Fun and Learning at the 2017 Technology Fair

A huge thank you to all the families, professionals, and vendors who participated in the Center for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Education’s first Deaf and Hard of Hearing Technology Fair!  Approximately 75 technology enthusiasts gathered on a rainy Saturday in November for this special event at Launch Fishers, a collaborative co-working space for innovative, high-impact entrepreneurs in Fishers, Indiana. 

It was the perfect venue for our featured guest speaker, Shireen Hafeez of Deaf Kids Code, who provided a hands-on “Next Generation Start Up” workshop for the teens. Parents and professionals browsed vendor booths and learned about the latest technology serving deaf and hard of hearing children, while the younger kids worked on art and technology projects.

A highlight of the event was a special presentation by Dr. Chad Ruffin using virtual reality technology to simulate the inside of the human body.  Dr. Ruffin, one of the world’s only congenitally deaf surgeons, challenged the teens to work hard and focus on their strengths and talents to reach their potential in today’s high-tech world.

We’re so glad that the event was a success, and we look forward to planning more family events for 2018!

William "Billy" Schwall, Compliance and Outcomes Coordinator

The Center is pleased to welcome William “Billy” Schwall to his position as the Compliance and Outcomes Coordinator. 

Billy has worked at the Center since its inception developing a comprehensive, integrative data system from the ground up.  In his new position, he will continue to provide  data tracking and analysis to help guide Center strategic planning. He will formalize and analyze compliance and quality assurance initiatives for the Center.  In addition, he acts as project manager for various projects and events.  His role at the Center is directly linked to essential functions described in our founding statute and requires him to work closely with all Center departments. He works collaboratively with many external agencies to move Center initiatives forward, including ISDH, EHDI, DOE Office of Special Education and FSSA/First Steps.

Billy has a strong knowledge of state systems and programs serving deaf and hard of hearing children.  He has a Master’s of Business Administration degree from Davenport University specializing in management information systems and many years of related experience in Michigan and Indiana.  He is also a Certified Deaf Interpreter and holds SKI HI Deaf Mentor Certification. 

Billy has been married to Janet Schwall for 25 years, and they have two children, Britta and Jake, who both attend the National Technical Institute for the Deaf, a college of Rochester Institute of Technology.

Early Intervention: Resources for Early Language and Communication Developmen

In the last issue of Brain Builders, we shared an article about research on language development and an app that provides text messages for parents encouraging positive relationships and support for early learning at home.  Parents can text “BLOOM” to 95577 to sign up. If you work with families of young children, please share this free program with them. 

Another great resource has been developed by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) especially for parents to track your child’s development.  Parents can download this new app that will track the child’s development and also provide resources and information appropriate to your child’s developmental level.  

Check it out at their website: https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/actearly/milestones/index.html.  

There is a link to the app as well as printable materials providers can use and a quiz to test yourself on developmental milestones. 

Children’s brains grow rapidly, and language and communication development should be expected to develop generally at the same rate regardless of hearing levels, as long as the child is provided access to language.  However, some children may develop in some areas more quickly than others.  Our providers and partners through the Center are equipped with specialized knowledge, skills and resources to help parents avoid barriers and unlock the potential of each child. 

If you know of a family in need of specialized early intervention services available through the Center for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Network, contact us at 1-855-875-5193 or email cdhhenetwork@isdh.in.gov.

We are also interested in expanding our pool of early intervention providers in order to offer services to every child identified with hearing loss in every part of the state of Indiana.  We currently have providers who drive great distances if necessary to ensure families have access to our specialized services, and we would love to have more providers on our team as we continue to find newly identified children through the Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Program.

If you are interested in joining our CDHHE Network, please contact Cindy Lawrence at 317-232-0899 or clawrence@isdh.in.gov.  If you have questions about qualifications to become a First Steps provider through our network please don’t hesitate to contact us. 

Sound Advice: Hearing Aids Matter!

