NCELSSP-HI Newsletter
Spring 2017
North Carolina Early Learning Sensory Support Program for Children With Hearing Impairments
NC Department of Public Instruction
Office of Early Learning
Each child will be honored, respected, and empowered to achieve success in school and life.
Office of Early Learning Mission Statement
Highways and Byways
Contents
Cute Corner
Toddler Rules
Spring Birthdays
Something To Think About
Meet and Greet with UNC and Duke Audiology Teams
World Hearing Day EI Excellence Blog
ELSSP-HI Teachers Present at the Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) Conference 2017
Staff Development and Save the Dates
7th Annual CARE Project Gala Fundraise
Miles for Wellness
BEGINNINGS Spring Gala
Granville Parent Night
Resources and Opportunities for Families
Student Spotlight
Where Are They Now?
Director's Spotlight
Coming Soon...
Cute Corner
Joel
AJ
AJ and his dad reading together.
-Stacie Polk, Teacher
German
Carter
-Donna Snipes, Teacher
Zain
-Meg Locklear, teacher
Jalashia
Spring Birthdays
Happy Birthday to....
April
21 - Donna Snipes
24 - Emily Orman
29 - Cindy Tedder
May
17 - Preston Collins
June
29 - Patty Dischinger
Something to Think About
The cochlear implant, as incredible as it is, is not the missing puzzle piece. Rather, it is simply a conduit, a pathway for the essential puzzle piece, the miraculous power of parent talk, a power that is the same, whether a child is born hearing or has acquired hearing via a cochlear implant. Without that language environment, the ability to hear is a wasted gift. Without that language environment, a child will be unlikely to achieve optimally.
Dana Suskind, Thirty Million Words: Building a Child's Brain
Meet and Greet Meetings with UNC and Duke Audiology Teams
Submitted by Beth Whitfield
On December 2, seven teachers and a lead teacher from ELSSP-HI were able to meet with SLPs and Audiologists from the Children’s’ Cochlear Implant Center at UNC (formerly known as CCCDP and CASTLE and now known to some as CCIC) and UNC Pediatric Audiology. Great conversation included sharing with them how our program determines the frequency of services for each family, discussion about when a visual mode of communication might be needed and why, updates about the mentoring program at the CCIC, questions regarding concerns about the ELSSP-HI referral process, and more. It was a fantastic opportunity to connect with these important members of our professional team.
The meeting with the Duke Audiology team took place on March 7th. We had 9 teachers, including our 2 lead teachers and 7 audiologists from the Duke team. The Duke team seemed excited to meet with us and asked good questions about the referral process, transition, and how they can help make sure children are getting our services. Dan King prepared information for us about what their program is doing and gave out a contact sheet with all their names, email addresses, and phone numbers. They all indicated that email is the best way to communicate with them and they know our program password for the confidential transmission of information. This, too, was a fantastic opportunity to connect with these important members of our professional team.
We hope to have meetings with both of these groups again in 6 months, a year, or both.
World Hearing Day EI Excellence Blog
By Preston Collins & Wanda Pendergrass,
Teachers of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing-Early Learning Sensory Support Program for Children With Hearing Impairments
During the first three years of life, children’s brains are developing rapidly, establishing their foundation for learning. Many are surprised to know that we actually “hear” with our brain! Our ears are the doorway that allows sound in to be processed by our brain. Babies listen for about 10 waking hours per day, 365 days per year. That adds up to 3,650 listening hours per year!
Approximately three out of every 1,000 children born in the United States have a hearing loss. Hearing loss impacts how well a child is able to learn and develop speech and language. With appropriate amplification (hearing aids, cochlear implants, BAHA- bone anchored hearing aids), parent involvement, and early intervention, a positive difference can be made in the language development of children with hearing loss.
The Early Learning Sensory Support Program for Children with Hearing Impairments (ELSSP-HI) is a state agency in the Office of Early Learning, Department of Public Instruction. The program provides licensed teachers of the deaf and hard of hearing who coach families to incorporate speech, language and listening goals throughout their daily routines to enhance their child’s language development.
