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ABSTRACT INFORMATION
Title: 'Use of Technology Now and Then: A Student Panel ' Track: 7 - Family Perspectives and Support Keyword(s): early intervention, support, families, decision-making, and technology Learning Objectives: 1) Participants will explore the benefits and limitations of auditory and visual technologies in the early years as seen through the eyes of 6 young deaf and hard of hearing adults 2) Participants will be able to identify environmental factors (people and systems) and technologies that influenced the development of these young adults. 3) Participants will take home advice for how families and the professionals who guide them can promote the social-emotional, cognitive and linguistic development of deaf infants and toddlers through the use of technology. Abstract: We live in a rapidly changing world where technology has the potential to bring full access to language for individuals who are deaf and hard of hearing. There is no question that for a child who is deaf or hard of hearing, technology is an important factor that will influence the quality of their lives. Bronfenbrenner (2003) proposed the ecological systems theory to explain how the child’s environment affects growth and development. For the young child, the family is the most significant influence on development and provides a foundation for social-emotional, cognitive and linguistic development. Families make decisions about technologies they believe will benefit their children during the first few months and years of their child’s life. The young child’s perspective is often missing from this discussion. This panel presentation will include five deaf and hard-of-hearing university students who recognize the importance of the early years and appreciate the support of their families in their own developmental journeys. These students will share their experiences from the early years to the present with listening and visual technology. Students will share their thoughts on their upbringing and the environmental factors and systems that influenced and shaped who they are today. The students will share reflections from their families regarding the support and advice their parents received from professionals. The moderator of the panel will ask the students about the role of technology in their lives including their early education experiences, family communication, friendships, and education. The panel will share their recommendations for families with deaf children and the professionals who guide them, regarding auditory and visual technologies. The audience will have the opportunity to ask questions following the conclusion of the panel. Presentation: This presentation has not yet been uploaded or the speaker has opted not to make the presentation available online. Handouts: Handout is not Available
PRESENTER(S) / AUTHOR(S) INFORMATION
Beth Benedict - Primary Presenter,Co-Presenter Gallaudet University      Credentials: Ph.D.      Other Affiliations: American Society for Deaf Children       Beth S. Benedict, Ph.D., a Professor in the Department of Communication Studies at Gallaudet University, Washington, D.C., has focused on family involvement in schools with deaf and hard of hearing children, early childhood education, advocacy, early communication, and partnerships between deaf and hearing professionals and early intervention programs and services. Her work has been shared in numerous publications and through her work as a national and international presenter. Dr. Benedict is very involved in different organizations and boards. She is the Chair of the Joint Committee on Infant Hearing, President of the American Society of Deaf Children, on the Council of Education of the Deaf, the Maryland Universal Newborn Hearing Screening Advisory Council and actively involved in a variety of other EHDI initiatives.       ASHA DISCLOSURE: Financial - No relevant financial relationship exist. Nonfinancial - No relevant nonfinancial relationship exist. Marilyn Sass-Lehrer - Co-Presenter Gallaudet University      Credentials: Ph.D.       Marilyn Sass-Lehrer is Professor Emerita at Gallaudet University in Washington, DC, USA. 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. She is the co-director of the Gallaudet University Graduate Interdisciplinary Certificate Program: Deaf and Hard of Hearing Infants, Toddlers and Their Families. She is editor of Early Intervention for Deaf and Hard-of- Hearing Infants, Toddlers and their Families: Interdisciplinary Perspectives (2016), co-author of Parents and their Deaf Children: The Early Years (2003), and co-editor of The Young Deaf or Hard of Hearing Child: A Family-Centered Approach to Early Education (2003). Dr. Sass-Lehrer has been actively involved in national and international efforts to support professional development and learning for early intervention providers and promote quality early education and family involvement.       ASHA DISCLOSURE: Financial - No relevant financial relationship exist. Nonfinancial - No relevant nonfinancial relationship exist.