| Presenter Information: |
| Presenter 1: |
Name: Arlene Stredler Brown
Affiliation: University of Colorado and The Marion Downs Hearing Center
Arlene Stredler Brown, CCC-SLP, CED currently has appointments as an Instructor in the Department of Speech, Language, Hearing Sciences at the University of Colorado-Boulder, as a Clinical Instructor in the Department of Otolaryngology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, and as a Visiting Clinical Instructor in the Department of Educational & Counseling Psychology & Special Education at the University of British Columbia. She is active in state and federal initiatives to promote evidence-based early intervention practices and provides consultation and technical assistance to programs in the United States and internationally that are working with infants and toddlers with hearing loss.
In addition to her professional credentials she has made many presentations and published frequently. Her work prioritizes measurable effective education and health care options that are respectful of the family and emphasize what is best for the child based on evidence-based practice.
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| Presenter 2: |
Name: Mary Pat Moeller
Affiliation: Boystown National Research Hospital
Mary Pat Moeller, Ph.D., is the Director of the Center for Childhood Deafness at Boys Town National Research Hospital in Omaha, NE. After many years of clinical work as a rehabilitative Audiologist, she obtained a Ph.D. in child language at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln. Her research interests include Theory of Mind development and word learning in children with hearing loss. She is the principal investigator for a prospective longitudinal study of spoken language development in infants with normal hearing and impaired hearing. She also is involved with colleagues at Boys Town in dissemination of information on Newborn Hearing Screening to physicians and parents (www.babyhearing.org). Dr. Moeller has published and lectured widely on topics related to developmental outcomes. She is co-principal investigator with Dr. Bruce Tomblin of a study on Outcomes of Children with Mild to Severe Hearing Loss.
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| Presenter 3: |
Name: Marilyn Sass-Lehrer
Affiliation: Gallaudet University
Marilyn Sass-Lehrer is a professor of education at Gallaudet University in Washington, DC. She received a master’s degree in Deaf Education from New York University and a Ph.D. from the University of Maryland in Early Childhood Education and Curriculum and Instruction. Dr. Sass-Lehrer has worked as a teacher and early intervention specialist in a variety of educational settings.
Her research and writing address teacher competencies and guidelines for best practice, diversity, family-school partnerships, early intervention, and family support and involvement. Dr. Sass-Lehrer is a co-author of Parents and their Deaf Children: The Early Years (Gallaudet Press, 2003), and co-editor of The Young Deaf or Hard of Hearing Child: A Family-Centered Approach to Early Education (Brookes, 2003). She is actively involved in professional organizations and initiatives that focus on policies and practices for deaf and hard of hearing children and their families.
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| Abstract Information: |
| Title: |
Competencies for Early Interventionists: Finding Consensus |
| Primary Track: |
1-EHDI Program Enhancement
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| Keyword(s): |
early intervention, certification, competencies |
Abstract: |
Researchers agree that early intervention makes a positive difference in the lives of young children who are deaf or hard of hearing when services are provided in a timely manner and professionals have specialized training. The success of newborn hearing screening has resulted in an increase in the numbers of infants who are candidates for early intervention, however, the demand for high quality services outstrips the availability due to the limited number of professionals who have comprehensive training. The purpose of this presentation is to report on the results of a questionnaire designed to identify the “core” competencies needed by professionals working with infants, toddlers and their families. The presenters reviewed the knowledge and skill statements and competency areas identified by national initiatives and professional organizations and developed a set of competency statements that were common among the various documents. These statements were then reviewed and rated for importance by 25 professionals who are in leadership positions on the state or national level and members of national organizations that have an interest in early intervention for children with hearing loss. Respondents indicated their extent of agreement about the inclusion of these statements as core areas of expertise. This questionnaire is a follow-up to the findings from a 2007 survey from this same group of individuals that resulted in a strong endorsement for the need to reach consensus on core competencies for early intervention providers. The survey respondents emphasized the need for training that is interdisciplinary and addresses the full range of language and communication opportunities.
The results of this questionnaire will form the basis for an interactive session that is a follow up to the presentation in 2007 and engages conference participants in a discussion about the findings and its relevance to the field and their programs. |
| Presentation(s): |
Not Available
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| Handouts: |
Not Available
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