Auditory-Verbal Therapy for the New Generation of Children with Hearing Impairments

This text-based course is a written transcript of recorded course, "Auditory Verbal Therapy for the New Generation of Children with Hearing Impairments", presented by Denise Wray on April 18, 2011.

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>> Amy Hansen: Good afternoon, everyone, welcome to today's Expert e Seminar, "Auditory Verbal Therapy for the New Generation of Children with Hearing Impairments" presented today by Dr. Denise Wray. Denise Wray is a Professor in the School of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology at the University of Akron. She has co-directed the Auditory Verbal Clinic in the University's Audiology and Speech Center for more than two decades. Her research interest areas involve literacy development in children with hearing loss who are learning to listen and speak using their technology. She has authored or co-authored over 25 articles. She has co-directed two grants including the Auditory Options Project working with the Ohio Department of Health for the birth to three years old who have hearing loss and a U.S. Department of Education grant developing a specialty area for SLPs working with children with hearing loss. So welcome, Denise, and thank you so much for sharing your expertise with us today.

[Applause]

>> Dr. Denise Wray: Thank you, Amy. First of all I want to thank all of you for joining us this afternoon on this wonderful topic, a topic that has comprised most of my professional career. I began in this field because we have hearing loss in our family. I always thought there could have been academically and emotionally a better opportunity for this relative. I also had the good fortune - you've heard the expression location, location, location - I, fortunately, was able to have my office next to Dr. Carol Flexer who is a retired distinguished Professor in audiology from the University of Akron. Our rooms were next to each other and I was able to overhear her conversations as she trained students to work with children with hearing loss in the early 80s and I became fascinated - fascinated with the technologies that she brought to our clinic and what the outcomes were that she was achieving even back in the 80s with linear hearing aids prior to cochlear implants. But I'm so fortunately that you are here today because I'm assuming that you want to be a leader in aural rehab for this new generation of children with hearing loss. As we will discover today, the evidence-based research continues to mount and reveals very promising outcomes for children with hearing loss.

If you need to reach me after this lecture at any time you can see my e-mail is listed so feel free to contact me. As Amy mentioned I've been co-director, now sole Director, of the early intervention clinic at the University of Akron. I do see children, even young adults, who are early cochlear implant recipients or early digital hearing aid recipients but I also see those children who are late recipients as well. So there is some bridging that has to go on. It is more post cochlear implant therapy because the families desire that the children become better listeners and spoken language users.

I also want to direct you to something not on the slide; a website you might find very helpful. Amy mentioned that I have a U.S. Department of Ed. grant that is a collaborative with Kent State University and we have created a website and that is www.auditoryoptions.org. On auditoryoptions.org you can find sample auditory lesson plans, you can find a link to research, you can find what an auditory lesson plan looks like; and, also, an explanation of our training program. So you might find that to be very helpful. There is also a link to recommended resources for those that are attempting to use auditory-based philosophy. I thought I would mention that.

I also would like to begin with this beautiful baby which used to appear in the back of the Volta Review. Some of you may recall this adorable face.