NCHAM Webinar on 11/19: Providers’ Use of Coaching Behaviors in Telepractice

Presented by: Arlene Stedler-Brown

When: November 19th, 1:30 ET

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) assures infants and toddlers with disabilities, and their family members, receive family-centered early intervention (FCEI). There is an extant body of evidence documenting the use of FCEI provider behaviors when therapy is delivered in the traditional in-person condition. In a recent research study, Dr. Stredler-Brown investigated the use of a different service delivery platform – telepractice – to deliver FCEI to infants and toddlers who are deaf or hard of hearing (DHH). Telepractice utilizes telecommunication technologies to deliver health-related services and information to support patient care and is provided from a distance to a client. In this exploratory study, Dr. Stredler-Brown investigated the potential of telepractice to enhance providers’ use of participatory-based FCEI behaviors. The results of the study review how often selected FCEI provider behaviors occur in the telepractice condition in contrast to the frequency of each behavior as it occurs in the in-person condition reported in the literature. Dr. Stredler-Brown also investigated the relationship between characteristics of providers (i.e., training discipline, experience with telepractice) and the providers’ use of FCEI behaviors. The findings from this study will be discussed in the context of the growing use of telepractice. If providers use similar amounts of FCEI behaviors in both in-person therapy and telepractice, there may be more support for the expanding use of telepractice.

Link: http://www.infanthearing.org/resources_home/events/coaching-behaviors-in-telepractice.html

Schools Must Comply with System Requirements for Students with Hearing Loss

According to information from Listen Technologies and OWI, many schools are unaware of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements that relate to hearing impaired students. The ADA mandates that schools install assistive listening devices in every newly constructed or altered classroom or assembly area. – See more at: http://www.hearingreview.com/2015/08/schools-must-comply-system-requirements-hearing-impaired-students/#sthash.4FYrLuSG.dpuf

Link: http://www.hearingreview.com/2015/08/schools-must-comply-system-requirements-hearing-impaired-students/

Introducing NCHAM’s new free online Tele-intervention Learning Courses! 

Tele-Intervention (TI) – the provision of early intervention services via teleconferencing technology – has become increasingly popular as a method to increase access to services for families of children with special needs, especially families of children who are deaf or hard of hearing. To support early intervention programs that are interested in implementing TI, three online introductory level courses are available: one for administrators, one for providers, and one for families.  These courses are offered free of charge, thanks to funding from the Daniels Fund. See these courses at www.ti101.org

Charter school opens ‘a larger world’ with ASL

When Raphael Martinez helped launch the Albuquerque Sign Language Academy six years ago, he wondered if the charter school would take off, but he was driven to try for the sake of his now 12-year-old son Ben, who is deaf and has special needs.

Today, the K-12 academy has 100 children enrolled, a waiting list of 40 and plans to expand to a much larger building at the Sawmill community land trust near Downtown Albuquerque.

Link: http://www.abqjournal.com/661258/news/charter-school-opens-a-larger-world.html