March 3 was World Hearing Day. Join us in promoting early identification and early intervention for children with hearing loss. “Eyes open, technology on!”
ELSSP-HI Teachers Present at the Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) Conference 2017 in Atlanta, Ga
Submitted by Lucia Sumner and Cindy Boyd
It was a pleasure attending and presenting at the Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) Conference. The title of our presentation was "Developing Language and Listening Skills Thorough the Use of Daily Routines". The goal of our presentation was to convey the importance of embedding language and listening skills into instruction through the use of daily familiar activities when working with children with hearing loss. We also shared coaching strategies to increase parental involvement in the planning and implementation of teaching through the use of daily routines, and finally we stressed the importance of capitalizing on the strengths that families from diverse cultures already have when teaching through the use of daily routines.
Our experience during the conference was extremely positive and incredibly valuable because EHDI does a great job at making not only veterans in the field feel welcomed and part of a big family, but does the same for graduate students and new professionals. At the State Stakeholder’s Meeting everyone had a chance to participate, meet people, and make connections.
It was wonderful to see old friends and colleagues such as the team from BEGINNINGS for Parents of Children Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing and to network and attend interesting presentations such as “Co –Treat Curriculum: A model for Teaming” presented by Hannah Eskridge and “Co-morbidity of Hearing Loss and Autism”.
For me, the most inspiring events were the Plenaries: “Effective Family Engagement: A Panel on the Powers to Influence the EHDI Systems” presented by mothers with children with hearing loss. Among them was Djenne-amal Morris, one of the most wonderful advocates for children with hearing loss and children with dual sensory loss. Djenne-amal currently works as a Parent Educator/Training Coordinator at BEGINNINGS for Parents of Children Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing in Raleigh NC. The Plenary III presented by Robert C. Nutt, a Deaf Pediatrician working with families in Deaf medical homes, was also very interesting.
It is was a pleasure to see Johnnie Sexton, an advocate for families with children with hearing loss, and to find out that his Care Project has received well deserved funds for the “Care Project Family National Initiative”. The CARE Project, "is dedicated to bringing hope to families who have children and/or adults with hearing challenges through counseling experiences aimed at the processing of the emotional stages of grief, and is also a tool for teaching professionals about the importance of active listening with their clients/patients and validating their emotional state". The news that this project is going national, is wonderful news for families with children who are deaf or hard of hearing all over the USA.
-Lucia Quinonez Sumner
“It was such an honor to be able to present and attend the 2017 EHDI Conference. It was a wonderful opportunity to connect with colleagues on a state and national level, as well as to work together to improve outcomes for children who are deaf/hard of hearing.
Many of the highlights from my experience at EHDI were the same as mentioned above by my colleague. I also was fortunate to be able to attend an instructional session by Betsy Moog Brooks titled “Real-Time Embedded Coaching, An Effective Tool for Working with Families” and a session by Nicole Martin and Mi’kel Price titled, “Putting Parents in the Driver’s Seat: Empowering Parents with Tools to Facilitate Their Infant/Toddler’s Spoken Language”. Both presentations were excellent and provided information on how to better equip parents of children who are deaf or hard of hearing so that they can help their children succeed.
I look forward to using the information I gained from the 2017 EHDI Conference to improve my practice and to help my students and their families succeed.”
-Cindy Boyd
Staff Development and Save the Dates
Continuing Professional Development
The following PD opportunities may be used towards maintenance of ITF certification:
The webinars below are sponsored by the University of Illinois, Military Families Learning Network Family Development Early Intervention team. There is no fee to register.
Webinar Two: June 22, 2017 11 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. EST
“Have A Seat! Learning What Children Know Through Play” https://learn.extension.org/events/2941
Webinar Three: Oct. 19, 2017 11 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. EST
“When Play is More than Just ‘Playing’: Delivering Intentional Instruction through Daily Interactions”
https://learn.extension.org/events/2942
Webinar Four: Dec. 7, 2017 11 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. EST
“Beyond the Shape Sorter: Playful Interactions that Promote Strong Academic and Social-Emotional Skills” https://learn.extension.org/events/2943
Spring Camp Cheerio
Join in on the fun and lend an extra hand! If you are able to volunteer inquire at https://springcampcheerio.org/registration/.
