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ABSTRACT INFORMATION
Title: 'Early Language: A Bridge to Emotional and Cognitive Well-Being' Track: 3 - Language Acquisition and Development Keyword(s): social-emotional development, emotional vocabulary, pragmatics, well-being Learning Objectives: 1. Describe the limitations of focusing only on receptive and expressive language skills in children who are deaf or hard of hearing. 2. Explain why the incorporation of pragmatics and social skill development is important for children with hearing loss. 3. Describe a minimum of two strategies that can be incorporated into one's own professional work or one's parenting "tool bag" that can help to address the social-emotional needs of the children who are deaf or hard of hearing. Abstract: This session will address the importance of assessing, monitoring, and building social language skills and a repertoire of 'emotional vocabulary' to help deaf and hard of hearing children to thrive. Research suggests that children with hearing loss can attain receptive and expressive language skills that are on par with their hearing peers when the appropriate supports and intervention are put into place in a timely manner. However, research also indicates that these children remain at-risk for difficulties with pragmatics/social language, as well as for behavior problems and social isolation, when their needs are not met. We will highlight the importance of building language and communication skills, in the broadest sense, as a means of promoting social-emotional development. As psychologists, we believe this is vitally important. This session, which is aimed at parents as well as professionals, will highlight how you can learn to go beyond building receptive and expressive language skills and incorporate other important aspects of communication in order to help foster each child's overall development. 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
Amy Szarkowski - Primary Presenter Boston Children's Hospital & Harvard Medical School      Credentials: PhD in Clinical Psychology      Other Affiliations: Instructor in Psychology, Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School; Psychologist, Deaf and Hard of Hearing Program, Boston Children's Hospital; Adjunct Instructor at Gallaudet University & Tufts University       Dr. Szarkowski is a Psychologist in the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Program at Boston Children's Hospital. Her work there involves conducting developmental and psychological assessments, providing support to Deaf and hard of hearing children and their families through short-term therapy, and advocating for appropriate supports and accommodations to meet childrens' needs. Dr. Szarkowski also holds an appointment as Instructor at Harvard Medical School, Department of Psychiatry. She teaches in the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Infants, Toddlers and Families Collaboration and Leadership program at Gallaudet University, as well as in the Eliot-Pearson Department of Child Study and Human Development at Tufts University.       ASHA DISCLOSURE: Financial - No relevant financial relationship exist. Nonfinancial - No relevant nonfinancial relationship exist. Jill Grenon - Co-Presenter The Learning Center for the Deaf      Credentials: MA, School Psychologist       Jill Grenon MA, CAGS, NCSP, is a School Psychologist at the Learning Center for the Deaf in Framingham, MA. She received a BA from the University of Rhode Island in Communication Studies with a concentration in Speech Pathology and Audiology. She also holds a Master's degree in Developmental Psychology and a CAGS in School Psychology with a Specialization in Deafness from Gallaudet College. Jill has worked in schools for the Deaf with children from birth to age 22 over the course of the last 30 years. Her work includes assessing the cognitive, linguistic, and emotional functioning of children of all ages, in addition to family and staff consultation. Jill’s work within a bilingual/bicultural school focuses on the commitment of TLC to give all deaf and hard-of-hearing children the earliest possible access to language by creating language-rich learning environments geared towards each child’s communication modality.       ASHA DISCLOSURE: Financial - No relevant financial relationship exist. Nonfinancial - No relevant nonfinancial relationship exist.