VOICES

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

V O L T A

November/December 2010

Understanding a
Child’s Aided Hearing
Characteristics
50 Years of Experience
at Your Fingertips
Collaborative Efforts

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W W W. A G B E L L . O R G • V O L 17, I S S U E 6
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 VOICES
NOVEMBER /DECEMBER 2010

V O L T A
VO LU M E 17

ISS U E 6

14 18 26

Departments
Voices from AG Bell
3 Opportunities and Resources for the Taking
30 Conversations With Alex Graham
Arithmetic and Language Development
32 Learning the Language of Elementary
Arithmetic
Features
14 Understanding a Child’s Aided Hearing
Characteristics and How the Desired
Sensation Level (DSL) Approach Can
Help (Part 1)
By Pamela D. Millett, Ph.D.
In the first part of a two-part series, parents and professionals will
learn how to use their child’s hearing test data to better advocate for
technology and classroom modifications to ensure optimal listening
and spoken language opportunities.

Tips for Parents 18 Early Childhood Deafness: A 50-Year

34 10 Ideas for Parenting a Child with Hearing Perspective
Loss By David Luterman, D.Ed.
Long-time AG Bell member David Luterman shares some of the key
VERSIÓN EN ESPAÑOL
strategies he’s learned for working with children who are deaf and
hard of hearing and their families.
36 10 ideas para criar un niño con pérdida de
audición 22 Collaborative Efforts: How AG Bell
Promotes Its Mission on a National Scale
Hear Our Voices By Catherine Murphy
38 Two Tales of Language and Arts Creativity Learn more about AG Bell’s advocacy efforts and its participation in
various coalitions that work to influence public policy to the benefit
of the deaf and hard of hearing community.
In Every Issue 26 Endless Possibilities for AG Bell
2 Want to Write for VV?
5 Editor’s Note Families
By Melody Felzien
6 voices Contributors
Read about how the experience of attending an AG Bell
8 Soundbites convention impacted the lives of three families who received the
40 Directory of Services family scholarship to be able to attend the AG Bell 2010 Biennial
Convention in Orlando, Fla.
48 List of Advertisers

Alex ander Graham Bell

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

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

V O L T A
VOICES
Advocating Independence
through Listening and Talking
— Adopted by the Alexander Graham Bell Association
for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing
Board of Directors, November 8, 1998
Ale x ander Gr aham Bell
As sociation for the Deaf
and Hard of Hearing
3417 Volta Place, NW, Washington, DC 20007
www.agbell.org | voice 202.337.5220
tty 202.337.5221 | fax 202.337.8314
Volta Voices Staff
Production and Editing Manager
Melody Felzien
Director of Communications and
Public Affairs
Catherine Murphy
Manager of Advertising and Exhibit Sales
Garrett W. Yates, CEM
Design and Layout
Sheila Gagen and Jason Watkins
EEI Communications
AG Bell Board of Directors
President
Kathleen S. Treni (NJ)
President-Elect
Donald M. Goldberg, Ph.D.,
LSLS Cert. AVT (OH)
Secretary-Treasurer
Meredith K. Knueve, Esq. (OH)
Immediate Past President
John R. “Jay” Wyant (MN)
Executive Director/CEO
Alexander T. Graham (VA)
Corrine Altman (NV)
Christine Anthony, M.B.A. (IL)
Rachel Arfa, Esq. (WI)
Holly Clark (DC)
Cheryl Dickson, M.Ed., LSLS Cert. AVT
(Australia)
Catharine McNally (VA)
Volta Voices (ISSN 1074-8016) is published six times a year. Periodicals postage is paid at Washington, DC, and other additional offices. Copyright ©2010 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 $95 domestic and $118 international (postage included in both prices). Back issues, when
available, are $7.50 plus shipping and handling.
Articles published in Volta Voices do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing.
Acceptance of advertising by Volta Voices does not constitute endorsement of the advertiser, their products or services, nor does Volta Voices make any claims or guarantees as to the
accuracy or validity of the advertisers’ offer.
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On the cover: Use your child’s hearing test data to better advocate for technology and classroom modifications. Cover Photo Credit: Fotolia; iStockphoto.
Want to Write for Volta Voices?
Volta Voices?
Submissions to Volta Voices
Volta Voices welcomes submissions from
both AG Bell members and nonmembers.
The magazine is published six times
annually. Its audience consists of individuals
who are deaf or hard of hearing, parents
of children who are deaf or hard of hearing
and professionals in fields related to
hearing loss (audiology, speech-language
pathology, psychology, otology, social
services, education).
Visit the Volta Voices page at www.agbell.org
for submission guidelines and to submit
content.
Subjects of Interest
n Technology – related to hearing loss,
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accommodations.
and libraries, or authorize indexing and
n Education – related to public or private abstracting services to use material from
schools through post-secondary education, the magazine.
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Without copyright ownership, the Alexander for advertising information.

Opportunities and Resources
for the Taking
A
s 2010 draws to a close, I’d
like to dedicate this issue’s
column to all the offerings
we now have available to
our members as well as new initiatives
we are diligently working on to make
available to you in the near future. As
you may recall, AG Bell’s four goal areas
are Advocacy, Community Building,
Capacity Building, and Leadership and
Management, and in 2010 we made great
strides in each of these areas. Although
the work isn’t over yet and continues
on, it’s always a good idea to remind
everyone what’s currently available to
you as members and how you can get
more involved in AG Bell and our mis-
sion, “Advocating Independence through
Listening and Talking.”
Advocacy
AG Bell works to promote issues relevant
to children and adults with hearing loss
to legislators, regulators, health care
systems, the media, and the educational
and legal systems. AG Bell participates in
a variety of coalitions that address issues
of concern to the larger community of
individuals who are deaf or hard of hear-
ing, such as the Deaf and Hard of Hearing
Alliance, the Joint Committee on Infant
Hearing (JCIH), and the Coalition of
Organizations for Accessible Technology,
among others. See this edition’s article
entitled “Collaborative Efforts” for more
information about how we’re serving our
community in an advocacy role.
Community Building
AG Bell’s vibrant community of 15,000
provides information and opportuni-
ties to network for families of children
who are deaf; professionals, including
teachers of the deaf, speech-language
pathologists, audiologists, and listening
and spoken language specialists; and
adults who are deaf or hard of hearing.
VOLTA VOICES • NOVE MBER/DECE MBER 201 0 3
VOICES FROM AG BELL
Community Building programs include:
yy Listening and Spoken Language
Knowledge Center. Now under
development, the Listening and
Spoken Language Knowledge Center
will provide ongoing support and
education throughout the ages and
stages of raising a child who is deaf
or hard of hearing. Currently, AG Bell
offers extensive information on all
areas related to hearing loss and lis-
tening and spoken language develop-
ment through our existing website,
www.agbell.org.
yy Parent Advocacy Training (P.A.T.).
P.A.T. is an online course that enables
parents to successfully advocate for
their child and make sure his or her
educational needs are met. P.A.T.
is offered free of charge and can be
accessed through the AG Bell website.
yy Financial Aid and Scholarship
Programs. AG Bell offers financial
aid and scholarships to help sup-
port a listening and spoken language
outcome for individuals who are
deaf or hard of hearing. Programs
are classified by age and educational
level, and range from infancy through
post-graduate school. Information
about all of AG Bell’s financial aid
and scholarship programs is available
through the AG Bell website.
yy Leadership Opportunities for
Teens (LOFT). AG Bell’s acclaimed
LOFT program is offered annually and
designed for participants to develop
skills in individual leadership, team-
work and self-advocacy. The next LOFT
program will be held in Washington,
D.C., from July 24-28, 2011.
yy Volta Voices. A bimonthly magazine
that includes features as well as regu-
lar columns that focus on the latest in
hearing technology, communications
access, educational approaches and
professional development.
yy Chapters. AG Bell has 32 state chap-
ters that offer local area information
and resources, special events and net-
working opportunities. To see a list of
state chapters, visit the AG Bell website.
yy AG Bell Update. AG Bell’s weekly
e-newsletter is available for free to any-
one who signs-up for it. Topics include
the latest news and announcements
in hearing research, communications
access, professional development
initiatives and advocacy efforts.
yy Free Parent Membership. Parents
of newly identified children with
hearing loss are encouraged to sign up
for a free six-month parent member-
ship through the AG Bell website.
Parents will receive AG Bell Update,
Volta Voices and discounts on registra-
tion fees for the convention and other
programs as well as for materials sold
through the AG Bell Bookstore.
Capacity Building
AG Bell works to increase the number of
highly trained professionals available for
families and individuals who are deaf or
hard of hearing to achieve a listening and
spoken language outcome.
yy LSLS Certification. The AG Bell
Academy for Listening and Spoken
Language credentials Listening and
Spoken Language Specialists (LSLSs).
The LSLS certification distinguishes
a professional who has demonstrated
the knowledge, skills and abilities to
work with children who are deaf or
hard of hearing to achieve an outcome
of listening, spoken language and
literacy. For more information, visit
www.agbellacademy.org.
yy Biennial Convention. AG Bell hosts
approximately 1,500 attendees at its
biennial convention, which features
concurrent sessions, a research sym-
posium, an exhibition hall, a child and
teen program, and social networking
VOICES FROM AG BELL
opportunities for professionals, fami-
lies and adults who are deaf and hard
of hearing. The next biennial conven-
tion will be held in Scottsdale, Ariz.,
June 29-July 2, 2012.
yy Listening and Spoken Language
Symposium. On the off-years of the
biennial convention, AG Bell hosts
a Listening and Spoken Language
Symposium that focuses on profes-
sional development for teachers,
therapists and early interventionists.
The next LSL Symposium will be held
in Washington, D.C., July 21-23, 2011.
yy The Volta Review. AG Bell’s scholarly
peer-reviewed journal offers the latest
research in the field of listening and
spoken language development. Recent
topics include literacy skills acquisition,
longitudinal cochlear implant research
and professional development.
yy AG Bell Bookstore. AG Bell’s book-
store features a variety of books, tools
and DVDs on topics such as early inter-
vention, educational management, and
4 VOLTA VOICES • NOVEM BER/ DECE M BER 201 0
therapeutic approaches to developing supporting individuals with hearing loss
listening and spoken language in chil- of any age, their families and the profes-
dren with hearing loss. sionals that work with them. If you are
interested in providing a tax-deductible
Association Leadership donation to AG Bell, please visit the AG Bell
and Management website at www.agbell.org to submit your
AG Bell is governed by a volunteer board contribution online. Any and all support is
representative of its community of greatly appreciated!
families, professionals and adults living Have a happy and healthy holiday
with hearing loss. In addition, AG Bell has season and I look forward to greeting you
a professional staff of 12 who are based in the New Year!
at the organization’s historic headquar- Sincerely,
ters, the Volta Bureau, in Washington,
D.C. If you are interested in becoming
more involved as a volunteer, email me at
ktreni@agbell.org.
Kathleen Treni
Our Funding President
On a final note, it’s also important to QUESTIONS?
C O MMEN T S ?
remember that AG Bell is a 501(c)3 non- C O N C ERN S ?
profit corporation that receives funding Write to us:
from the generous support of individuals, AG Bell
3417 Volta Place, NW
corporations, foundations and government Washington, DC
20007
grants. All financial support is dedicated
Or email us:
to the fulfillment of AG Bell’s mission by editor@agbell.org

Tips, Strategies and Advice
T
his issue of Volta Voices
begins with “Understanding
a Child’s Aided Hearing
Characteristics,” the first part
of a two-part series examining how
parents and teachers can utilize a child’s
hearing test data to ensure optimal
listening and spoken language oppor-
tunities at home and in the classroom.
Next, in “Early Childhood Deafness: A
50-Year Perspective,” a long-time AG
Bell member reflects on his experience
as a professor and a teacher of the deaf,
and passes along strategies and tips he’s
learned to the next generation of hear-
ing health professionals.
In “Collaborative Efforts,” AG Bell
Director of Communications and Public
Affairs Catherine Murphy shares
what AG Bell is doing to advocate for
listening and spoken language, and
for the larger deaf and hard of hearing
community, through its participation
in a variety of coalitions that work to
influence public policy. We also intro-
duce you to three families who share
their experiences and information
learned from the 2010 AG Bell Biennial
Convention in “Endless Possibilities for
AG Bell Families.”
This issue also marks the start
of a new column, “Arithmetic and
Language Development.” In the first
article, the authors explain how simple
arithmetic word problems can open
up a wide world of language under-
standing and instruction for children
with hearing loss. We also continue
our “Conversations” series as AG Bell
Executive Director Alex Graham who
introduces you to Michelle Nemetz,
a long time AG Bell member and
advocate in California. Our “Tips for
Parents” column provides 10 ideas
for developing emotionally healthy
kids as well as children who can listen
and talk.
VOLTA VOICES • NOVE MBER/DECE MBER 201 0 5
EDITOR’S NOTE
Finally, “Hear Our Voices” features
two stories of teens with hearing
loss as they seek to learn multiple
languages and develop diverse art
skills. We encourage and welcome all
submissions from children, teens and
young adults for this special space
dedicated just to them. If you have
something to say, please email us at
editor@agbell.org.
Volta Voices Now
Accepting Submissions
for 2011
If you have a story idea or would like to
submit an article, consider writing some-
thing for any of our regular columns
(Tips for Parents and Hear Our Voices)
or submitting an article for any of the
following issues and themes:
yy Networking and Careers (March/April
2011)
yy Community Involvement, Public
Policy and Advocacy (May/June 2011)
yy International Perspectives (July/
August 2011)
yy New Parent Guide (September/
October 2011)
yy AG Bell’s Children, Teens and Young
Adults (an entire issue written by
authors who are deaf or hard of hear-
ing) (November/December 2011)
Articles can vary in length, from
1,000 to 1,500 words, and are subject
to editing if accepted for publication.
AG Bell does not guarantee publica-
tion until after a submission has been
completed and reviewed. If you have
questions, or would like additional
information about deadlines and
content ideas, please contact me at
editor@agbell.org.
Thank you for reading. As always,
please contact AG Bell with your com-
ments and suggestions. Have a safe
holiday season!
Best regards,
Melody Felzien
Editor, Volta Voices
 Voices contributors
Alexander T.
Graham, author of
“Conversations,” is
the executive director
of AG Bell. He has a
bachelor’s degree from
Lynchburg College in
Lynchburg, Va., and masters’ degrees
in organizational effectiveness and busi-
ness administration from Marymount
University in Arlington, Va. His late
mother had a hearing loss as a result of
a childhood illness. He can be contacted
at agraham@agbell.org.
David Luterman,
D.Ed., author of “Early
Childhood Deafness:
A 50-Year Perspective”
and “Tips for Parents,”
is professor emeritus
at Emerson College
in Boston, Mass., and director of the
Thayer Lindsley Family-Centered
Nursery at Emerson College. He can be
contacted at dmluterman@aol.com.
Jane Madell, Ph.D.,
CCC A/SLP, LSLS
Cert. AVT, co-author
of “Learning the
Language of Elementary
Arithmetic,” is a certified
audiologist, speech-language patholo-
gist, and Listening and Spoken Language
Specialist in auditory-verbal therapy. Dr.
Madell’s clinical and research interests
are in hearing evaluation of infants
and young children, management of
hearing loss in children with severe
and profound hearing losses, selec-
tion and management of amplification,
including cochlear implants and FM
systems, and assessment of auditory
function. Dr. Madell has published four
books, numerous book chapters and
journal articles. She can be contacted at
jane@janemadell.com.
Rob Madell, Ph.D., co-
author of “Learning the
Language of Elementary
Arithmetic,” earned
his Ph.D. in mathemat-
ics at the University of
Wisconsin in 1968. He
has taught mathematics at all levels,
from kindergarten through graduate
school. He taught in an elementary
school in New York City for 10 years
before beginning a 20-year career at
Sesame Street. He has authored several
elementary mathematics textbooks and
writes about arithmetic for parents and
teachers. He can be contacted at
madell@earthlink.net.
Pamela D. Millett,
Ph.D., author of
“Understanding a
Child’s Aided Hearing
Characteristics,” is an
educational audiologist
and assistant professor
in the Teacher of the Deaf and Hard
of Hearing Education Program at York
University in Toronto, Canada. She has
over 20 years experience working with
students and teachers in schools, and
is currently conducting research proj-
ects in literacy outcomes for students
with cochlear implants and the impact
of sound field systems on development
of phonological awareness skills for
young children. She can be contacted
at pmillett@edu.yorku.ca.
Catherine Murphy,
author of “Collaborative
Efforts” and co-author
of “SoundBites,” is
director of communica-
tions and public affairs
at AG Bell. Murphy
received her bachelor’s in communica-
tions from Ohio State University. Her
brother, Michael, was born pro-
foundly deaf. She can be contacted at
cmurphy@agbell.org. 

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6 VOLTA VOICES • NOVEM BER/ DECE M BER 201 0

 Competitions for
Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Students
Win cash and prizes valued at up to $650!

Students in 6th – 12th grade can compete

individually or with a team. The fair takes
place at RIT March 25—27, 2011

Deadline to enter: December 15, 2010

For details, visit: www.rit.edu/NTID/ScienceFairAB

Writers in 10th and 11th grade can enter their best work.
Awards ceremony takes place at RIT in the summer.
Deadline to enter: March 15, 2011
For details, visit: www.rit.edu/NTID/WritingContestAB

High school students can enter graphic media,

Web design, 3-D animation, film, interactive media
and photo imaging categories. Awards ceremony
takes place at RIT in the spring.
Deadline to enter: January 15, 2011
For details, visit: www.rit.edu/NTID/ArtsAB

Questions? Call 585-475-7695 (voice/TTY) Enter today!

Rochester Institute of Technology • National Technical Institute for the Deaf • Rochester, New York

VOLTA VOICES • NOVE MBER/DECE MBER 201 0 7

SOUND
NEWS BITES
AG Bell Unveils Online
Version of Parent
Advocacy Training
AG Bell now offers an online version
of its acclaimed Parent Advocacy
Training (P.A.T.) program. P.A.T. is
designed to help parents build the
knowledge and confidence they
need to negotiate and advocate on
behalf of their child when creating
an Individualized Education Program
(IEP) plan with their school district.
P.A.T. also provides parents an
understanding of the legal framework
of the Individuals with Disabilities
Education Act (IDEA). AG Bell’s
P.A.T. program is available to anyone
at no cost due to the generous
support of the Oticon Foundation.
Visit www.agbell.org to access the
P.A.T. online presentation.
Calendar of Events
12/13-14, 2010
AG Bell is pleased to announce its first Listening and Spoken
Language Workshop Series will take place December 13-14, 2010,
at the Doubletree Hotel Chicago-Oak Brook in Oak Brook, Ill. This workshop
series is for anyone who plays a role in supporting the education and develop-
ment of children who are deaf and hard of hearing. Designed for profession-
als to build their foundational knowledge about hearing loss and to help them
develop strategies that will support an infant or child who listens, learns and
talks with the help of hearing aids, FM systems and/or cochlear implants, the
workshop series features four 3-hour sessions with leading experts in the
field of listening and spoken language development for children with hear-
ing loss. Continuing education credit is available from the AG Bell Academy
for Listening and Spoken Language, the Illinois State Board of Education, the
American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and the American Academy
of Audiology. Visit www.agbell.org today to learn more or register.
7/19-23, 2011
The AG Bell 2011 Listening & Spoken
Language Symposium will be held July
19-23, 2011, at the Omni Shoreham in
Washington, D.C. Stay tuned to www.agbell.
org as more details are announced.

7/24-28, 2011
The AG Bell 2011 Leadership Opportunities for Teens program will be held
July 24-28, 2011, at the Omni Shoreham in Washington, D.C. More infor-
mation and an application will be available on the AG Bell website after
December 1, 2010.

Delaware Governor
Signs “Deaf Child’s Bill of
Rights” into Law
In September, Delaware Governor Jack
Markell signed the “Deaf Child’s Bill
of Rights” into law. The law seeks to
address the communications needs
of children who are deaf and hard of
hearing in Delaware and provide a
comprehensive state-wide program to
serve this population. The bill of rights
states, among other things, that “it is
essential that deaf or hard of hearing
children[sic], like all children, have an
education in which the child’s commu-
nication mode, as chosen and defined
by the child and his/her parents, is
respected, utilized, and developed to an
optimal level of proficiency.” Visit http://
choices-delaware.org for more informa-
tion about the law.
Better Hearing Institute
Launches New Discussion
Forum
The Better Hearing Institute has
launched a discussion forum to help
individuals who are deaf and hard
of hearing and their families cope with
hearing loss. The forum is designed
as the go-to place for individuals with
mild-to-severe hearing loss who are
looking for a peer support community
where they can chat and exchange
information on hearing loss, treat-
ments, tinnitus, hearing loss preven-
tion and other related topics. To
participate in the discussion forum,
visit www.betterhearing.org, click
on “Discussion Forum,” and go to
“Welcome!” to register.

