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ABSTRACT INFORMATION
Title: 'SOS: Sound Outreach and Support'
Track: 3-Early Intervention and Beyond
Audience: Primary Audience: State Education Agency
Secondary Audience: Early Intervention Provider
Tertiary Audeince: Medical Provider
Keyword(s): outreach, intervention, rehabilitation, spoken language
Learning Objectives: The participant will be able to list one way in which they could provide information to other professionals regarding hearing loss. The participant will be able to list one thing a daycare provider needs to know when working with a child who is hearing impaired. The participant will be able to list one solution to the problem that arises when a family chooses a communication option not readily available in their area.

Abstract:

In this lecture we acknowledge the need for outreach by professionals dedicated to the development of listening and spoken language in children with hearing loss to the public, early intervention providers and educators who work with these children. The University of Michigan Sound Support Program was established via the Michigan Medicaid Match Program on October 1, 2004. We will share our program's efforts, hurdles, successes, and progress over the last 4 years. The goal of the Sound Support program is to improve the quality, timeliness, and effectiveness of treatment received by Michigan children who are deaf and hard of hearing with Medicaid and Children’s Special Health Care Services (CSHCS). The purpose of Sound Support is to bridge the gap from identification to intervention and rehabilitation as well as to improve the effectiveness of these services. The aim of this two-fold approach is to improve outcomes for children with hearing loss resulting in enhanced academic achievement, better employment opportunities and less reliance on public assistance programs in adulthood. Importantly, this program bridges the gap between identification, intervention and rehabilitation of hearing loss. Specifically, the program consists of two primary components: Coordination of services--Intervention Education and Training--Rehabilitation We will discuss the types of efforts we have made in each area above and what the challenges have been. We are a large team of professionals which has allowed us to cover our state and to reach out in a variety of ways: however, much of the support we have given can be done by individual professionals on a smaller scale with good results. We plan to review how we have measured our progress and where the state of Michigan is today in terms of serving its children with hearing loss.
Presentation(s): Not Available
Handouts: Not Available
SPEAKER INFORMATION
PRESENTER(S):
Ellen Thomas - University of Michigan
     Credentials: Speech-Language Pathologist, CCC LSLS Certified Auditory-Verbal Therapist
      Ellen Thomas is a speech-language pathologist and LSLS Certified Auditory-Verbal Therapison the University of Michigan cochlear implant team. Ellen became certified in Auditory-Verbal Therapy in 2000. She obtained her Master’s degree in Speech-Language Pathology at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville after completing a Bachelor’s degree in German at Centre College in Danville, Kentucky. She serves on the Michigan EHDI advisory board.
 
AUTHOR(S):
Marci Lesperance - University of Michigan
     Credentials: Marci M. Lesperance, M.D., M.S. Associate Professor, Department of Otolaryngology Division Chief, Division of Pediatric Otolaryngology
      BIO: Dr. Lesperance is an Associate Professor in the Division of Pediatric Otolaryngology, Department of Otolaryngology - Head & Neck Surgery. In addition to her clinical duties, she maintains a research lab. Her research studies include identifying the AUNA1 (Auditory Neuropathy) gene to develop a clinical algorithm for evaluation of dominant deafness.
Ellen Thomas - University of Michigan
     Credentials: Speech-Language Pathologist, CCC LSLS Certified Auditory-Verbal Therapist
      BIO: Ellen Thomas is a speech-language pathologist and LSLS Certified Auditory-Verbal Therapison the University of Michigan cochlear implant team. Ellen became certified in Auditory-Verbal Therapy in 2000. She obtained her Master’s degree in Speech-Language Pathology at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville after completing a Bachelor’s degree in German at Centre College in Danville, Kentucky. She serves on the Michigan EHDI advisory board.
Terry Zwolan - University of Michigan
     Credentials: Teresa A. Zwolan, Ph.D., CCC-A Associate Professor, Department of Otolaryngology Director, Cochlear Implant Program
      BIO: Dr. Zwolan is an Associate Professor in the Department of Otolaryngology and Director of the Cochlear Implant Program at the University of Michigan. She received her Ph.D. in Audiology from Northwestern University in 1989 and has worked at the University of Michigan since 1990. She is actively involved in patient care, research, and administrative needs of the program. To date, more than 1,100 patients have received a cochlear implant at the University of Michigan. Dr. Zwolan has authored several papers on cochlear implants that focus on clinical management of children and adults, and has authored several book chapters dealing with various topics related to cochlear implants.