Our very own Neena Malosky and Chris Czajkowski will be presenting on
Improving Executive Functioning Skills in Children with Hearing Loss.
Community of Practice Meeting Dates:
April 6th - Webinar 3:00-4:30
April 7th- Planning Meeting
May 23rd -Face to Face Meeting at Graham Library 9:30-2:30
Save the Date:
ELSSP Opening Convocation
August 10-11, 2017
Location TBA
7th Annual CARE Project Gala Fundraiser
The 7th Annual CARE Project Gala Fundraiser is coming to the central area of the state this year!
The CARE Project is a nonprofit organization dedicated to bringing hope to families who have children and/or adults with hearing challenges through counseling experiences aimed at the processing of the emotional stages of grief. The funds raised from the gala help support family retreats and services which brings many families together for counseling, education and fellowship.
Mark your calendars for Saturday, September 23, 2017.
ELSSP-HI teachers, Neena Malosky and Jen Dunn are on the planning committee. If you have any ideas or want to volunteer, contact Neena or Jen.
Miles for Wellness
Miles for Wellness is a virtual, team-based walking initiative by and for the state employees of North Carolina. The purpose of Miles for Wellness is to encourage and support employees to increase their level of physical activity, with the goal of 10,000 steps, or the equivalent of 5 miles, achieved most days of the week. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, regular physical activity is one of the most important things you can do for your health.
Our team, The ELSSP Sprinters, is led by Mary Lou Wright and members are:
Jen Dunn, Emily Orman, Emily Reeves, Anna Ownbey, Chris Czajkowski, Preston Collins, Roxanne Dearman, Cindy Tedder and Kristen Steele.
In the first week our team walked 614,148 steps. That's over 307 miles!
Let's walk our way to better health!
BEGINNINGS Spring Gala
Granville County Parent Night
Submitted by Donna Wilkins-Preddy, NBCT
Teacher of the Deaf/Hard of Hearing
Granville County Schools
On February 28, students with hearing loss and their families gathered at Tar River Elementary for the second time this school year and heard presentations from two educators from the Office of Early Learning at the Department of Public Instruction.
Donna Snipes, a teacher of the deaf/hard of hearing who provides early intervention services and a member of the Early Learning Sensory Support Program, presented an informative program based on the Jim Trelease's Read Aloud Handbook. In her presentation, she emphasized the importance of daily reading aloud to children. According to research, a student must have a vocabulary of 100,000 words to be able to attend and be successful in a college/university. Reading aloud to children provides opportunities for bonding as well as the modeling of appropriate language and vocabulary. She also reminded parents that by the age of 3, typically developing children have an expressive vocabulary of approximately 900 words. By age 4, that grows to about 1500 words, and reaches 2500 by age 5. Classic children’s literature and nursery rhymes are perfect to aid in the development of language. Parents had the chance to ask questions about the information Mrs. Snipes presented and brainstormed ways to include daily reading aloud to their child(ren) in an already busy schedule. Parents seemed inspired by what they heard and vowed to seek opportunities for daily read aloud time. Handouts were provided.
Jen Dunn, Lead Teacher with the Early Learning Sensory Support Program for Children with Hearing Impairments, presented Parenting with Love & Logic. It was an informative session that provided parents the opportunity to ask questions regarding the techniques. Love & Logic is a well-known program that has been around for over thirty years, designed to teach self-control in addition to improving behavior. It is a research-based philosophy of rearing children that are respectful, responsible, and possess the ability to make good decisions based on two rules. The first rule is that adults set limits without anger, lectures, threats, or repeated warnings. Secondly, when children cause problems, adults hand these problems back in loving ways. Mrs. Dunn shared real-life examples on how to use the techniques in parenting and modeled how to utilize logical consequences to teach children that choices matter. She emphasized that as often as possible children should be given choices but also stressed the importance to parents of offering their children choices with which they (the parents) could live. Information was provided so that parents could receive online articles and become members of the Insider’s Club.
