All posts by nchamstaff

Earworm has just released a new dialogue on hearing health you won’t be able to stop thinking about. This new episode is entitled, Family-to-Family Support as a key resource when empowering families with children who are deaf or hard of hearing to become informed decision makers.. This episode features a conversation with Janet DesGeorges, Executive Director of Hands & Voices. Janet discusses the various aspects of family-to-family support and explores how it can significantly benefit families with deaf or hard-of-hearing children, emphasizing the importance of having easy access to this valuable resource early on in the process. You won’t want to miss this practical and insightful discussion.    

The Earworm podcast features conversations with a wide array of professionals, family members, advocates, and scientists whose experiences, ideas, curiosities, and activities are committed to ensuring that all children who are deaf or hard-of-hearing can thrive. The Earworm podcast is available for streaming anywhere you listen to podcasts, as well as on www.earwormpodcast.org.

Join us on Thursday, Feb. 8th at 10am MST for a webinar entitled “Unilateral Is Not Uniform”.

Register at this link: https://usu.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_eLQh3rjWFOgu6JU

Webinar Description

Since the implementation of universal newborn hearing screening, the number of very young children diagnosed with hearing loss in just one ear has dramatically increased. However, the etiology, technology needs, and therapy requirements of each child can vary. In this session, five unique profiles of unilateral hearing loss will be discussed. Each profile is based on the etiology of hearing loss and will include a description of the amplification and habilitation for listening and spoken language that Sunshine Cottage School Parent Infant Program has adopted. Case studies of each profile will also be presented.

By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

Categorize unilateral hearing loss based on the five profiles presented.

Identify unique aspects of each profile of unilateral hearing loss and how they impact amplification and therapeutic needs.

Develop amplification and intervention plans for very young children with unilateral hearing loss based on the profiles presented.

Webinar Presenters:

Ana Sei: Ana Laura Sei graduated from The University of Texas at San Antonio with a degree in Interdisciplinary Studies; specializing in Bilingual Education. Growing up bilingual in a border town, she felt the necessity to maintain children’s native language and use it as an educational tool to foster second language acquisition. Shortly after earning her Bachelor’s degree, she pursued her Master’s Degree in Deaf Education and Hearing Sciences from The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, graduating in May 2012. She has been a part of Sunshine Cottage School for Deaf Children since August 2010, where she has worked as a graduate assistant, teacher assistant, and now serves families as a bilingual Parent Infant Advisor.

Logan Horner: Dr. Horner has been working as a licensed audiologist since 2009. She received her Bachelor’s of Science in Speech and Hearing Sciences in May of 2005 and her Doctorate of Audiology in May of 2009. Both of her degrees were from Texas Tech University Health Science Center. She is clinically certified by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. She first began her career at Sunshine Cottage as an audiology intern. After completion of her internship, she was blessed with being able to stay on as a full-time audiologist for eight years. In July of 2016, she decided to spread her professional wings and worked at a cochlear implant clinic in San Antonio. She enjoyed working with adults and children at this clinic, but her wings carried her back to Sunshine Cottage. Dr. Horner was humbly excited for the opportunity to return to Sunshine Cottage in July of 2017. She will provide the full range of diagnostic rehabilitative services, including Auditory Brainstem Response (ABR) testing for infants, Cochlear Implant assessments and mapping, Bone Anchored Hearing Aid assessment and programming, and traditional hearing aid programming. Dr. Horner is also an Adjunct Professor with the Deaf Education and Hearing Science Program in the School of Medicine at the UT Health-San Antonio. She feels privileged to help future deaf educators understand the intricacies of audiology. Dr. Horner truly feels blessed to be working with the families and staff of Sunshine Cottage. She believes walking alongside parents and children with hearing loss at Sunshine Cottage is a gift from above.

EHDI Virtual Office Hours | EHDI 101: Tips for the Primary Care Medical Home Clinician! Live event: February 22, 2024 | 11:15 – 11:45 am Central/12:15 – 12:45 pm Eastern

Register at this link: https://aap.webex.com/webappng/sites/aap/meeting/register/3444702d402f4cfe9c2b49d9d50352d1?ticket=4832534b000000070e4968e32f53a13f911b22389ff2187ab2245a260ca1c0985890a8382ba5d86f&timestamp=1707259220589&RGID=rdf5ba81d6c7322148c02e45f59bf5ac0

Join the American Academy of Pediatrics Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) program for a 4-part series of virtual office hours. Each session includes a recorded didactic presentation available for viewing anytime, followed by a live Q/A with the audience members. Whether you’re a pediatric health care provider (PCP), seeking to optimize language outcomes for children that are d/Deaf or Hard of Hearing or another member of the EHDI community, this session provides an invaluable chance to enrich your understanding of the EHDI system.

In our second session on February 22nd, we will explain the EHDI 1-3-6 benchmarks and learn the pivotal role of pediatric PCPs in their advancement. Discover collaborative strategies for PCPs and EHDI system partners to achieve these crucial benchmarks. All are welcome to participate!
Feel free to submit any questions you may have on this topic through the registration form. Join us for real-time technical assistance on key EHDI topics!

Access slides here: https://players.brightcove.net/6056665225001/default_default/index.html?videoId=6346020935112

Last chance to nominate for the Family Leadership in EHDI Award! Nominations are invited for the Family Leadership in EHDI Programs to be presented at the 2024 National EHDI Conference in Denver, Colorado from March 17-19, 2024. This is the eighth year for this award and will honor a parent or family member of a child who is deaf or hard of hearing (DHH) for providing exemplary leadership in their state EHDI system. NCHAM’s Family Advisory Committee will review nominations and select the recipient. The award will be announced at the EHDI Conference.

Nominees must meet all of the following criteria:

1. Is a parent or family member of a child who is DHH

2. Is actively involved in their state’s EHDI system

3. Has made important contributions to EHDI-related policies, procedures, and/or improved services

Nominations must be sent to Laura Gramer at laura.gramer@wahandsandvoices.org by February 2, 2024 and include:

1. Nomination form

2. A 500-word essay that describes publications, policies or guidelines that improved the effectiveness of EHDI system, development and dissemination of educational materials, development and dissemination of effective public awareness campaigns, establishment of a successful family-to-family support program or other accomplishments that describe why this person should receive the Family Leadership Award. Please save the essay file with nominator’s initials (example: name: Eddie Dee- save file as “ED Nomination essay”).