8 VOLTA VOICES • NOVEM BER/ DECE M BER 201 0

BITES
U.S. Department of Health
and Human Services
Awards $4.9 Million
to Support Families of
Children with Special
Needs
The Health and Human Services
Secretary Kathleen Sebelius recently
announced $4.9 million in grants to
continue support for 51 Family-to-
Family Health Information Centers
in each state and the District of
Columbia. Created in 2005, the centers
are state-wide, family-run organiza-
tions that provide information, educa-
tion, training, outreach and peer
support to families of children and
youth with special health care needs
and the professionals who serve them.
Funding for the centers was extended
through 2012 by the Affordable Health
Care Act. The Family-to-Family Health
Information Centers are staffed by
family leaders who have children with
special health care needs and who
have expertise in federal and state
public and private health care systems.
Since its inception, the centers have
served hundreds of thousands of
families and health care providers.
For more information on the program,
and other maternal and child health
programs, visit www.mchb.hrsa.gov.
Pediatrics Publishes
Photo Credit: LHSC
Supplement on System
of Care for Infants and
Children with Hearing
Loss
A supplement to the August 2010
issue of Pediatrics, titled “Improving
the System of Care for Infants and
Children with Early Hearing Loss,”
features a series of articles highlighting
the remaining challenges to ensure
early diagnosis and intervention for all
children diagnosed with hearing loss.
To access the articles, visit http://
VOLTA VOICES • NOVE MBER/DECE MBER 201 0 9
pediatrics.aappublications.org/
content/vol126/Supplement_1.
Melody Felzien and Catherine Murphy
Former President Clinton
Appears at Fundraiser for
the Lexington Hearing and
Speech Center
In August, former President Bill Clinton
helped mark the 50th anniversary of
the Lexington Hearing and Speech
Center (LHSC) in Lexington, Ky., at a
fundraiser launching a $3 million capital
campaign to build a new facility for
the center. The LHSC teaches children
with hearing loss and other language
difficulties to listen and talk, and offers
education, therapy and family support.
Clinton, who has a hearing loss and
uses hearing aids, said, “[places like
LHSC] are doing something that the
government’s not doing or the private
sector can’t do...50 years ago, this
center broke a mold...but because they
did, ironically, the need for what they do
grows and grows.”
Former President Bill Clinton poses with children
from the Lexington Hearing and Speech Center.
New Research Suggests
Rate of Hearing
Loss among Teens is
Overestimated
Researchers at the University of
Minnesota recently concluded that the
Compiled by:
conventional hearing tests audiolo-
gists use to identify hearing losses
are subject to measurement error and
that as many as 10 percent or more
of children are falsely identified as
having a noise-induced hearing loss.
The study, published in September
by the Journal of Speech, Language,
and Hearing Research, notes, “the
conventional ‘raise-your-hand-when-
you-hear-the-beep’ test can now be
distorted by many things, including
how tightly the headphones are
placed on people’s heads.”
Applying this reasoning to recent
studies that suggest noise-induced
hearing loss among teens is on the
rise, the researchers conclude that the
results could be false positives and the
numbers an exaggeration of true noise-
induced hearing loss. The researchers
recommend follow-up testing to
confirm the hearing loss before moving
forward with possible treatments.
However, researchers were careful to
state that “our findings do not mean
that people should not be concerned
about exposure to loud sounds, such
as those from personal stereo devices,
live music concerts or gun fire. For all
sounds, the risk increases the more
intense the sound and the longer the
exposure, particularly from sustained or
continuous sounds.”
National Leadership
Consortium in Sensory
Disabilities Accepting
Applications for
Fellowships
Applications for the second and final
cohort of the National Leadership
Consortium in Sensory Disabilities
 SOUND BITES
(NLCSD) are now being accepted.
CHAPTERS Sponsored by the U.S. Department
From December 11-16, 2010, the AG Bell North Carolina Chapter will of Education, Office of Special
hold an online book fair through Barnes & Noble. Money raised will help Education Programs, the consor-
fund scholarship programs to support North Carolina families and profes- tium consists of 25 universities
sionals seeking listening and spoken language opportunities. During this with doctoral programs that have
week, supporters can visit www.bn.com/bookfairs and enter the bookfair an emphasis in one or more of the
ID 10266294 at checkout. A portion of the proceeds will be donated three sensory impairment areas:
to the AG Bell North Carolina Chapter. Going to be in the Raleigh area on blind/visually impaired, deaf/hard
Saturday, December 11? Come by the Triangle Town Center Barnes & Noble of hearing and deaf blindness. Visit
and show your support in person. This is a great opportunity to spread the
www.salus.edu/nlcsd/index.html
word about literacy and listening and spoken language options. For more
for information about the applica-
information, visit www.ncagbell.org.
tion process and the application.
On August 20, 2010, Applications will be accepted until
the AG Bell Texas December 31, 2010.
Chapter partnered
with the Hearing Loss FCC Strengthens Rules
Association of Texas and on Hearing Aid/Cochlear
the Hearing Industries Implant-Cell Phone
Association (HIA) to host
Compatibility
an event honoring Rep.
The Federal Communications
Pete Olson (R-Texas)
for his support of the Commission (FCC) recently announced
Hearing Aid Tax Credit rules that will tighten regulations for
(H. 1646/S. 1019). In cell phone manufacturers, requiring
addition, on September them to offer at least one device that
3, 2010, the AG Bell
Photo Credit: AG Bell Michigan Chapter

is compatible for individuals who use

Michigan Chapter hearing aids or cochlear implants.
partnered with the The agency expanded rules to include
Hearing Loss Association phones sold at all retail locations, not
of Michigan and HIA to just through service providers. The
host an event thank-
FCC also adopted a policy statement
ing U.S. Sen. Debbie
that encourages new technology
Stabenow (D-Mich.)
for her support of the developers to include hearing aid and
Hearing Aid Tax Credit. cochlear implant considerations early
Both events were part in the design process rather than later.
Senator Stabenow with children from the AG Bell Michigan
of a series of grass- Chapter. A roundtable of industry and disability
roots efforts promoting group leaders will be convened to
this important piece of legislation, which is currently being considered by ensure compliance to the new regu-
Congress. To date, more than 1,500 members of AG Bell, the Hearing Loss lations. Visit www.fcc.gov for more
Association of America (HLAA) and HIA have attended similar events with information.
Congressional representatives nationwide. AG Bell has long been a partner
with HLAA and HIA to support passage of this bill.
Researchers Discover
The AG Bell Ohio Chapter held a series of state-wide picnics on Way to Identify Sensory
September 19th in Cincinnati, Cleveland and Columbus, Ohio. It was a Organ Formation Inside
great opportunity for families with children with hearing loss to connect the Ear
and talk. The kids enjoyed playing on the playground and eating a variety of Researchers have tracked a cell-to-
desserts, and the beautiful weather was enjoyed by all. The Ohio Chapter cell signaling pathway that desig-
will be holding more family-centered events in the near future. For current nates the future location of the ear’s
updates and happenings with the chapter, please follow us on Twitter sensory organs in embryonic mice.
@OhioAGBell and on Facebook under “The Ohio Chapter of AG Bell.” The scientists succeeded in activating
this signal more widely across the

10 VOLTA VOICES • NOVEM BER/ DECE M BER 201 0

embryonic tissue that becomes the
inner ear. Patches of sensory structures
began growing in spots where they
don’t normally appear. The structures
contained hair cells, which respond
to sound waves and other sensations,
and additional nerve cells that amplify
or code sounds for the brain to inter-
pret. The results suggest an avenue for
further investigation in restoring hearing
loss from nerve damage. The research
was published in the Proceedings of the
National Academy of Sciences.
Center for Hearing
and Communication
Celebrates New Auditory
Processing Center
On October 7, the Center for Hearing
and Communication in New York City,
N.Y., celebrated the grand opening of
its new Auditory Processing Center,
which will serve as a resource for
children with listening, learning and
auditory challenges. The grand opening
was hosted by center Director Lois
Heymann and Rosie O’Donnell, who
worked with Heymann after her son was
diagnosed with an auditory processing
disorder. Heymann is a noted speech-
language pathologist who recently
authored a book, “The Sound of Hope:
Recognizing, Coping with and Treating
Your Child’s Auditory Processing
Disorder.” For more information about
the center, visit www.chchearing.org.
The Learning Tower
Toted as a Great Find by
AblePlay
The Learning Tower, a counter-level
stool that can help with everything
from parental bonding to increasing
self-esteem, motor skills and knowl-
edge through participation and
practice, was recently recognized as a
“Great Find” by AblePlay, a consumer
resource organization that evaluates
play products for children with special
needs. The Learning Tower received
top marks in four categories: physical,
VOLTA VOICES • NOVE MBER/DECE MBER 201 0 11
sensory, communicative and cogni-
tive disabilities. For more informa-
tion about The Learning Tower, visit
www.littlepartners.com. To view other
AblePlay-approved products and learn
more about their rating system, visit
www.ableplay.org.
New Marketing Program
Launched for U.S.-Based
Audiologists
AuDNet, Inc., in partnership with
AudiologyOnline, has announced the
launch of their iMarketing Program
specifically created for U.S.-based
licensed audiologists. The program will
provide streamlined, digital marketing
tools for individual audiologists and
private practice owners looking to
build their online presence and reach
consumers searching for audiology
care. The program will offer a host
of benefits including professionally
designed websites, fresh content
and educational/promotional videos
routinely and automatically added to
the websites, and online practice list-
ings on major search engines such as
Google, Bing, Yahoo! and MSN. The
iMarketing Program launched October
1 and sign-up will be available through
December 31, 2010. Visit www.nowi
hear.com to learn more or sign up.
New York Eye and Ear
Infirmary Awarded Grant
from NIDCD
The National Institutes of Health/
National Institute on Deafness and
Other Communication Disorders
(NIDCD) has awarded a $2.5 million
grant to the New York Eye and Ear
Infirmary to fund research over the next
five years on how children with cochlear
implants acquire language compared
to peers who have typical hearing. If
you have a child between the ages
of 7 and 11 with a cochlear implant,
live in the New York City area and are
interested in participating in the study,
contact Dr. Richard Schwartz with the
City University of New York at (646)
438-7838.
Oticon Hosts Camps
for Next Generation
of Hearing Care
Professionals
Oticon recently hosted two camps,
in Denmark and the United States,
for students and recent graduates
representing the next generation
of hearing care professionals. The
camps combined seminars, discus-
sions and workshops with opportuni-
ties to share experiences and network
with leading researchers, experienced
SOUND BITES
­ ractitioners, Oticon staff and other
p cultural awareness program at its
new hearing care professionals.
According to Husmita Ratanjee, an
audiologist and international trainer
responsible for developing the camp
curriculum in Denmark, “Oticon
summer camps challenge the newest
generation of hearing care profes-
sionals to think about and discuss
how to use the research, knowl-
edge and technology we have at our
disposal.”
NTID Awarded $170,000
for Research and Cultural
Awareness
The National Technical Institute for the
Deaf (NTID), a college of the Rochester
Institute of Technology, was recently
awarded two grants totaling $170,000
to promote research and for a new
12 VOLTA VOICES • NOVEM BER/ DECE M BER 201 0
Center on Access Technology. The first
research-related grant was awarded to
explore the application and adaptation
of the ways in which Cisco products
can benefit communication access
for individuals who are deaf or hard
of hearing. The second grant aims to
enhance the cultural understanding of
both the hearing and deaf communities
in the United States and Japan for high
school students with hearing loss in
both countries.
University of Miami
Receives $5 Million Gift
to Establish a Cochlear
Implant Family Resource
Center
On August 23, Barton G. Weiss,
a Miami-area restauranteur and
hotelier, made a $5 million gift to the
University of Miami Miller Medical
School to establish a cochlear
implant family resource center at the
Miami Ear Institute. The resource
center emphasizes cochlear implants
and auditory-verbal therapy as
a viable option for children with
hearing loss to develop spoken
language. Weiss’ daughter was born
profoundly deaf and listens and talks
with the help of cochlear implants.
New Course for Parents
Interested in Cued
Speech
Frederick S. Berg, Ph.D., has self-
published a course for parents
of children who are deaf and
hard of hearing. Entitled “Speech
Development Guide for Children with
Hearing Loss,” the course combines
a workbook with DVD instructions
and aims to support parents whose
children are developing listening
and spoken language skills with
the use of Cued Speech guides. To
learn more, visit www.parentsof
deafchildrentakecharge.com.
Technology Watch
Advanced Bionics
Launches Harmony Sound
Processor for All CI Users
Advanced Bionics announced the
availability of the Harmony Sound
Processor for all users of Advanced
Bionics cochlear implants, including
first generation users. The advanced
sound processor offers improved
People in the News
Michael Seidman, M.D., a long-time AG Bell member and
associate editor of The Volta Review, has been named chair of the
American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery Board
of Governors. The board of governors identifies issues affecting the
specialty, researches and recommends solutions, and advocates for
action and member involvement. Dr. Seidman is an expert in otologic
and neurotologic surgical problems, skull base tumors, cochlear
implants, all surgical ear problems, surgically implantable hearing
aids, hearing loss and tinnitus. He is director of the division of oto-
logic and neurotolgic surgery in the department of otolaryngology-
head and neck surgery at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, Mich.
sound quality, easy to use controls, about upgrade opportunities,
water-resistant design, quick- contact Advanced Bionics at (877)
connect earhooks for cable-free 829-0026 or customerservice@
connections to FM systems and a advancedbionics.com. 
customizable look. To learn more

Where every
child has a voice.

Early Intervention • Preschool • Elementary • On-site Audiology & Speech Language Pathology

2860 SE Holgate Boulevard • Portland, Oregon 97203

503.235.6551 •WWW.TMOS.ORG

VOLTA VOICES • NOVE MBER/DECE MBER 201 0 13

Understanding
a Child’s
Aided Hearing
Characteristics
And How the Desired Sensation Level (DSL) Approach Can Help (Part 1)
By Pamela D. Millett, Ph.D.
W
hatever happened to
the aided audiogram?
Teachers and parents,
accustomed to using
the aided audiogram as an assessment,
counseling and programming tool,
often wonder why these test results
are rarely seen. Most clinical audiolo-
gists have replaced aided audiograms,
which indicate the child’s hearing
thresholds after hearing aid ampli-
fication, with real ear measurement
technology, but teachers and parents/
caregivers may not have learned to
interpret and apply these results to
everyday life. The first part of this
article will describe why aided audio-
grams are no longer considered the
measurement tool of choice by clinical
audiologists, and the second part will
describe how parents/caregivers and
teachers can interpret a different kind
of graph, the SPLogram, to obtain the
same information.
14 VOLTA VOICES • NOVEM BER/ DECE M BER 201 0
An aided audiogram is obtained in
essentially the same way as a standard
audiogram. Sounds are presented in the
sound suite or booth, and the child’s
responses to increasingly softer sounds
are recorded; the main difference is that
the sounds are presented through speak-
ers because the child is wearing his or
her amplification. For infants and young
children, these responses might be a head
turn towards the source of the sound;
for older children, these responses might
be putting a block in a bucket or rais-
ing a hand when sounds are presented.
Obtaining a complete aided audiogram
requires a significant amount of time
during which the child needs to be paying
close attention. Real ear measurement
technology, on the other hand, allows the
audiologist to measure the characteristics
of the hearing aid in the child’s ear canal
very quickly and accurately. One of the
most commonly used software programs
for real ear measurement technology,
Photo Credit: Craig Huey Photography
called the Desired Sensation Level (DSL)
program, produces a different type of
audiogram. This “SPLogram” looks a little
different than a traditional audiogram,
and with a little practice parents and
teachers can use SPLograms to under-
stand what a child can be predicted to
hear with his or her hearing aids.
How do clinical audiologists measure how
well a hearing aid is working without an aided
audiogram or SPLogram? One way is an elec-
troacoustical evaluation where the hearing
aid is connected to a metal container
(called a 2 cc coupler), placed in a small,
sound proofed chamber and measured.
This is often referred to as an “ANSI” test,
meaning that the procedures and the mea-
surements have been standardized by the
American National Standards Institute
(ANSI, 1996). These results can be com-
pared to specification sheets from the
manufacturers that provide expected val-
ues for each hearing aid. The measurement
is typically done by clinical audiologists to
 ensure that the electronic components are
working; however, it cannot be used as an
indication of how a child will perform with
this hearing aid.
Why not? The values obtained when
measuring the hearing aid coupled to
a small metal chamber and the values
obtained when the same hearing aid is
placed in a child’s ear are quite differ-
ent. Sound behaves very differently
in a metal chamber than in an ear
canal made of skin, cartilage and bone.
Therefore, the “ANSI” measurement
may overestimate or, more typically,
Real ear measurements
allow the audiologist
to obtain information
regarding the hearing aid
characteristics for many
individual frequencies
underestimate the sound levels the
child receives. Aided audiograms, on the
other hand, do test hearing aid perfor-
mance on the child’s ears. However,
they are time consuming, tiring for chil-
dren and yield information about only a
few frequencies. With the introduction
of real ear measurement systems in the
late 1980s, a more accurate way to mea-
sure hearing aid benefit was possible.
Real ear measurement systems provide
a direct measure of sound at an indi-
vidual’s eardrum. Our ear canals actually
shape sound as it passes through them
to the eardrum. A phenomenon called
“resonance” causes certain frequencies
in the speech signal to be enhanced or
amplified by the ear canal. The amount of
enhancement and the frequency range at
which it occurs varies from child to adult,
and even from age to age (Kruger, 1987;
Seewald & Scollie, 1999). This resonance
can be measured using real ear measure-
ment equipment and the resulting graph
is referred to as the Real Ear Unaided
Response. This simply means that it
shows what happens to sound in an
individual’s ear canal without a hearing
VOLTA VOICES • NOVE MBER/DECE MBER 201 0 15
aid. If the way in which each individual’s
ear shapes sound is unique, a better and
more individualized hearing aid fitting
can be obtained when this data is incor-
porated into the fitting.
Using real ear measurement, the hear-
ing aid can be measured directly on the
child’s ear and the ear canal resonance
characteristics will automatically be
incorporated. Alternatively, the audi-
ologist can do one quick measurement
of the child’s ear canal characteristics
without a hearing aid, ask the computer
to compare the child’s ear to a 2 cc metal
coupler and save the resulting converted
values. This is called the Real Ear to
Coupler Difference. Once this value is
entered, the audiologist does not need to
have the child present to test a variety
of hearing aids since the child’s “virtual
ear” is saved in the program.
Real ear measurement is also crucial
because the performance of the same
hearing aid will differ for different sized
ears. For example, we might measure a
particular hearing aid on an adult and
find that the maximum sound output
of the hearing aid is 120 dB. When the
same hearing aid at the same settings
is placed on a child’s ear, the maximum
output of that same hearing aid might be
closer to 130 dB because the child’s ear
canal is much smaller than the adult.
For the clinical audiologist, real ear
measurements are the clear choice for
hearing aid prescription and evalua-
tion based on accuracy, completeness of
information provided and speed. Real ear
measurements allow the audiologist to:
yy Obtain information regarding the
hearing aid characteristics for many
individual frequencies.
yy Measure the maximum sound output
of the hearing aid (very important to
ensure that the hearing aid cannot
damage the child’s residual hearing).
yy Incorporate the child’s ear canal
resonance into the hearing aid fitting,
particularly important because this
measurement will change as the child’s
ear grows in size and changes in shape.
yy Measure the performance of the hear-
ing aid using different sound levels,
since many hearing aids respond
differently to soft, medium and loud
level sounds as well as to different
kinds of sounds.
From the clinical audiologist’s perspec-
tive, the prescription and evaluation of a
hearing aid must be done using the most
accurate and reliable procedure, prefer-
ably one that can be done quickly given
the attention spans of children and the
realities of clinic schedules. Aided audio-
grams are still used by clinical audiolo-
gists, most commonly to evaluate results
with a cochlear implant or bone conduc-
tion device or as a crosscheck of the real
ear measurement results. However, in
general, aided audiograms do not give as
much “bang for the buck” for hearing aid
evaluation.
If aided audiograms are not provided, how
can we know what to expect from a child’s
hearing aids? It is important for parents
and teachers to know how a child can be
predicted to hear with his or her hearing
aid, and interpreting test results is not as
daunting as it appears. The second part of
this article will discuss the DSL program,
a hearing aid prescription and verifica-
tion software widely used to evaluate
hearing aid benefit for children (Bagatto,
Scollie, Hyde & Seewald, 2010; Seewald,
Cornelisse, Ramji, Sinclair, Moodie,
& Jamieson, 1997). The DSL program
was developed by Richard Seewald and
colleagues at the University of Western
Ontario in London, Ontario, specifically
for children to provide a more accurate
way of evaluating hearing aid charac-
teristics. It is widely used across North
America and internationally, allowing an
audiologist to input the child’s unaided
audiogram into the software program,
measure the characteristics of that child’s
individual ear canals, generate targets for
each frequency for soft, average and loud
sounds, assess a variety of hearing aids
 Understanding a Child’s Aided
Hearing Characteristics
Photo Credit: Craig Huey Photography
to select the most appropriate model for
the child, and verify the characteristics of
a child’s existing hearing aids to ensure
that they are providing the most appro-
priate amplification. All of these activities
can be done more quickly and accurately
We’re ‘Hear’ for the Future!
Sunshine Cottage School for Deaf Children is proud to
announce the completion of our new 57,000 square foot
campus. On a beautiful hilltop, our one-story multi-
textured building, has accents of cypress, skylights and
expanses of glass to usher in light. Twenty classrooms
along three wings are specially insulated from extraneous
outside noises and complimented with dramatic views.
We continue to offer the very best programs and
comprehensive educational environment for infants
and school-aged children with hearing impairment.
We invite you to visit!
Sunshine Cottage, a listening and spoken language school, is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Council on Accreditation and School Improvement,
OPTIONschools International, and is a Texas Education Agency approved non-public school. We accept students of any race, color, national or ethnic origin.
Program ad 2010b.indd 1
16
References
American National Standards Institute (ANSI).
(1996). American National Standard
Specification of Hearing Aid Characteristics
(ANSI S3.22-1996). New York, NY: Author.
Bagatto, M., Scollie, S., Hyde, M., & Seewald,
R. (2010). Protocol for the provision of
amplification within the Ontario Infant
Hearing Program. International Journal of
Audiology, 49(1), 70-79.
Kruger, B. (1987). An update on the external
ear resonances in infants and young
children. Ear and Hearing, 8(6), 333-336.
Seewald, R.C. & Scollie, S.D. (1999). Infants
are not average adults: Implications for
audiometric testing. The Hearing Journal,
52(10), 64-72.
Seewald, R., Cornelisse, L., Ramji, K.,
Sinclair, S., Moodie, K., & Jamieson, D.
(1997). DSL v4.1 for Windows: A software
implementation of the Desired Sensation
Level (DSLi/o) method for fitting linear gain
using real ear measurement equipment in and wide-dynamic range compression
hearing instruments.
combination with the DSL program than Sinclair, S., Moodie, K.S., & Seewald, R.
by measuring aided audiograms. The end (1996). Case Study: Amplification in
Children. In F. Bess, J. Gravel, & A.M.
result is a more accurate hearing aid fit, Tharpe, (Eds.) Amplification for Children
ensuring the child the best opportunity to with Auditory Deficits. Nashville, TN: Bill
Wilkerson Center Press.
develop listening and spoken language. 
Other campus highlights are:
• Early Childhood and Elementary Programs
• Parent-Infant Cottage
• Speech Pathology
• Audiology Center with five testing booths
• Outdoor and Discovery classrooms
• Music and Art classrooms
603 E. Hildebrand Ave. • San Antonio, Texas 78212
(210) 824-0579 • www.sunshinecottage.org
7/29/2010 8:42:54 AM
VOLTA VOICES • NOVEM BER/ DECE M BER 201 0
 Presenting the AG Bell Continuing Education Credits offered for the
Listening and Spoken AG Bell Academy for Listening and Spoken
Language Workshop Series Language and pending for the American

s
December 13-14, 2010 Speech-Language Hearing Association and
Doubletree Hotel Chicago – Oak Brook the American Academy of Audiology.
Oak Brook, IL