Following the sessions, families had time to talk with one another and enjoy refreshments.
A third family night is planned for late spring.
Resources and Opportunities for Families
Spring Camp Cheerio
Registration for Spring Camp Cheerio is open! We will be back in beautiful Roaring Gap, NC the weekend of May 19-21, 2017. Please follow the instructions at the bottom to register with our new, online registration system! Information is below, to get you prepared and excited for this year’s camp. In addition, the Hilton building will be rebuilt and available for our use!
1) Speakers: We’re very excited to announce our speakers for Spring Camp Cheerio 2017!
· Lauren Pruett and Catharine McNally will give a 2-part presentation on Teaming Up to Develop a Self-Advocacy Roadmap Toward Independence.
· Stephanie Payonk and Virginia Madorin will discuss IEPs for Students – How To Get The Most Out of Your Plan!
· Neena Malosky and Chris Czajkowski will present on Improving Executive Functioning Skills in Children With Hearing Loss.
· Nicole Dobson will present on Speech and Language Evaluations.
2) Superhero Theme: This year’s camp theme is Superheroes! Bring your Superhero gear and wear it around camp, whether it’s Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Captain America, etc. You will have the option to order a variety of fun Superhero camp shirts this year, so look for them on the registration website. A limited variety and number of t-shirts will be available at Camp for purchase, so we encourage you to order in advance so that you can get exactly what you want.
3) Arrive to Spring Camp on Friday at noon! We’re going to have fantastic events on Friday at Spring Camp Cheerio, including Part I of a self-advocacy seminar, and our second annual “Coffee Talk” event, which will have structured and facilitated group discussions with other parents and professionals, with a goal of forming deeper relationships. Please plan to arrive early on Friday so you can participate in these great events!
4) Silent Auction and Other Events: We will once again have a Silent Auction that will help us to pay for programming and scholarships. You can donate individual items, make a gift basket, etc.! If you can donate to our silent auction, please contact Kristy Burke at krisburke560@gmail.com. Saturday afternoon we will once again have time to enjoy the wonderful camp facilities, such as rock climbing, canoeing, putt putt, archery and riflery. Saturday night we will have a dance in the gym, DJ’d by our very own Jeff Campagna!
5) Snacks. We appreciate donations of snacks for our children’s programming and adult programming. The children’s programming will need water, Gatorade/juice and individually packaged snacks. Adults will need water, soda and individually-packaged snacks. Please keep this in mind, and start collecting snacks now!
6) Register Now!!! The link for registration is https://springcampcheerio.org/registration/. IF YOU ARE A VOLUNTEER AND YOU ARE COMING WITH YOUR FAMILY, you will need to register once for yourself, and a second time for the remainder of your family. This helps us ensure that you get the appropriate volunteer discount.
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Camp Sertoma
What is CAMP SERTOMA for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children?
Camp Sertoma for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children is a coed camp for youth ages 8-16 who are Deaf, hard of hearing, use a cochlear implant or are signing CODA.
Camp week includes two age groups with special camp activities designed for fun and learning. In 2017, Camp Sertoma returns to Millstone 4-H Center in the heart of the Sandhills Gamelands, for our fourth year there.
Sertoma Clubs and Sertoma members in North Carolina, Virginia and Maryland provide the volunteer leadership and support for the week of Camp Sertoma for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children each year.
Millstone 4-H Center is accredited by the American Camping Association. Regular summer staff members are responsible for Camp Sertoma’s program content, in cooperation with extra signing staff during the week.
Adult/Child Rao for Camp Sertoma is 1:3.