Results from the Outcomes of Children with Hearing Loss Study (OCHL)

A team of investigators at Boys Town National Research Hospital, the University of Iowa, and the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill has been tracking the outcomes of preschool-aged children who are hard of hearing and wear hearing aids.  

Theirfindings indicate that the practices of early identification and consistent use of well-fit hearing aids promote positive speech and language outcomes for these children. 

The results of this study provide evidenced-based direction for best practice implementation and the team has created materials that highlight key findings and implications of their work for professionals and families.

Downloadable pdfs including the handout below are available at www.ochlstudy.org.

Red Flags and When to Refer for Testing

Students who are deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) may be placed in school systems where there are not very many other DHH students, as DHH is a low incidence population in Indiana when compared to other Article 7 eligibilities. Here is some information that parents and educators can use to know when to refer a student for testing.

The first step is to make sure you and the individuals working with your DHH student expect the student to have achievement levels equal to their same-abled peers. Be sure you are familiar with typical developmental milestones for language and academics. Throw out any old myths and preconceptions, and continue to follow current literature and research.

When determining if you need further or additional testing, consider if the student has any birth or early risk factors, which may include prematurity, low birth weight, birth injury, sensory issues, chronic illness, oxygen deprivation, exposure to alcohol or drugs, malnutrition or neglect, neurological diagnosis, and/or syndromes. Additionally, listen to your student’s parents. These parents know their children in all environments and work with the student one-on-one, whereas teachers will have multiple children they see.  Parents often are more in tune with small changes with the student; therefore, it is essential parental concerns be addressed professionally and not dismissed.

As you observe your DHH student, there are some behaviors that should cause concern and not be ignored which may include the following:

· Language delays that are not improving with intervention

· Academic delays that are not responding to typical supports

· Behavioral difference from typical peers

· Attention struggles

· Sadness or withdrawal

· Isolation from class and peers

· Changes from previous performance in language, academics and/or behavior

· Growing gaps from age-appropriate levels

· Difficulties with sensory seeking or sensory avoidance

· Visual processing struggles or visual spatial disorder

· Fine or gross motor differences

Over-testing students is always a risk and is certainly to be avoided, so be sure you are reviewing previous available information, collecting ample data on student behavior and performance, observing the student in a variety of situations, referring the student to the RtI/MTSS teams when appropriate, and consulting with professionals who specialize in the student’s areas of need. If those efforts prove unsuccessful, then referring a student for further testing may be the most appropriate action. However, keep in mind that for initial DHH referrals, these students should not be sent through RtI/MTSS team process, but receive a full assessment for eligibility considerations.

Unfortunately, educators who are not in the specialized field of DHH often believe that some atypical behaviors are normal for DHH students. Given that DHH is indeed a low incidence population, more education on what is or is not a typical DHH behavior may be needed. A typically developing DHH student would not have language delays, statistically lower verbal IQ scores than performance IQ scores, sadness or depression, academic struggles, sensory processing challenges, visual processing struggles, or behavioral outbursts/challenges.

The Center is available to assist schools with in-service training, consultation, observations, and assessment at no cost to schools or families.  Our assessment professionals have specialized skills in the area of deaf or hard of hearing education, including audiologists, speech language pathologists, a school psychologist, American Sign Language specialists, an occupational therapist, and a physical therapist. Our team works together to determine each DHH student’s access to information and to identify any additional needs, providing schools and families with a comprehensive report with accompanying recommendations for consideration. The Center believes in a whole-child approach and partnering with schools and families to help students meet their optimum potential. Contact us with any questions at 317-750-0246, our main line for both phone calls and text messages.

Alyssa Rex: EHDI Program Director

As part of the Indiana State Department of Health, the Center for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Education works collaboratively with the EHDI Program and is happy to welcome their new director, Dr. Alyssa K. Rex!
Dr. Rex is the newly appointed Director for the Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) Program.  She was previously the EHDI Follow-up Coordinator.  She is the administrative lead for all aspects of the EHDI program, including program and staff development and oversight, data reporting and quality for “1-3-6”, and grant activities. 