If you are an early interventionist, teacher of the deaf, classroom teacher, speech-language pathologist, audiologist, program or
school administrator, member of a state EHDI team – or play any role in supporting the education and development of children who
are deaf or hard of hearing – this workshop series is for you. Designed for professionals to build their foundational knowledge about
hearing loss and to develop strategies that will support an infant
or child who listens, learns and talks with the help of hearing aids,
Keynote presentation by AG Bell
FM systems and/or cochlear implants, this workshop features four
President Kathleen Treni, M.Ed., M.A.
3-hour sessions with the leading experts in the field of listening
Kathleen Treni is the principal of the Hearing
and spoken language development in children with hearing loss.
Impaired Programs of Bergen County Special
Services District in New Jersey.
Workshop Sessions
Listening, Language and Play it By Ear! Current Trends Classroom Strategies for Literacy Development for
Learning for Infants and in Teaching Children who are Hearing Aids, FM’s and Students Who are Deaf or
Children Who are Deaf or Deaf or Hard of Hearing to Cochlear Implants Hard of Hearing
Hard of Hearing Listen and Talk Infants and children who listen with This session will address the
This workshop will present foun- This workshop will discuss practical hearing aids, FM’s and/or cochlear components of literacy development
dational information on audiology, strategies and intervention techniques implants have access to remarkable and how to enhance reading and
hearing technology, and the connec- to develop auditory skills from detection technology that allows them to hear comprehension for students who
tion between hearing and spoken to conversation. Videotape segments like never before. However, technology listen with the assistance of hearing
language so participants can begin will demonstrate strategies for targeting continues to have some limitations. aids, cochlear implants and or FM
to understand the critical role they various auditory skill levels. Practical This session will help participants systems. In addition, we will briefly
can play for infants or children who suggestions for collaboration between learn the basics about hearing address some of the federal education
listen with hearing aids, cochlear team members will be shared and technology and address “repair” guidelines familiar to all of us – No
implants and/or FM systems. We will the needed information exchange strategies that teachers and Child Left Behind, for example – and
explore the exciting opportunities between audiologists, early interven- interventionists can use with learn how to make sure we include
for children who are deaf or hard tionists, teachers, speech-language confidence to make sure a child those guidelines in assessing the
of hearing as a result of universal pathologists, and parents will be is listening as best as he or she progress of our students who are
newborn hearing screening, advanced specified. We are in position today to possibly can. deaf or hard of hearing.
hearing technologies and qualified dramatically expand the opportunities
professionals. for children born with hearing loss to
develop exceptional conversational
abilities, literacy skills, academic
competencies and professional
flexibility – if we play it by ear!

Presenter: Rebecca Kooper, Au.D. Presenter: Judy Horvath, M.A.,

Presenter: Donald M. Goldberg,
Ph.D., CCC-SLP/A, LSLS Cert. AVT
Donald M. Goldberg is a professor
of communication at the College of
Wooster (Ohio), consultant staff with
the Hearing Implant Program at the
Cleveland Clinic and past president
of the AG Bell Academy for Listening
and Spoken Language.
s
Presenter: Teresa Caraway, Ph.D.,
CCC-SLP, LSLS Cert. AVT
Teresa Caraway is the co-founder
and executive co-director of Hearts
for Hearing in Oklahoma City, Okla.,
and founding president of the AG
Rebecca Kooper is an educational
audiologist who provides con-
sultant services to New York Eye
and Ear Infirmary’s Ear Institute,
Lexington School for the Deaf, as
well as school districts in the New
York City area.
LSLS Cert. AVEd
Judy Horvath is an experienced
teacher of the deaf and is director
of the Barton G. Kids Hear Now
Family Resource Center in
Miami, Fla.

Bell Academy for Listening and

For more information Spoken Language.
or to register,
visit www.agbell.org
or call 866-337-5220.
Early Childhood
Deafness: A 50-Year
Perspective
By David Luterman, D.Ed.
I
started my career as a clinical
audiologist in 1960. After several
years, I realized that there was
a serious lack of services for the
parents of children who are deaf and
hard of hearing. Back then, after a child
was diagnosed with a hearing loss, there
was little or no help for the families
in making the adjustment to having a
child with special needs. The parental
role was often one of a passive observer
and recipient of professional expertise.
There was seldom any attempt to engage
the parents actively in the therapeutic
process or to deal with possible family
adjustment issues.
To correct this gap in services, in 1965
I helped launch the Thayer Lindsley
Family-Centered Nursery in Boston,
Mass. Parents of children newly diag-
nosed with a hearing loss are enrolled in
the program along with their child. There
are three aspects to the program: a nurs-
18 VOLTA VOICES • NOVEM BER/ DECE M BER 201 0
ery, individual therapy and a parental
support group. Parents are required to
observe their child as he or she interacts
with the Nursery personnel as well as in
individual therapy working on develop-
ing communication. (Through the years
we have used a variety of communication
strategies, but always saw our approach
with the child as diagnostic and support-
ive of the parent’s wishes. We have never
let the methodology define the program.)
After a period of watching their child,
parents become actively involved in both
the Nursery and the therapy, and we see
our relationship with the parents as col-
laborative rather than dependent.
After retiring from Emerson College
as a full time professor in 2000, I have
continued to work in the Nursery. For
the past 45 years I have been privileged
to be actively engaged with parents of
children newly diagnosed with a hearing
loss as they come to terms with their new
Photo Credit: Craig Huey Photography
reality. The following are 10 tips I have
learned that will help professionals who
are working with parents of children who
are deaf and hard of hearing.
1
Technology Is Marvelous;
Parental Empowerment Is Better
With the advent of newborn hear-
ing screening, digital hearing aids,
cochlear implants and hearing assistive
devices (such as FM systems), we have
truly moved into a technological age of
educating children who are deaf and
hard of hearing. The changes wrought
by technology are breathtaking – almost
all children coming through the Nursery
can now expect to have clear speech,
age-appropriate language skills and enter
a mainstream educational setting. This
in marked contrast to the 1960s when
I began my clinical work and the only
hearing device we had was a cumbersome
vacuum-tubed hearing aid that could
barely reach a child with a moderate
hearing loss, let alone one with a severe
or profound loss. Many of those children
had limited speech and language skills
and were educated in schools for the deaf.
However, the technology is only as good
as the parents’ (and professional’s) abil-
ity to utilize it. Parental empowerment
trumps technology and even in the tech-
nological dark ages we were able to help
develop well-rounded children when we
had empowered, well-informed parents.
2 Informing Parents Is OK;
Listening Is Better
Parents do need information and it is the
professional’s responsibility to provide
it. The information needs to be given
with sensitivity to the parent’s ability to
absorb it and an awareness of the par-
ent’s emotional state. Deep listening and
reflecting back the emotional state is a
powerful clinical tool that needs to be in
the arsenal of every professional. In the
early stages of diagnosis, parental feel-
ings are very intense and their ability to
deal with content limited. They are best
helped by being allowed to share their
feelings within a supportive relation-
ship. We are dealing with parents who
are emotionally upset, not emotionally
disturbed. As a profession we need to
give ourselves permission to access client
emotions and to see this as a necessary
step in helping the child.
3 Let the Parents (and Child) Set
the Pace – Do Not Rescue Them
Impatience with the grief process may
lead the professional to rescue the child
from the parent’s perceived inadequacy.
Parents who have just learned that their
child has a hearing loss need time to
emotionally accept and process the array
of information being presented to them.
Often they employ a denial defense to
prevent themselves from becoming over-
whelmed. The professional, impatient to
begin therapy, may be tempted to bypass
the parental grief and assume responsi-
bility for managing the child’s program.
This will almost invariably lead to a
dependant parent who relies on the pro-
fessional’s wisdom instead of their own,
prohibiting the empowerment of the
parent. In the beginning, going slowly
and not over helping pays huge dividends
VOLTA VOICES • NOVE MBER/DECE MBER 201 0 19
later on. Patience is an enormous virtue
that needs to be cultivated by all success-
ful clinicians.
4
A Diversity of Communication
Methodologies Is Good; A One-
Approach-Fits-All Mentality Is Not
The population of children who are deaf
and hard of hearing is diverse. Some
children will benefit from a great deal of
visual input, while others won’t need it.
The audiogram is not a good predictor
of input preference; some children with
severe hearing losses are able to use their
limited hearing quite well while other
children with seemingly more hearing are
much more visually oriented. The early
therapeutic interaction with the child
needs to be diagnostic in nature and the
therapist needs to see the child through
a neutral lens. The child will teach us the
best way he or she wants to learn if we
observe carefully; it is then our responsi-
bility to fit the methodology to the child
and the parents’ wishes and not the child
to the methodology. Any approach that
tries to bypass the parents is doomed to
failure and we all should be wary of any
methodology-driven program. At the end
of the day, the parents and child need to
be able to communicate with each other,
whatever methodology they choose.
5
Don’t Ignore the Developmental
Imperative
From the inception of the program, an
early childhood teacher has managed the
Nursery. The teacher keeps us focused
on the developmental needs of the child.
Often, parents and professionals get so
focused on the hearing loss that they
forget there is still a child that needs
to develop all the requisite life skills
of an independent adult. The biggest
set-backs in child management I have
observed are in the area of responsibility
assumption. Children with hearing loss
may not be held to the same standard of
behavior as children who have typical
hearing. Parents may be guilt-driven to
“make it up” to the child by not pressur-
ing him or her, and professionals may be
propelled by the myth that the child is
fragile because of the hearing loss. Both
approaches tend to protect the child
from failure, limiting the child’s capacity
to handle adversity.
Early Childhood Deafness:
A 50-Year Perspective

6 Working with the Child Is Good;

Working with the Whole Family
Is Better
Most clinicians are trained to work with
the child and this is where they may feel
the most comfortable. Unfortunately, this
is the least efficient way of developing the
child’s communications skills. Viewing
the parents as the client benefits the child
enormously. As clinicians we have the child
for a very limited number of hours per
week; the parent has the child 24/7. We can
more efficiently facilitate language devel-
opment if we make the home conducive to
learning language. Enlisting the family as
co-therapists by seeing the parents as the
primary teachers and the clinician as coach
and collaborator pays huge dividends. In
this way we empower the parents and
extend our teaching into the every day life
of the child. Siblings and grandparents also
need to be within the clinician’s scope of
practice as they are often overlooked, to
the detriment of the family.
7 Early Screening Is Good;
Follow-Up Needs Improvement
Newborn screening and early hearing
detection and intervention seem to be the
main focus of our profession. Yet for those
of us who see the aftermath of screening,
it does not look nearly as good. According
the Joint Committee on Infant Hearing,
“almost half of infants who fail the initial
screening fail to have appropriate follow
up” (JCIH, 2007). I suspect the failure is
both a systems failure and a function of
trying to communicate with parents at
a time when they are least receptive to
receiving and processing information.
We often see families enter the Nursery
much later than the six-month guideline
because the hospital personnel had mini-
mized the screening failure. In addition,
many infants are born with debris in their
ear canal as a result of the birth process,
causing a temporary conductive hearing
loss. If we tested somewhat later these
children would pass the screening. In
Massachusetts alone there is a 75 percent
false-positive rate (MDPH, 2004). If we
could test later at well baby clinics, for
example, or at the infant’s medical home,
many of these problems may clear up. I
suspect we would have much less false
positives and much better follow-up.
8 Cochlear Implants Are
Marvelous; Isolating This
Population Is Not
There is a trend to see children with
cochlear implants as a separate entity
from other children with hearing loss.
While there may be some psychological
ramifications to having something in
their heads as opposed to something on
their heads, the educational and social
issues are the same. The net result of
cochlear implantation is a hard of hear-
ing child. This is a child we know with
all the attendant issues that a mild to
moderate hearing loss imposes. It is not
in the best interests of these children to

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20 VOLTA VOICES • NOVEM BER/ DECE M BER 201 0

separate them from the general popula-
tion of children with hearing loss. We
all need community and to limit the
possibilities by restricting a small pool of
people even further reduces the chance
of community and may even limit their
access to clinical services.
9 Mainstreaming Is Good;
Inclusion of Peers Who Have
Hearing Loss Is Better
The goal of early intervention is to help
children with hearing loss develop lan-
guage abilities that make them capable
of competing with their peers who have
typical hearing in mainstream educa-
tional facilities. To a large extent we are
succeeding and many children who are
profoundly deaf succeed in mainstream
settings. However, mainstreaming as
currently practiced may cause social
isolation. There is a hunger for community
that is not met by simply sending the
child to the nearest local school. Too often
the child is the only one in the school with
a hearing loss and because of his or her
limited hearing, fails to connect socially.
VOLTA VOICES • NOVE MBER/DECE MBER 201 0 21
Many of these children succeed academi-
cally by dint of hard work, but may be
unhappy, stressed or have few friends.
We need to expand our notion of success
for these children to include psychosocial
issues. A program option I favor is one
that mainstreams a class instead of an
individual; in that way there is a built-in
peer group. Strangely enough, one child
with a hearing loss stands out in the class
while a group blends in.
10 The Current Challenges of
Early Childhood Hearing Loss
Are Apparent; The Solutions are Also
Clear and Obtainable
Because of newborn screening, we have
moved from a parent-initiated model of
diagnosis to a professional-initiated one.
As a result I think we are currently in an
educational gap where the knowledge of
many professionals in the field needs to be
expanded. Audiologists will need knowl-
edge and skills to use the most current
technology as well as expanded counsel-
ing skills to work with parents at a very
vulnerable time. Therapists will need to
develop curricula that are developmentally
based and that are guiding the children to
mainstream options. Educators need to
be prepared for the influx of children with
hearing loss in the public schools by modi-
fying classrooms and providing acoustic
help. If we remain aware and committed,
we can solve these problems through
continuing education and application of
what we already know. This is a very excit-
ing age – so much so that I would love to be
around for another 50 years. 
Editor’s Note: This article has been adapted
from “Ten Considerations for Early
Intervention Derived from 50 Years in the
Clinic,” Hearing Journal, 61(5), p 25-28.
References
Joint Committee on Infant Hearing (JCIH).
(2007). Year 2007 position statement:
Principles and guidelines for early hearing
detection and intervention programs.
Pediatrics, 120(4): 898-921.
Massachusetts Department of Public Health
(MDPH). (2004). Massachusetts universal
newborn screening program. Available
from www.mass.gov/dph/unhsp. Accessed
October 12, 2010.
Collaborative
Efforts
How AG Bell Promotes Its Mission on a National Scale
By Catherine Murphy
W
hen we talk about
AG Bell’s mis-
sion, “Advocating
Independence through
Listening and Talking,” we refer to advo-
cating on behalf of individuals who are
deaf or hard of hearing who listen and
use spoken language to communicate.
Examples of AG Bell’s advocacy efforts
specific to its mission include: educat-
ing legislative and regulatory decision
makers about the listening and spoken
language perspective, including issues
such as reimbursement and coverage
for hearing aids and cochlear implants;
the dire need for qualified profession-
als trained to maximize auditory-based
learning and facilitate spoken language
development; and classroom acoustics
and other accommodations that address
the specific needs of students with hear-
ing loss who learn through listening.
However, AG Bell is also part of the
broader community of individuals who
22 VOLTA VOICES • NOVEM BER/ DECE M BER 201 0
are deaf or hard of hearing, and our
adult members with hearing loss in
particular express great interest in issues
that affect the community-at-large.
For example, captioning availability
and quality is always of great concern,
particularly in movie theaters and sport
and entertainment venues. Another is
expansion of employment opportunities
and workplace communication access for
individuals who are deaf or hard of hear-
ing. In addition, communications access
in emergency situations, transportation
and other public service situations seem
to continually fall short for the deaf and
hard of hearing community and needs
to constantly be addressed with public
policy makers.
To address the wide variety of advocacy
needs important to the AG Bell commu-
nity, AG Bell has formulated a two-part
approach to its public affairs efforts that
continues to prioritize listening and spo-
ken language but also looks to support
Photo Credit: stock.xchng
the community at large in cases that ben-
efit the broader population of individuals
who are deaf or hard of hearing. First,
the AG Bell Public Affairs Council, repre-
sented by a cross-section of the AG Bell
community, meet regularly to discuss
public policy issues with a keen eye to
how those issues might support listening
and spoken language for individuals who
are deaf or hard of hearing. The Public
Affairs Council crafts AG Bell’s position
statements on key issues such as early
hearing detection and intervention,
reimbursement and coverage of assistive
hearing devices, and full funding of the
Individuals with Disabilities Education
Act. The recommendations of the Public
Affairs Council are presented to the
AG Bell Board of Directors, who then
confer and make the final decision on the
association’s official positions. The staff
then implements those policies into its
communications and advocacy outreach
efforts.
 Second, AG Bell participates in a
variety of coalitions that work on a
broader level for the deaf and hard of
hearing community. Coalitions are a
very effective way to have an impact on
public policy by combining efforts with
other organizations on issues of common
interest. They also serve to demonstrate
unity and cohesiveness among com-
munity advocates before key decision
makers in Congress and officials in
federal regulatory agencies. For example,
while advocating for passage of the Early
Hearing Detection and Intervention
(EHDI) Act, AG Bell participated in
Congressional staff briefings alongside
representatives from other national
organizations, such as Hands & Voices,
the National Association of the Deaf and
the National Cued Speech Association.
All these groups know how important
early identification and intervention is
for infants and children with hearing
loss. Therefore, each group has a stake
in making sure EHDI programs are well-
structured and funded appropriately.
By combining our efforts we present a
greater urgency to Congress to address
newborn hearing screening and interven-
tion programs.
Some of the community’s public policy
successes over the last two years include:
yy Enactment of the 21st Century
Communications and Video
Accessibility Act.
yy Reauthorization of the Americans
with Disabilities Act.
yy Defeat of a proposed hearing aid
device tax to pay for health care
reform.
yy New emphasis on federal employment
of individuals who are deaf and hard
of hearing.
yy Tremendous grassroots support of a
federal hearing aid tax credit.
yy Increased Medicare reimbursement
for cochlear implant and implantable
hearing aids.
yy A decision by the U.S. Access Board
to take up the matter of establishing
standards for classroom acoustics.
In addition to these milestones,
earlier this year AG Bell hosted a Capitol
Hill briefing on the “Crisis of Capacity”
to urge lawmakers to address the
shortage of qualified professionals in
the public system to help children with
VOLTA VOICES • NOVE MBER/DECE MBER 201 0 23
AG Bell Coalition Memberships
Deaf and Hard of Hearing Alliance (DHHA) was founded by AG Bell
and the National Association of the Deaf and has grown to include 14 national
consumer and professional organizations that advocate on behalf of individu-
als who are deaf. The DHHA has most recently been the driving organization
behind efforts to reauthorize the Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Act.
Other members include the Hearing Loss Association of America, National Cued
Speech Association, American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, National
Court Reporters Association and the Media Access Group at WGBH. For more
information, visit www.dhhainfo.com.
Deaf and Hard of Hearing Consumer Action Network (DHHCAN)
is a coalition of national organizations that works to improve the rights of deaf
and hard of hearing persons and their quality of life, including affirmation of their
right to consumer leadership, self-representation, and equal access to education,
employment, community life, communication and technology. Other members
include the Association of Late Deafened Adults, USA Deaf Sports Federation,
Gallaudet University Alumni Association and the American Deafness and
Rehabilitation Association, among others.
Coalition of Organizations for Accessible Technology (COAT) is
a coalition of more than 300 disability organizations that advocate for legislative
and regulatory safeguards that will ensure full access by people with disabilities
to high speed broadband, wireless and other Internet Protocol (IP) technolo-
gies. Most recently, COAT was instrumental in the enactment of the 21st Century
Communications and Video Accessibility Act, which addresses increased access
to Internet programming, hearing aid compatibility with telecommunications
equipment, and increased communications capability between individuals with
varying disabilities and emergency/911 services. Other COAT members include
the American Foundation of the Blind, Easter Seals and National Council on
Independent Living. For more information about COAT, visit www.coataccess.org.
Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD) is a coalition of
approximately 100 national disability organizations working together to advocate
for national public policy that ensures the self determination, independence,
empowerment, integration and inclusion of children and adults with disabilities in
all aspects of society. Areas of legislative interest include education, employment
and training, health care, social security and civil rights. Other members include
the American Association of Retired Persons, American Academy of Pediatrics,
Autism Speaks, Council for Exceptional Children and Council of Parent Attorneys
and Advocates. For more information, visit www.c-c-d.org.
Council on the Education of the Deaf (CED) works to maintain stan-
dards for professionals working with students who are deaf or hard of hearing
in educational settings. Part of its activities is to develop, review and recom-
mend standards for training and certification of personnel working in educa-
tional programs that serve students with hearing loss. Other members include
the Association of College Educators of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing and the
American Society for Deaf Children. AG Bell is a co-founding organization of CED.
For more information, visit www.deafed.net.
Joint Committee on Infant Hearing (JCIH) was established in 1969
and is composed of organizations representing medical, clinical/therapeutic and
consumer organizations that focus on services and care for infants with hearing
loss and their families. The committee’s primary activity has been publication of
position statements summarizing the state of infant hearing detection, and recom-
mending the preferred practice in early identification and appropriate intervention
of newborns at risk for or who have hearing loss. Other members include the
American Academy of Pediatrics, Directors of Speech and Hearing Programs in
State Welfare Agencies, and the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and
Neck Surgery. For more information, visit www.jcih.org.
 Collaborative Efforts

