal vez podríamos comenzar
a recaudar fondos ahora... ¿quiere comprar dulces?
Hine: Ya hemos empezado a ahorrar para
la Convención de 2010 en Florida. ¡No
podemos esperar!
Hood: Fue una experiencia tan significativa y memorable que no puedo imaginar
perderme las próximas convenciones de
AG Bell. Creo que es extremadamente
importante mantenernos en contacto con
una organización que aborda las necesidades de Drew.
Pendley: ¡ABSOLUTAMENTE!
By Marshall Chasin, M.Sc., Au.D., FAAA; Tim Campos, M.A.; and Mark C. Flynn, Ph.D.
Implantable
Hearing Devices
This article was originally published as part of a two-part series in The Hearing Journal, August 2008.
Portions are reprinted here with permission.
T
The last decade has
seen astonishing
advances in the
technology of hearing
aids. A comparable
degree of technological
innovation is now taking
place in a related field:
implantable devices.
In this context, an implantable
hearing device is any instrument that
is entirely or partially implanted in
the temporal bone, or the middle ear.
Partially implanted devices include the
boneanchored hearing aid or Baha®,
in which the vibratory “receiver” is
implanted in the temporal bone just
behind the pinna. The Baha is especially useful for conductive and most
mixed hearing losses. There is also a
range of middle ear implants in which
the “receiver” transducer is implanted
on the ossicular chain.
The benefits of the explosion in hearing aid technology have not passed
implantable devices by. Many of the
same innovations found in modern
hearing aids are being used in implantable devices.
This article primarily focuses on the
future of implantable devices. In doing
so, hearing healthcare providers will
have a preview of what’s in the pipeline today that will be able to help their
patients tomorrow.
34 Vibrant Soundbridge
By Tim Campos
T
he Vibrant Soundbridge®,
which has been approved for
use by adults in the U.S. since
2001, is intended for persons who
have moderate-to-severe sensorineural
hearing loss and cannot achieve success or adequate benefit from acoustic
hearing aids or are unable to tolerate
hearing aids due to conditions such
as chronic perichondritis of the ear,
chronic otitis externa, atresia of the
ear canal, congenital malformations
or skin reaction from the earmold or
hearing aid case.
Additional candidate selection
criteria include: normal middle ear
function, a speech-recognition score
of at least 50 percent at the implant
ear under headphones, no retrocochlear or central involvement, no skin
conditions preventing attachment
of the audio processor and realistic
expectations.
The Soundbridge consists of two
primary components:
•A surgically implanted vibrating
ossicular prosthesis (VORP) containing a magnet, receiving coil,
demodulator packet, conductor link
and floating mass transducer (FMT).
•The external audio processor (AP).
The AP is worn outside the head,
behind and above the pinna. It is held
to the scalp by attraction between
magnets in the VORP and in the AP.
The AP also contains a microphone, a
signal processor, telemetry electronics
and a standard 675-zinc air battery
that powers the system.
The FMT is a totally enclosed
transducer that uses inertial drive to
impart mechanical energy directly to
the ossicular chain. Though tiny, the
FMT can impart mechanical vibrations comparable to very high sound
pressure levels. The FMT is designed
to mimic the vibratory responses of
the middle ear. It can mechanically
stimulate the middle ear throughout
the entire speech-related audiometric
frequency range.
When evaluating the FMT against a
hearing aid by using the human temporal bone model and recording the
output using a laser Doppler vibrometer, Ball and Katz found that the FMT
placed in a temporal bone and driven
at a level equivalent to 110-115 dB SPL
accurately reproduced speech and
music at the stapes footplate in the
temporal bone. High-frequency information was present even above 7000
Hz. The hearing aid receiver produced
a signal for both speech and music at
the stapes footplate when drive at 110115 dB SPL; however, high-frequency
information was largely absent. Music
was also degraded and only limited
high-frequency information was
present.1
User Outcomes – Vibrant
Soundbridge users reported improved
sound clarity and overall sound quality compared to their hearing aid
experience, based on three subscales
of the Hearing Device Satisfaction
Scale (reference). Subjects also
reported significant improvement with
the Soundbridge over their own hearing aid on all seven subscales of the
Profile of Hearing Aid Performance
(PHAP), which measures perceived
benefit in diverse listening situations.2
The implantable device increased
functional gain at all frequencies
over subjects’ previous hearing aids
and the increase was statistically
significant (p<0.02) at 1500, 2000,
4000, and 6000 Hz. All pre-operative
hearing aid fittings were evaluated for
appropriateness prior to their inclusion
in the clinical trial.2
Recently, Mosnier et al. reported on
the long-term effects of the Vibrant
Soundbridge in a series of patients
implanted for 5 to 8 years.3 They
found no significant effect on hearing
thresholds in the implanted ear and
showed corroborating data from each
patient’s contralateral non-implanted
ear.
Potential Applications – Although
the original implementation was
for patients with purely sensorineural hearing losses, recently the
Soundbridge has also been described
as a treatment option for mixed and
conductive hearing losses in studies conducted outside the U.S.4, 5, 6
Otologic etiologies of patients selected
for these applications have included
otosclerosis, congenital aural atresia,
ear canal microtia, ossicular malformation, and complications from
chronic otitis media and cholesteatoma, among others. All patients in
these investigations had undergone
previous surgical intervention for their
condition or disease.
Placement of the FMT was either by
attachment to an ossicular reconstruction or replacement prosthesis (TORP
or PORP)2 or direct placement in the
round window.4, 5 In all cases, the decision to use the Soundbridge with these
patients was based on their difficulty
in using hearing aids. Functional hearing results using the Soundbridge were
markedly improved over both unaided
and aided performance in all cases.
These studies have given rise to an
FDA-approved investigational device
exemption (IDE) study sponsored by
MED-EL Corporation to investigate
the effects of placing the FMT on the
round window of the middle ear in
carefully selected candidates. This
clinical trial seeks to determine if the
device can be safely placed on the
round window and if effective amplification can be obtained with this
placement. If expected outcomes are
achieved, this approach may provide
another option for patients who have
limited choices for accessing sound.
The conductive and mixed hearing
losses indications for the Soundbridge
have received CE mark approval and
are being integrated into the patient
selection criteria in countries recognizing this approval.
35
Implantable Hearing
Devices
Baha®
By Mark C. Flynn
I
ncreasingly, people with conductive,
mixed and single-sided sensorineural hearing losses are investigating
the possibility of a bone-conduction
hearing implant.* Bone-conduction
hearing implants, such as Baha®,
provide an excellent hearing solution
for these types of hearing loss and
more than 45,000 people currently use
them.
The Baha system consists of three
parts: the osseointegrated implant, the
sound processor and the abutment,
which connects the two. The sound
processor is connected directly to the
skull through an abutment attached to
an osseointegrated titanium implant
in the temporal bone. The sound
vibrations are thereby passed through
the titanium implant and vibrate the
cochlea directly.
