Great Start: Deaf and Hard of Hearing: Birth Through Age 6

Monday, August 3

Deaf Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders: Perspectives from Research, Parents, and Teachers
8:45 a.m.–noon, Act 48, Infant/Toddler: 3 hours; ASHA: 0.3 CEU; Psych: 3.25 CE hours

While the incidence of autism spectrum disorders in children who are deaf or hard of hearing (1 in 76) is higher than hearing children (1 in 150), research on this topic remains extremely scarce. Unfortunately, the lack of research leaves many unanswered questions as to how to best serve these children. Using past research and her current national research project, Christen Szymanski will present findings pertaining to the reported characteristics of deaf children with autism, from both parents and teachers. Information about the early warning signs of autism in children who are deaf, and considerations that should be made for the child’s hearing loss, will be presented. This presentation will be interactive, with insight from the audience requested throughout.

Christen Szymanski, M.A., a late-deafened adult, is finishing her doctoral training in clinical psychology at Gallaudet University. While working at a summer camp for children with autism, she discovered her interest in research and working with deaf children with multiple disabilities. During her externship at Kennedy Krieger Institute at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, she has acquired both assessment and intervention experiences working with children who have developmental disabilities. Her doctoral training and dissertation project have focused specifically on deaf children with autism.

To the LEFT, to the RIGHT, NO … DOWN THERE, Maybe Not … UP THERE …
Where's That Noise and What Is It?
8:45 a.m.–noon, Act 48, Infant/Toddler: 3 hours; ASHA: 0.3 CEU

Why is listening so important in the early years? From birth, children with typical hearing learn many skills through incidental listening. Yet these same skills need to be taught directly to children with hearing loss. Families and professionals must work together to provide opportunities to make this a part of daily routines in the home, community, and preschool. Participants will create games using "household materials." They will also examine ways to use daily activities and commercial games to make listening fun and an integral part of the life of each family and classroom. Registration for this session is limited.

Ruth Ann R. Adams, M.Ed., is a consultant/teacher of the deaf and hard of hearing. She has been providing hearing and developmental services in Allegheny County for twenty years. She considers it a privilege to partner with families in early intervention.

Early Intervention (EI) Tips and Tools for Children with Severe and Sensory Impairments, Including Deafblindness
8:45 a.m.–noon, Act 48, ACVREP, Infant/Toddler: 3 hours; ASHA: 0.3 CEU; Psych: 3.25 CE hours

Very young children with severe and sensory impairment, including deafblindness, challenge us to understand and address unique learning needs. This session will provide information about the foundation of effective intervention, including tools for observing how the child uses vision, hearing, and touch, and tips for optimizing learning and communication. A framework of coordinated services by an EI team who can integrate strategies across disciplines in natural environments will be presented.

Margaret L. Lashbrook, M.S., is a national consultant in deafblindness. She has served more than sixteen years as the Delaware state deafblind project coordinator, and also worked as a classroom teacher. She is a retired member of the Delaware Part C Birth Mandate Team who provided coordination, consultation, and direct services to children ages birth through two years with deafblindness.

Family Centered Practice: Relationship-Focused Early Intervention Strategies
1:00–4:15 p.m., Act 48, Infant/Toddler: 3 hours; ASHA: 0.3 CEU; Psych: 3.25 CE hours

We have entered a particularly optimistic era in service delivery for infants who are deaf and hard of hearing, and their families. Early identification through newborn hearing screening places families in a proactive position as they work to support their infant's communication development. Improved technologies provide earlier and better access to spoken language opportunities. To capitalize on this positive momentum, early intervention models must evolve in strategic ways. This presentation focuses on specific techniques for building partnerships with families. Strategies for coaching in natural settings will be modeled and discussed. Unique considerations for working with infants with hearing loss and their families will be described.

Mary Pat Moeller, Ph.D., has been the director of the Center for Childhood Deafness at Boys Town National Research Hospital since 1994. She completed a doctorate in child language and deafness at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and is currently conducting National Institutes of Health-funded research on early word learning in infants with normal hearing and with hearing loss. She and her colleagues developed the Web site My Baby's Hearing.

Developmental Changes in the Communication of Young Children with Hearing Loss
1:00–4:15 p.m., Act 48, Infant/Toddler: 3 hours; ASHA: 0.3 CEU; Psych: 3.25 CE hours

This session will focus on changes in the spoken and sign communication of young children who are deaf. Documentation of twenty-two children's sign handshapes and movements, and their speech production, revealed a positive relationship between sign acquisition and consonant acquisition that has not been documented in previous research. Implications of this are supported by research on young hearing children's communication development, with parallels between manipulative handshapes and movements that appear to have a developmental bearing on the onset of speech and first words. Video footage will accompany the presentation, with opportunities for audience input.

Brenda C. Seal, Ph.D., is a professor in communication sciences and disorders at James Madison University. She is certified by the ASHA as a speech-language pathologist. She is also a thirty-three year certified member (CSC) of the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf, Inc. Brenda's research interests are in sign language, deafness, early language acquisition, and autism.

Developing Functional Communication for Young Students with Multiple Disabilities Including Visual Impairments and Deafblindness
1:00–4:15 p.m., Act 48, ACVREP, Infant/Toddler: 3 hours; ASHA: 0.3 CEU; Psych: 3.25 CE hours

The presenter will explain a step-by-step process for assessing topics that are most motivating for individual students with disabilities to communicate with their parents, caregivers, siblings, and peers. The students' interests will be used to develop emerging communication. This session will also address communication links to early literacy skills as well as documenting progress across communication skills.

Amy Parker, Ed.D., has fifteen years of experience in the field of deafblindness. Recently she has been using three-dimensional object symbols and voice output devices with students who have multiple disabilities including visual impairments. She is also the parent of two children, one of which is on the autism spectrum.