AG Bell Public
Affairs Council
John Stanton, Ben Dubin
Chair
Rachel Dubin
Joni Alberg
Photo Credit: Craig Huey Photography

Rachel Arfa Bruce Goldstein

Bruce Corwin Jack Roush

it to present the listening and spoken

hearing loss maximize their listening
and spoken language potential. AG Bell
is also preparing to distribute its most
recent monograph edition of The Volta
Review on professional preparation
to key Congressional and regulatory
decision makers so they can acquire
a further understanding of the grow-
ing demand for a listening and spoken
language outcome for children with
hearing loss, and what it takes to ensure
they succeed in that effort.
As we head into 2011, AG Bell will
continue to examine opportunities for
language perspective on issues related to
education, health care, communication
access and employment in the hopes that
we can continue the momentum we’ve
gained over the last two years. 
To learn more about AG Bell’s public
affairs efforts or to volunteer, contact
AG Bell Director of Communications
and Public Affairs Catherine Murphy at
cmurphy@agbell.org.

24 VOLTA VOICES • NOVEM BER/ DECE M BER 201 0

J u ly 2 4 - 2 8 , 2 0 1 1 • Omni ShOreham • Wa S h i n g t O n , D.C .

Leadership Opportunities
for Teens (LOFT) 2011
LOFT is a four-day program designed for participants to develop skills
in individual leadership, teamwork, public speaking and self-advocacy.
The program is structured so that participants increase their self-
confidence and their understanding of their own strengths and abilities
through activities designed to challenge them more each day to push
beyond their comfort zone in a supportive environment.

“Meeting new friends whom I

“Summer camps come and then vanish
quickly from your mind, but LOFT is a
program that is unique. What I learned
during the program will stay with me
for many years. I made connections
and friends, and found myself among
others with the burning desire to make
a difference in the world. LOFT is a
program that has the ability to change
lives for the better.”
– Teen Participant
hope to keep in touch with for
a lifetime has been the absolute
best experience I’ve ever gone
through. Those self-advocacy
exercises really put things in
perspective for me and I wouldn’t
have met the people I did that
inspired me. Without AG Bell,
my summer wouldn’t have
been the same!”
– Teen Participant
“Who knew that just five days in the LOFT
program could alter one’s life? Not only
did my son gain the value of developing
leadership and self-advocacy skills, but he
established deep connections with other
hearing impaired teens in a very short
time! He’s in constant contact with some
of them weeks after he returned home. I
would highly recommend LOFT to any teen
fortunate enough to have the opportunity!”
– Parent

More information and an application will

be available on the AG Bell website at
www.agbell.org after December 1, 2010.
Application deadline is March 1, 2011.
Endless Possibilities for
AG Bell Families
By Melody Felzien
I
n June 2010, AG Bell continued
its convention family scholar-
ship program by awarding full or
partial scholarships to families
to attend the AG Bell 2010 Biennial
Convention in Orlando, Fla. A total of
$8,680 was raised and then donated
to families that otherwise could not
afford the costs of convention. AG Bell
offered each family one hotel room for
four nights, up to two adult and two
child program registrations, and four
tickets to Family Movie Night. Criteria
for the scholarship included having at
least one child with a bilateral hearing
loss who listens and talks, and hav-
ing never before attended an AG Bell
Biennial Convention. Out of the 65
applications received, AG Bell awarded
seven families the opportunity to
attend, network and learn in Orlando.
Three parents from those fami-
lies shared their experiences at the
convention and the impact it had on
26 VOLTA VOICES • NOVEM BER/ DECE M BER 201 0
Cindy Russell and her family pose in front of the Exhibition Hall
during the AG Bell 2010 Biennial Convention in Orlando, Fla.
their lives.
Volta Voices: What did you enjoy
most about attending the AG Bell
2010 Biennial Convention?
Mitchell Daigle: The sense of commu-
nity you get from all the participants,
professionals and families.
Mikki Spence: I enjoyed meeting the
other families who have been going
through the same situations as I have
for the past three years. And seeing
the smiles on their faces regarding the
choices they have made for their child/
children with hearing loss.
Cindy Russell: It truly would be
impossible to just list one event that
made the AG Bell convention a mile-
stone, memory making event for
our family. This was our first family
vacation outside our home state of
Indiana and it also fulfilled a 10-year
family goal to travel to Florida and
Photo Credit: Russell Family
visit Disney World, Epcot and NASA
together as a family. One particular
experience stands out in our minds,
however. When we arrived for Family
Movie Night, we looked around the
room and noticed a woman sitting
alone toward the back of the room.
When we went to the table, she jumped
up and was excited someone had come
over to meet her. She was a young
mother whose child had just been
diagnosed with a significant hearing
loss and was at the convention alone,
without her husband or baby. She
came in hopes of learning more about
hearing loss and how this was going
to affect her child. My husband and
I were honored to hear her story and
share our experiences. We came into
the evening thinking we were going to
be encouraged, and left knowing we
gave hope to someone else. What an
encouragement for us!
VV: Why was it important for your AG Bell Thanks Supporters of the 2010 Family
family to attend the convention?
Scholarship Program
M.D.: To connect my son and myself
with other families and professionals Mrs. Bonnie Ahmed Mr. and Mrs. Scott Horvath
we would not have the opportunity to Ms. Laura Andrukaitis Mr. and Mrs. Gregory Hubert
meet elsewhere. Mr. and Mrs. Paul Arenberg Mr. and Mrs. Michael Hunter
M.S.: I wanted my children with hear- Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Ban Mr. and Ms. John Kearney
ing loss, along with my son who has Ms. Nancy Bellew Arfa Mr. and Ms. Bert Kelly
typical hearing, to see that life can be Mrs. Thomas Berkson Ms. Suzanne Kelly
very normal for those who are deaf and Ms. Tracey Blair Mr. Ken Levinson
hard of hearing. I wanted them to see
Mrs. Jenna Bollinger-Voss Ms. Pam Lewis
that we are not the only family in our
situation. It was an opportunity for Mrs. Ellie Borwosky Mr. Robert Lillie
all of us to bond as a family with other Dr. Tamala Bradham Ms. Deanna Lizas
families and gather information to use Mr. and Mrs. William Buckley Mrs. Charlotte Martin
for a lifetime. Mrs. Lisa Cantwell Mrs. Elizabeth Mayersohn
C.R.: I believe it was vitally important Ms. Georgia Corbett Mr. Peter Murphy
for our family to attend the conven- Mr. David Davis Dr. Pauline Newton
tion because we have addressed our Mr. and Mrs. Joseph DiBattista Mr. Justin Ogden
daughter, Abbey’s, hearing loss through
Mr. Michael Dickenson Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Oleszczuk
our own efforts. Even though Abbey
has experienced great successes in her Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin Dubin Mr. and Mrs. Steven Parton
young life, we have not met other fami- Ms. Rachel Dubin Ms. Caitlin Parton
lies similar to ours. This is a change Mrs. Nan Ellen East Mr. and Mrs. Donald Paterson
we needed to make for our family and The Economy Family Dr. James Rodgers
the AG Bell convention was the perfect Ms. Elfie Eisman Dr. Joseph Rosenstein
place to make new friends.
Ms. Marian Ernst Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Sakakura
VV: How has attending the conven- Mrs. Phyllis Feibelman Mr. and Mrs. Robert Saperstein
tion impacted your family today?
Ms. Sherri Fickenscher Ms. Susan Schmidberger and
M.D.: It has given me a great sense Mr. Jay Fishman Mr. Herbert Arbeiter
of support from AG Bell and AG Bell Dr. and Mrs. Alvin Schonfeld
Mr. and Mrs. Raymond Forsthoefel
families. It has also made me a more
Mr. and Mrs. Robert Glassman Ms. Stefanie Seldin
confident and versed advocate for my
Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Glaze Ms. and Mrs. Charles Shallbetter
son.
Mrs. Beverly Gold Ms. Deborah Shaffer
M.S.: My children still talk about our
Ms. Laura Gold Mr. and Mrs. Merritt Sherer
vacation almost daily. They talk about
the friends they made and the activi- Mr. and Mrs. Jerry Goldberg Ms. Ann Shorey
ties they did with their friends while Ms. Lisa Goldstein and Mr. Aaron Ms. Judith Simser
there. It impacted me by gaining and Steinfield Mr. Edward Smith
bringing home so much information on Ms. Raema Green Mr. and Mrs. J. Paul Sommer
hearing loss and what the future holds.
Mr. and Mrs. Barry Griebler Ms. Michael Spence
I also gained much parent advocacy
Ms. Elizabeth Grunig Mrs. Virginia Stern
knowledge to incorporate in my chil-
dren’s everyday life. I have already had Ms. Marsha Haines and Mr. David Mrs. Esther Tecklenburg
to use this information in my children’s Nicodemo Ms. Emmy Thomson
Individualized Education Programs Mrs. Mary Hale Ms. Doris Titsworth
(IEPs) this year. Ms. Sue Hall Mrs. Mary Wabeke
C.R.: We definitely learned that we Ms. Susan Hambrecht Ms. Julie Weinzapfel
are not alone in our family’s hearing Ms. Patricia Holder Mrs. Karen Werner
loss journey. It was so encouraging for Ms. Joo Young Hong Dr. Karen Youdelman
us to meet so many beautiful families Ms. Karen Hoppe Ms. Carla Zimmerman
that were sharing our privileges as well
as struggles. Even our children who Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of this list. If you see an error, please
have typical hearing felt welcome and contact AG Bell Manager of Advertising and Exhibit Sales Gary Yates at gyates@agbell.org.

VOLTA VOICES • NOVE MBER/DECE MBER 201 0 27

Endless Possibilities for AG Bell
Families

Family Scholarship
Recipients
Daigle Family (Scarborough,
Maine) – Mitchell and Taylor, who
is deaf and uses bilateral cochlear
implants.
Russell Family (Grabill, Ind.) –
Cindy, Joseph, Micah, Bethany,
Joel and Abbey, who is deaf and
uses hearing aids.
Spence Family (Denham Springs,
La.) – Mikki, Andrew, Price, who is
deaf and uses a cochlear implant
and a hearing aid, and Sophie,
who is deaf and uses bilateral
cochlear implants.
supported by the other attendees of the
convention. We also received valuable
information by becoming more famil-
iar with all the equipment available
and even purchased cool hearing aid
jewelry for Abbey!
VV: What is the most important
information you learned from
other AG Bell members? How will
this benefit your family?
M.D.: The most important thing I
learned from other members was how
AG Bell and AG Bell families become
part of your life long journey. This has
caused me to become more involved
with AG Bell, and the support is
priceless.
M.S.: I feel the most important infor-
mation I gained was the importance of
parent advocacy. It has already ben-
efited me this year with my children’s
IEPs and will continue to help me
in the years to come regarding their
education.
C.R.: Every session was filled with valu-
able information. We learned hair cell
regeneration is a future possibility. The
teen panel had life stories and experi-
ences similar to my pre-teen daughter’s
experiences. One of the highlights for my
husband and I was meeting the members
of the Cochlear Americas booth at the
convention. Their willingness to openly
share their life experiences as individuals
and professionals was valuable to us as
parents of our own very special girl. It was
there that we met four individuals with
the same syndrome as Abbey. How excit-
ing to meet happy, successful individuals
with a bright future!
VV: What advice do you have
for other families with limited
resources who are seeking
information and support services
for their child/children with
hearing loss?
M.D.: To become a member, utilize
the free six-month trial and connect
with other AG Bell members. The com-

Consonants are more important than vowels.

Consonants are more important than vowels.

Consonants are more important than vowels.
Consonants are more important than vowels.
Consonants are more important than vowels.
For understanding speech (and for speech development), consonants play
a huge role, and as it turns out, consonants are high frequency sounds.

Moisture on a microphone and/or receiver damps high frequency sounds.

If there were a product that could help restore high frequencies by removing that moisture,
wouldn’t you want your child to have that benefit?

The good news is that there IS such a product, and it’s called Dry & Store.®
Used regularly, Dry & Store removes damaging moisture, so your child’s hearing instruments operate at
peak performance, every day. Plus, it’s the only drying appliance that also kills germs that reside on hearing instruments.

Learn more at www.dryandstore.com or by calling Ear Technology at 1-888-327-1299.

Remember: Consonants are more important than vowels.

Remember: Dry & Store®. Better hearing through better hearing aid care.

28 VOLTA VOICES • NOVEM BER/ DECE M BER 201 0

munity of knowledge and support is
unmatched.
M.S.: My advice is to keep on seek-
ing more and more information. It is
our responsibility as parents, regard-
less of our resources, to become more
knowledgeable of our children’s needs
and to guide them through their life,
especially through their education.
The Internet was my way of gathering
all the information I could. If there is
no Internet at home, go to your local
library. There is so much information
available online related to hearing loss
and the support services we parents
need to get our children equipped to
thrive in our communities.
C.R.: Remembering back to the time
when Abbey was first diagnosed we
began by building a team to help us
help our daughter. We first began by
interviewing a respected preschool in
our area and asked if they were willing
VOLTA VOICES • NOVE MBER/DECE MBER 201 0 29
to work with us and our daughter (they
were). Next we contacted the local
public school district where Abbey was
evaluated and support services were
offered. It was, and still is, within this
school system that we found profes-
sional support and individuals dedi-
cated to the independent success and
self-advocacy of Abbey. Our team con-
sists of three adults and Abbey. Their
bond has been our family’s greatest
asset! Another valuable tool is learning
our child’s equipment. By meeting with
our audiologists and equipment manu-
facturer representatives, we are able to
stay current with Abbey’s equipment.
Also, wearing her hearing aid helps
us as parents better understand what
and how she hears. We’ve worn it while
watching TV and even going for a drive
in our van! Of course, the ultimate gift
was the AG Bell Family Scholarship
Award....what a dream come true!
VV: If possible, will you
attend future AG Bell Biennial
Conventions?
M.D.: I knew the second day of the
convention that I want to continue to
attend conventions in the future and
will do my best to see that happen.
M.S.: We would love to attend future
AG Bell conventions. I met some
extraordinary people whom I would
love to come in contact with again
one day. It was a great experience all
around. Thank you, AG Bell!
C.R.: Yes, we are planning to attend
conventions in the future, all six of
us. The new technology, contacts and
research information are the tops.
I also see many benefits for Abbey,
who is now 13 years old, to become an
active member of the teen program. 
 VOICES FROM AG BELL
Conversations
With Alex Graham
I
recently visited the Los Angeles
area for meetings with AG Bell
sponsors and listening and
spoken language programs,
including Oralingua, the John Tracy
Clinic and the Echo Horizon School
(I’ll share more about my fun visit
to a fifth grade class at Oralingua in
a future column). In addition, I met
with leaders of AG Bell’s California
Chapter, including Michelle Nemetz.
Michelle serves as the current trea-
surer for the chapter. Here’s more
about my conversation with Michelle.
Alex Graham: How did you first get
involved with AG Bell?
30 VOLTA VOICES • NOVEM BER/ DECE M BER 201 0
Michelle Nemetz: This took a few
minutes to think about because
of how far back it was. I first got
involved with my local deaf and
hard of hearing section chapter in
early 1980s when I was still in high
school. The 1984 AG Bell Convention
in Washington, D.C., was my first
national convention. I had a blast
meeting new friends and attend-
ing workshops. In addition, meeting
parents who have a child with hear-
ing loss was a great experience for
me to share my experiences growing
up, and show them that they are not
alone and that there is support out
there. I now have friends all over the
country and am very grateful to AG
Bell for those long-time friendships.
A.G.: Do you have a favorite AG Bell
event?
M.N.: I have many great memories of
past AG Bell events. One sticks out in
my mind the most and that would be
deaf and hard of hearing section retreat
in San Antonio, Texas, in 2003. We all
worked hard planning for the future.
Those memories will never fade for me.
Speaking of conventions, the banquet
dinner event in Pittsburgh, Penn., in
2006 was wonderful with food and
dancing into the late evening and hang-
ing out with other members afterwards.
A.G.: What is the biggest issue that
you think faces the deaf commu-
nity today in your home state of
California?
M.N.: Some of the major issues
include funding for education and
hearing aids as well as support
services both in K-12 schools and
in higher education. The California
state budget is now facing many cuts
in the near future to reduce deficit.
Today’s generation of children with
hearing loss is very different then
during my younger years thanks to
cochlear implants and better hear-
ing aid technology. We still need to
educate parents and educators because
the environment continues to change,
including technological advances,
captioning and legal issues.
A.G.: How do you think AG Bell
can remain relevant in the lives of
adults who are living with hearing
loss?
M.N.: This can be done by maintain-
ing social networks, keeping both
current and potential members in
the loop of future events. This can
include networking or sharing sto-
ries. Possibly planning a retreat or
a long weekend for the adults with
hearing loss in the years between
Meet Michelle Nemetz
Michelle is an accounting
technician with the City of
West Hollywood. Recently
she completed a Master’s
in Business Administration
with a concentration in
management from Argosy
University. She also holds
a certificate in account-
ing from University of
California, Los Angeles.
Michelle has a profound
hearing loss and uses
bilateral cochlear implants
and attended mainstream
schools as a child. She
enjoys traveling abroad,
photography, Pilates
and her latest toy, a
Kindle reader.
VOLTA VOICES • NOVE MBER/DECE MBER 201 0 31
the national conventions would be
beneficial. This would allow many
members to reconnect and build on
relationships, both professionally and
personally. Adults with hearing loss
would like to see more workshops or
events in the national convention to
draw their attention. Another idea is
having a social event for mentoring,
allowing parents to socialize with
adults with hearing loss and ask ques-
tions or express concerns they may
have. This may have been done on a
small scale in the past but can always
be implemented in a larger scale in
the future.
A.G.: What’s the one piece of advice
you would like to give a young per-
son living with hearing loss?
M.N.: My advice is to never give
up and know you are not alone. It’s
important to meet others like you
who share similar experiences or
have a hearing loss. You may need to
work harder than others but it will
eventually pay off. There is no rush.
For teens, attending the AG Bell
Leadership Opportunity for Teens
program is a great start. For young
adults I encouraged involvement in
the convention and local chapter
events.  
Photo Credit: Michelle Nemetz
 Arithmetic and Language Development

Learning the Language of

Elementary Arithmetic
By Rob Madell, Ph.D., and Jane R. Madell, Ph.D., CCC A/SLP, LSLS Cert. AVT

V
olta Voices would like to intro-
duce a 5-part column focusing
on how arithmetic word prob-
lems can aid in the development
of listening and spoken language for children
who are deaf and hard of hearing.