Bone conduction addresses conductive hearing loss by bypassing the
outer and middle ear and directing
the sound to the cochlea. It can also
*Currently, the Food and Drug Administration has
cleared Baha for marketing in the U.S. to mixed
hearing loss patients with an average sensorineural
component of 65 dB HL or less across 500, 1,000,
2,000 and 3,000 Hz.
compensate for a degree of sensorineural hearing loss in a mixed
hearing loss with increased amplification. Additionally, Baha provides a
solution for single-sided sensorineural deafness (SSD) as the skull can
efficiently conduct the sound from
one side of the head to the opposite
normal-hearing cochlea.
For Conductive, Mixed Losses – Baha
is frequently selected in cases of permanent conductive and mixed hearing
loss. Medically, conductive hearing
loss is often concomitant with various
outer and middle ear abnormalities
(e.g., atresia) or pathologies (e.g., continuously draining ear) that preclude
the wearing of hearing aids.
Audiologically, the key benefit of
Baha for people with mixed and conductive hearing loss is that sound is
routed directly to the cochlea through
bone conduction, thereby bypassing
the conductive component entirely.
The conductive aspect of a hearing
loss creates two difficulties for conventional hearing aids. First, the gain
required by the hearing aid is double
that required for a sensorineural loss.7, 8
Second, amplifying sound through
a conductive loss alters the sound
picture. Both of these issues combine
to make finding a conventional hearing
solution difficult due to the high gain
requirements, problems with feedback
and distortion. The result is that Baha
provides a solution that requires less
gain and produces a higher sound quality than conventional hearing aids.9
Flynn and colleagues recently
compared the performance of Baha
with conventional hearing aids on a
group of adults (n=10) with mixed
hearing loss.9 All subjects had a severe
mixed hearing loss with sensorineural
thresholds worse than 30 dB HL and
at least a 30-dB airbone gap. The test
device used was the Baha Intenso™,
which provides 10 to 15 dB more gain
than Baha Divino™, an older model,
by combining active feedback cancellation with new bone transducer
technologies.
The study reported on a series of
measures, including aided thresholds, speech understanding in noise
and subjective reports of preference.
Performance with Baha provided
a 2.5-dB improvement in speech
understanding (SNR 50 percent) when
compared with a digital super-powered
hearing aid. To appreciate the magnitude of this improvement, Dillon
reports that each dB of improvement
in speech understanding provides 10
percent improved performance.7
Significantly improved speech understanding with Baha was reported for
all participants. This confirms previous
findings that Baha improves speech
understanding and sound quality more
than conventional approaches for this
patient population.10, 11, 12 This is due to
the greatly reduced gain requirements
of Baha, which needs to compensate
for only the sensorineural component
of a hearing loss, while hearing aids
must overcome the conductive loss as
well.
In summary, Baha provides an
effective solution for conductive and
mixed hearing losses when hearing
aids are contraindicated. Moreover, the
latest research indicates that clinicians
should also consider the audiological
criteria for Baha when the air-bone gap
is greater than 30 dB.
Single-Sided Deafness – Single-sided
sensorineural deafness (SSD) provides
significant communication difficulties,
36 V OLTA V OICE S • JA NUA R Y / F E BR U A R Y 2009
as mid- and high-frequency sounds are
attenuated by up to 15 dB due to the
head shadow effect. Apart from losing
sound awareness due to this “shadow,”
the patient has difficulty in situations
where the noise is directed toward
the good ear and speech is directed
toward the deaf ear. In many situations (e.g., driving a car), the patient
is unable to compensate by changing
head position.
Every year, there are approximately
200 new cases of SSD for every 1
million people. Unfortunately, many
of them go untreated because of the
perception that there is no effective
solution. However, recent studies have
demonstrated that Baha provides a
unique benefit for people with SSD by
enabling them to hear and understand
sound from both sides where previously they could hear from only their
good side.13, 14, 15, 16, 17
Patients with SSD wear the Baha
processor on the side with hearing
loss and it transfers the signal directly
across the skull to the good ear via
bone conduction, thus eliminating
the head shadow effect. With many
patients, bone conduction transfers
the sound seamlessly from one side
to the other. However, a small number
of patients require additional amplification to overcome an increased
interaural attenuation and provide
sufficient loudness in the good ear.
For these patients, a more powerful
sound processor, such as the Intenso,
is recommended.
Studies have compared the performance of Baha with that of the more
traditional solution of CROS (contralateral routing of signal) hearing
aids.13, 14, 17 These studies found significantly better speech understanding
and subjective reports with the Baha
than with CROS-based solutions.
In conclusion, Baha offers a proven
treatment that complements conventional hearing aids and cochlear
implants. Direct stimulation of the
cochlea via bone conduction can
provide an effective solution for people
with conductive, mixed, or single-sided
sensorineural hearing losses. Of the
several implantable technologies for
hearing loss, Baha is the only one that
the patient can thoroughly evaluate
before surgery. The use of a soft band
or test rod permits the patient to evaluate the potential benefits of Baha.
References
Ball GR, Katz BH: Signal analysis of a direct drive middle ear implant. Date on file at Med-El.
1
Venail F, Laveille JP, Meller R, et al.: New perspectives for middle ear implants: First results in otosclerosis
with mixed hearing loss. Laryngoscope 2007;117: 552-555.
2
Mosnier I, Sterkers O, Bouccara D, et al.: Benefit of the Vibrant Soundbridge device in patients implanted
for 5 to 8 years, Ear Hear 2008;29:281-284.
3
Colletti V, Soli S, Carner M, Colletti L: Treatment of mixed hearing losses via implantation of a vibratory
transducer on the round window. IJA 2006;45:600-608.
4
Kiefer J, Arnold W, Staudenmaier R: Round window stimulation with an implantable hearing aid
(Soundbridge) combined with autogenous reconstruction of the auricle: A new approach. Cochlear Mech
Otoacoustic Emissions 2006;58:378-385.
5
Vibrant Soundbridge FDA clinical trial conducted by Symphonix Corporation. Data compiled in 2002 and
on file at Med-El.
6
Dillon H: Hearing Aids. New York: Thieme, 2001.
7
Scollie S, Seewald R, Cornelisse L, et al.: The Desired Sensation Level Multistage Input/Output Algorithm.
Trends Amplif 2005;9(4):1-39.
8
Mylanus EA, van der Pouw KC, Snik AF, Cremers CW: Intraindividual comparison of the bone-anchored
hearing aid and air-conduction hearing aids. Arch Otolaryngol—Head Neck Surg 1998;124(3): 271-276.
9
Flynn MC, Sadeghi S, Halvarsson G: Baha solutions for patients with a severe mixed hearing loss.
Presentation at 6th Asia-Pacific Symposium on Cochlear Implants and Related Sciences, Sydney, 2007.
10
McDermott AL, Dutt SN, Reid AP, Proops DW: An intra-individual comparison of the previous conventional
hearing aid with the bone-anchored hearing aid: The Nijmegen group questionnaire. J Laryngol Otol
2002(28):15-19.
11
Mylanus EA, Snik AF, Cremers CW: Patients’ opinions of bone-anchored vs conventional hearing aids.