Register and find out more information about scholarships at:
CampSertoma_2017_Brochure-Application.pdf
CampSertoma_2017Scholarships_PressRelease.doc
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Charlotte HITCH-UP
https://www.facebook.com/groups/694770480653587/
Triad HITCH-UP (Guilford County/Greensboro Area)
https://www.facebook.com/triadhitchup.greaterguilford
Triangle Area HITCH-UP (Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill Area)
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1536664679895197/
WNC HITCH-UP (Asheville Area)
https://www.facebook.com/HitchUpGroup
Student Spotlight
Evie
Written by Rebecca Peñaloza, Evie's mom
Charlotte Evelyn was taken for three hearing examinations before the postnatal staff was confident coming to us with the news. "We've scheduled a followup appointment," they said. "Don't worry, it's probably just fluid from the cesarean delivery."
A month later, nervous to our cores, we learned it was not just fluid. We didn't know the extent of Evie's hearing loss yet, but we knew we needed further testing. I waited until I had our daughter secured in her car seat, buckled myself in, and cried. In a panic, I wracked my mind. Had I done this? Had I hurt my baby? In that moment, I would have given anything to take my ears and give them to her.
When we got home, I remembered a post made weeks before. A mother in one of my Facebook groups asked about swimming lessons for hearing impaired children. I searched for the post until I found it, took a deep breath, and sent her a message. She wrote back. Even better, she wrote back and didn't think I was crazy. She wrote back and thought I was sane enough to meet with over coffee.
We talked for hours. Afterwards, I went home feeling more positive and grounded than I had in months. I knew someone who was doing this. Someone who had also been surprised. Someone with no foundation in hearing loss who made it all work for her two children. I was relieved. I must have talked a mile a minute when I got home to my husband, but he listened, just as excited as I was. We could do this. We had a plan. We had an ally.
It took three separate appointments to get Evie's complete ABR. The first session, she grinned, giggled, and cooed; the second we got just enough time asleep to capture data on her left ear; the third, we got data on her right. Evie was diagnosed with bilateral moderate to moderately severe sensorineural hearing loss and aided at 10 weeks.
When you picture the videos of children hearing their parents' voices for the first time, do not picture Charlotte Evelyn. She was livid. She was agitated, fidgety, and clawed at her ears for the first two days. The third day, my husband held her while she listened to the rain. We finally had the awestruck reaction we had hoped for. Evie loved listening.
Over the next months, we met teachers, social workers, friends, allies, and parents of children who were deaf or hard of hearing. Evie played, giggled, and continued to develop a goofball personality. We relaxed and settled into our new normal. This is us. This is what we do.
Almost a year later, I look back on us, my reaction, our family. We had no idea what we were getting into. How could we?
I remember developing the first IFSP with Elizabeth Hopkins, our teacher for the deaf and hard of hearing. I must have asked her, "what should we include?" a hundred times. We learned early on to lean on the expertise of others. We learned to ask questions. We learned to listen to the answers. We learned to seek out community.
At 11 months, Charlotte Evelyn talks up a storm, to almost anyone who will listen. She sings to herself as she plays. She meows at the cat and greets us with "baba" and "dada". Our story would not be the same without our family, friends, and allies. We are so grateful to live in a place and time with so many varied resources. Every time I watch our daughter discover a new sound, babble quietly to herself, or roar at the top of her lungs in Target, I smile. We are confident we would not be here without the love, patience, and determination of all those who support Charlotte Evelyn.
Where Are They Now?
Chloe
Submitted by Crystal Rierson-Villeneuve, Chloe's mom
Chloe just turned 11 years old this past March! Truly, that’s hard to believe how fast the years have passed since her birthday and finding out she failed her newborn hearing test. It was a journey of trials and tribulations; 5 ½ years leading up to that day, trying to become pregnant, staying pregnant and then finally, after 6 miscarriages – I had this perfect rosy red cheeked baby girl looking up at me with her big eyes and everything in my world was perfect! But I knew, in my heart and mother’s intuition, that something was off and the doctors were right; she couldn’t hear.