Photo Credit: Craig Huey Photography

Professionals may not recognize that
learning to solve arithmetic word prob-
lems involves language learning. Some
children learn such language informally,
either from parents or peers, but many
do not. In the case of children who are
deaf or hard of hearing, parents, teach-
ers, speech-language pathologists and
listening and spoken language specialists
(LSLSs) should be prepared to help.
Through this series, we will show that
there is a connection between learning
arithmetic and learning language. This
article will show you that, in general,
word problems incorporate important
language distinctions. In the articles to
follow we will examine more thoroughly
the language of addition, subtraction,
multiplication and division.
Arithmetic word problems offer a large
array of language development oppor-
tunities. Here is an example involving a
child, Lynn, who has a profound hearing
loss and uses bilateral cochlear implants.
She is trying to solve an arithmetic word
problem and it should be clear that her
difficulty is as much about language as it
is about arithmetic.
It is Halloween and Jessica and Lynn
have collected way too much candy,
including lots of candy corn. As it happens,
Jessica has collected 4 pieces of candy corn
and Lynn has collected 9.
Rob (Jessica and Lynn’s teacher): Jessica,
how many pieces of candy corn do you
have there?
The unique language of arithmetic word problems provide unique opportunities for developing
listening and spoken language.
Jessica: (She takes a quick look at the
small pile of candy and, without count-
ing, answers.) I’ve got 4.
Rob: Lynn, it looks like you have more
than Jessica has. How many pieces of
candy corn do you have?
Lynn: (Counting the candies) 1, 2, 3, 4, 5,
6, 7, 8, 9.
Rob: Lynn, how many more pieces of
candy do you have than Jessica has?
Lynn: (She seems to think that Rob is
repeating himself. She looks at him like
she doesn’t understand why and repeats
her previous answer.) I have 9.
Rob: Right, you do have 9, but I want
to know how many more you have than
Jessica has.
Lynn: (No response.)
Rob: Well how about this, who has
more…you or Jessica?
Lynn: I have more.
Rob: We need to figure out how many
more you have. Let’s match up Jessica’s 4
candy corns with 4 of yours. (Rob helps
her to do that.)
Rob: (Points to Lynn’s additional candies.)
These are the extra candies that you have.
How many extra ones do you have?
Lynn: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.
Rob: Right, you have 5 more candy corns
than Jessica. Here are your 9 (pointing),
here are Jessica’s 4 (pointing), here are
your 4 that match Jessica’s (pointing)
and here are your 5 extras (pointing).
In trying to help, we show Lynn what to
count and use that language over and
over again, always relating the words
back to the physical candies. We talk
about “matching up” some of Jessica’s
candies and about Lynn’s “extra ones.” At
the end of the conversation we use the
words of the problem: “You have 5 more
candies than Jessica has” and we essen-
tially re-state the problem and the solu-
tion. We are trying to teach her what the
words of the problem mean with respect
to how the candies must be manipulated
and what must be counted.

32 VOLTA VOICES • NOVEM BER/ DECE M BER 201 0

 Here is an example involving a multi-
plication word problem. The child, Mike,
has a moderately severe hearing loss and
uses bilateral hearing aids. In this case,
it is not that Mike does not understand.
Rather, he has misunderstood. Once
again his difficulty is as much about
language as it is about arithmetic.
Jane (Mike’s teacher): I have a very hard
problem for you to try to solve. Suppose
that your dog, Punch, has 3 collars.
Mike: She only has 2.
Jane: OK. But just suppose that she had
3 collars. And suppose also that she had
4 scarves.
Mike: (He has been building with some
wooden blocks and picks out 3 blocks to
represent the collars and, in a separate
pile, 4 blocks to represent the scarves.
Without even knowing what the question
is, Mike knows that it will be helpful to
make a physical model of it.)
Jane: OK. Good. Now when Punch
gets dressed up for something special,
she likes to wear a scarf and a collar. So
here is what I want to know. How many
outfits does Punch have? So if she wants
to wear a scarf with a collar, how many
different outfits can she make?
Mike: (Matching 1 “collar” with 1
“scarf”), here is 1 outfit.
Jane: OK.
Mike: (Matching a second “collar” with
a second “scarf,” and then the third “col-
lar” with a third “scarf.”) She can make 3
outfits.
Mike: (He pauses and then looks at the
fourth scarf.) But what should I do with
this?
Mike’s misunderstanding is not unrea-
sonable. Punch can in fact only assemble
3 outfits at any one time. Although
the words of the problem don’t make it
explicitly clear, the intent is to ask for
all possible combinations. You might
want to think about how to help Mike
represent those combinations so that he
can count them.
Examples like these illustrate three
things about elementary arithmetic:
1. Every word problem can be repre-
sented by a physical model of the
problem. In Lynn’s candy problem
VOLTA VOICES • NOVE MBER/DECE MBER 201 0 33
(essentially 9 2 4 5 ), we used the
actual candies that the words of the
problem referred to. In Mike’s outfit
problem (essentially 3 3 4 5 ), he
represented his understanding of
the problem with the blocks that he
happened to be building with.
2. For each word problem, the physical
model that represents the problem
can be manipulated so that together
with appropriate counting, the
problem can be solved.
Mathematics educators agree that
before children start to memorize
“facts,” such as 9 2 4 5 5 and 3
3 4 5 12), they should first learn
to solve word problems by mak-
ing physical models of them and
counting.
3. If you pay careful attention to the
actual words of mathematical word
problems, you see that problems,
which may seem similar, require
distinct models, manipulation and
counting. As a consequence there
are more types of word problems
than you might think.
For example, we could have asked Lynn
the following:
You have 9 candy corns. Suppose that you
gave 4 of them to Jessica. How many would
you have left?
Like Lynn’s original problem, this one
can also be represented by 9 2 4 5 .
But the words describe an entirely differ-
ent situation. The two problems require
very different models.
And here is a problem that, like Mike’s,
can also be represented by 3  4 5 .
But it is much easier to model.
There are 3 shelves of books in your room.
There are 4 books on each shelf. How many
books do you have altogether?
Mathematics educators disagree about
the number of different word problem
models. But by our count and for the
purposes of this series, there are two
addition models, three subtraction mod-
els, three multiplication models and two
division models.
Some children learn how to model
some word problems without direct,
explicit instruction. But very few chil-
dren (with or without typical hearing)
learn to model them all in this way.
Parents, teachers, speech-language
pathologists and LSLSs should make
themselves familiar with all the dif-
ferent models. They should systemati-
cally introduce lots of different word
problems and help children understand
the language of those problems so that
they can model and solve them as well
as develop better listening and spoken
language skills.
In the articles to follow we will
examine addition problems, subtrac-
tion problems, multiplication problems
and division problems. Altogether, 10
different word problem models will
be discussed. Collectively the articles
present all of the word problem models
that children are likely to see in school
and will provide suggestions for helping
children with hearing loss develop the
language of arithmetic. 
Editor’s Note: Also available in Spanish at
www.t-oigo.com / También disponible en
español en la página web, www.t-oigo.com.
 tips for parents

10 Ideas for Parenting a Child

with Hearing Loss
By David Luterman, D.Ed.

F
or the past 45 years I have
been privileged to work with
parents of newly diagnosed
children with hearing loss.
In 1965, I began a family-centered,
early intervention program, the Thayer
Lindsley Family-Centered Nursery in
Boston, Mass., that featured a nursery
and individual therapy for the child as
well as a support group for the parents.
The parents were required to actively

Photo Credit: Craig Huey Photography

participate in all aspects of the Nursery
and I have been facilitating the support
group since its inception. Parents have
taught me much over the years, as have
my four children who have typical hear-
ing. Now on the eve of retirement I want
to share what I have learned. Here is the
“Luterman 10” for parenting a child with
hearing loss.
1. Parenting Is
Inherently Conflictual
The parents’ job is to teach their child
the rules of their culture, both the macro
society and the micro culture of the fam-
ily. These rules are learned; children have
no inborn knowledge and they learn by
testing limits imposed by their parents.
Therefore, as the child tests boundaries,
there is conflict. It is the parents’ respon-
sibility to set limits for their child, but
over the long haul they must give ground
to accommodate the child’s growth,
eventually ceding full control to the child/
adult. I often tell parents, “if you are not
fighting with your child, you are not doing
it right.” I usually get the response, “not to
worry, we are doing it right.”
2. Making Mistakes
There are many crucial decisions
parents must make. Trying to raise a
Parental involvement is key for children who are deaf or hard of hearing who are learning to listen
and talk.
child with a hearing loss mistake-free
is an exercise doomed to failure. For
me, it is only a “mistake” if you do it
a second time; the first time through
it is data. Parents do not owe their
child error-free decisions. What they
owe their child is to make a decision
on the best available data and change
the course of action if it is not working
out. The “mistake” parents of children
with hearing loss often make is to
stay with a program longer than they
should for fear of admitting that they
were wrong or alienating the profes-
sionals. Parents need to be monitors of
their own decisions and advocates for
their child.
3. Teaching Failure
Children need to learn how to cope
with adversity and, therefore, need
to experience failure while grow-
ing up. Parents of children who have
special needs tend to over-protect
and shield them from failure, but the
child must experience failure in order
to grow. Growing up without coping
skills limits a child severely because
the adult experience is that we don’t
always succeed in what we do. It is the
overcoming of frustration that enables
us to grow, so mild frustration is an
incentive to growth. One of the hardest
things for any parent to do is to stand
back and let his or her child experience
failure. We need to be judicious about
it because if we let the child experi-
ence too much failure, they become
risk averse and not enough failure,
they become frustration intolerant.
Parents of children who are deaf or
hard of hearing have thin margins to

34 VOLTA VOICES • NOVEM BER/ DECE M BER 201 0

work with, and recognizing when to
let go and when to protect is the art of
parenting.
4. Developmental
Issues versus Hearing
Loss Issues
It is always hard for parents to distin-
guish between behavior that is due
to the hearing loss and behavior that
is developmental in nature. Parents
usually err in the direction of giving
too much credit for the deafness and
not holding their child to the same
standard of conduct as a child who has
typically hearing. A child must learn
to take responsibility for their own
choices and they must experience the
consequences of their own behavior
– if the child spills the milk, he or she
needs to help clean it up! This is why
we have always kept an early childhood
teacher as well as a child who has typi-
cal hearing in the Nursery. The teacher
and the child are there to remind us of
the developmental prerogatives. At the
2-year-old level, almost all behavior is
developmental in nature; 2-year-old
children with all levels of hearing are
prone to ignore their parents.
5. Hearing Loss Is a
Family Affair
Family therapists tell us that the
family is a system in which all the
parts are intricately linked, meaning
that when one part of the system is
damaged, all parts of the system, even
seemingly remote ones, are affected.
Siblings and grandparents also
deserve professional attention. One
of the first topics that usually emerge
in a parent group is the imbalance of
attention paid to siblings who have
typical hearing. Within the Nursery
we always try to have siblings par-
ticipate in the nursery and therapy
if the activities are age appropriate.
Grandparents also deserve attention.
For them, it is a double wound as they
are concerned for their child as well as
for their grandchild. They seldom get
a chance to talk about their feelings;
within the Nursery, we try to have
a grandparent-only support group.
These are usually the most emotion-
ally intense groups that I facilitate.
VOLTA VOICES • NOVE MBER/DECE MBER 201 0 35
6. Tending to the
Primary Relationship
Parenting any child, but especially one
with a hearing loss, is a very demand-
ing job. It is a 24/7 responsibility
that requires vigilance and, at times,
difficult decisions that demand a lot
of thought and attention. This is a
job that is best done within a sup-
portive relationship where ownership
and responsibility can be shared.
Single parents can and do turn out
well-rounded children. Those that
do it best have found other places of
support other than a marital partner.
It is absolutely necessary that time
and attention be paid to the primary
relationship. It is easy to damage a
relationship because too much energy
is devoted to the parenting and not
enough to marital maintenance. I
often tell parents that the parenting,
though very intense, is a relatively
short-term proposition; the partner-
ship is long term and therefore needs
ongoing attention.
7. Good Parenting/Good
Self Care
It is often hard for parents to see that
they are the lynchpin of the family. The
parent is the most important family
member and therefore requires care.
Leadership is what you have left over
after you have taken care of one’s self.
Often the best thing a parent can
do for their child is to take time for
themselves; running on empty won’t
cut it. A long walk or a cup of tea can
go a long way in the parenting process.
Happy parents usually turn out happy
children.
8. The Bottom Line
Some parents are motivated to try to
overcome their child’s hearing loss. To
have a child that speaks typically and
integrated into mainstream setting
can become the main goal. However,
the child may see this as a denial of the
hearing loss and a rejection of who the
child is. This can lead to an unhappy
child who rejects their parents’ goals.
In my opinion, the bottom line should
be to have a child who is comfortable
in his or her skin and is interperson-
ally happy. The listening and spoken
language skills, while important, are
secondary and children need to be
accepted for who they are, not for who
they might become. Parents need to be
able to distinguish between what the
child’s needs are and what is in the best
interests of their child.
9. Letting Go
The parents’ job is to create an inde-
pendent adult who no longer needs
them. To that end, parents must
gradually cede control of their child’s
life to the child. This must start early
and be ongoing. There is nothing more
important than teaching a child to take
responsibility for the choices he or she
makes. Parents must set the boundar-
ies for their child at a very early age
and within that universe, give the child
real choices and allow the child to suf-
fer the consequences of their choices.
Eventually, the parent should give up
all control. If the parent becomes so
embedded within the parenting, to the
extent that the primary relationship
is negatively impacted and the parent
neglects other aspects of his or her
life to do the parenting, then letting
go becomes very hard. Many parents
can hardly wait for their child to leave
home so they can devote more energy
to other aspects of their lives.
10. The Gift
There is a great deal of pain, anxiety
and sheer hard work in the process of
successfully raising a child who has a
hearing loss. Yet within that travail,
strange as it may seem, there is much
opportunity for joy and growth. We
give to life what life demands and
hearing loss can become a powerful
teacher, helping parents develop skills
and capacity that otherwise might
lay latent. I am always struck at the
resiliency of parents and children. They
stretch to do what needs to be done
and in that stretching they grow. This
is the gift the child brings. My wish
for all parents is that in the course of
raising their child, they find the gift.
For me it has been a marvelous life
work, and the families I’ve worked with
have brought to me a great gift of giv-
ing direction and meaning to my life’s
work. 
 Consejos Para Padres

10 ideas para criar un niño con

pérdida de audición
Por David Luterman, D.Ed.

E
n los últimos 45 años he tenido
el privilegio de trabajar con
padres de niños a los que se les
ha diagnosticado recientemente
la pérdida de audición. En 1965, empecé
un programa de intervención temprana
centrado en la familia, el Thayer Lindsley

Photo Credit: Craig Huey Photography

Family Centered Nursery en Boston,
Massachusetts, que contaba con una
guardería y terapia individual para el
niño, así como un grupo de apoyo para los
padres. Los padres tenían la obligación
de participar de forma activa en todos los
aspectos de la guardería y desde su creación
yo facilitaba el grupo de apoyo. Los padres
me han enseñado mucho durante todos
estos años, ya que mis cuatro hijos oyen.
Ahora a punto de jubilarme quiero com-
partir con vosotros lo que he aprendido.
Aquí tenéis “Los 10 consejos de Luterman”
para criar un niño con pérdida de audición.
1. Criar hijos es
intrínsecamente
conflictivo
El trabajo de los padres es enseñar a su hijo
las reglas de su cultura, tanto de la macro­
cultura de la sociedad como la microcul-
tura de la familia. Estas reglas se aprenden,
es decir, que los niños no nacen sabiéndolas
y las aprenden probando los límites que sus
padres les imponen. Por lo tanto, a medida
que el niño va probando los límites, se van
creando conflictos. La responsabilidad
de los padres es establecer límites para su
hijo, pero a la larga deben dejar espacio
para acomodar el crecimiento del niño, y
al final cederle el control completo al niño/
adulto. A menudo les digo a los padres, “si
no estáis peleando con vuestro hijo, es que
no lo estáis haciendo bien”. Por lo general
me contestan, “no se preocupe, lo estamos
haciendo bien”.
La participación de los padres es fundamental en los niños sordos o con dificultades de audición
que están aprendiendo a escuchar y hablar.
2. Cometer errores
Hay muchas decisiones cruciales que los
padres deben tomar. Tratar de criar un
niño con pérdida de audición sin cometer
errores es un ejercicio que está destinado
a fracasar. Para mí, sólo es un “error” si
se comete dos veces; la primera vez son
datos. Los padres no tienen la obligación
de proporcionar a su hijo decisiones
libres de errores. Lo que le deben a su
hijo es tomar decisiones basadas en la
mejor información disponible y cambiar
el rumbo si las cosas no funcionan. Con
frecuencia, el “error” que cometen los
padres de niños con pérdidas auditivas
es permanecer en un programa durante
más tiempo del necesario por temor a
admitir que estaban equivocados o dejar
fuera a los profesionales. Los padres
necesitan ser los monitores de sus pro-
pias decisiones y defensores de su hijo.
3. Enseñar el fracaso
Los niños necesitan aprender cómo mane-
jar la adversidad y, por lo tanto, necesitan
experimentar el fracaso mientras crecen.
Los padres de niños con necesidades
especiales tienden a ser sobreprotectores
y protegen a sus hijos del fracaso, pero
el niño necesita experimentar el fracaso
para poder crecer. Crecer sin habilidades
para sobrellevar los fracasos limita seve­
ramente al niño, ya que la experiencia
como adultos nos enseña que no siempre
tenemos éxito en lo que hacemos. Superar
la frustración es lo que nos permite crecer,
así que un poco de frustración es un incen-
tivo para crecer. Una de las cosas más
duras para cualquier padre es hacerse a un
lado y permitir que su hijo experimente el
fracaso. Necesitamos ser juiciosos porque
si permitimos al niño experimentar
demasiados fracasos, tendrán aversión al
riesgo y si no experimentan suficientes,
no tolerarán la frustración. Los padres de
niños sordos o con dificultades para oír
tienen un margen de acción muy limitado,
y reconocer cuándo hay que dejarlos hacer
y cuándo hay que protegerlos forma parte
del arte de la crianza.