Arch Otolaryngol—Head Neck Surg 1995;121(4):421-425.
12
Hol MK, Bosman AJ, Snik AF, et al.: Bone-anchored hearing aid in unilateral inner ear deafness: A study of
20 patients. Audiol Neuro-otol 2004;9(5):274-281.
13
Hol MK, Bosman AJ, Snik AF, et al.: Bone-anchored hearing aids in unilateral inner ear deafness: An
evaluation of audiometric and patient outcome measurements. Otol Neurotol 2005;26(5):999-1006.
14
Wazen JJ, Spitzer J, Ghossaini SN, et al.: Results of the bone-anchored hearing aid in unilateral hearing
loss. Laryngoscope 2001;111(6):955-958.
15
Wazen JJ, Spitzer JB, Ghossaini SN, et al.: Transcranial contralateral cochlear stimulation in unilateral
deafness. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 2003;129(3):248-254.
16
Lin LM, Bowditch S, Anderson MJ, et al.: Amplification in the rehabilitation of unilateral deafness: Speech
in noise and directional hearing effects with bone-anchored hearing and contralateral routing of signal
amplification. Otol Neurotol 2006; 27(2):172-182.
17
37
By Donald Goldberg, Ph.D., CCC-SLP/A, FAAA, LSLS Cert.AVT
AG Bell Academy
Explains
Certification Exam
Scoring Process
T
The AG Bell Academy
for Listening and Spoken
Language (AG Bell
Academy) certification
program for Listening
and Spoken Language
Specialists (LSLS)
certification program, specifically with
regards to the test administration and
scoring.
I am pleased to announce that the
exam has proven to be of sufficient
rigor that 60 percent of candidates
passed the initial administration of
the written test. For those who did
not pass on their initial attempt, they
will have two additional opportunities to complete the written exam. To
some, it may appear that there were an
unusually high number of individuals
Donald M. Goldberg, Ph.D.,
President of AG Bell Academy
for Listening and Spoken
Language
tremendous progress.
By the end of 2008,
Last August, the AG Bell Academy for
the AG Bell Academy
will have administered
“A certification exam needs to be challenging enough so that it accurately
identifies the minimum qualification of
a candidate seeking the certification. It
cannot be so difficult that most people
will fail. At the same time, it can’t be
so easy that a large number of people
Listening and Spoken Language Board of
Directors elected Donald M. Goldberg, Ph.D.,
CCC-SLP/A, FAAA, LSLS Cert. AVT, as its new president for the 2008 to 2010 term.
approximately 250
Goldberg was an influential leader in the development of the new Listening and Spoken
certification exams for
the LSLS certification program for several years. In regard to this new certification, Goldberg
LSLS Cert. AVTs and
and education of children with hearing loss to pursue this important certification. LSLS is the
LSLS Cert. AVEds – a
specialists.”
dramatic increase over
Program. Goldberg is a world leader in the assessment of and the auditory-based (re)
2007 when only 20 tests
unilateral or bilateral cochlear implants.
were administered.
I would like to take this opportunity
to provide an update on the latest
developments surrounding the LSLS
38 Language Specialist (LSLS) certification exam and has been active in setting the direction of
said, “I encourage all professionals in the fields of speech-language pathology, audiology
standard parents of children with hearing loss can look for when selecting spoken language
Goldberg is co-director of the Cleveland Clinic’s Head and Neck Institute’s Hearing Implant
habilitation of children and adults who are deaf or hard of hearing who are recipients of
Goldberg is co-author of “Educational Audiology for the Limited Hearing Infant and
Preschooler: An Auditory-Verbal Approach” (Pollack, Goldberg and Caleffe-Schenck, 1997)
as well as numerous research articles, and is an international/national/local presenter in the
areas of cochlear implants, auditory-verbal therapy, speech-language-auditory assessment,
educational audiology and counseling. For more information about the AG Bell Academy for
Listening and Spoken Language, please visit www.agbellacademy.org.
Photo credit: Donald M. Goldberg
continues to make
who did not pass, but this number is
well within the expected standards
for a professional certification exam.
Our consultants for test development,
Prometric, Inc., have explained it
this way:
can pass without adequately demonstrating competence. It is generally
accepted that the pass/fail rate which
best achieves that balance is about a
60/40 ratio.”
So, while the Academy did not deliberately seek to achieve that specific
pass/fail rate, I am confident the initial
results validate all the systematic work
that went into writing the LSLS written
test. I realize this is no consolation
for those who were not successful on
their first attempt, but it is important
to demonstrate the nature of this type
of exam and the need for the Academy
to adhere to quality standards in test
development and certification.
Scoring a Professional
Certification Exam
The nature of determining the cut
score (minimum passing score) is
fairly complicated. A certification
exam is not “graded” in the same
fashion as an academic exam. For
example, there is no bell curve used to
determine a pass/fail score and candidates are never compared to each
other. With a professional certification
exam, the cut score is determined
through a rigorous standard-setting
process and represents the specific
amount of overall correct answers candidates are required to meet or exceed
in order to pass the exam.
As the first step in the LSLS cut score
analysis, Prometric scored all the
exams and “red flagged” any questions that appeared to be problematic.
That is, if an inordinate number of
test takers got it wrong or if there
were notations on the test booklet
that a question was unclear, additional
analyses were completed. Those questions were then individually evaluated
by a team of professionals known as
subject matter experts (SMEs) in the
field of listening and spoken. If the
SMEs determined that the question
was unfairly written or unclear, then it
was not counted in scoring the exam
and did not negatively affect anyone’s
score. In other words, everyone who
took the exam was automatically
given credit for the questions that
were determined to be “problem
items,” regardless of the answer they
provided.
The next phase in determining the
cut score was for another group of
SMEs to convene and evaluate each
question on the test (minus the problem items). These SMEs developed
a document defining the “minimally
qualified candidate” that acted as a
benchmark against which each question was scrutinized for its ability to
identify minimal competence. The
SMEs were asked to call on their
background and expertise to estimate
what percentage of minimally qualified LSLS professionals would get that
39
AG Bell Academy Explains
Certification Exam
Scoring Process
The nature of
determining the
“With any certification exam, all who
passed are equal and all who did not
pass are equal. It is not considered
best practice to share individual scores
as it may encourage the holder of a
certification to claim superiority over
another certified applicant by virtue
of a higher score on their certification
exam.”
cut score is fairly
complicated. A
certification exam
is not “graded” in
the same fashion as
an academic exam.
Providing individual scores does not
help the individual who needs to retake the exam. For one thing, the next
form of the exam will not be identical
to the previous version, although it will
be equally weighted in the domains.
It is also critical that the individual
approach the exam in its entirety
with the intention of demonstrating
minimum competence throughout the
body of knowledge being evaluated.
Academy Commitment to
Certification Standards
The Academy is committed to developing a program and exam that certifies
The AG Bell Academy would like to express great appreciation to all of the current and former board
members and subject matter experts (SMEs) that are responsible for the current LSLS certification.