Previously, Dr. Rex practiced pediatric audiology at ENT & Associates in Fort Wayne, Indiana and served as the Associate Director prior to relocating to Indianapolis.
Her passion has always been pediatric-focused, whether she performed comprehensive evaluations, provided rehabilitation services, implemented programmatic changes due to evidence-based practices in the clinical and/or public sector or collaborating with various organizations serving the community of deaf or hard of hearing children.  

Staff Spotlight: Laura Burklew

The Center for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Education is happy to welcome our newest Early Intervention Specialist, Laura Burklew! 

Laura has a BS from Purdue and is near completion of her Masters of Public Health  from IUPUI.  She transferred to the Center for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Education from the Indiana State Department of Health HIV/STD/Hepatitis division, where she was the HIV Continuum Quality Manager. 

Laura has a background in child development and family services, child health and public health. Laura will be providing developmental therapy/parent advising services throughout the state for Deaf and Hard of Hearing children who are currently enrolled in First Steps. Before becoming a First Steps provider, Laura was a service coordinator for Cluster G (central Indianapolis area) for six and a half years. Laura has a wealth of knowledge and we are excited to have her on our team of CDHHE Network specialized Parent Advisors.

Indiana DHH Transition Alliance Presents - Prepare for Success: Life After High School

Register for Prepare for Success: Life After High School

From the Director Christine Moody       Welcome to a new year! We hope your holidays were a special time with family and friends – a time for remembering and a time for making new memories. Now, it’s January and full steam ahead into 2018 as every department of the Center works to promote positive outcomes for Deaf and hard of hearing children in Indiana! Now that the Center is well-established in the state, we are providing direct services to the maximum of our ability in the central office and seeking ways to utilize our regional offices more fully. We are challenged to balance these direct services with the equally, if not more, important functions of sharing resources, information, and best practices with families and professionals alike.  This role of providing the support and technical assistance to families and professionals across the state is ultimately the way that we will help to generate improved outcomes. We can’t do it alone. We work closely with so many entities toward this mission of promoting positive outcomes. At identification and diagnoses, we work with medical and clinical providers and the Early Hearing Detection and Intervention program of ISDH. At the time of those critical years of early intervention, we work with FSSA/First Steps and private early intervention agencies around the state. Beginning at the time of transition, prior to age three, we work with other assessment professionals, the local education agency and various public and private placement options. Once children are enrolled in school and become ‘students’, we continue to work with DOE, Office of Special Education, with the many Indiana Resource Networks (IRNs), Special Education Directors, schools and educational professionals around the state.  Throughout this process, the Center values that the family and the child remain the focus.  Everyone involved needs to assess and monitor that the student is ultimately on the best path for positive outcomes. How can we accomplish positive outcomes? Where do we get our authority?  According to Gordon Training International which focuses on trainings for parents and teachers, there are four types of authority.  There is authority based on your expertise, or earned authority.  There is positional authority, which is tied to mutually understood or agreed upon duties or a job. It is sometimes called designated or legitimated authority.    There is authority related to your relationships and informal contracts or personal commitments.  And finally, there is authority based on power whereby you use power or hierarchy to control or influence outcomes. I would suggest that the Center has primarily expertise or earned authority. To a lesser extent we have authority because the state of Indiana and a large stakeholder group created our ‘job’ and duties in the state.  We can use these two types of authority to develop relationships and gain some informal authority as well.  But we have no power authority. So, accomplishing our mission mostly requires positive relationships.  The Center must define, measure, and analyze outcomes, but only by working collaboratively to build capacity across all organizations will we together have the power to influence change. _________________________________________________________________________ * Chistine Moody will be moving out of state this month with her family.  Bethany Colson, Center Deputy Director, will be the Interim Director.   The Center for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Education staff thanks Chris for her outstanding leadership while serving as the Executive Director, and we wish her all the best!