Sonar is a research scientist who happens to be Deaf. He also has
extraordinary powers including superhuman intelligence and super
strength. Like many young Deaf people, Sonar wears a Cochlear Implant
but Sonar’s Implant has a very special “super” feature – it warns him of
impending danger. The UK’s leading medical research charity for people with hearing loss,
Deafness Research UK, is launching an exciting new competition for young
people to encourage them to think about their hearing and how science
could help improve life for people who are Deaf, deafened or hard of
hearing. My Hearing, My Future will be open to young people aged 10-18 years from
across the UK from 17 October 2011 and entries will be invited in
English or British Sign Language. Entrants are being invited to help
“Sonar”, Deafness Research UK’s very own Superhero, by contributing
ideas on research, technologies and inventions that could help him
improve the world for people with hearing loss. Read more about this really cool idea.

Link: http://www.prfire.co.uk/hearing-aids/superhero-calls-on-young-people-to-join-his-mission-to-improve-the-world-for-people-with-hearing-loss-78832.html

Limited health literacy results when people are not able to find and use the health information they need. Health literacy impacts all of us. As public health
professionals, we are responsible for communicating vital information to
protect people’s health. Too often, this information is technical and
unfamiliar. Communicating health information that people can understand
and use effectively should be a top priority. HealthyPeople.gov is launching a campaign to take such action in promoting health literacy. Learn
more about health communication and health information technology.

Link: http://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/topicsobjectives2020/overview.aspx?source=govdelivery&topicid=18

Tele-intervention (TI)  – the provision of early
intervention services for children birth to three and their families –
is a growing method for bringing specialized services to families of
children with hearing loss. The Tele-intervention
Resource Guide reflects
the pioneer efforts of six EI programs from across the country. The
guide highlights recommended practices for conducting TI sessions along
with important information about technology considerations, licensure
and reimbursement, as well as how
to ensure privacy and security.  Are you involved in providing TI? If
so, learn more about our learning community of TI providers via the TI
Resource guide. 

Link: http://infanthearing.org/ti-guide/index.html

Mobile devices such as smart phones, tablet computers, and MP3/iPods can be used as hearing assistive technology (HAT). Sound output is possible through the built-in speaker of the devices or
by connecting transducers, including earphones, earbuds, or telecoils. The actual devices, when used with
appropriate apps, can enhance or modify the incoming sound or convert
it to a visual signal. This article discusses the implications for current technology and use, but also discusses what some of the current issues are related to the technology and the need for further research and improvement.

Link: http://www.asha.org/Publications/leader/2011/111011/Apps-With-Amps--Mobile-Devices,-Hearing-Assistive-Technology,-and-Older-Adults/

Link: http://www.neparentcenters.org/glossary/index.html

Child Health Day is a national observance intended to highlight the
importance of children’s health in the United States.  This year’s
theme, Helping Children Lead Healthy Lives, reminds us that nothing is more important than the health of our children. Recently, on October 3rd in celebration of Child Health Day, a video was launched to provide information on the important role of Family-to-Family Health Information Centers in providing needed information, training, technical assistance, and peer support to families of children with special health care needs.

Link: http://www.fv-ncfpp.org/

As discussed in Education Week electronic newsletter,
changes in technology have had a dramatic effect on how children who are
deaf or hard of hearing are taught. Technology, including visual or text-communication devices and
speech-to-print software as well as the wider use of cochlear implants,
can generally be positive influences on the education of Deaf or Hard of Hearing students. 

Link: http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/speced/2011/09/changes_in_technology_have_had.html

The Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing
(AG Bell) released a monograph that presents the findings of a
groundbreaking analysis that applies a widely used business strategic
planning tool to gain new insights into the strengths, weaknesses,
opportunities, and threats of statewide early hearing detection and
intervention programs (EHDI) across the nation. The results provide a
guideline for strengthening EHDI systems in each state to provide
comprehensive care to infants and young children with hearing loss.

Link: http://www.prweb.com/releases/2011/9/prweb8781432.htm

PCBs are long recognized as a concern for human health. They are linked
to cancer and effects on the immune, reproductive and neurological
systems. The suite of industrial chemicals was banned in the late 1970s
after decades of use as insulators and stabilizers in electrical
transformers, lubricants and many other industrial applications. Yet,
people and wildlife are still exposed to the persistent pollutants. Rats that were exposed to these mixtures of persistent chemicals while
developing in the womb and while nursing had impaired inner ear function
and hearing loss as adults. The results confirm both rodent and human research that find PCB
exposures can result in cochlear dysfunction and – importantly – extends
this disruption to a mixture of PCBs and PBDEs.

Link: http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/ehs/newscience/2011/09/2011-1003-pcbs-pbdes-mix-cochlea-rats

The Hearing Health Foundation recently hosted their 2011 Summit Conference: The Promise of Cell Regeneration. The conference brought together the nation’s leaders in the field of cell regeneration
research in the ear to discuss current research and potential therapies
to restore hearing through the Hearing Restoration Project (HRP). The HRP is a Consortium made up of some of the most talented, creative,
inspired researchers in the area of cell regeneration in the ear, both
mid-level and senior-level investigators whose work has already
contributed significantly to the field. Hearing loss affects 36 Million Americans, 60 percent of returning veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan, and 1 in 5 adolescents and this field of research is bringing hope to the possibility of developing a cure for hearing loss.

Link: http://www.marketwatch.com/story/cure-for-hearing-loss-in-a-decade-accelerates-as-nations-dream-team-of-scientists-collaborate-2011-10-03