Susan Allen
Maura Berndsen
Anita Bernstein
Carolyn Brown
Theresa Caraway
Sigrid Cerf
Becky Clem
Elizabeth Cole
Mary V. Compton
Mary Ann Costin
Cheryl Dickson
Dimity Dornan
Suzanne Doucet
Michael Douglas
Marsha Dworkin
Tamara Elder
Warren Estabrooks
Elizabeth Fitzpatrick
Carol Flexer
Ashley Garber
Janice Gatty
Ellen Gill
Donald M. Goldberg
Inez K. Janger
Mary Boucher Jones
Sonja Jovanovic
Judith A. Marlowe
Mary McGinnis
Jean Sachar Moog
Helen Morrison
Christina Perigoe
Marion Radeen
Kathryn Ritter
Lyn Robertson
Karen Rossi
Sylvia Rotfleisch
Dan Salvucci
Judith Simser
Joanna Smith
Darcy Stowe
Kathleen D. Sussman
Kathleen Treni
Marguerite Vasconcellos
Eric D. Wade
Lea Watson
Denise Wray
J.R. “Jay” Wyant
Karen Youdelman
Every effort was made to verify the accuracy of this list. This was a huge undertaking and if we have forgotten anyone, please accept our apologies
and notify us at [email protected] so that we can properly acknowledge your contribution in a future issue of Volta Voices.
40 V OLTA V OICE S • JA NUA R Y / F E BR U A R Y 2009
question correct.
Those determinations were
collected and statistically evaluated
to finalize a cut score for the entire
exam. I invite you to contact AG Bell
Certification Manager Henry Becker
([email protected]) for a copy of
Prometric’s report to the Academy
describing this complicated and
involved process. Individuals who were
not successful on their first attempt
taking the LSLS exam were provided
with a diagnostic report that indicated
their performance in each of the nine
test domains. The descriptors used
were “strong,” “moderate” or “weak”
and were intended to guide the individual about which areas may require
more attention as he or she prepares
to retake the exam. Questions have
been raised as to why candidates are
not provided with their specific scores.
Again, I will summarize what we have
learned from Prometric:
highly-qualified LSLS, without prejudice towards their professional setting.
All aspects of the test development
have been populated by professionals
who come from therapy and education backgrounds. It is also important
to note that test scores may not reflect
the level of clinical expertise demonstrated on a daily basis when working with children who are developing
spoken language.
Thank you to all our new LSLS Cert.
AVTs and LSLS Cert. AVEds, and all
the candidates who are working to
gain certification – all of you are to be
congratulated for your commitment
to children with hearing loss and their
families.
As president of the AG Bell Academy,
I would also like to thank all the
SMEs who volunteered their time and
expertise to this tremendous project
and all the professionals who participated in the evaluation of the Cert.
AVT designation and the development
of the LSLS certification. Along with
my predecessors, Dr. Carol Flexer
and Dr. Teresa Caraway, I am exceedingly proud of the high quality work
these volunteers have completed in
a very short period of time. Together
with the AG Bell staff and Prometric,
Inc., this group of individuals has
developed a certification program in
accordance with the highest professional standards established by the
National Organization for Competency
Assurance (NOCA).
T I P S
F O R
P A R E N T S
Parental Controls
By Bryan Reynolds
O
ne concern among all parents,
including AG Bell members,
is monitoring their children’s
use of the Internet. With parental
controls, parents can ensure safe web
surfing on the Internet. One of the
major problems parents face when
their kids surf the Internet is accidental access to pornography. Other
issues exist as well, such as access to
sites promoting violence or political
propaganda.
•Individual profiles – Can you create
a profile for each family member
with different filtering rules?
•Activity reporting – Can you view
what each individual family member
has been doing on the computer?
•Remote management – Can you
change settings, change rules and
change profiles from work or while
on vacation without the installed
software?
Online Parental Controls are typically software packages that restrict
access to those parts of the Internet
that parents deem unsuitable for their
children. Generally, there are three
ways to implement parental controls
– commercial software products, ISP
level controls and freeware or shareware solutions.
Other features to consider include
the way each program blocks content
(by keyword, Web site content, foreign
language and/or URL), where the
program is hosted (home computer
or external server), and override and
notification capabilities.
Reviews of many parental control
programs can be found online.
For more information, visit
www.consumersearch.com/
parental-control-software.
Commercial Software
ISP-Level Controls
Parental Control software comes in
all shapes, sizes and prices. Some
well-known software packages are
Net Nanny, Cyber Patrol, Cybersitter,
IamBigbrother and Guardian Monitor.
People who have used these programs
report that the software blocked
information on sexually transmitted
diseases, the politics of prostitution
and even a site about Adam and Eve.
When choosing a software program,
parents should consider the following
criteria:
There are also controls that can be
applied at the Internet Service Provider
(ISP)-level that can restrict access to
certain Web sites known to be unsuitable for children. Check with your
What are Parental
Controls?
current ISP to see if additional software is required to implement these
controls.
Freeware or Shareware
Programs
These programs are available for free
or for a small donation and can be
downloaded to your computer from
the Internet. Some of these have similar features as commercial software
products.
Stay tuned to Volta Voices for future
columns offering tips and advice to
parents of children who are deaf or hard
of hearing.
•Ease of Use – Is it easy to find the
functions you are looking for? Is it
easy to customize?
•Allow, warn and block – Does it
function in chat rooms for email and
peer-to-peer interactions?
41
K I D S
Z O N E
Photo Credit: ( lef t) Hall Family; ( right) Photography by Deirdre
Around the World
By Sarah Crum
G
abriella Marie Hall, a 6-yearold from San Lorenzo, Calif.,
is just like any other child her
age. She enjoys riding her bike, playing
with other kids and helping her mom
cook. But what sets Gabriella apart is
her ability to participate in everyday
activities while overcoming the challenges of a hearing loss.
“She knows she is different than the
other children; she knows she needs
her sound processors to hear,” said her
father, Jim Hall.
Gabriella was diagnosed with a sensorineural hearing loss at 10 months
old. Her parents, Jim and Carolina,
were faced with a big question: “What
do we do now?” Jim recalls, “After we
were told the results of the test, we
walked out of the hospital and everything just stopped. Every sound meant
more – every word was precious.”
They immediately began searching for
further information and advice about
their communication options, including
spoken language, and fitted Gabriella
with hearing aids.
Jim and Carolina then chose to
pursue the option of cochlear implants.
“We wanted Gabriella to have the best
hearing possible,” Jim and Carolina
said. “She was hearing at about 50
dB with her hearing aids and we were
told that 20 dB was possible with the
implants.” Gabriella received her first
cochlear implant at 14 months old,
followed by a second implant at 25
months old.
Jim and Carolina also contacted the
Jean Weingarten Peninsula Oral School
for the Deaf, an OPTION school that
specializes in listening and spoken
language, in Redwood City, Calif. Her
parents felt that the OPTION school
had a significant impact on Gabriella’s
success. “This school put a great deal
of emphasis on listening and auditory discrimination; this is why I
42 ( left) Gabriella and her mother, Carolina, on vacation in the snowy mountains of Lake Tahoe, Calif.