36 VOLTA VOICES • NOVEM BER/ DECE M BER 201 0

4. Problemas de
desarrollo versus
problemas de pérdida
de audición
Los padres siempre tienen dificultades
para distinguir entre el comportamiento
ocasionado por la pérdida de audición y el
comportamiento que se debe al desa­rrollo.
Los padres a menudo se equivocan en la
dirección de darle demasiado crédito a
la sordera y no hacer que su hijo tenga
que seguir los mismos estándares de
conducta que los niños que oyen. El niño
debe aprender a ser responsable de sus
propias elecciones y debe experimentar
las consecuencias de su propia conducta,
es decir, si el niño por ejemplo tira la leche,
necesita ayudar a limpiarla. Es por eso que
siempre hemos tenido en la guardería un
maestro de educación infantil así como
un niño que oye. Tanto el maestro como
el niño están allí para recordarnos las
prerrogativas del desarrollo. A la edad de
2 años, casi todos los comportamientos
forman parte del desarrollo; los niños de
2 años de todos los niveles de audición
tienden a ignorar a sus padres.
5. La pérdida de la
audición es un asunto
familiar
Los terapeutas familiares nos dicen que
la familia es un sistema en la que todas
las partes están íntimamente ligadas, es
decir, que cuando una parte del sistema
está dañado, todas las partes del sistema,
incluso las que parecen más remotas, se
ven afectadas. Tanto los hermanos como
los abuelos también merecen una atención
profesional. Uno de los primeros temas
que con frecuencia surge en un grupo de
padres es el desequilibrio en la atención
que se les presta a los hermanos que oyen.
Dentro de la guardería siempre tratamos
que los hermanos participen y en las tera-
pias si las actividades son adecuadas para
su edad. Los abuelos también se merecen
que les presten atención. Para ellos, es una
herida doble ya que su preocupación no
es sólo por su hijo o hija sino también por
su nieto o nieta. Es muy poco frecuente
que ellos tengan la oportunidad de hablar
sobre sus sentimientos; dentro de la
guardería tratamos de tener un grupo de
apoyo especial para los abuelos. Por lo gen-
eral estos son los grupos emocionalmente
más intensos que facilito.
VOLTA VOICES • NOVE MBER/DECE MBER 201 0 37
6. Cuidar la relación
principal
Cuidar a cualquier niño, en especial a uno
con una pérdida de audición, es un trabajo
muy exigente. Es una responsabilidad que
dura las 24 horas del día, los 7 días de la
semana, y que requiere vigilancia y, algu-
nas veces, atención y la toma de decisiones
difíciles que necesitan meditarse mucho.
Este es un trabajo que se hace mejor dentro
de una relación comprensiva en la que se
pueden compartir las responsabilidades.
Los padres solteros pueden y crían niños
centrados. Aquellos que mejor lo hacen, son
los que han encontrado otros lugares de
apoyo aparte de la pareja. Es absolutamente
necesario que se le preste atención y tiempo
a la relación principal. Es muy fácil dañar
una relación cuando se le dedica demasiada
energía a la crianza de los hijos y no a la
pareja. A menudo les digo a los padres que
la crianza de los hijos, aunque sea muy
intensa, es un trabajo de relativamente
corta duración; la relación es a largo plazo y
por lo tanto necesita atención continúa.
7. Buenos padres/
buenos cuidados
personales
Con frecuencia los padres tienen dificul-
tades para darse cuenta de que son el eje
de la familia. Los padres son los miembros
más importantes de la familia y por lo
tanto necesitan cuidados. El liderazgo es
lo que os queda después de que os hayáis
cuidado a vosotros mismos. A menudo lo
mejor que un padre o madre pueden hacer
por su hijo es tener tiempo para ellos
mismos, ya que padres agotados no son de
mucha ayuda. Salir a caminar o tomarse
una taza de té puede hacer maravillas en
el proceso de crianza. Por lo general los
padres felices crían hijos felices.
8. El resultado final
Algunos padres están motivados a inten-
tar superar la pérdida de audición de su
hijo. Hacer que un niño hable bien y se
integre en un entorno normal pueden ser
los objetivos principales. Sin embargo, el
niño podría ver esto como una negación
de la pérdida de audición y un rechazo
hacia su persona. Esto puede llevar a un
niño infeliz que rechaza los objetivos de
sus padres. Yo pienso que el resultado
final debería ser tener un niño que se
sienta cómodo en su propia piel y esté
feliz interpersonalmente. Las habili-
dades de escuchar y hablar, aunque sean
importantes, son secundarias y los niños
necesitan ser aceptados por quienes son,
y no por quienes podrían llegar a ser. Los
padres necesitan ser capaces de distin-
guir entre lo que el niño necesita y lo que
más le convenga a su hijo.
9. Dejar ir
El trabajo de los padres es crear un adulto
independiente que ya no los necesita. Con
ese fin, los padres deben ceder de forma
gradual el control de la vida de su hijo
al niño. Esto debe empezar pronto y ser
continuo. No hay nada más importante
que enseñarle a un niño a ser responsable
de las elecciones que hace. Los padres
deben establecer límites para su hijo desde
una edad muy temprana, y dentro de ese
universo, darle al niño elecciones reales y
permitirle que sufra las consecuencias de
las mismas. Al final, los padres deberán
entregarle todo el control. Si el padre o la
madre están demasiado inmersos en la
crianza de los hijos, hasta el punto que la
relación principal se ve afectada negati-
vamente y descuidan otros aspectos de
su vida por cuidar a los hijos, dejarlos ir
es muy duro. Muchos padres no ven las
horas en las que su hijo se vaya de casa
para poder dedicar más energía a otros
aspectos de sus vidas.
10. El regalo
Existe una gran cantidad de dolor,
ansiedad y puro trabajo duro en el proceso
de criar con éxito a un niño con pérdida
de audición. Pero dentro de esas tribu-
laciones, por más raro que parezca, hay
alegrías y oportunidades para crecer.
Nosotros le damos a la vida lo que ella nos
demanda, y la pérdida de audición puede
ser un maes­tro muy poderoso, ayudando
a los padres a desarrollar habilidades y
capacidades que de otra forma perman-
ecerían dormidas. Siempre me sorprende
la elasticidad de los padres y niños. Se
estiran para hacer lo que se necesita y
estirándose crecen. Este es el regalo que el
niño trae. Mi deseo es que todos los padres
que estén en el curso de criar a un hijo
encuentren el regalo. Para mí ha sido un
trabajo de toda la vida maravi­lloso, y las
familias con las que he trabajado me han
dado un gran regalo al darle dirección y
significado a la obra de mi vida. 
 Hear Our Voices

Two Tales of Language and

Arts Creativity
Parlez-vous Français? would come in before or after school with hearing loss can connect with each
by Lesley Miller

I
on the day of all quizzes and tests, and other. She’s from Dallas, Texas, and was
am currently a sophomore in a she would read the listening portions diagnosed with a hearing loss at age 3
mainstream high school. When I aloud to me. I didn’t get any extra from unknown causes. She received her
was first diagnosed at age 3 with repeats, just a natural voice, the option first cochlear implant at age 12 and her
a moderate-to-severe hearing to lip-read and a teacher willing to offer bilateral implant at age 14. She hopes to
loss, the audiologist told my parents accommodations. one day go to medical school and become
it was unlikely I’d ever speak well and Towards the end of my freshman a neurologist.
I’d probably never go to a “normal” year, all of the students were given the
school. Instead of listening, my par- opportunity to take the National French “A Day in a Dog’s Life”
ents changed audiologists, purchased Exam. The exam is about 1/2 to 1/3 by Hailey Walker
hearing aids and enrolled me in listening and, as the name suggests, is Ever since I was a little girl, I loved
auditory-verbal therapy. I remained in given to French students around the art – from drawing horses at the
my mainstream school, even getting country. I chose to take it, figuring it age of 6 to currently making movies
into the gifted and talented program, couldn’t hurt to see how I ranked among about my dog. I enjoy pencil drawing,
and have always been successful with other French students at my level. oil painting, photography, ceram-
the use of my hearing aids and an FM Imagine my excitement when I found ics, sculpting, making movies and
system. I’m also stubborn and there’s no out that not only did I do well on this am now learning how to work with
greater pleasure than proving someone exam, but I ranked ninth overall in the Photoshop. This past March, I took
wrong who doubted you! nation! It was an amazing feeling, and an art course at The Rhode Island
When I was in sixth grade, my hear- walking across the stage to receive a School of Design about how to make
ing loss took a turn for the worse and medal in front of hundreds of people movies. I love movies and have always
I chose to get a cochlear implant. Two was pretty cool too. been very curious about how to make
months after it was activated I began I am sometimes asked by parents if them! I always thought it would be
a new school year. This included new they’re expecting too much of their really neat to go behind the scenes
teachers and new classes – one of children who have hearing loss by ask- of an actual movie to see how they
which was French. I couldn’t help but ing them to learn to speak and listen, are created. So I took this opportu-
wonder if I was the slightest bit naïve play a musical instrument or even nity to learn about how movies are
in believing I could begin learning a speak a foreign language. While not developed.
foreign language so soon after get- everyone is the same, I truly believe In this class, my teacher first taught
ting a cochlear implant, but I was I wouldn’t be where I am today if my me and my classmates about the basics
blessed with a wonderful teacher. I mom hadn’t persevered and set high of movie making. We watched a few
never needed any extra assistance expectations of me, and instilled that movies and discussed the techniques
and French soon became one of my same confidence in myself. that were used afterwards. When we
favorite classes. Lesley Miller were ready, he took us out for our first
When I reached high school, most writes a blog movie shoot at a park. We were given the
of the listening and speaking activi- at cacophony assignment to create a montage, which
ties were done using pre-recorded tosymphony. is a series of rapid and fast shots with
tapes, which I sometimes have trouble blogspot. music. We worked individually on this
Photo Credit: Lesley Miller

understanding with my (now bilat- com, and also project and once we were finished, we
eral) cochlear implants. While I faced helped create showcased the montages to our class-
setbacks in getting the accommoda- the website mates. It was very interesting to see the
tions I needed in most of my other deafteens.org many different ideas that were used to
classes, my French teacher was more where teens create amazing one-minute montages.
than cooperative. We agreed that I

38 VOLTA VOICES • NOVEM BER/ DECE M BER 201 0

 Our next assignment was to create very pleased with the results of this Hailey
a documentary. For this project we film and I received great marks from Walker was
were split into groups. My group was my teacher. born with
only girls and we decided to make During this experience, I made a profound

Photo Credit: Hailey Walker

a documentary about the beauty of
downtown Providence. It was great to
work with these girls to create a movie
we were all passionate about.
Our final assignment was to cre-
ate a movie about a topic of interest.
At first I decided to create a film
about hearing loss but realized that
there was not enough time available
to address that topic. After a lot of
thinking, I decided to create a film
about my dog. I had an idea to create
a short comedy about the human-like
activities that my dog would do when
everyone was gone from home. I shot
Bella, my dog, watching a movie,
reading and so much more! I had fun
creating this film and it was totally
different from what I thought my film
would be. I decided to name this short
movie “A Day in A Dog’s Life.” I was
sure that I told my teacher about my hearing loss.
hearing loss. There were no problems She received
with not understanding my teacher her first
and when I had questions he would cochlear
always answer them. In this class I implant at
actually felt at ease for once and I was age 2 and
probably the most talkative student her second
in the class, which is very unlike me. at age 11. Hailey was the first child in
It was a small class and it was easy Rhode Island to receive a cochlear implant.
to make new friends. I enjoyed this She is currently in the eleventh grade in
class both academically and socially. a mainstream program at Lincoln School
Academically, I learned a cool new in Providence, R.I. Hailey received an
digital movie-editing program called AG Bell Arts and Sciences scholarship to
Final Cut Pro. This is the same pro- attend the film-making class.
gram that professional editors use.
And, as a result of taking this class,
I gained more experience working in
groups, which is sometimes difficult
for me. I was able to work on strate-
gies to help me gain self-confidence in
group work environments.

Providing children who are deaf and hard

of hearing with the listening, learning and
spoken language skills they need to succeed.

• Birth to 3 • Mainstreaming Services

• Preschool/Kindergarten • Educational
Evaluations
• School Programs
• Summer Programs
• Professional Development
and Trainings
• Audiological Services

clarkeschools.org
Bo sto n J a ck s onv ille New Yor k Nor th amp ton Ph ilad e lp h ia

VOLTA VOICES • NOVE MBER/DECE MBER 201 0 39

 Directory of Services
The Alexander Graham Bell Association
for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing is not

Directory of Services
responsible for verifying the credentials of
the service providers below. Listings do not
constitute endorsements of establishments
or individuals, nor do they guarantee quality.

n Alabama HEAR Center, 301 East Del Mar Blvd., Pasadena, No Limits Performing Arts Academy and
CA 91101 • 626-796-2016 (voice) • 626-796-2320 (fax) Educational Center, 9801 Washington Boulevard,
Alabama Ear Institute, 300 Office Park Drive, Suite
• Specializing in audiological services for all ages. 2nd Fl, Culver City, CA 90232 – 310.280.0878,
210, Birmingham, AL 35223 • (205-879-4234 – voice)
Auditory-Verbal individual therapy, birth to 21 years. 800.948.7712 • www.kidswithnolimits.org. •Provides
• (205-879-4233-fax) – www.alabamaearinstitute.org
free speech, language, literacy and support services
AEI Auditory-Verbal Mentoring Program - Training in
HEAR to Talk, 547 North June Street, Los Angeles, to dhh children and their families between the ages
spoken language development utilizing the A-V approach
CA 90004 • 323-464-3040 (voice) • Sylvia@hear2talk. of 3 and 18 through its No Limits Educational Center.
w/ continuing education workshops & mentoring by
com (e-mail) • www.hear2talk.com • Sylvia Rotfleisch, Additionally, No Limits offers a national performing arts
LSLS Cert AVTs. AEI Summer Institute in Auditory-
M.Sc.A., CED, CCC, Certified Auditory-Verbal program for schools and the community that builds the
Verbal Therapy- two-week immersion in A-V approach
Therapist®, LSLS Cert. AVT, Licensed Audiologist, self confidence and communication skills of children
- Workshops and practicum experience w/instruction
California NPA Certified. Trained by Dr. Ling. Extensive with a hearing loss.
and coaching by LSLS Cert AVTs. The Alabama School
expertise with cochlear implants and hearing aids.
for Hearing: pre-school utilizing auditory/oral classroom
Oralingua School for the Hearing Impaired,
approach - Auditory-Verbal therapy also provided. AEI:
Jean Weingarten Peninsula Oral School for North Campus – 7056 S. Washington Avenue, Whittier,
Education, research and public policy.
the Deaf, 3518 Jefferson Avenue, Redwood City, CA 90602 – 562-945-8391 (voice) 562-945-0361 (fax)
CA 94062 • 650-365-7500 (voice) • jwposd@jwposd. info@oralingua.org (email) www.oralingua.org (website)
n Arizona org (e-mail) • www.oraldeafed.org/schools/jwposd South Campus – 221 Pawnee Street, San Marcos, CA
(website) Kathleen Daniel Sussman, Executive Director; 92078 – 760-471-5187 (voice) 760-591-4631 (fax)
Desert Voices, 3426 E. Shea Blvd., Phoenix, AZ
Pamela Musladin, Principal. An auditory/oral program Where Children are Listening and Talking! An auditory/oral
85028 • 602-224-0598 (voice) • 602-224-2460 (fax)
where deaf and hard of hearing children listen, think program serving children from infancy to 11 years old.
• info@desertvoices.phxcoxmail.com (email). Emily
and talk! Cognitive based program from birth through Audiological, Speech, Itinerant, AVI Therapy, and other
Lawson, Executive Director. Oral school for deaf and
mainstreaming into 1st or 2nd grade. Students develop related Designated Instructional Services available.
hard-of-hearing children from birth to nine years of
excellent language, listening and social skills with Contact Elisa J. Roche, Executive Director.
age. Programs include Birth to Three therapy, Toddler
superior academic competencies. Cochlear Implant
Group, and full day Educational Program. Other
Habilitation, mainstream support services and Family Training and Advocacy Group for Deaf & Hard
services include parent education classes, speech and
Center offering special services for infants, toddlers of Hearing Children and Teens (TAG), 11693 San
language evaluations, parent organization and student
and their families. Vicente Blvd. #559, Los Angeles, CA 90049, 310-339-7678,
teacher placements. Desert Voices is a Moog Curriculum
tagkids@aol.com, www.tagkids.org. Leah Ilan, Executive
school.
John Tracy Clinic, 806 West Adams Blvd., L.A., Director. Offers free group meetings for ddh children
CA 90007 • 213-748-5481 • 800-522-4582 (parents) and teens from 5th grade through high school to provide
n California • www.jtc.org • Since 1942, free worldwide Parent socialization and advocacy training. Half-day workshops
Distance Education Program and onsite comprehensive for high school seniors are given to prepare students for
Auditory-Verbal Services, 10623 Emerson
audiological, counseling and educational services for college or employment. Groups are held in schools during
Bend, Tustin, CA 92782 • 714-573-2143 (voice) •
families with children ages birth thru 5 years. Intensive weekdays and in the community during the weekends. The
email KarenatAVS@aol.com • Karen Rothwell-Vivian,
3-week Summer Sessions (ages 2-5) with Sibling sessions are each two hours long with 8-12 participants.
M.S.ED. M.A. CCC-A. LSLS-Cert.AVT. Listening and
Program. Online and on-campus options for accredited Parent workshops and special extracurricular outings are
Spoken Language Specialist - Certified Auditory-Verbal
Master’s and Credential in Deaf Education. also offered throughout the school year.
Therapist providing Auditory-Verbal Therapy and
both audiological and educational consultation for
Lets Talk About It 207 Santa Anita Street, #300,
children from infancy through college age. Auditory n Colorado
San Gabriel, CA • 91776 • 626-695-2965 (voice) bklaus.
Rehabilitation is also provided for adults. Extensive
avt@gmail.com (email) • Bridgette Klaus, M.S.Ed., Bill Daniels Center for Children’s Hearing,
expertise with amplification, cochlear implants, and
LSLS Certified Auditory-Verbal Therapist. Providing The Children’s Hospital – Colorado,
FM systems.
Auditory-Verbal therapy for children with a hearing Department of Audiology, Speech Pathology
loss and their families. Services for individuals with and Learning Services, 13123 East 16th Avenue,
Children’s Choice for Hearing and Talking,
hearing aids and/or cochlear implants, infancy through B030 Aurora, CO 80045. www.thechildrenshospital.
CCHAT Center – Sacramento, 11100 Coloma
adulthood. org (website) – 720-777-6531(voice) - 720-777-6886
Road, Rancho Cordova, Ca 95670 • 916-361-7290
(TTY) or BillDanielsCenter@tchden.org (e-mail) We
(voice). Laura Turner, Principal. An auditory/oral day
Listen and Learn, 4340 Stevens Creek Blvd., Suite provide comprehensive audiology and speech-language
school educating children and their families from birth
107, San Jose, CA 95129 • 408-345-4949 • Marsha A. services for children who are deaf or hard-of-hearing
through early elementary grades. Other programs
Haines, M.A., CED, Cert. AVT, and Sandra Hamaguchi (ages birth through 21 years). Our pediatric team
include adult cochlear implant support, parent-
Hocker, M.A., CED • Auditory-verbal therapy for the specializes in family-centered care and includes
infant program, on-site audiological services and
child and family from infancy. Services also include audiologists, speech-language pathologists, a deaf
mainstreaming support services. The school is staffed
aural habilitation for older students and adults educator, family consultant, and clinical social worker.
with credentialed teachers, licensed speech-language
with cochlear implants. Extensive experience and Individual, group and parent educational support and
pathologists and a licensed audiologist.
expertise with cochlear implants, single and bilateral. programs are designed to meet each family desire for
Mainstream support services, school consultation and their preference of communication needs. We also
Echo Center/Echo Horizon School, 3430
assessment for children in their neighborhood school. provide advanced technology hearing aid fitting and
McManus Avenue, Culver City, CA 90232 • 310-838-
California NPA certified. cochlear implant services.
2442 (voice) • 310-838-0479 (fax) • 310-202-7201 (tty)
• vishida@echohorizon.org (email) • www.echohorizon.
org (website) • Vicki Ishida, Echo Center Director.
Private elementary school, incorporating an auditory/
oral mainstream program for students who are deaf
or hard of hearing. Daily support by credentialed
DHH teachers in speech, language, auditory skills and
academic follow-up.

