18th ANNUAL EARLY HEARING DETECTION & INTERVENTION MEETING
March 3-5, 2019 • Chicago, IL
4/14/2014 | 11:35 AM - 12:05 PM | Implementing an Effective Bilingual Bimodal Early Childhood Program | Grand Ballroom 3 | 4
Implementing an Effective Bilingual Bimodal Early Childhood Program
The Maine Educational Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing's Early Childhood team has created a unique Bilingual Bimodal inclusive early childhood program for children who are deaf, hard of hearing and hearing. Implementing evidenced based practices in early childhood education, the development of ASL and Spoken Language, and family centered programming, this program supports children in the exploration of communication opportunities while honoring family and child choice. The program offers two classrooms for one group of learners. The classroom is arranged by having two classrooms side by side, joined by a door. Each classroom offers instruction and interaction in either ASL or Spoken Language. With parent and teacher guidance, the children are supported in one or both environments. For an extended period of each child's day the child chooses which room they will spend their time in, and in essence, making choices of how they will communicate. Data is collected on the child's choices and shared with families. The Deaf /Hearing team of specialists form a interdisciplinary collaborative team focused on offering an educational program that is rich in language experiences and the social emotional growth of each child. The presenters will share how the team of diverse professionals worked together to create this program and utilize:
-Deaf /Hearing Teams
-Specialists in ASL and Spoken Language Development
- Language Planning
-Differentiated Learning
-Family Centered Principles
-Early Learning Standards
-Classroom Environment and the space of two classrooms (for purity and separation of languages)
-Family and Child Choice
-Data collection
The presenters will share how effective communication in teams, collaborative planning and family centered practices can promote strength in early childhood deaf education.
- Identify critical areas of need in developing an effective bilingual bimodal early childhood program.
- will be able to explain the benefits of child choice in an effective bilingual bimodal early childhood program.
- will be able to explain the benefits of bilingual bimodal programming for children who are deaf, hard of hearing, and hearing
Presentation:
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Presenters/Authors
Karen Hopkins
(Primary Presenter), The Maine Educational Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing/Governor Baxter School for the Deaf, karen.hopkins@mecdhh.org;
Karen Hopkins is the Executive Director of The Maine Educational Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing/Governor Baxter School for the Deaf and the principal investigator of Maine's HRSA grant. She brings over 30 years of experience as a collaborative teacher of the deaf, special educator, early interventionist and educational administrator to her work with Deaf and hard of hearing children. Her work with families, coupled with her own personal experience as a Deaf adult and parent of a daughter who is hard of hearing have inspired her to create systems that empower families. Karen oversees early intervention and statewide educational programming for children who are Deaf or hard of hearing birth to age 22 throughout the state of Maine. She is active in many organizations and boards in Maine, the Hands & Voices HQ Board of Directors and is involved with international FCEI programming including the Deaf Leadership International Alliance. Karen is the Board President of Hands & Voices Headquarters. Karen's current research as she finalizes her doctoral journey is focused on perspectives of family empowerment in early intervention systems for Deaf and hard of hearing children.
ASHA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
No relevant financial relationship exist.
Nonfinancial -
No relevant nonfinancial relationship exist.
Corri O'Brion Saunders
(Co-Presenter), MECDHH, corri.saunders@mecdhh.org;
Corri O'Brion Saunders is a Teacher of the Deaf and Early Childhood Special Educator for Early Childhood and Family Services, at the Maine Educational Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. She works throughout Maine as an outreach specialist for families of children birth–5 who are Deaf or hard of hearing. After earning her M.E.D. from Smith College, Corri worked for two years at the Moog Center for Deaf Education before pursuing her M.Ed. in Special Education with a specialization in early intervention from the University of Maine and settling at MECDHH. She works closely with the state’s early intervention teams and is also teaching a graduate course on inclusion for the University of Maine’s Department of Special Education.
ASHA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
Nonfinancial -
Catherine Lushman
(Co-Presenter), MECDHH, catherine.lushman@mecdhh.org;
Catherine J. Lushman received her Master’s degree in Deaf Education from Western Maryland College. She started her career as a drama teacher working at the Texas School for the Deaf, in Austin, Texas. She has taught preschool through third grade at the Maine Educational Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing since 1996. She currently resides in Maine with her husband Rob, and their daughter Norah Jane. She can be contacted at catherine.lushman@mecdhh.org.
ASHA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
Nonfinancial -