( right) Gabriella at age 2.
think Gabriella is doing so well now,”
said Jim. Gabriella began school at 11
months old and graduated from the
program just shy of 5 years old.
Today, Gabriella is in the first grade
and fully mainstreamed at Del Rey
Elementary School with no need for
additional accommodations. She has
not let her hearing loss interfere with
her daily activities. She likes geography,
science and reading. “Her strong personality and desire to learn made this
process much easier. She has always
enjoyed school,” said Carolina.
Gabriella does not let her hearing
loss affect her attitude. She is a playful, delightful and funny girl. When
asked about her sound processors,
she responds without any hesitation, describing the way the cochlear
implants work and how they allow her
to hear and talk. She explains that the
sound travel “takes less than a second.”
Gabriella enjoys watching Disney
movies, going to Disneyland and
participating in family activities, such
as going to the park and exploring the
San Francisco Bay Area. She attends
a weekly gymnastics class, which has
given her more self confidence and
improved her balance. She is also interested in pursuing tennis lessons.
Future use of an FM system may
help give Gabriella the best hearing
opportunity so that she will be able to
pursue all her goals. Gabriella’s parents
hope that she can be an inspiration for
other children and parents who are
helping their child with a hearing loss.
According to Jim and Carolina, “she
can be an advocate to other children
and parents who are going through this
process.”
Gabriella’s parents have learned
that good articulation and speech
and above age-level language can
be possible for a child who is deaf or
heard of hearing. With the combination of motivated parents and the right
educational program, Jim hopes that
other parents with children who have
a hearing loss will be motivated to
learn everything they can about their
options. To help other parents cope
with having a child with a hearing loss,
he wrote a guide for parents, titled “A
Father’s Love,” which includes what he
has learned over the past five years in
addressing Gabriella’s hearing loss. The
guide explains insurance processes,
learning language through listening,
the Individual Family Service Plan/
Individualized Education Program
process and everything that parents
should do at home to assist their child
with a hearing loss. More information
about the guide can be found at
www.deafchildrencanspeak.com.
D I R E C T O R Y
O F
S E R V I C E S
Directory of Services
nAlabama
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 AuditoryVerbal Mentoring Program: ongoing professional
development / AVI curriculum / Mentoring by Cert.
AVTs®. “The AEI Summer Institute in Auditory-Verbal
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.
nArizona
Desert Voices, 3426 E. Shea Blvd., Phoenix, AZ
85028 • 602-224-0598 (voice) • 602-224-2460 (fax) •
[email protected] (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.
nCalifornia
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 [email protected].
Auditory-Verbal Services, 10623 Emerson Bend,
Tustin, CA 92782 • 714-573-2143 (voice) • email
[email protected] • Karen Rothwell-Vivian,
M.S.ED. M.A. CCC-A. LSLS-Cert.AVT. Listening and
Spoken Language Specialist - Certified AuditoryVerbal 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) • [email protected] (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) •
[email protected] (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 nonprofit 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) •
[email protected] (e-mail) •
www.oraldeafed.org/schools/jwposd (website) •
Kathleen Daniel Sussman, Executive Director;
Kathy Berger, 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.
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.
Listen and Learn, 4340 Stevens Creek Blvd.,
Suite 107, San Jose, CA 95129 • 408-345-4949 •
Marsha A. Haines, M.A., CED, Cert. AVT, and Sandra
Hamaguchi Hocker, M.A., CED • Auditory-verbal
therapy for the child and family from infancy.
Services also include aural habilitation for older
students and adults with cochlear implants. Extensive
experience and expertise with cochlear implants,
single and bilateral. Mainstream support services,
school consultation and assessment for children in
their neighborhood school. California NPA certified.
No Limits Speech and Language
Educational Center and Theatre Program,
9801 Washington Blvd., 2nd Floor, Culver City,
CA 90232 • 310-280-0878, 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) • [email protected] (email) •
www.oralingua.org (website) South Campus –
221 Pawnee Street, San Marcos, CA 92078 • 760-4715187 (voice) • 760-591-4631 (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.
nColorado
Bill Daniels Center for Children’s Hearing,
The Children’s Hospital - Colorado, Department 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.
Let’s Talk About It, 800 Santa Ynez Street,
San Gabriel, CA 91775 • 626-451-9920 (voice) •
[email protected] (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.
44
V OLTA V OIC E S • JA NUA R Y / F E BR U A R Y 2009
D I R E C T O R Y
Rocky Mountain Ear Center, P.C. • 601 East
Hampden Avenue, Suite 530, Englewood, CO 80113 •
303-783-9220 (voice) • 303-806-6292 (fax) •
www.rockymountainearcenter.com (website). We
provide a full range of neurotology and audiology
services for all ages, ranging from infants to seniors.
Using a multi-disciplinary approach, our boardcertified otologist and doctors of audiology 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.
nConnecticut
CREC Soundbridge, 123 Progress Dr.,
Wethersfield, CT 06109 • 860- 529-4260 (voice/TTY)
• 860-257-8500 (fax) • www.crec.org/soundbridge
(website). Dr. Elizabeth B. Cole, Program Director.
Comprehensive audiological and instructional
services, birth through post-secondary, public
school settings. Focus on providing 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,
V O LTA V O ICES • JAN U ARY/FE BRUARY 2009
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.
nFlorida
Bolesta Center, Inc and The Auditory-Verbal
Learning Institute, 7205 North Habana Avenue,
Tampa, FL 33614 • 813-932-1184 (voice) •
813-932-0583 (fax) • [email protected] (email)
• www.bolestacenter.org (website) • Non-profit
Auditory-Verbal center founded in 1961 to teach deaf
and hard-of-hearing children to listen and speak.
O F
S E R V I C E S
Children learn to participate fully in hearing families,
schools, and communities. No family is turned away
based on ability to pay. The Auditory-Verbal Learning
Institute develops and sells educational products for
parents to help meet the cognitive, language, and
social development needs of their deaf or hard-ofhearing children and for professionals who want to
expand their Auditory-Verbal skills.
Clarke Jacksonville Auditory/Oral Center,
9857 St. Augustine Rd., Jacksonville, FL 32257 •
904-880-9001 (voice/TTY) • [email protected]
(email) • www.clarkeschool.org (website). Susan G.
Allen, 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,
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.
45
D I R E C T O R Y
O F
S E R V I C E S
nGeorgia
nIdaho
Atlanta Speech School – Katherine Hamm
Center, 3160 Northside Parkway, NW, Atlanta,
Idaho School for the Deaf and the Blind,
GA 30327 • 404-233-5332 ext. 3119 (voice/TTY) •
404-266-2175 (fax) • [email protected] (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 languagerich lessons and highly individualized instruction
in a nuturing 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) •
[email protected] (email) • www.avchears.org
(website). Auditory-Verbal Center, Inc - Macon,
2720 Sheraton Drive, Suite D-240, Macon, GA
31204 • 478-471-0019 (voice). A comprehensive
Auditory-Verbal program for children with hearing
impairments and their families. Home Center and
Practicum Site programs provide intensive A-V
training for families and professionals. Complete
audiological services for children and adults. Assistive
listening devices demonstration center.