40 VOLTA VOICES • NOVEM BER/ DECE M BER 201 0


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 board-certified otologist
and doctors of audiology test and diagnose hearing,
balance, facial nerve and ear disorders and we provide
full-service hearing aid, cochlear implant and BAHA
services. We offer medical and surgical treatment as
well as language therapy and support groups, and are
actively involved in various research studies.
n Connecticut
CREC Soundbridge, 123 Progress Drive,
Wethersfield, CT 06109 • 860- 529-4260 (voice/ TTY)
• 860-257-8500 (fax) • www.crec.org/soundbridge
(website). Dr. Elizabeth B. Cole, Program Director.
Comprehensive audiological and instructional services,
birth through post-secondary, public school settings.
Focus on providing cutting-edge technology for
optimal auditory access and listening in educational
settings and at home, development of spoken language,
development of self advocacy – all to support each
individual’s realization of social, academic and
vocational potential. Birth to Three, Auditory-Verbal
Therapy, integrated preschool, intensive day program,
direct educational and consulting services in schools,
educational audiology support services in all settings,
cochlear implant mapping and habilitation, diagnostic
assessments, and summer programs.
New England Center for Hearing
Rehabilitation (NECHEAR), 354 Hartford
Turnpike, Hampton, CT 06247 • 860-455-1404
(voice) • 860-455-1396 (fax) • Diane Brackett. Serving
infants, children and adults with all degrees of
hearing loss. Speech, language, listening evaluation
for children using hearing aids and cochlear implants.
Auditory-Verbal therapy; Cochlear implant candidacy
evaluation, pre- and post-rehabilitation, and creative
individualized mapping. Post-implant rehabilitation for
adults with cochlear implants, specializing in prelingual
onset. Mainstream school support, including onsite
consultation with educational team, rehabilitation
planning and classroom observation. Comprehensive
audiological evaluation, amplification validation and
classroom listening system assessment.
n Florida
Bolesta Center, Inc, 7205 North Habana Avenue,
Tampa, FL 33614 • 813-932-1184 (voice) • 813-932-
9583 (fax) • jhorvath@bolestacenter.org (email) • www.
bolestacenter.org (website) • Non-profit Listening and
Spoken Language Center dedicated to teaching children
who are deaf and hard of hearing to listen and speak.
No family turned away based on ability to pay. Services
provided to families, professionals, and school districts.
Specializing in auditory-verbal therapy, educational
outreach, and professional development programs.
Kids and professionals immersion and summer
programs available. Talk to us about our success with
late implanted children! Contact Judy Horvath, LSL
Cert. AVEd.
Clarke Schools for Hearing and Speech/
Jacksonville, 9857 St. Augustine Rd., Jacksonville,
FL 32257 • 904/880-9001 (voice/TTY)• info@
clarkeschools.org, • www.clarkeschools.org • Susan
G. Allen, Director. Serving families with children
with hearing loss, services include early intervention,
toddler, preschool, PreK/kindergarten, primary,
parent support, individual listening, speech and
language services, and cochlear implant habilitation
and mainstream support.
VOLTA VOICES • NOVE MBER/DECE MBER 201 0 41
Directory of Services
n Georgia
Atlanta Speech School – Katherine Hamm
Center, 3160 Northside Parkway, NW Atlanta,
GA 30327 - 404-233-5332 ext. 3119 (voice/TTY)
404-266-2175 (fax) scarr@atlspsch.org (email) http://
www.atlantaspeechschool.org (website) A Listening
and Spoken Language program serving children
who are deaf or hard of hearing from infancy to
elementary school age. Children receive language-
rich lessons and highly individualized instruction in
a nurturing environment. Teachers and staff work
closely with parents to instill the knowledge and
confidence children need to reach their full potential.
Early intervention programs, audiological support
services, auditory-verbal therapy, mainstreaming
opportunities, and independent educational
evaluations. Established in 1938.
Auditory-Verbal Center, Inc - Atlanta, 1901
Century Boulevard, Suite 20, Atlanta, GA 30345,
404-633-8911 (voice) • 404-633-6403 (fax) • listen@
avchears.org (email) • www.avchears.org (website).
Auditory-Verbal Center, Inc - Macon, 2720 Sheraton
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.
Georgia Relay, 866-787-6710 (voice) • garelay@
hamiltonrelay.com (email) • www.georgiarelay.org
(website). Georgia Relay provides services that enable
people who are deaf, hard of hearing, deaf-blind and
speech impaired to place and receive calls via a standard
telephone. Free specialized telephones are available
to applicants who financially and medically qualify
through the Georgia Telecommunications Equipment
Distribution Program (TEDP). Georgia Relay is easily
accessed by dialing 7-1-1 and is overseen by the Georgia
Public Service Commission.
n Idaho
Idaho Educational Services for the Deaf and
the Blind, 1450 Main Street, Gooding, ID 83330 •
208 934 4457 (V/TTY) • 208 934 8352 (fax) • isdb@isdb.
idaho.gov (e-mail). IESDB 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.
n Illinois
Alexander Graham Bell Montessori School
(AGBMS) and Alternatives in Education for
the Hearing Impaired www.agbms.org (website)
• info@agbms.org (email) • 847-850-5490 (phone) •
847-850-5493 (fax) • 9300 Capitol Drive Wheeling,
IL 60090 • AGBMS provides challenging academic
programs in a mainstream environment for deaf
children ages 0-12 years. Teach of the Deaf, Speech/
Language Pathologist, and Classroom Teachers utilize
Cued speech to provide complete access to English
and enable development of age-appropriate language
and literacy skills. Speaking and listening skills are
emphasized by staff with special training in auditory/
verbal therapy techniques. AEHI provides Cued Speech
training and other outreach services to families and
professionals in the Great Lakes area.
Child’s Voice School, 180 Hansen Court, Wood
Dale, IL 60191, (630) 595-8200 (voice) (630) 595-8282
(fax) - info@childsvoice.org (email) http://www.
childsvoice.org (website). Michele Wilkins, Ed.D.,
LSLS Cert. AVEd., Executive Director. A Listening and
Spoken Language program for children birth to age 8.
Cochlear implant (re) habilitation, audiology services
and mainstream support services provided. Early
intervention for birth to age three with parent-infant
and toddler classes and home based services offered.
Parent Support/Education classes provided. Child’s
Voice is a Moog Curriculum school.
n I ndiana
St. Joseph Institute for the Deaf -
Indianapolis. 9192 Waldemar Road,
Indianapolis, IN 46268 • (317) 471-8560 (voice)
• (317) 471-8627 (fax) • www.sjid.org; touellette@
sjid.org (email) • Teri Ouellette, M.S. Ed., LSLS Cert.
AVEd, Director. St. Joseph Institute for the Deaf -
Indianapolis, a campus of the St. Joseph Institute
system, serves children with hearing loss, birth to age
six. Listening and Spoken Language programs include
early intervention, toddler and preschool classes,
cochlear implant rehabilitation, mainstream therapy
and consultation and daily speech therapy. Challenging
speech, academic programs and personal development
are offered in a nurturing environment. (See Kansas
and Missouri for other campus information.)
n Kansas
St. Joseph Institute for the Deaf - Kansas
City, 8835 Monrovia, Lenexa, KS 66215 • 913-
383-3535 • www.sjid.org • Jeanne Fredriksen, M.S.,
Ed., Director • jfredriksen@sjid.org. St. Joseph
Institute for the Deaf - Kansas City, a campus of the
St. Joseph Institute system, serves children with
hearing loss, birth to age eight. Listening and Spoken
Language programs include: early intervention,
toddler playgroups, preschool to second grade classes,
cochlear implant/hearing aid rehabilitation and daily
speech therapy. Challenging listening/speech and
language therapy, academic programs and personal
development opportunities are offered in a nurturing
environment. (See Missouri and Indiana for other
campus information.)
n Maryland
The Hearing and Speech Agency’s Auditory/
Oral Center, 5900 Metro Drive, Baltimore, MD
21215 • (voice) 410-318-6780 • (TTY) 410-318-6759 •
(fax) 410-318-6759 • Email: hasa@hasa.org • Website:
www.hasa.org. Jill Berie, Educational Director, Olga
Polites, Clinical Director, Heather Eisgrau, Teacher
of the Deaf/Director. Auditory/Oral education and
therapy program for infants and young children who
are deaf or hard of hearing. 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, audiological management
and occupational therapy. The Hearing and Speech
Agency’s Auditory/Oral preschool program, “Little
Ears, Big Voices” is the only Auditory/Oral preschool
in Baltimore. In operation for more than five years, it
focuses on preparing children who are deaf or hard of
hearing to succeed in mainstream elementary schools.
Applications for all Auditory/Oral Center programs 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.
 Directory of Services
n Massachusetts
Clarke Schools for Hearing and Speech/
Boston Area, 1 Whitman Road, Canton, MA 02021
• 781-821-3499 (voice) • 781-821-3904 (tty) • info@
clarkeschools.org, www.clarkeschools.org. Cara
Jordan, Director. Serving families of young children
with hearing loss, services include early intervention,
preschool, kindergarten, parent support, cochlear
implant habilitation, and mainstream services
(itinerant and consultation).
Clarke Schools for Hearing and Speech/
Northampton, 47 Round Hill Rd, Northampton, MA
01060 • 413-584-3450 (voice/tty) • info@clarkeschools.
org, www.clarkeschools.org. Bill Corwin, President.
Early intervention, preschool, day and boarding school
through 8th grade, cochlear implant assessments,
summer programs, mainstream services (itinerant and
consultation), evaluations for infants through high
school students, audiological services, and graduate-
teacher-education program.
SoundWorks for Children, 18 South Main
Street, Topsfield, MA 01983 • 978-887-8674 (voice) •
soundworksforchildren@verizon.net (e-mail) • Jane E.
Driscoll, MED, Director. A comprehensive, non-profit
program dedicated to the development of auditory-
verbal skills in children who are deaf or hard-of-hearing.
Specializing in cochlear implant habilitation and offering
a full continuum of inclusionary support models from
preschool through high school. Early Intervention services
and social/self-advocacy groups for mainstreamed
students are offered at our Family Center. Summer
programs, in-service training, and consultation available.
n Michigan
Monroe County Program for Hearing
Impaired Children, 3145 Prairie St., Ida, MI 48140-
9778 • 734-269-3875 (voice/TTY) • 734-269-3885 (fax) •
whitman@ida.k12.mi.us (e-mail) • www.misd.k12.mi.us •
Kathleen Whitman, Supervisor. Auditory/oral program,
full continuum of services, birth to 25 years. Staff: 21.
Redford Union Oral Program for Children
with Hearing Impairments, 18499 Beech Daly Rd.
Redford, MI 48240 • 313-242-3510 (voice) • 313-242-
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.
n Minnesota
Northern Voices, 1660 W. County Road B,
Roseville, MN, 55113-1714, 651-639-2535 (voice),
651-639-1996 (fax), darolyng@northernvoices.org
(email), Darolyn Gray, Executive Director. Northern
Voices is a non-profit 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.
Northern Voices is a Moog Curriculum School. Please
visit www.northernvoices.org.
42 VOLTA VOICES • NOVEM BER/ DECE M BER 201 0
Northeast Metro #916 Auditory/Oral
Program, 3375 Willow Ave., Rm 109, White Bear
Lake, Minnesota 55110; 651.415.5546, • email
auditory.oral@nemetro.k12.mn.us. • Providing
oral education to children who are Deaf or Hard of
Hearing. Services strive to instill and develop receptive
(listening) and expressive (speaking) English language
skills within each student. Well-trained specialists
carry the principles of this program forward using
supportive, necessary, and recognized curriculum.
The program’s philosophy is that children who are
Deaf or Hard of Hearing can learn successfully within
a typical classroom environment with typical hearing
peers. This can be achieved when they are identified
at an early age, receive appropriate amplification,
and participate in an oral-specific early intervention
program. Referrals are through the local school district
in which the family live.
n Mississippi
DuBard School for Language Disorders, The
University of Southern Mississippi, 118 College Drive
#5215, Hattiesburg, MS 39406-0001 • 601.266.5223
(voice) · dubard@usm.edu (e-mail) • www.usm.edu/
dubard · Maureen K. Martin, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, CED,
CALT, Director • The DuBard School for Language
Disorders is a clinical division of the Department
of Speech and Hearing Sciences at the University of
Southern Mississippi. The school serves children from
birth to age 13 in its state-of-the-art facility. Working
collaboratively with 20 public school districts, the
school specializes in coexisting language disorders,
learning disabilities/dyslexia and speech disorders,
such as apraxia, through its non-graded, 11-month
program. The 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. A/EOE/ADAI
Magnolia Speech School, Inc. 733 Flag Chapel
Road, Jackson, MS 39209 – 601-922-5530 (voice), 601-
922-5534 (fax) – anne.sullivan@magnoliaspeechschool.
org –Anne Sullivan, M.Ed. Executive Director. Magnolia
Speech School serves children with hearing loss and/
or severe speech and language disorders. Listening
and Spoken Language instruction/therapy is offered
to students 0 to 12 in a home based Early Intervention
Program (free of charge), in classroom settings and in
the Hackett Bower Clinic (full educational audiological
services, speech pathology and occupational therapy).
Assessments and outpatient therapy are also offered to
the community through the Clinic.
n Missouri
CID – Central Institute for the Deaf, 825 S.
Taylor Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63110 314-977-0132
(voice) • 314-977-0037 (tty) • lberkowitz@cid.edu (email)
• www.cid.edu (website) Lynda Berkowitz/Barb Lanfer,
co-principals. Child- and family-friendly learning
environment for children birth-12; exciting adapted
curriculum incorporating mainstream content; Family
Center for infants and toddlers; expert mainstream
preparation in the CID pre-k and primary programs;
workshops and educational tools for professionals; close
affiliation with Washington University deaf education
and audiology graduate programs.

The Moog Center for Deaf Education, 12300
South Forty Drive, St. Louis, MO 63141 • 314-692-
7172 (voice) • 314-692-8544 (fax) • www.moogcenter.
org (website) • Betsy Moog Brooks, Director of School
and Family School, bbrooks@moogcenter.org. Services
provided to children who are deaf and hard-of-
hearing from birth to 9 years of age. Programs include
the Family School (birth to 3), School (3-9 years),
Audiology (including cochlear implant programming),
mainstream services, educational evaluations, parent
education and support groups, professional workshops,
teacher education, and student teacher placements.
The Moog Center for Deaf Education is a Moog
Curriculum School.
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.
St. Joseph Institute for the Deaf - St. Louis,
1809 Clarkson Road, Chesterfield, MO 63017 • (636)
532-3211 (voice/TYY) • www.sjid.org; Mary Daniels,
MAEd, LSLS Cert. AVEd, Director of Education •
mdaniels@sjid.org • An independent, Catholic school
serving children with hearing loss birth through
the eighth grade. Listening and Spoken Language
programs include early intervention, toddler and
preschool classes, K-8th grade, I-Hear internet therapy,
audiology clinic, evaluations, mainstream consultancy,
and summer school. Challenging speech, academic
programs and personal development are offered in a
supportive environment. ISACS accredited. Approved
private agency of Missouri Department of Education
and Illinois Department of Education. (See Kansas and
Indiana for other campus information.)
n Nebraska
Omaha Hearing School for Children, Inc.
1110 N. 66 St., Omaha, NE 68132 402-558-1546 ohs@
hearingschool.org An OPTIONschools Accredited
Program offering auditory/oral education for birth to
three, preschool and K – 3rd grades. Serving Omaha
and the surrounding region.
n New Jersey
HIP and SHIP of Bergen County Special
Services - Midland Park School District, 41
E. Center Street, Midland Park, N.J. 07432 • 201-343-
8982 (voice) • kattre@bergen.org (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.
VOLTA VOICES • NOVE MBER/DECE MBER 201 0 43
Directory of Services
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.
• Trish Filiaci, MA, CCC-SLP, 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.
Speech Partners, Inc. 26 West High Street,
Somerville, NJ 08876 • 908-231-9090 (voice) • 908-231-
9091 (fax) • nancy@speech-partners.com (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 is an exclusionay
auditory-oral/auditory-verbal school for deaf and hard
of hearing children located at 705 Central Ave., New
Providence, NJ 07974 • 908-508-0011 (voice/TTY) •  families of children with hearing loss, services include
908-508-0012 (fax) • info@summitspeech.org (email) •  early intervention, preschool, evaluations (NY state
www.summitspeech.org (website) • Pamela Paskowitz,
Ph.D., CCC-SLP, Executive Director.  Programs include
Early Intervention/Parent Infant (0-3 years), Preschool
(3-5 years) and Itinerant Mainstream Support Services
for children in their home districts. Speech and language,
OT and PT and family support/family education services
available.  Pediatric audiological services are available
for children birth-21 and educational audiology and
consultation is available for school districts.
n New Mexico
Presbyterian Ear Institute – Albuquerque,
415 Cedar Street SE, Albuquerque, NM 87106 • 505-
224-7020 (voice) • 505-224-7023 (fax) • Contact: Dawn
Sandoval, Co-Lead Teacher. A cochlear implant center,
auditory/oral school for deaf and hard-of-hearing
children and parent infant program. Exists to assist
people with hearing loss to better listen and speak and
integrate into mainstream society.
n New 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) • info@
auditoryoral.org (e-mail) • Pnina Bravmann, Program
Director. A premier auditory/oral early intervention and
preschool program servicing hearing impaired children
and their families. Programs include: StriVright Early
Intervention (home-based and center-based), preschool,
integrated preschool classes with children with normal
hearing, multidisciplinary evaluations, parent support,
Auditory-Verbal Therapy, complete audiological
services, cochlear implant habilitation, central auditory
processing (CAPD) testing and therapy, mainstreaming,
ongoing support services following mainstreaming.
Center for Hearing and Communication
(formerly the League for the Hard of
Hearing), 50 Broadway, 6th Floor, New York, NY 10004
• 917 305-7700 (voice) • 917-305-7888 (TTY) • 917-
305-7999 (fax) • http://www.chchearing.org (website).
Florida Office: 2900 W. Cypress Creek Road, Suite 3,
Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33309 • 954-601-1930 (Voice) • 954-
601-1938 (TTY) • 954-601-1399 (Fax). A leading center
for hearing and communication services for people of
all ages who are hard of hearing or deaf. Comprehensive
array of services include: audiology, otology, hearing
aid evaluation, fitting and sales, communication
therapy, cochlear implant training, assistive technology
consultation, emotional health and wellness, public
education, support groups and Mobile Hearing Test
Units. Visit http://www.chchearing.org to access our vast
library of information about hearing loss and hearing
conservation. For more information or to make an
appointment, contact us at info@chchearing.org.
Clarke Schools for Hearing and Speech/
New York, 80 East End Avenue, New York, NY 10028 •
212/585-3500 (voice/tty) • info@clarkeschools.org, www.
clarkeschools.org Meredith Berger, Director. Serving
approved Committee on Preschool Education Services;
early intervention, Audiology, PT, OT and speech),
hearing aid and FM system dispensing and related
services including occupational and physical therapy in a
sensory gym and speech-language therapies.
Long Island Jewish Medical Center: Hearing
& Speech Center, 430 Lakeville Road, New Hyde
Park, NY 11042 • 718-470-8910 (voice) • 718-470-1679
(fax). Long Island Jewish Medical Center: Hearing
& Speech Center. A complete range of audiological
and speech-language services is provided for infants,
children and adults at our Hearing and Speech Center
and Hearing Aid Dispensary. The Center participates
in the Early Intervention Program, Physically
Handicapped Children’s Program and accepts Medicaid
and Medicare. The Cochlear Implant Center provides
full diagnostic, counseling and rehabilitation services
to individuals with severe to profound hearing loss.
Support groups for parents of hearing impaired
children and cochlear implant recipients are available.
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. State-supported school
maintains Infant Toddler Program with focus on
education, parent training, family support and speech/
language/audiological services.Collaborates with
Early Intervention Services. Preschool/Kindergarten
(ages 3 - 6) Auditory/Verbal program serves Deaf /
HoH students and typical peers to facilitate academic
goals meeting NY Standards. Teachers/therapists in
this certified literacy collaborative program integrate
literacy, listening and oral language skills throughout
school day. Art, library, audiological services, daily
music/speech/language therapies, related services and
family-centered programming included.
Nassau BOCES Program for Hearing and
Vision Services, 740 Edgewood Drive, Westbury,
NY 11590 • 516-931-8507 (Voice) • 516-931-8596 (TTY)
• 516-931-8566 (Fax) • www.nassauboces.org (Web) •
JMasone@mail.nasboces.org (Email). Dr. Judy Masone,
Principal. Provides full day New York State standards -
based academic education program for children 3-21
within district-based integrated settings. An auditory/
oral or auditory/sign support methodology with a strong
emphasis on auditory development is used at all levels.
 Directory of Services
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.
New York Eye & Ear Cochlear Implant And
Hearing & Learning Centers, 380 Second
Avenue at 22nd Street, 9th floor, New York, NY 10010
• 646-438-7801 (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,
early intervention services, and educational services
(classroom observation, advocacy, and in-service
session).
44 VOLTA VOICES • NOVEM BER/ DECE M BER 201 0
Rochester School for the Deaf, 1545 St. Paul n North Carolina
Street, Rochester, NY 14621; 585-544-1240 (voice/
CASTLE- Center for Acquisition of Spoken
TTY), 866-283-8810 (Videophone); info@RSDeaf.
Language Through Listening Enrichment,
org, www.RSDeaf.org. Harold Mowl, Jr., Ph.D.,
5501-A Fortunes Ridge Drive, Suite A, Durham, NC
Superintendent/CEO. Serving Western and Central
27713 • 919-419-1428 (voice) • www.uncearandhearing.
New York State, RSD is an inclusive, bilingual school
com/pedsprogs/castle An auditory/oral center for
where deaf and hard of hearing children and their
parent and professional education. Preschool and Early
families thrive. Established in 1876, RSD goes above
intervention services for young children including
and beyond all expectations to provide quality Pre-K
Auditory Verbal parent participation sessions. Hands-on
through 12th grade academic programs, support
training program for hearing-related professionals/
services and resources to ensure a satisfying and
university students including internships, two week
successful school experience for children with
summer institute and Auditory Verbal Modules.
hearing loss.
The Children’s Hearing Institute, 380 Second n Ohio
Avenue at 22nd Street, 9th floor, New York, NY
Auditory Oral Children’s Center (AOCC),
10010 • 646-438-7819 (voice). Educational Outreach
5475 Brand Road, Dublin, OH 43017 • 614-598-7335
Program – provides continuing education courses
(voice) • auditoryoral@columbus.rr.com (email) • http://
for professionals to maintain certification, with
auditoryoral.googlepages.com (website). AOCC is a
accreditation by American Speech-Language-Hearing
non-profit auditory and spoken language development
Association (ASHA), American Academy of Audiology
program for children with hearing loss. We offer a blended
(AAA), and The AG Bell Academy for Listening and
approach by combining an intensive therapy-based
Spoken Language. Free parent and family programs for
pre-school program integrated into a NAEYC preschool
children with hearing loss. CHI’s mission is to achive
environment. Therapy is provided by an Auditory-Verbal
the best possible outcome for children with hearing
Therapist, Hearing–Impaired Teacher, and Speech-
loss by caring for their clinical needs, educating the
Language Pathologist. Birth to three individual therapy,
professionals that work with them, and providing their
toddler class, and parent support services also available.
parents with the pertinent information needed for
in-home success.
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count on us to continually develop new and exciting
ways to improve your daily communication. Simply
put, you’ll love life with SVRS.
For more information visit www.sorensonvrs.com
© 2009 Sorenson Communications, Inc. All rights reserved. For more information about local
10-digit numbers and the limitations and risks associated with using Sorenson’s VRS or IP Relay
services to place a 911 call, please visit Sorenson’s website at: www.sorenson.com/disclaimer.
 Directory of Services

Millridge Center/Mayfield Auditory Oral n Oklahoma n Oregon

Program, 950 Millridge Road, Highland Heights,
Hearts for Hearing, 3525 NW 56th Street, Tucker-Maxon Oral School, 2860 S.E. Holgate,
OH 44143-3113 • 440-995-7300 (phone) • 440-995-
Suite A-150, Oklahoma City, OK. • 73112 • 405- Portland, OR 97202 • 503-235-6551(voice) • 503-235-
7305 (fax) • www.mayfieldschools.org • Louis A.
548-4300 • 405-548-4350(Fax) • Comprehensive 1711 (TTY) • tminfo@tmos.org (e-mail) • www.tmos.
Kindervater, Principal. Auditory/oral program with
hearing healthcare program which includes pediatric org (website) • Established in 1947, Tucker-Maxon
a ful continuum of services, birth to 22 years of age.
audiological evaluations, management and cochlear is an intensive auditory-oral school that co-enrolls
Serving 31 public school districts in northeast Ohio.
implant mapping. Auditory-Verbal therapy, cochlear children with hearing loss and children with normal
Early intervention; preschool with typically developing
implant habilitation, early intervention, pre-school, hearing in every class. Each class is taught by a regular
peers; parent support; individual speech, language,
summer enrichment services and family support educator or early childhood specialist and a teacher
and listening therapy; audiological services; cochlear
workshops are also provided. Opportunities for family, of deaf children. Programs for children with hearing
implant habilitation; and mainstreaming in the general
professional education and consultations are provided. loss start at birth and continue through 5th grade.
education classrooms of Mayfield City School District.
www.heartsforhearing.org Tucker-Maxon provides comprehensive pediatric
audiology evaluations, cochlear implant management,
Ohio Valley Voices, 6642 Branch Hill Guinea Pike,
INTEGRIS Cochlear Implant Clinic at the habilitation and mapping, early intervention, and
Loveland, OH  45140513-791-1458 (voice) •  513-791-
Hough Ear Institute, 3434 NW 56th, Suite 101, speech pathology services.
4326 (fax) • mainoffice@ohiovalleyvoices.org (e-mail)
Oklahoma City, OK 73112 • 405-947-6030 (voice) • 405-
www.ohiovalleyvoices.org (website). Ohio Valley Voices
945-7188 (fax) • Amy.arrington@integris-health.com
teaches children who are deaf and hard of hearing how n Pennsylvania
(email) • www.integris-health.com (website) • Our team
to listen and speak. The vast majority of our students
includes board-certified and licensed speech-language Bucks County Schools Intermediate Unit
utilize cochlear implants to give them access to sound,
pathologists, pediatric and adult audiologists, as well #22, Hearing Support Program, 705 North
which in turn, allows them to learn and speak when
as neurotologists from the Otologic Medical Clinic. Shady Retreat Road, Doylestown, PA 18901 • 215-348-
combined with intensive speech therapy. We offer
Services include hearing evaluations, hearing aid fittings, 2940 x1240 (voice) • 215-340-1639 (fax) • kmiller@
birth-to-age three program, a preschool through second
cochlear implant testing and fittings, newborn hearing bucksiu.org • Kevin J. Miller, Ed.D., CCC-SP, CED,
grade program, a full array of on-site audiological
testing, and speech/language therapy. The Hearing Supervisor. A publicly-funded program serving local
services, parent education and support resources.
Enrichment Language Program (HELP) provides speech school districts with deaf or hard of hearing students
services for children and adults who are deaf or hard (birth -12th Grade). Services include itinerant support,
of hearing. Our speech-language pathologists respect resource rooms, audiology, speech-language therapy,
adults’ and/or parents’ choice in (re) habilitation options auditory-verbal therapy, C-Print captioning, and
that can optimize listening and language skills. cochlear implant habilitation.

