Understanding the relationship between a “restrictive” environment and educational placement of a child can sometimes be unclear. This is a question that often comes up to our friends at the Exceptional Children’s Assistance Center (ECAC), so they have written a blog to address this frequently asked question and provide clarity around what is required by IDEA.

Link: http://nichcy.org/one-on-one-assistants-and-lre

May is Better Hearing and Speech Month, a good reminder for parents to take their child in for a hearing screening if they suspect a problem with hearing or speech. Children learn to speak by listening, and how well they succeed has big consequences on their general happiness, progress at school and later outcomes in life. Hearing problems in children are under-diagnosed, and children who have them too rarely get the services they need, according to ASHA.

Link: http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865579161/May-is-Better-Hearing-and-Speech-Month-does-your-child-need-to-be-checked.html

A new easy-to-use online directory, EHDI-PALS, helps families find the nearest clinic that can provide the type of hearing service their child needs. A national group of health professionals and parents developed a free web-based list of pediatric hearing audiology facilities, known as the Pediatric Audiology Links to Services (PALS).

The CDC EHDI homepage: http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/hearingloss/index.html  features a “button” leading to the PALS website. This button can be copied and distributed by states and organizations to facilitate access to this new resource.

PALS is managed by a non-profit group of government, professional and service organizations.  It is not connected to any marketing effort by the facilities listed. Parents can explore different possible facilities on PALS before making contact. PALS has information about hearing (audiology) services for infants, toddlers, preschool, and school-age children. All of the facilities listed must report that they have the right equipment and expertise to serve children, and have licensed audiologists.

Link: http://ehdipals.org/SmartTool/EP_SmartTool.aspx

A poor child is likely to hear millions fewer words at home than a child from a professional family. And the disparity matters. An idea that is creeping into policy debate is that the key to early learning is talking–specifically, a child’s exposure to language spoken by parents and caretakers from birth to age 3, the more the better. 

Link: http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/04/10/the-power-of-talking-to-your-baby/

Over the past 4 years, three conferences for CGHH have taken place in Washington, DC, March, 2010; Los Angeles, California, September, 2011; Pretoria, South Africa, June, 2012 that have solidified the organization. Now the 4th CGHH Conference is scheduled for May 3-4, 2013 at The Bill Wilkerson Clinic at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee. 

The Annual Conference is a key component of the Coalition’s work, and it provides an opportunity to learn and explore hearing health programs and practices offered in low resources communities across the globe. Follow this link for registration information.

Link: http://coalitionforglobalhearinghealth.org/

The Frontiers in Hearing Symposium will be held from July 11-13, 2013 in Vail, Colorado. The Symposium will provide participants with the most current information about emerging practices in the delivery of hearing services. 

Register early to ensure your attendance at the Symposium! Early registration deadline is June 1st!

Link: http://www.mariondowns.com/education/frontiers-in-hearing-symposium

The 2013 EHDI E-Book is now available as a valuable resource guide for Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) programs. This guide can be viewed directly online or the PDF versions of the contents can be downloaded as needed. Check it out on infanthearing.org!

Link: http://www.infanthearing.org/ehdi-ebook/index.html

A tiny transducer is set to help make middle ear implants available to more people with severe hearing loss.

Link: http://www.medgadget.com/2013/04/tiny-transducer-to-make-middle-ear-implants-available-to-more-people.html

At the start of the 2012 academic year, Gallaudet introduced a new partnership that is revolutionizing communication. FuzeBox, a startup that sells high-definition video-conferencing applications, is providing a platform that allows Gallaudet users to sign with each other.

Link: http://www.forbes.com/sites/emilycanal/2013/04/08/startup-allows-deaf-community-to-communicate-visually/

About 95 percent of children born deaf have hearing parents and because of their unfamiliarity and unawareness of the full range of approved resources and schools available to them, these Florida parents were left to wonder if they made the right decisions for their indiviual situations.

Link: http://www.gainesville.com/article/20130412/OPINION/130419834/1109/sports?Title=Dana-Halvorsen-Choices-for-deaf-children&tc=ar