46
450 Main Street, Gooding, ID 83330 •
208-934 4457 (V/TTY) • 208-934 8352 (fax) •
[email protected] (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.
nIllinois
Alexander Graham Bell Montessori School
(AGBMS), www.agbms.org • 847-297-4660 (voice) •
[email protected] (email). Alternatives in
Education for the Hearing Impaired (AEHI) •
www.aehi.org (website) • 847-297-3206 (voice) •
[email protected] (email) • 2020 E. Camp McDonald
Road, Mount Prospect, Il 60056 • 847-297-4660.
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.
Child’s Voice School, 180 Hansen Court,
Wood Dale, IL 60191 • (630) 595-8200 (voice) •
(630) 595-8282 (fax) • [email protected]
(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.
St. Joseph Institute for the Deaf – Carle,
809 West Park St., Urbana, IL 61801 • 217-326-2824
(voice) • 217-344-7524 (fax) • [email protected] (e-mail)
• [email protected] (e-mail) •
www.sjid.org • Danielle Edmondson, M.A., CCC-A,
Director. St. Joseph Institute for the Deaf – Carle, a
campus of the St. Joseph Institute system, serves
children with hearing loss, birth to age 6. Auditory/
oral programs include early intervention, nursery and
preschool classes, cochlear implant rehabilitation,
daily speech therapy and mainstream support
services. Challenging speech, personal development
and academic programs are offered in a nurturing
environment. Early intervention credentialed and
Illinois State Board of Education approved. (See
Indiana, Kansas and Missouri.)
nIndiana
St. Joseph Institute for the Deaf –
Indianapolis, 9192 Waldemar Road, Indianapolis,
IN 46268 • 317-471-8560 (voice) • 317-471-8627 (fax)
• [email protected] (e-mail) • www.sjid.org •
Teri Ouellette, M.S. Ed., Director. St. Joseph Institute
D I R E C T O R Y
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.)
serving children with all degrees of hearing loss from
infancy through age 5. Programs offered include
early intervention, preschool classrooms, parent
support groups, daily listening, speech and language
instruction, cochlear implant rehabilitation and
support for mainstream placement. New Orleans Oral
School admits children of any race, color and national
or ethnic origin.
nMaine
nKansas
913-383-3535 (voice) • 913-383-0320 (fax) •
www.sjid.org • [email protected] •
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. 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. (See Illinois, Indiana and
Missouri).
hear ME now, 19 Yarmouth Drive, Suite 201,
Yarmouth Hall, Pineland Farms, New Gloucester,
ME 04260 • 207-688-4544 (voice) • 207-688-4548
(fax) • [email protected] (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.
nLouisiana
nMaryland
New Orleans Oral School, 4000 West
The Hearing and Speech Agency’s Oral
Center, 5900 Metro Drive, Baltimore, MD 21215 •
St. Joseph Institute for the Deaf - Kansas
City Campus, 8835 Monrovia, Lenexa, KS 66215 •
Esplanade Avenue, Metairie, LA 70002 •
504-885-1606 (voice) • 504-885-2603 (fax) •
www.oraldeafed.org/schools/neworleans • Martha
Myers, M.C.D., Director • Auditory/oral school
410-318-6780 (voice) • 410-318-6758 (TTY) •
410-318-6759 (fax) • [email protected] (e-mail) •
www.hasa.org • Jill Berie, Educational Director,
Olga Polites, Clinical Director, Heather Eisgrau,
O F
S E R V I C E S
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-the-art classrooms located in
the Gateway School approved by the Maryland State
Department of Education. Additional services include
speech-language therapy, family education and
support, pre- and post-cochlear implant habilitation,
collaboration and support of inclusion 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.
nMassachusetts
Auditory-Verbal Communication Center
(AVCC), 544 Washington Street, Gloucester,
MA, 01930 • 978-282-0025 (phone) •
[email protected] (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 AGBell
Academy for Listening and Spoken Language.
47
D I R E C T O R Y
O F
S E R V I C E S
Clarke School East, 1 Whitman Road, Canton,
MA 02021 • 781-821-3499 (voice) • 781-821-3904
(tty) • [email protected] (email) •
www.clarkeschool.org (website). Cara Jordan,
Director. 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) • [email protected] (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, graduate-teachereducation 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) • [email protected]
(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.
48
SoundWorks for Children, 18 South Main
Street, Topsfield, MA 01983 • 978-887-1284 (voice)
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 auditoryoral skills in children who are deaf or hard-of-hearing.
Specializing in cochlear implant habilitation and
offering a full continuum of inclusionary support
models from preschool through high school. Early
Intervention services and social/self-advocacy groups
for mainstreamed students are offered at our Family
Center. Summer programs, in-service training, and
consultation available.
nMichigan
Monroe County Program for Hearing
Impaired Children, 3145 Prairie St., Ida, MI
48140-9778 • 734-269-3875 (voice/TTY) •
734-269-3885 (fax) • [email protected]
(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) •
313-242-3595 (fax) • 313-242-6286 (tty) • Dorothea
B. French, Ph.D., Director. Auditory/oral day program
serves 80 center students/250 teacher consultant
students. Birth to 25 years of age.
nMinnesota
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) •
(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.
nMississippi
DuBard School for Language Disorders,
The University of Southern Mississippi, 118 College
Drive #10035, Hattiesburg, MS 39406-0001 •
601-266-5223 (voice) • [email protected] (e-mail) •
www.usm.edu/dubard • Maureen K. Martin, Ph.D.,
D I R E C T O R Y
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) •
(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 out-patient services available in an
11-month school year.
nMissouri
CID – Central Institute for the Deaf,
825 South Taylor Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63110 •
314-977-0135 (voice) • 314-977-0037 (tty) •
[email protected] (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 • [email protected] (e-mail) •
Services provided to children who are deaf and hardof-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), mainstream services, 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 •
573-446-1981(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.
O F
S E R V I C E S
St. Joseph Institute for the Deaf – St. Louis,
1809 Clarkson Road, Chesterfield, MO 63017 •
636-532-3211 (voice/TYY) • 636-532-4560 (fax) •
[email protected] (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.
nNew 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.
49
D I R E C T O R Y
O F
S E R V I C E S
nNew Jersey
HIP and SHIP of Bergen County Special
Services - Midland Park School District,
41 E. Center Street, Midland Park, N.J. 07432
• 201-343-8982 (voice) • [email protected]
(email) • Kathleen Treni, Principal. An integrated,
comprehensive pre-K-12th grade auditory oral
program in public schools. Services include Auditory
Verbal and Speech Therapy, Cochlear Implant
habilitation, Parent Education, and Educational
Audiological services. Consulting teacher services are
available for mainstream students in home districts.