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VOLTA VOICES • NOVE MBER/DECE MBER 201 0 45

 Directory of Services

Center for Childhood Communication at
The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, 3405
Civic Center Boulevard, Philadelphia 19104 • (800)
551-5480 (voice) • (215) 590-5641 (fax) • www.chop.
edu/ccc (website). The CCC provides Audiology, Speech-
Language and Cochlear Implant services and offers
support through CATIPIHLER, an interdisciplinary
program including mental health and educational
services for children with hearing loss and their
families from time of diagnosis through transition
into school-aged services. In addition to serving
families at our main campus in Philadelphia, satellite
offices are located in Bucks County, Exton, King of
Prussia, and Springfield, PA and in Voorhees, Mays
Landing, and Princeton, NJ. Professional Preparation
in Cochlear Implants (PPCI), a continuing education
training program for teachers and speech-language
pathologists, is also headquartered at the CCC.
Clarke Schools for Hearing and Speech/
Pennsylvania, 455 South Roberts Rd., Bryn
Mawr, PA 19010 • 610-525-9600 (voice/tty) • info@
clarkeschools.org, www.clarkeschool.org. Judith
Sexton, Director. Serving families with young children
with hearing loss, services include early intervention,
preschool, parent support, individual auditory speech
and language services, cochlear implant habilitation,
audiological services, and mainstream services
(itinerant and consultation).
Delaware County Intermediate Unit # 25,
Hearing and Language Programs, 200 Yale
Avenue, Morton, PA 19070 • 610-938-9000, ext. 2277
610938-9886 (fax) • mdworkin@dciu.org • Program
Highlights: A publicly funded program for children with
hearing loss in local schools. Serving children from birth
through 21 years of age. Teachers of the deaf provide
resource room support and itinerant hearing therapy
throughout Delaware County, PA. Services also include
audiology, speech therapy, cochlear implant habilitation
(which includes LSLS Cert. AVT and LSLS Cert. AVEd),
psychology and social work.
DePaul School for Hearing and Speech,
6202 Alder Street, Pittsburgh, PA  15206 • (412)924-
1012 (voice/TTY) •  ll@depaulinst.com (email) • www.
speakmiracles.org (website). Lillian r. Lippencott,
Outreach Coordinator. DePaul, western Pennsylvania’s
only auditory-oral school, has been serving families
for 101 years. DePaul is a State Approved Private
School and programs are tuition-free to parents and
caregivers of approved students. Programs include:
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 audiology,
speech therapy, cochlear implant mapping/habilitation
services, physical and occupational therapy,
mainstreaming support, parent education programs
and support groups. AV services are also available.
Western Pennsylvania School for the Deaf,
300 East Swissvale Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15218 •
412-244-4207 (voice) • 412-244-4251 (fax) • vcherney@
wpsd.org (email) • www.wpsd.org (website). The
Western Pennsylvania School for the Deaf (WPSD)
is a non-profit, tuition-free school with campuses
in Pittsburgh and Scranton, PA. Founded in 1869,
WPSD provides quality educational services and a
complete extracurricular program in an all inclusive
communication environment to over 320 deaf and
hard-of-hearing children from birth through twelfth
grade. WPSD is the largest comprehensive center for
deaf education in Pennsylvania serving 138 school
districts and 53 counties across the state.
n South Carolina
The University of South Carolina Speech and
Hearing Research Center, 1601 St. Julian Place,
Columbia, SC 29204 • (803) 777-2614 (voice) • (803) 253-
4143 (fax) Center Director: Danielle Varnedoe, daniell@
mailbox.sc.edu. • The center provides audiology services,
speech-language therapy, adult aural rehabilitation
therapy, and Auditory-Verbal Therapy. Our audiology
services include comprehensive diagnostic evaluations,
hearing aid evaluations and services, and cochlear
implant evaluations and programming. The University
also provides a training program for AVT therapy and
cochlear implant management for professional/university
students. Additional contacts for the AVT or CI programs
include Wendy Potts, CI Program Coordinator (803-777-
2642), Melissa Hall (803-777-1698), Nikki Herrod-
Burrows (803-777-2669), Gina Crosby-Quinatoa (803)
777-2671, and Jamy Claire Archer (803-777-1734).

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46 VOLTA VOICES • NOVEM BER/ DECE M BER 201 0

 Directory of Services

n South Dakota Callier Center for Communication n Utah

Disorders/UT Dallas - Callier-Dallas Facility
South Dakota School for the Deaf (SDSD),
1966 Inwood Road, Dallas, TX, 75235 • 214-905-3000 Sound Beginnings of Cache Valley, Utah
2001 East Eighth Street, Sioux Falls, South Dakota
(voice) • 214-905-3012 (TDD) • Callier-Richardson State University, 1000 Old Main Hill, Logan, UT
57103, 605-367-5200 (phone) or Video Relay or
Facility: 811 Synergy Park Blvd., Richardson, TX, 84322-1000 • 435-797-0434 (voice) • 435-797-0221
605-367-5209 (Fax) www.sdsd@sdbor.edu (website).
75080 • 972-883-3630 (voice) • 972-883-3605 (TDD) (fax) • www.soundbeginnings.usu.edu • lauri.nelson@
South Dakota School for the Deaf (SDSD) serves
• cpiloto@utdallas.edu (e-mail) • www.callier.utdallas. usu.edu (email) • Lauri Nelson, Ph.D., Sound Beginnings
children with hearing loss by offering services onsite
edu (website). Nonprofit Organization, hearing Director • todd.houston@usu.edu (email) • K. Todd
for the Bilingual Program, with the Auditory Oral
evaluations, hearing aid dispensing, assistive devices, Houston, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, LSLS Cert. AVT, Graduate
Program located at Fred Assam Elementary and
cochlear implant evaluations, psychology services, Studies Director. A comprehensive auditory learning
Brandon Elementary with the Brandon Valley School
speech-language pathology services, child development program serving children with hearing loss and their
District, and through its Outreach Program. Academic
program for children ages six weeks to five years. families from birth through age five; early intervention
options include a Bilingual Program offering American
services include home- and center-based services,
Sign Language with literacy in English preschool
The Center for Hearing and Speech, 3636 parent training, a weekly toddler group, pediatric
through sixth grade and an Auditory/Oral Program
West Dallas, Houston, TX 77019 • 713-523-3633 audiology, and Auditory-Verbal Therapy. The preschool,
for students using listening, language and speech
(voice) • 713-874-1173 (TTY) • 713-523-8399 (fax) - housed in an innovative public lab school, provides
for preschool through fifth grade. SDSD utilizes
info@centerhearingandspeech.org (email) self-contained Auditory-Oral classes for children aged
curriculum specific to meeting the needs of individual
www.centerhearingandspeech.org (website) CHS three through five, parent training, and mainstreaming
students with the goal of preparing students to meet
serves children with hearing impairments from birth opportunities with hearing peers. The Department of
state standards. Instructional support in other areas
to 18 years. Services include: auditory/oral preschool; Communicative Disorders and Deaf Education offers an
is available as dictated by the IEP, speech-language
Audiology Clinic providing comprehensive hearing interdisciplinary graduate training program in Speech-
pathology, auditory training, dual enrollment and
evaluations, diagnostic ABR, hearing aid and FM Language Pathology, Audiology, and Deaf Education
special education. Outreach Consultants provides
evaluations and fittings, cochlear implant evaluations that emphasizes auditory learning and spoken language
support to families across the state with newborns
and follow-up mapping; Speech-Language Pathology for young children with hearing loss.
and children through the age of three while continuing
Clinic providing Parent-Infant therapy, Auditory-
to work with the families and school district personnel
Verbal therapy, aural(re) habilitation; family support Utah Schools for the Deaf and the Blind
of children through age 21 who may remain in
services. All services offered on sliding fee scale and (USDB), 742 Harrison Boulevard, Ogden, UT 84404
their local districts. Any student in South Dakota
many services offered in Spanish. - 801-629-4712 (voice) 801-629-4701 (TTY) • www.
with a documented hearing loss may be eligible for
usdb.org (website) • Jennifer Howell EdD, Associate
services through Outreach, Bilingual or Auditory
Denise A. Gage, M.A., CCC, Cert. AVT© Superintendent for the Deaf, jenniferhow@usdb.org
Oral Programs including complete multidisciplinary
- Certified Auditory-Verbal Therapist, (email). USDB is a state funded program for children with
assessments.
Speech-Language Pathologist, 3111 West hearing loss (birth through high school) serving students
Arkansas Lane, Arlington, TX 76016-0378 • 817-460- in various settings including local district classes and
n Tennessee 0378 (voice) • 817-469-1195 (metro/fax) • denise@ direct educational and consulting services throughout
denisegage.com (email) • www.denisegage.com • Over the state. USDB language and communication options
Memphis Oral School for the Deaf, 7901
25 years experience providing services for children include Listening and Spoken Language. USDB has
Poplar Avenue, Germantown, TN 38138  •  901-758-
and adults with hearing loss. Services include cochlear a comprehensive hearing healthcare program which
2228 (voice) • 901-531-6735 (fax) • www.mosdkids.org
implant rehabilitation, parent-infant training, includes an emphasis on hearing technology for optimal
(website) •  tschwartz@mosdkids.org (email).  Teresa
individual therapy, educational consultation, onsite and auditory access, pediatric audiological evaluations, and
Schwartz, Executive Director. Parent-infant program,
offsite Fast ForWord training. cochlear implant management. Services also include
auditory/oral day school (ages 2 to 6), speech-language
Early Intervention, full-day preschool and Kindergarten,
and cochlear implant therapy, mainstream services.
Sunshine Cottage School for Deaf Children, intensive day programs, and related services including
603 E. Hildebrand Ave., San Antonio, TX 78212; speech/language pathology and aural habilitation.
Vanderbilt Bill Wilkerson Center - National
210/824-0579; fax 210/826-0436. Founded in 1947,
Center for Childhood Deafness and Family
Sunshine Cottage, a listening and spoken language
Communication, Medical Center East South Tower, n Washington
school promoting early identification of hearing loss and
1215 21st Avenue South, Nashville, TN 37232-
subsequent intervention teaching children with hearing The Listen For Life Center at Virginia
8718 • 615-936-5000 (voice) • 615-936-1225 (fax) •
impairment (infants through high school.) State-of- Mason, 1100 9th Ave. MS X10-ON Seattle, WA
nccdfc@vanderbilt.edu (email) • www.mc.vanderbilt.
the-art pediatric audiological services include hearing 98111 - 206-223-8802 (voice) 206-223-6362 (TTY)
edu/VanderbiltBillWilkersonCenter (web). Tamala
aid fitting, cochlear implant programming, assessment 206-223-2388 (fax) lsnforlife@vmmc.org (email)
Bradham, Ph.D., Director. The NCCDFC Service
of children maintenance of campus soundfield and FM http:// www.vmmc.org/listen (website) Non-profit
Division is an auditory learning program serving
equipment. Programs include the Newborn Hearing organization offering comprehensive diagnostic and
children with hearing loss from birth through 21
Evaluation Center, Parent-Infant Program, Hearing rehabilitation services from infancy through senior
years. Services include educational services at the
Aid Loaner and Scholarship Programs, Educational years. Audiology, Otolaryngology, hearing aids,
Mama Lere Hearing School at Vanderbilt as well as
Programs (pre-school through fifth grade on campus and implantable hearing aids, cochlear implants, assistive
audiological and speech-language pathology services.
in mainstream settings), Habilitative Services, Speech listening devices, Aural Rehabilitation, counseling,
Specifically, the Service Division includes audiological
Language Pathology, Counseling, and Assessment support groups, school consultations, professional
evaluations, hearing aid services, cochlear implant
Services. Pre- and post-cochlear implant assessments training workshops, community days, library. Three
evaluations and programming, speech, language, and
and habilitation. Accredited by the Southern Association sites: Seattle, Federal Way, Issaquah.
listening therapy, educational assessments, parent-
of Colleges and Schools Council on Accreditation and
infant program, toddler program, all day preschool
School Improvement, OPTIONschools International, and
through kindergarten educational program, itinerant/ n Wisconsin
is a Texas Education Agency approved non-public school.
academic tutoring services, parent support groups,
For more information visit www.sunshinecottage.org Center for Communication, Hearing &
and summer enrichment programs.
Deafness, 10243 W. National Avenue, West Allis,
WI 53227 414-604-2200 (Voice) 414-604-7200 (Fax)
n Texas www.cdhh.org (Website) Amy Peters Lalios, M.A.,
CC-A, LSLS Cert.AVT, as well as five LSLS Cert. AVEds.
Bliss Speech and Hearing Services, Inc.,
Nonprofit agency located in the Milwaukee area provides
12700 Hillcrest Rd., Suite 207, Dallas, TX 75230 • 972-
comprehensive auditory programming to individuals
387-2824 • 972-387-9097 (fax) • blisspeech@aol.com
with hearing loss, from infants to the elderly. The Birth
(e-mail) • Brenda Weinfeld Bliss, M.S., CCC-SLP/A, Cert.
to Three program serves children from throughout
AVT®. Certified Auditory-Verbal Therapist® providing
Southeastern Wisconsin, including education in the
parent-infant training, cochlear implant rehabilitation,
home, toddler communication groups, and individual
aural rehabilitation, school visits, mainstreaming
speech therapy. AV Therapy is also provided to school
consultations, information, and orientation to deaf and
age children locally as well as through an interactive
hard-of-hearing children and their parents.
long-distance therapy program. Pre- and post-
cochlear implant training is provided for adults and
communication strategies and speech reading is offered
to individuals as well as in small groups.

VOLTA VOICES • NOVE MBER/DECE MBER 201 0 47

 Directory of Services

INTERNATIONAL
List of Advertisers
n Australia
Advanced Bionics...................................................................................... Back Cover
Telethon Speech & Hearing Centre for
Children WA (Inc), 36 Dodd Street, Wembley
WA 6014, Australia • 61-08-9387-9888 (phone) • Auditory-Verbal Center, Inc. (Atlanta)......................................................................... 5
61-08-9387-9888 (fax) • speech@tsh.org.au • www.tsh.
org.au • Our oral language programs include: hearing
impairment programs for children under 5 and school Central Institute for the Deaf .................................................................................... 30
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 Clarke Schools for Hearing and Speech . ............................................................... 39
screening and Cochlear Implant program for overseas
children.
DuBard School for Language Disorders . ................................................................. 6
University of Newcastle, Graduate School.
GradSchool, Services Building, University of Newcastle,
Callaghan, NSW, 2308, Australia • 61-2-49218856 Ear Technology Corporation..................................................................................... 28
(voice) • 61-2-49218636 (fax) • gs@newcastle.edu.au
(email) • www.gradschool.com.au (website). Master
of Special Education distance education through the Fontbonne University ................................................................................................ 24
University of Newcastle. Program provides pathways
through specialisations in Generic Special Education,
Emotional Disturbance/Behaviour Problems, Sensory Harris Communications............................................................................................. 20
Disability, Early Childhood Special Education. The
Master of Special Education (Sensory Disability
Specialisation) is available through the Renwick Centre Jean Weingarten Peninsula Oral School for the Deaf............................................. 11
and is administered by the Australian Royal Institute
for Deaf and Blind Children. Program information and
application is via GradSchool: www.gradschool.com.au, Moog Center for Deaf Education....................................................................... 29, 42
+61249218856, or email gs@newcastle.edu.au.

n Canada National Cued Speech Association . ....................................................................... 33

Montreal Oral School for the Deaf, 4670
St. Catherine Street, West, Westmount, QC, Canada
H3Z 1S5 • 514-488-4946 (voice/ tty) • 514-488-0802 National Technical Institute for the Deaf/RIT......................................................... 4, 7
(fax) • info@montrealoralschool.com (email) • www.
montrealoralschool.com (website). Parent-infant
program (0-3 years old). Full-time educational program Oticon Pediatrics .............................................................................Inside Front Cover
(3-12 years old). Mainstreaming program in regular
schools (elementary and secondary). Audiology,
cochlear implant and other support services. St. Joseph Institute for the Deaf.......................................................................... 12, 31
Children’s Hearing and Speech Centre of
British Columbia (formerly, The Vancouver Oral Sorenson Communications ..................................................................................... 44
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. Sophie’s Tales ............................................................................................................ 19
childrenshearing.ca (website). Our auditory-oral
program includes: on-site audiology, cochlear implant
mapping, parent-infant guidance, auditory-verbal SoundAid Hearing Aid Warranties ........................................................................... 21
therapy, music therapy, preschool, K, Primary 1-3;
itinerant services.
Sprint CapTel ..............................................................................................................45
n England
The Speech, Language and Hearing Centre
– Christopher Place, 1-5 Christopher Place, Sunshine Cottage School for Deaf Children............................................................ 16
Chalton Street, Euston, London NW1 1JF,
England • 0114-207-383-3834 (voice) • 0114-207-
383-3099 (fax) • info@speechlang.org.uk (email) • Tucker-Maxon Oral School........................................................................................ 13
www.speech-lang.org.uk (website) • Assessment,
nursery school and therapeutic centre for children
under 5 with hearing impairment, speech/ University of Newcastle ............................................................................................ 46
language or communication difficulties, including
autism. • We have a Child Psychologist and a Child
Psychotherapist. • Auditory-Verbal Therapy is also AG Bell – LOFT............................................................................................................25
provided by a LSLS Cert. AVT.

AG Bell – LSL Symposium 2011.....................................................Inside Back Cover

AG Bell – LSL Workshop Series .............................................................................. 17

48 VOLTA VOICES • NOVEM BER/ DECE M BER 201 0

AG Bell WHAT TO EXPECT:
� Short courses and presentations on
the latest advances in intervention for
infants and children who are deaf or
hard of hearing.
� CE credits towards professional
certification.
� Public policy briefings about the growing
demand of families seeking a listening
and spoken language outcome and the
need for policy to support that outcome.
� Learn how your clinical and educational
skills can effect change far beyond your
July 21-23 own practice.

2011
� Interact with providers of hearing
technology and hearing assistive
devices for classroom/therapeutic
settings.

Omni Shoreham Hotel WHO SHOULD AT TEN D:

2500 Calvert Street, NW
Washington, D.C.
� Listening and Spoken Language
Specialists (LSLS Cert. AVEds and
LSLS Cert. AVTs)
� Educators of the Deaf
� Speech-Language Pathologists
� Audiologists
� Early intervention and special education
specialists and administrators
� Parents of children who are deaf or
hard of hearing, and adults with
hearing loss
� Public policy professionals concerned
with early intervention and education
of individuals who are deaf and
hard of hearing

The premier professional development opportunity for teachers,

therapists and early interventionists who support listening
and spoken language for children with hearing loss.
 AB has Answers for Your Child’s Hearing Loss

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866.844.HEAR (4327)
hear@AdvancedBionics.com
AdvancedBionics.com
Published studies available upon request.

©2010 Advanced Bionics, LLC and its affiliates. All rights reserved. 3-01467