All posts by nchamstaff

Assistive Technology and Communication and Literacy Development of Young Children with Disabilities

The Center for
Early Literacy Learning (CELL) has published this new meta-analysis,
which included 36 studies of 687 children
with disabilities or delays. The study focused on effectiveness of
different types of assistive technology (AT) for promoting the early
communication and literacy abilities of young children 30 to 87 months
of age. The children used different types of speech
generative devices (e.g., VOCA, CheapTalk, MINISPEAK) and various types
of computer software and devices (e.g., computer-based instruction,
adapted keyboards). Results showed that both types of AT promoted the
children’s communication and literacy-related
behavior.

Link: http://www.earlyliteracylearning.org/cellreviews/cellreviews_v5_n7.pdf

2013 Call for Submissions for Odyssey Magazine, Publication of the Laurent Clerc National Deaf Education Center

Odyssey magazine is looking for articles about how you have advocated for appropriate services and support for deaf and hard of hearing children in your family or school.

Odyssey magazine is published by the Laurent Clerc National Deaf Education Center at Gallaudet University. The magazine print and online editions feature articles about a wide range of issues important to families, educators, and professionals working with deaf and hard of hearing children from birth to age 21. Subscriptions are free.

Please e-mail article ideas to the Odyssey managing editor, Catherine Valcourt-Pearce atcatherine.valcourt-pearce@gallaudet.edu, by October 1, 2012. Fully developed articles are due November 1, 2012.

Link: http://www.gallaudet.edu/clerc_center/2013_odyssey_call_for_submissions_.html

Upcoming Webinar: What Changes Can I Expect from the ACA and How Do I Make the Case for Partnership in My State?

Upcoming Webinar: What Changes Can I Expect from the ACA and How Do I Make the Case for Partnership in My State?  Wednesday, Sept. 19, 2012 @ 2:00 p.m.  – 3:00 p.m. EDT

This webinar is an opportunity to learn about some of the provisions of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) that were designed to protect both eligibility and covered services for the 35.9% of children with special health care needs (CSHCN) who rely on Medicaid or CHIP (NS-CSHCN 2009/10). Participants will also learn about building partnerships amongst Medicaid, CHIP, Title V, patients, families, and other stakeholders to identify improvement projects in their state to better serve all children, including CSHCN.

Featured Speakers:

    Carol Tobias, Director, Health & Disability Working Group, Boston University School of Public Health
    Meg Comeau, Project Director, Catalyst Center, Health & Disability Working Group, Boston University School of Public Health
    Brent Ewig, Director of Public Policy and Government Affairs, Association of Maternal and Child Health Programs (AMCHP)
    Moderator: Beth Dworetzky, Assistant Director, Catalyst Center, Health & Disability Working Group

The webinar is free to attend–please register by following this link to participate. 

Link: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/786065537ster/542908800

$225K grant awarded to UOG to implement Universal Newborn Hearing Screening program

The University of Guam was awarded a $225,000 discretionary grant to implement the
Universal Newborn Hearing Screening and Intervention program. These
funds will be used to ensure children who are born with or develop
hearing loss in infancy are identified early and provided with
appropriate treatment and care.

Link: http://www.guampdn.com/article/20120913/NEWS01/120913002/UPDATE-419K-grants-awarded-UOG-mental-health-department

Winter Session of PPCI to be held in California, January 2013: Applications Now Being Accepted!

The Winter session of PPCI will be held at their California training
location (The Jean Weingarten Peninsula Oral School for the Deaf in
Redwood City, CA) January 7 – 19, 2013.

PPCI is a multifaceted, high impact, professional learning activity
emphasizing listening and spoken language development for children with
hearing loss, birth to age 5, using ALL hearing technologies. This
program supports the development of knowledge and skills that providers
need in order to produce the desired listening and spoken language
outcomes for children and their families. Upon completion of the program
in its entirety, participants are awarded 9 graduate credits and up to
70 hours of CE credits from ASHA and the AG Bell Academy. The
application deadline is October 12, 2012!

Link: http://www.chop.edu/service/cochlear-implant-program/training/

Glasses that let deaf people see sounds

Scientists have developed glasses that allow a deaf person to “see” when
a loud sound such as the honk of a car is made and give an indication
of where it came from. Researchers from the Korea Advanced Institute
of Science and Technology (KAIST) in Daejeon in South Korea made a pair
of glasses for deaf people who lack access to such potentially
life-saving cues. The KAIST team presented the work at the InterNoise conference in New York City. Read more about this by following this link.

Link: http://gadgets.ndtv.com/others/news/now-glasses-that-let-deaf-people-see-sounds-263851

Hospitals and Institute Partner to Bring New Technology to United States

House Research Institute and Children’s Hospital Los Angeles
have announced an international consortium with the University of
Verona in Italy to collaborate on teaching and research to advance the
use of the Auditory Brainstem Implant (ABI) in children worldwide. The
ABI is already used successfully in Italy with the pediatric population
and the goal of the partnership is to bring the hearing implants to deaf children in the United States.

Some children are born with no hearing nerve and cannot be helped by a
hearing aid or a cochlear implant.  The ABI bypasses the inner ear and
hearing nerve to stimulate the brainstem directly allowing the brain to hear sound. Learn more by following this link.

Link: http://www.healthyhearing.com/content/news/Hearing-loss/Treatments/50535-Hospitals-and-institute-partner-to-bring-new-technology-to-united-states

The Hear the World Foundation Makes 3 Moldovan Girls the Gift of Good Hearing

Annually, more than 660,000 children throughout the world are born with
reduced hearing – many of them in developing countries. Via the “52
Children” Project, the Swiss Hear the World Foundation has been
supporting disadvantaged children with hearing loss and has been
supplying them with new, high-quality Phonak hearing aids since 2010.
Free after-care in the country of origin is also assured. Three Moldovan
girls aged 10 and 11 thus received new hearing aids free of charge in
St. Gallen on August 4th, 2012.

Link: http://www.audiologyonline.com/news/news_detail.asp?news_id=5331&utm_source=AudiologyOnline+Newsletters&utm_campaign=8404fa75be-WIR_09_07_2012&utm_medium=email

New Resource Available: State Insurance Department information has been added to our Hearing Aid Legislation page.

State insurance departments are the best sources for company and agent licensing information. Contacting these departments for information is also valuable for inquiries into state regulations on insurance plans, for filing complaints or requesting assistance to have insurance companies pay for hearing aids as an example, if such assistance is provided for or included in a health insurance policy and insurance companies are not indeed paying for such services or have denied a claim. Check out your state’s insurance department for more information by following this link and scrolling to the bottom.

Link: http://www.infanthearing.org/legislation/hearingaid.html