Early Intervention services provided for babies from
birth to three. SHIP is the state’s only 7-12th grade
auditory oral program. CART (Computer Real Time
Captioning) is provided in a supportive, small high
school environment.
The Ivy Hall Program at Lake Drive,
10 Lake Drive, Mountain Lakes, NJ 07046 •
973-299-0166 (voice/tty) • 973-299-9405 (fax) •
www.mtlakes.org/ld. • 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.
50
Speech Partners, Inc., 26 West High Street,
Somerville, NJ 08876 • 908-231-9090 (voice) •
[email protected] (email) •
Nancy V. Schumann, M.A., CCC-SLP, Cert.
AVT. Auditory-Verbal Therapy, Communication
Evaluations, Speech-Language Therapy and Aural
Rehabilitation, School Consultation, Mentoring,
Workshops.
Summit Speech School for the
Hearing-Impaired Child, F.M. Kirby Center,
705 Central Ave., New Providence, NJ 07974 •
908-508-0011 (voice/TTY) • 908-508-0012 (fax) •
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.
nNew Mexico
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.
nNew York
Anne Kearney, M.S., LSLS Cert. AVT,
CCC-Speech 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) •
[email protected] (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.
Buffalo Hearing & Speech Center-Oral Deaf
Education Program, 50 E. North Street, Buffalo,
NY 14203 • 716-885-8318 (voice) • 716-885-4229
(fax) • [email protected] (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
D I R E C T O R Y
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.
Clarke School - New York, 80 East End Avenue,
New York, NY 10028 • 212-585-3500 (voice/tty) •
[email protected] (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 speech-language
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 statesupported program serving hearing impaired children
birth to 21. Auditory/oral programs include ParentInfant 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
O F
S E R V I C E S
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.
standards. Music/Dance, Physical Education (and
swimming), Art, Library, as well as technology are
part of the school schedule.
League for the Hard of Hearing, 50 Broadway,
6th Floor, New York, NY 10004 • 917-305-7700 (voice)
• 917-305-7999 (fax) • 917-305-7888 (TTY) •
www.lhh.org • Florida Office: 2800 W. Oakland Park
Blvd, Suite 306, Oakland Park, FL 33311 •
954-731-7200 (Voice/TTY) • 954-485-6336 (fax) •
National diagnostic, rehabilitation, human-services
agency offering comprehensive services to all
individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing. Audiology,
otology, hearing aid dispensing, communication
therapy, technical services, mental health, career
development, assistive-devices center, cochlear
implant training, museum, noise center, library,
publications, education programs, support groups.
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 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.
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 - [email protected]
(email). A state-supported 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
Long Island Jewish Medical Center
Hearing & Speech Center, 430 Lakeville Road,
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.
51
D I R E C T O R Y
O F
S E R V I C E S
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) • [email protected] (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 center- and
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.
52
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.
nNorth 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) •
[email protected] (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.
nOhio
Millridge Center/Mayfield Auditory Oral
Program, 950 Millridge Road, Highland Heights,
OH 44143-3113 • 440-995-7300 (phone) •
440-995-7305 (fax) • www.mayfieldschools.org
• Louis A. Kindervater, Principal. Auditory/oral
program with a 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) •
www.ohiovalleyvoices.org (website). Ohio Valley
Voices teaches deaf and hearing-impaired children
to use spoken language as their primary means of
D I R E C T O R Y
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.
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.
nOklahoma
Hearts for Hearing, 3525 NW 56th Street,
Suite A-150, Oklahoma City, OK 73112 •
405-548-4300 • 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. Auditory-Verbal 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
nOregon
Tucker-Maxon Oral School, 2860 S.E. Holgate,
Portland, OR 97202 • 503-235-6551(voice) •
503-235-1711 (TTY) • [email protected] (e-mail)
• www.tmos.org (website) • Established in 1947,
Tucker-Maxon is an intensive auditory-oral school
nPennsylvania
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 self-contained classrooms with other deaf children.
We offer a full academic program from preschool
through age 14. For more information visit www.cesmsa.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 •
215-348-2940 x1240 (voice) • 215-340-1639 (fax) •
[email protected] • Kevin J. Miller, Ed.D., CCC-SP,
CED, Supervisor. A publicly-funded program serving
local school districts with deaf or hard of hearing
O F
S E R V I C E S
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 •
610-525-9600 (voice/tty) • [email protected]
(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.
53
D I R E C T O R Y
O F
S E R V I C E S
Delaware County Intermediate Unit #25,
Hearing and Language Programs,
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
DePaul School for Hearing and Speech,
nSouth Carolina
200 Yale Avenue, Morton, PA 19070 • 610-938-9000,
ext. 2277 • 610938-9886 (fax) • [email protected]
• 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.
6202 Alder Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15206 •
(412)924-1012 (voice/TTY) • [email protected]
(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.
Western Pennsylvania School for the Deaf,
300 East Swissvale Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15218 •
412-244-4207 (voice) • 412-244-4251 (fax) •
[email protected] (e-mail) • www.wpsd.org.
The University of South Carolina Speech and
Hearing Center, 1601 St. Julian Place, Columbia,
SC 29204 • 803-777-2614 (voice) • 803-253-4143 (fax)
• Center Director: Danielle Varnedoe,
[email protected] (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).
nSouth Dakota
South Dakota School for the Deaf (SDSD),
2001 East Eighth Street, Sioux Falls, SD 57103 •
605-367-5200 (V/TTY) • 605-36705209 (fax) •
[email protected] (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.
nTennessee
Memphis Oral School for the Deaf, 7901 Poplar
Avenue, Germantown, TN 38138 • 901-758-2228
(voice) • 901-531-7050 (fax) • www.mosdkids.org
(website) • [email protected] (email). Teresa
Schwartz, Executive Director. Parent-infant program,
auditory/ oral day school (ages 2 to 6), speechlanguage and cochlear implant therapy, mainstream
services.
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54
D I R E C T O R Y
Vanderbilt Bill Wilkerson Center - National
Center for Childhood Deafness and Family
Communication, Medical Center East South Tower,
1215 21st Avenue South, Nashville, TN 37232-8105 •
615-936-5000 (voice) • 615-936-1225 (fax) •
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.
nTexas
Bliss Speech and Hearing Services, Inc.,
12700 Hillcrest Rd., Suite 207, Dallas, TX 75230 •
972-387-2824 • 972-387-9097 (fax) •
[email protected] (e-mail) • Brenda Weinfeld
Bliss, M.S., CCC-SLP/A, Cert. AVT®. Certified AuditoryVerbal Therapist® providing parent-infant training,
cochlear implant rehabilitation, aural rehabilitation,
school visits, mainstreaming consultations,
information, and orientation to deaf and hard-ofhearing children and their parents.
