For Holly Maniatty of Portland, Maine, actions certainly do speak louder than words, as thousands of concert-goers use her skill as a certified American sign language interpreter to follow along to the lyrics of headlining artists such as Phish, Wu-Tang Clan and Bruce Springsteen.
Link: http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/entertainment/2013/07/sign-language-interpreter-keeps-up-with-phish-wu-tang-clan-and-springsteen/
Claudia Gordon Appointed as Public Engagement Advisor at the White House
Claudia Gordon was recently appointed as the Public Engagement Advisor for the Disability Community in the Office of Public Engagement at the White House. She is the first deaf African American woman to become an attorney as well as the first deaf student to graduate from the American University (AU) Washington College of Law in Washington, DC in 2000. The discrimination Gordon experienced as a deaf child in Jamaica compelled her to become a lawyer. At age eight, she moved to the United States and attended the Lexington School for the Deaf in New York where she learned sign language.
Link: http://www.nad.org/news/2013/7/nad-applauds-appointment-claudia-gordon-public-engagement-advisor-white-house
Save the Date for the 2014 EHDI Annual Meeting
The abstract submission process is now open through October 7, 2013. It is going to be great EHDI Meeting in Jacksonsville, Florida!
Link: http://www.infanthearing.org/meeting/planning2014/EHDI-SaveTheDate-2014.pdf
Digital Assistance for Sign Language Users
Researchers from Microsoft Research Asia have collaborated with colleagues from the Institute of Computing Technology at the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) to explore how Kinect’s body-tracking abilities can be applied to the problem of sign-language recognition. Results have been encouraging in enabling people whose primary language is sign language to interact more naturally with their computers, in much the same way that speech recognition does.
Link: http://blogs.technet.com/b/inside_microsoft_research/archive/2013/07/16/digital-assistance-for-sign-language-users.aspx
Children with unilateral hearing loss are more likely to struggle in school
Children born with a complete absence of the external ear canal, even if only one ear is affected, are more likely than their peers to struggle in school, according to new research at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.
Link: http://www.news-medical.net/news/20130720/Children-with-unilateral-hearing-loss-are-more-likely-to-struggle-in-school.aspx
Bullying and Hearing Loss
Reactions to children who are deaf or hard of hearing can sometimes lead to bullying by others. Read more about ways to be aware of potential bullying and how parents and children can be better equipped to handle this.
Link: http://www.listeningandspokenlanguage.org/Document.aspx?id=1191
Link: http://www.listeningandspokenlanguage.org/Document.aspx?id=1191
Tips for Activities that Parents can do with Children who have Hearing Loss
The Hearing Review News shares some helpful activities that parents can do with children who have hearing loss. For parents who choose listening and spoken language for their children who have hearing loss, these are some tips that can help in developing speech, language and listening skills.
Link: http://www.hearingreview.com/news/21768-parent-activities-for-children-with-hearing-loss/
July Edition of "Probes and Tips" is Now Available
The July edition of Probes and Tips is now available: New Tutorial Video Modules for “Independent” Learners!
Link: http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs154/1102782899287/archive/1114004815205.html
CUHK Research Reveals Impact of Mild Hearing Loss on School Children
A recent research of The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) revealed that children with mild bilateral hearing loss (defined as having hearing threshold in between 26-40 dB HL), if not diagnosed and intervened early, would miss up to 50% of speech sounds which may result in significant communication and learning difficulties, lack of energy and shorter attention span.
Link: http://www.healthcanal.com/ear-nose-throat/40521-cuhk-research-reveals-impact-of-mild-hearing-loss-on-school-children.html
Science is moving fast in addressing genetic causes of deafness
“Over the next decade, most of the variant genes responsible for deafness will be identified, and such knowledge will lead to the development of practical treatments.” So predict four scientists from the University of Miami writing in the June 2013 issue of Genetic Testing and Molecular Biomarkers (GTMB). Read more at the Hearing Health Matters website.