2024 Early Hearing Detection & Intervention Conference
March 17-19, 2024 • Denver, CO
3/19/2024 | 11:30 AM - 11:55 AM | The Missing Link: Early Intervention Services for Babies Born with Congenital CMV | Mineral Hall B/C
The Missing Link: Early Intervention Services for Babies Born with Congenital CMV
Congenital cytomegalovirus (cCMV) is the most common congenital viral infection in the United States, impacting 1 in 200 births per year. Outcomes following congenital CMV infection are highly variable and include mild to more significant neurodevelopmental, audiological, and ophthalmological conditions. Infants with cCMV and neurodevelopmental sequelae are at additional risk for brain-based hearing and vision impairments. Babies diagnosed with cCMV and hearing loss frequently receive early intervention services before six months of age in order to facilitate age-appropriate development of language and social skills. This is not always the case for babies impacted by cCMV with vision loss. Rather, brain-based vision impairment unfortunately may not be detected until much later, and services may be delayed. While CMV screening is an objective across many states, early intervention providers often are not aware of the impact of cCMV on neurodevelopment, vision, and hearing. Early intervention (birth to age 3) and early childhood (age 3-5) personnel should be trained in assessment and intervention to support infants impacted by cCMV and their families, particularly infants with significant neurodevelopmental challenges and at risk for brain-based visual and auditory impairments. Identification and referral for follow-up and appropriate service delivery requires strong partnerships between clinical and early intervention/early childhood care providers. This session presents an overview of the Early Childhood CMV Training Module, developed in collaboration with members of the Massachusetts CMV Coalition (MCC; https://cmvmass.org), an organization of family members, physicians, audiologists, public health officials, educators and other stakeholders dedicated to the advancement of local and national efforts to understand, prevent, identify, and treat cCMV infection.
- Participants will recognize the importance of clinical and educational collaboration to improve referral and service delivery
- Participants will identify strategies for utilizing the Early Childhood CMV Training Module in their own state systems (early intervention, early childhood)
- Participants will describe the importance of aligning appropriate services to children identified with CMV
Presentation:
3478265_16368BrendaAllair.pdf
3478265_16368RebeccaSandvos.pdf
3478265_16368Tracy EvansLuiselli.pdf
Handouts:
Handout is not Available
Transcripts:
3478265_16368BrendaAllair.docx
Presenters/Authors
Meredith Braza
(Co-Presenter), Boston Children's Hospital, meredith.braza@childrens.harvard.edu;
Meredith D. Braza, AuD, CCC-A is a pediatric audiologist in the Department of Otolaryngology and Communication Enhancement at Boston Children’s Hospital. Her primary clinical and professional interests include comprehensive inpatient and outpatient diagnostic assessment, interprofessional education, and care coordination for patients with medical and developmental complexities. Dr. Braza also serves on the Board of Directors for the Massachusetts Congenital cCMV Coalition, an interdisciplinary organization aimed at raising awareness and promoting education for congenital cytomegalovirus.
ASHA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
Nonfinancial -
AAA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
Financial relationship with Financial: Boston Children's Hospital
Non-financial: Massachusetts cCMV Coalition.
Nature: Financial: Receives salary for employment
Non-financial: Serves on Board of Directors.
Nonfinancial -
No relevant nonfinancial relationship exists.
Brenda Allair
(Co-Presenter), New England Consortium on Deafblindness, brenda.allair@perkins.org;
Brenda Allair is the Lead Educational Consultant at the New England Consortium on Deafblindness and a Teacher of Students with Visual Impairments (TVI) with a strong focus on early childhood and family support. In her nearly 20 years in the field of Early Education, Brenda has worked to provide families with the skills and knowledge they need to not only allow their child to access the world but to also be active, involved members of their chosen communities. As the Lead Educational Consultant at the New England Consortium on Deafblindness (NEC) Brenda provides training and support to families and professionals to allow children who are deafblind to meaningfully engage in their homes, schools, and communities.
She has been an advisor on several state and national projects to engage families of children with special health care needs and has a special interest in supporting families of children with deafblindness and complex health care needs.
ASHA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
• Receives Salary,Grants for Employment,Teaching and speaking,Consulting,Membership on advisory committee or review panels from New England Consortium on Deafblindness.
• Receives Salary for Employment from Perkins School for the Blind.
Nonfinancial -
No relevant nonfinancial relationship exists.
AAA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
Financial relationship with New England Consortium on Deafblindness.
Nature: Funded by the Federal Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP).
Nonfinancial -
No relevant nonfinancial relationship exists.
Tracy Evans Luiselli
(Primary Presenter), New England Consortium on Deafblindness, tracy.luiselli@perkins.org;
Tracy Evans Luiselli, Ed.D., NEC Director, received her Masters in Severe Special Needs/Deafblind Education from Boston College and Doctorate in Early Childhood Special Education from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, with certifications in Vision, Moderate Special Needs, and Severe Special Needs. She has successfully coordinated and implemented a multistate OSEP grant since 1999. Dr. Evans Luiselli has extensive consulting and training experience with schools and agencies serving children who are deafblind, and her academic activity has included adjunct faculty appointments at Boston College, Simmons College, and Granite State College. With over thirty-five years of experience in the field of deafblindness, Tracy presents frequently at local, state, and national levels. Her areas of interest include assessment and instruction for children who are deafblind, increasing awareness about the impact of congenital cytomegalovirus, brain-based visual impairment, and organizational leadership and management. As well, she emphasizes the importance of supporting family engagement in all aspects of educational programming, including helping parents develop home-based routines that support their children’s communication and independence.
ASHA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
• Receives Salary for Employment,Management position,Teaching and speaking,Board membership,Consulting,Membership on advisory committee or review panels from New England Consortium on Deafblindness.
Nonfinancial -
No relevant nonfinancial relationship exists.
AAA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
Financial relationship with New England Consortium on Deafblindness - funded by the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP).
Nature: Federal TA grant.
Nonfinancial -
No relevant nonfinancial relationship exists.
Rebecca Sandvos
(Co-Presenter), Massachusetts CCMV Coalition , becki.sandvos@gmail.com;
Rebecca is a second year medical student at University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School. She is interested in pursuing pediatrics and has a passion for CMV advocacy.
ASHA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
No relevant financial relationship exists.
Nonfinancial -
No relevant nonfinancial relationship exists.
AAA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
Financial relationship with University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School
Massachusetts CCMV Coalition .
Nature: Summer research grant provided by University of Massachusetts
Non-financial support and review provided by Massachusets CCMV Coalition .
Nonfinancial -
No relevant nonfinancial relationship exists.