Callier Center for Communication Disorders/
UT Dallas, Callier-Dallas Facility, 1966 Inwood Road,
Dallas, TX, 75235 • 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) •
[email protected] (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) •
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; SpeechLanguage 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, SpeechLanguage Pathologist, 3111 West Arkansas Lane,
Arlington, TX 76016-0378 • 817-460-0378 (voice) •
817-469-1195 (metro/fax) • [email protected]
(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) •
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.
nUtah
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
• [email protected] (email) • Lauri Nelson, Ph.D.,
Sound Beginnings Director • [email protected]
(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 homeand center-based services, parent training, a weekly
toddler group, pediatric audiology, and AuditoryVerbal 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 •
801-629-4700 (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.
nVirginia
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) •
[email protected] (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). Family-centered 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),
O F
S E R V I C E S
Tel: (571) 633-0770. Richmond Center: SPEAK UP
auditory-oral school and auditory-verbal therapy:
1307 Lakeside Ave Richmond VA 23228. Tel:
(804) 290-0475. Contact Anne Davis, Executive
Director, Anne Davis, [email protected].
Listen Hear Audiology, 1101 S. Arlington Ridge
Rd. #117, Arlington, VA 22202 • 202-997-4045
(voice) • [email protected] (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.
Lynchburg Speech Therapy, Inc.,
1049 Claymont Drive, Lynchburg, VA 24502 •
434-845-6355 (voice) • 434-845-5854 (fax) •
[email protected] (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.
nWashington
Listen and Talk – Education for Children with
Hearing Loss, 8610 8th Avenue, NE, Seattle, WA,
98115 • 206-985-6646 (voice) • 206-985-6687 (fax)
• [email protected] (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 pre-school/pre-K classes (3 to 5 yrs), and
consultations. A summer program is offered in
addition to services provided during the school year.
The Listen For Life Center at Virginia Mason,
1100 9th Ave. MS X10-ON Seattle, WA 98111 •
206-223-8802 (voice) • 206-223-6362 (tty) •
206-223-2388 (fax) • [email protected] (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.
nWisconsin
Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing,
10243 W. National Avenue, West Allis, WI 53227 •
414-604-2200 (voice) • 414-604-7200 (fax) •
www.cdhh.org • Amy Peters Lalios, M.A., CCC-A,
Cert. AVT®. Nonprofit agency located in the
Milwaukee area serving individuals with hearing
loss, from infants to the elderly. The Birth to Three
program works with children from throughout
southeastern Wisconsin, providing both auditory/
oral and Auditory-Verbal therapies, including
education in the home, toddler communication
groups and individual speech therapy. Pre- and postcochlear implant training is provided for school-age
children and adults. Communication strategy and
speechreading is offered in individual as well as small
group sessions.
55
D I R E C T O R Y
O F
S E R V I C E S
INTERNATIONAL
nAustralia
List of Advertisers
Telethon Speech & Hearing Centre for
Children WA (Inc), 36 Dodd Street, Wembley WA
Advanced Bionics............... Inside Back Cover
6014, Australia • 61-08-9387-9888 (phone) •
61-08-9387-9888 (fax) • [email protected] •
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.
nCanada
Montreal Oral School for the Deaf,
4670 St. Catherine Street, West, Westmount, QC,
Canada H3Z 1S5 • 514-488-4946 (voice/ tty) •
(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 Hall, Royal University Hospital, Saskatoon, SK,
S7N 0W8, Canada • 306-655-1320 (voice) •
(e-mail) • www.usask.ca/healthsci/sparc •
Rehabilitative services including Auditory-Verbal
Therapy for children with hearing impairments.
(Birth through school age).
The Vancouver Oral Centre for Deaf Children,
3575 Kaslo Street, Vancouver, British Columbia,
V5M 3H4, Canada • 604-437-0255 (voice) •
604-437-1251 (tty) • 604-437-0260 (fax) •
www.deafeducationcentre.org (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.
Auditory Verbal Center, Inc (Atlanta)........... 36
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)
www.speech-lang.org.uk • Assessment, nursery
school and therapeutic centre for children under
5 with hearing impairment or speech/language
difficulties.
DePaul School for Hearing and Speech...... 23
DuBard School for Language Disorders..... 13
Subjects of Interest
Central Institute for the Deaf....................... 29
Clarke School for the Deaf.......................... 19
Ear Technology Corporation....................... 17
Fontbonne University.................................. 52
Harris Communications............................... 48
Illinois State University................................ 25
Infoture, Inc................................................... 7
Jean Weingarten School............................... 8
John Tracy Clinic......................................... 53
Logital Company, Ltd.................................. 47
Moog Center for
Deaf Education................................. 21, 37, 41
National Cued Speech Association............. 11
National Technical Institute
for the Deaf/RIT........................................... 39
Phonak, LLC..................................Back Cover
St. Joseph Institute..................................... 49
Sorenson Communications......................... 50
Sprint Relay................................................. 27
Sound Aid.................................................... 51
Sunshine Cottage........................................ 35
V
O
L
T
A
VOICES
Tucker-Maxon Oral School............................ 4
University of Hartford.................................. 45
AG Bell – Financial Aid................................ 43
Let us know how we are doing. Write a Letter to the Editor,
and you could see your comment in the next issue.
AG Bell – LSL Symposium............................. 9
Visit www.agbell.org and select “About AG Bell”
for advertising information
56
n Technology – related to hearing loss, new
technology, improvements to or problems with
existing technology, or how people are using
existing technology, accommodations.
n Education – related to public or private schools
through post-secondary education, new approaches
and teaching methods, legal implications, and
issues, etc.
n Advocacy – information on legislation, hearing
health, special or mainstream education, and
accessibility.
n Health – audiology issues relating to children or
adults with hearing loss and/or their families and
friends.
n Action – stories about people with hearing loss
who use spoken language as their primary mode
of communication; deafness need not be the focal
point of the article.
Editorial Guidelines
The periodicals department reserves the right to edit
material to fit the style and tone of Volta Voices and
the space available. Articles are selected on a spaceavailable and relevancy basis; submission of materials
is not a guarantee of use.
Transfer of Copyright
The revised copyright law, which went into effect
in January 1978, provides that from the time a
manuscript is written, statutory copyright is vested
with the author(s). All authors whose articles have been
accepted for publication in Volta Voices are requested
to transfer copyright of their articles to AG Bell prior
to publication. This copyright can be transferred only
by written agreement. Without copyright ownership,
the Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf
and Hard of Hearing cannot issue or disseminate
reprints, authorize copying by individuals and libraries,
or authorize indexing and abstracting services to use
material from the magazine.
Art Submission Guidelines
Volta Voices prefers digital images over original
artwork. When submitting electronic files, please
provide them in the following formats: TIF, EPS or JPG
(no BMP or GIF images). Digital images must be at
least 300 dpi (at size).
AG Bell – AG Bell Bookstore........................ 33
Letters to the Editor
Media Kit
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.
Auditory-Oral School of San Francisco....... 46
Oticon.................................Inside Front Cover
nEngland
Want to Write for
Volta Voices?
AG Bell – Online Career Center................... 54
Submit Articles/Items to:
Volta Voices
Alexander Graham Bell Association for the
Deaf and Hard of Hearing
3417 Volta Place, NW • Washington, DC 20007
e-mail: [email protected]
Submit online at www.agbell.org
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