| Presenter Information: |
| Presenter 1: |
Name: Leeanne Seaver
Affiliation: Hands & Voices
Leeanne Seaver, is mom to three kids, including Dane, who’s profoundly deaf. She sits on the Board for the National Center on Low Incidence Disabilities, the American College Educators/DHH Join-Together Executive Advisory, the Quality of Life-DHH Research Advisory Board, and the Deaf/Hard-of-Hearing Alliance. She was an award-winning writer/television producer for 20 years before joining Hands & Voices National full time in 2006. She produced numerous videos on deafness, including “A is for Access: Creating Full & Effective Communication Access for D/HH Students” and “Early Intervention Illustrated: The Art & Science of Home Visits.” She was a founding member of the Colorado Commission for the Deaf & Hard of Hearing. Leeanne presents nationally and internationally; as Executive Director for Hands & Voices, she hopes to strengthen the voice and presence of the deaf and hard of hearing and their families through an organization that unites all members of this unique community.
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| Presenter 2: |
Name: Sara Kennedy
Affiliation: Colorado Families for Hands & Voices
Sara is a mom of four children, including an elementary school age daughter who is profoundly deaf. She is an occupational therapist by training. Sara has served on staff at Colorado Families for Hands & Voices since 2000 in the Guide By Your Side program, mentoring other Guides as Assistant Director since 2006, and serving as an editor for the quarterly newspaper, the Communicator. Sara has a special interest in advocating for hearing screening in the homebirth community. She was a coauthor of the handbook Bridge to Preschool: Navigating a Successful Transition as well as articles on promoting self advocacy, genetics, progressive hearing loss, and the decision process regarding cochlear implants. She has provided training for parents on their role at the IEP table, educational advocacy, parent perspectives for deaf adult role model training, and more.
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| Presenter 3: |
Name: Candace Lindow Davies
Affiliation: Minnesota Hands & Voices/Lifetrack Resources
Candace is the mother of a deaf son, and for the past 8 years, developed and coordinated Minnesota Hands & Voices, a statewide parent-to-parent support program. MN Hands & Voices is the home of the state’s “Guide by Your Side” program, employing 9 trained Parent Guides. In 2008, MN Hands & Voices became a first point of contact for the MN Department of Health’s Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Follow-Up Unit.
Candace is the current Chair of the MN Dept. of Health’s Newborn Hearing Advisory Committee and a member of the MN Department of Health’s Newborn Screening Advisory Committee. In 2002, Candace received “The Distinguished Service Award” from Minnesota Speech - Language - Hearing Association. In 2006, she received the Betty Hubbard Maternal and Child Health Leadership Award.
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| Presenter 4: |
Name: Ginger Mullin
Affiliation: Illinois EHDI
Ginger is a native to Illinois. In a desire to move home to Illinois, Ginger moved to Springfield, Illinois after training, where she specialized for six years as a Pediatric Audiologist performing electrophysiologic measures and pediatric hearing aid fittings. During that time, Ginger completed her doctoral degree in Audiology from The University of Florida. In January 2005, Ginger took the position as the Illinois Newborn Hearing Program EHDI coordinator
for the Division of Specialized Care for Children. Ginger currently works
closely with the Illinois Department of Public Health and Illinois Early
Intervention to address screening, diagnosis and intervention issues in Illinois.
Ginger has presented regionally and nationally on pediatric assessment and
amplification, and coordinated parent and professional education on hearing
loss. Ginger holds an Illinois License in Audiology.
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| Presenter 5: |
Name: Elizabeth Seeliger
Affiliation: Wisconsin Sound Beginnings
Elizabeth Seeliger worked as a clinical audiologist helping guide children and families through the process of screening, diagnosis and intervention of hearing loss. She is the Wisconsin Sound Beginnings (WSB) Program Director. WSB is the statewide Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) program in the Division of Public Health. As the Director of the Wisconsin EHDI Program Elizabeth has played a leadership role in the development of a data, tracking and referral system, developed educational resources for hospitals, audiologists, and families, facilitated the development of a comprehensive guide for providers, and an interactive notebook for parents. Elizabeth has also spearheaded the initiative to enable WI homebirth midwives to provide UNHS. Elizabeth sits on the board of directors for both the WI and National Chapters of Families for Hands & Voices, and the Directors of Speech and Hearing Programs in the State Health and Welfare Agencies (DSHPSHWA).
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| Abstract Information: |
| Title: |
Guide By Your Side: Customizing Parent to Parent Support in Different States |
| Primary Track: |
1-EHDI Program Enhancement
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| Keyword(s): |
family support, early intervention, EHDI systems, follow thru services |
Abstract: |
Guide By Your Side (GBYS) programs provide a unique form of family support from parents of deaf/hard of hearing children who are specially trained to work directly with families of newly identified babies. GBYS programs adhere to Hands & Voices' guiding principles of parent-to-parent support without a bias towards communication modes or methods. From this common starting point, states have built their own custom applications for GBYS. Some emphasize support at the time of identification, others infuse GBYS as a follow-up strategy to keep parents and at-risk babies on track for more testing and services. Find out how five states with GBYS programs have used this unique program to meet the specific needs in their system. |
| Presentation(s): |
Not Available
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| Handouts: |
Not Available
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