So began our new journey. At 2 months Chloe was officially diagnosed with a severe to profound hearing loss and fitted with the tiniest cute pink hearing aids you have ever seen. We learned everything we could on raising a child with a hearing loss, researched what felt like every possible website, blogs, and books. I knew nothing of hearing loss; it wasn’t on either side of our family tree. Practiced the auditory verbal therapy techniques as often as you say the word “the” – so my perfect little girl – could hear and talk like normal in our hearing world. That was my goal as her mother; to hear and have conversations with me or anyone for that matter, listen and sing to music, go to concerts, play with friends and share secrets, have sleepovers, watch movies, listen to the birds chirping, hear the rustling of leaves, and the sound of the ocean. I also didn’t want this disability to define who she was, rather only have the technology give her access to hearing. By keeping this goal in mind, it became my purpose with everything that I did and continue to do for Chloe. The task was overwhelming at first, but slowly with the help of so many people I became more confident and then began to see progress and hard work payoff – Chloe began to talk and pronounce words like normal! Hallelujah - it was the most satisfying feeling of doing a job well done!
Then at 18 months, like a light switch, from one night to the next morning her hearing was off and she wasn’t responding to our morning 6 sound check and not being one to just let it go, off to Chapel Hill for further testing we went. Confirmation of further progressive hearing loss left us with 2 choices: do nothing and learn sign language or have cochlear implants for her to hear. The choice for us was hearing! Then there was the research in choosing a company and getting her scheduled for the cochlear implant surgery. We chose to do a bi-lateral surgery 3 months apart for ease of healing rather than 1 surgery. Chloe started her CI hearing journey in 2008 and we haven’t looked back. It’s now 2017 and she is fully mainstreamed in her elementary school, on the A/B Honor Roll, has sleepovers all the time, sings (sometimes a bit too loudly), talks so fast-I can’t keep up with the stories, loves the sound of the ocean and truly loves her birds and dogs, and has seen so many movies we can’t count. She has thrived and continues to impress us with her language and love of reading! Of course there have been ups and downs throughout the years but always keeping our goal in mind and not treating her disability as a disability has made her develop into a beautifully spirited young lady today. As I think about the future now and where she will be in 10 years, my concerns seem to be paralleled to what they were 10 years ago . . . However, I know this: I will ask the questions, do the research, and know we will get through the adversity and I will always be so proud of her continued perseverance!
My heart is so full of gratitude, love, and respect for everyone who has ever helped us. I know I would not be where I am today but most importantly where Chloe is without all the help and wonderful guidance. You guys rock!
Director's Spotlight
Nancy Collado
Hola! My name is Nancy Collado. I was born and raised in New York City. My parents are from Puerto Rico. Spanish was the primary language spoken in my home, so being bilingual was a given. I am the youngest of three; I have an older brother and sister whom I am very close to. I have been married to my wonderful husband, Abel, for 26 years. We have no children, but plenty of nephews and nieces that keep us busy. I have been working with the State /DPI for the past 24 years. I started out in a High School in New York City as a Parent Liaison/Teacher Assistant. When we relocated to North Carolina In 1995, I worked with Nash Rocky Mount Schools as an ESL (English as a second Language) Teacher Assistant/Interpreter. In 2004 I was offered a contracted position as an Interpreter for ELSSP … I knew I had found my perfect job. It was a side of education I never thought of, but instantly LOVED and I am so happy to be a part of! I enjoy working with our babies, families and wonderful staff.
Outside of work I enjoy reading, traveling, cruising, spending time with my family and volunteering. My faith and my family are my top priorities. They are what keeps me grounded and give me my strength and inspiration to keep going.
In our summer edition of the newsletter we will begin a new and exciting feature called "Kristen's Corner." Our very own Kristen Steele will provide tips on how we can stay fit while on the job. Kristen has lots of experience as a personal trainer and we look forward to receiving some get fit tips!
Newsletter Committee
Chris Czajkowski
Jen Dunn
Donna Snipes
Contributors:
Jenni Campagna