Among Twists in Budget Woes, Tensions Over Teaching the Deaf

Indianapolis, IN – As budget discussions continue among state leaders, members of the deaf community speak out against new appointments to the board of directors over Indiana’s state school for the deaf.  Complaints have risen concerning the new board members and their backgrounds of supporting a listening and spoken language approach to educating deaf and hard of hearing children as opposed to maintaining a purely ASL focus.  Viewpoints from both sides of this argument are long stemming from debate over communication options for children with hearing loss, but have now reached a heated crossroads in Indiana.

Link: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/27/us/27deaf.html?_r=1

Georgia Pathway to Literacy and Learning Community of Practice Conference

Georgia Pathway to Language and Literacy is sponsoring a FREE conference for all educators, professionals, parents, lawmakers, and members who are involved with literacy for Deaf/Hard of Hearing children in Georgia. The Conference will be held on August 4, 2011 from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. with a luncheon to follow. National and state leaders will be speaking on the need for change and potential solutions, with a discussion also including the launching of a new online Community of Practice to advance D/HH literacy goals in Georgia.

Georgia Pathway to Literacy and Learning Community of Practice Conference: [PDF] Georgia Public Broadcasting Studios, Atlanta, Georgia. August 4th.

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Guam CEDDERS Gets $140000 Federal Grant

The U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services has awarded the Guam Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities, Education, Research, and Service (CEDDERS) $139,735 in federal financial assistance which will benefit Guam CEDDERS through their Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) program to provide much needed help to those infants diagnosed with hearing problems.

Link: http://www.guampdn.com/article/20110720/NEWS01/110720010

Hazards: Secondhand Smoke May Affect Hearing

Recent studies and research are starting to draw a link between secondhand smoke or exposure to cotinine, an indicator of exposure to tobacco, and that of hearing loss. Researchers writing in the July issue of The Archives of Otolarygology tested more than 2,000 teenagers and found that the higher the cotinine levels in the participant’s blood, the greater the likelihood there was some type of hearing loss.

Link: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/19/health/research/19hazards.html?_r=2&src=rechp

What to Do When a Newborn Can't Hear

Recent statistics show that 97 percent of babies born in this country have their hearing screened in the newborn nursery and as many as 46 percent of children who failed the newborn screening test in 2007 did not have documented repeat testing and treatment. Dr. Klass provides some helpful tips of what can be done in cases where a newborn can’t hear.

Link: http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F00E7DB1238F932A25756C0A9669D8B63

Miley Cyrus to perform at the So The World May Hear Gala in St. Paul

The 18 year old singer, Miley Cyrus is scheduled to perform at the Starkey Hearing Foundation’s “So the World May Hear” Gala in St. Paul on July 24th. She became involved with the foundation following a trip to Haiti to distribute hearing aids to people in need. She will be joined by Meat Loaf, Garth Brooks, Reba McEntire, with honorary attendees Marlee Matlin and former President Bill Clinton.

Link: http://entertainment.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474979665428

Musical for deaf children debuts in Chicago

The Farmer’s Cheese is a musical especially designed for those with hearing impairments who have received a cochlear implant and had a debut in Chicago on July 16th. This show has previously been performed in the UK and South Africa with the intent to encourage children with cochlear implants to listen to music. The Hearing Rehabilitation Foundation and MED-EL are also sponsoring another performance of the musical on July 18, 3:00 p.m. in Boston with free admission at the St. Raphael Parish Center at 514 High St., Medford. Call 617-628-4537 for more information.

Link: http://chicagoparent.com/magazines/web-only/2011-july/farmers-cheese

CID Early Intervention A–Z Workshop to be held NOV 4, 2011 in ST. LOUIS

A workshop for Early Intervention for Children with Hearing Impairment will be held on Friday, November 4, 2011 at the Central Institute for the Deaf in St. Louis from 8:15 a.m.-4:15 p.m. This course is designed for teachers, SLPs, and early childhood specialists who work with children who are DHH age Birth-3. Providers will find this a general overview of best practices in early intervention in deaf education. Participants will be able to summarize the process from referral to services, describe appropriate services for a young child that is hearing impaired, understand audiological test results, navigation from Part C to Part B, etc.

Link: http://www.infanthearing.org/resources_home/events/docs_events2011/CIDEI.pdf

CID Early Intervention A–Z Workshop to be held SEPTEMBER 30, 2011 at SIUE

A workshop for Early Intervention for Children with Hearing Impairment will be held on Friday, September 30, 2011 at Southern Illinois University–Edwardsville from 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Early Registration is recommended. This course is designed for early education providers, SLPs, and early childhood educators who help children who are DHH and Birth-3, learn listening and spoken language. Providers will find this a general overview of best practices in early intervention in deaf education.

Link: http://www.infanthearing.org/resources_home/events/docs_events2011/SIUEEI.pdf