2026 Early Hearing Detection & Intervention Conference
March 15-17, 2026 • Jacksonville, FL
3/10/2025 | 1:55 PM - 2:25 PM | Camp Discover: A Program of Maine Hands & Voices | 301
Camp Discover: A Program of Maine Hands & Voices
Camp Discover, a program of Maine Hands & Voices, is a unique and comprehensive program that expands opportunities for young d/D/HH/DB children by providing families with support and education in a fun and relaxed environment. We create family networks with parent-to-parent support, adults who are d/D/HH/DB, professionals, information, and community. We educate families in ways to maximize language acquisition and development with instruction and immersion in ASL, Cued Speech/cued language, and listening and spoken language strategies for both parents and children. Adult programming includes language classes, a presentation on a topic related to d/D/HH/DB child development, Parent Chats, a d/D/HH Panel, and whole-camp activities providing opportunities to interact with children and adults using all modalities. Programming for children includes instruction in ASL and Cued Speech/cued language with d/Deaf mentors, as well as modality-specific speech-language-listening skills therapy for d/D/HH children, and FUN. Camp Discover’s internship program brings students in who are interested in the field of deafness/deaf education. We provide a well-rounded experience to support the students’ development of communication skills, creating and implementing language activities, and/or interpreting/transliterating, and developing cultural competence in working with a wide range of d/D/HH/DB individuals and families.
- 1) Participants will identify the components of Camp Discover that support parents in their journey raising d/D/HH/DB children.
- 2) Participants will identify the components of Camp Discover that provide education for parents to maximize language acquisition and development for their d/D/HH/DB children.
- 3) Participants will recognize the value of partnering with a non-profit organization to implement programs that include d/D/HH/DB Guides to support families.
Presentation:
3545975_18172NicoleDobson.pdf
Handouts:
3545975_18172NicoleDobson.pdf
Transcripts:
CART transcripts are NOT YET available, but will be posted shortly after the conference
Presenters/Authors
Amber Woodcock
(Co-Presenter), Maine Hands & Voices , amberwoodcock85@gmail.com;
Amber Woodcock is a parent of three children, including one who is Deaf. She is the President of Maine Hands & Voices, the Guide By Your Side Coordinator and ASTra Coordinator for Maine Hands & Voices, as well as the Parent Consultant for the Maine Newborn Hearing Program. She serves on Maine’s EHDI Team as a member of the Earliest Interactions Maine/HRSA grant team under the Maine Newborn Hearing Program.
ASHA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
• Receives Grants for Employment from HRSA.
Nonfinancial -
No relevant nonfinancial relationship exists.
AAA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
Financial relationship with HRSA.
Nature: My Guide By Your Side Coordinator, ASTra Coordinator, and Parent Consultant Positions are all paid for by the HRSA grant. .
Nonfinancial -
No relevant nonfinancial relationship exists.
Nicole Dobson
(Primary Presenter), ACCESS Services, access.dobson@gmail.com;
Nicole Dobson, M.S., CCC-SLP, BCS-CL, is a speech-language pathologist, board certified specialist in child language, certified teacher of the deaf and special education consultant. She provides direct services, comprehensive assessments, and consultation services to support families, students, and school teams using spoken English, Cued American English, and ASL in early intervention and pre-k-12 settings. She has experience providing educational cued language transliteration services and works with cued language transliterators and ASL interpreters to ensure students’ access to language, communication, and education. She also provides training related to language, literacy, and deaf education, and created literacy materials to teach d/Deaf/HH/DB students literacy skills based on the science of reading. As a nationally certified Cued Speech/cued language instructor, she provides workshops to teach the system using curriculum and materials she developed. Nicole is the founder and director of Camp Discover, a program for families with d/Deaf/HH/DB children to learn and grow their language and communication skills using listening & spoken language, cued language, and/or signed language in a fun and supportive environment.
ASHA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
No relevant financial relationship exists.
Nonfinancial -
No relevant nonfinancial relationship exists.
AAA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
No relevant financial relationship exists.
Nonfinancial -
No relevant nonfinancial relationship exists.