2023 Early Hearing Detection & Intervention Conference
March 5-7, 2023 • Cincinnati, OH
DUKE ENERGY CONVENTION CENTER
Educational Audiologists’ and Teachers of Students who are Deaf/Hard of Hearing Perspectives on Facilitators and Barriers of the Current Level of Collaboration
Collaboration between teachers of students who are deaf/hard of hearing (TSDHH) and educational audiologists (EdAuds) is crucial in developing successful, comprehensive service delivery plans for children who are DHH in the early intervention program and the school system. Anecdotal reports suggest that current collaborative practices are unsatisfactory, with EdAuds and TSDHH rarely collaborating successfully. This study aimed to characterize the current collaboration practices between educational audiologists and TSDHH and describe facilitators and barriers to collaboration using a comprehensive survey. A total of 752 surveys were completed – 35.1% were from licensed audiologists and 64.9% were from licensed TSDHH. The majority of TSDHH and EdAuds reported having access to the other profession (TSDHH to educational audiology, 80.7%; EdAuds to TSDHH, 98.4%). Of those who reported not having access to an EdAud, TSDHH cited that they connect with non-educational audiologists instead and a lack of district support (e.g., no audiologist available, misunderstanding difference between TSDHH and EdAuds, too few resources) as reasons for their lack of access. TSDHH reported that their collaboration with EdAuds most frequently included troubleshooting (87%), remote microphone system management (58%), and educational programming/accommodations (55%). EdAuds reported discussions of evaluations and educational programming/accommodations (81%), troubleshooting equipment (77%), and questions/concerns regarding student progress (75%) to be primary purposes of their collaboration with TSDHH. When asked to identify barriers and facilitators to successful collaboration, respondents from both professions reported limited time and resources as the primary barrier and that forming and maintaining a relationship of mutual trust and respect as most useful in fostering collaboration. Identifying the elements that result in successful and unsuccessful collaboration will allow for the development of tools promoting more frequent, quality collaboration between EdAuds and TSDHH, ultimately improving support for children who are DHH.
- Participants will be able to describe the current collaborative practices between educational audiologists and TSDHH.
- Participants will be able to discuss elements and strategies that result in successful partnerships between educational audiologists and TSDHH.
- Participants will be able to identify barriers to effective collaboration between educational audiologists and TSDHH.
Poster:
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Presenter: Elsa Newsome
Elsa Newsome is a third-year Doctorate of Audiology student at the University of Utah. She received her Bachelor's Degree in Communicative Disorders and Deaf Education from Utah State University. She is a member of the Project ASSIST training program, which focuses on professional collaboration between educational audiologists and teachers of students who are deaf or hard of hearing. After completing her Doctorate of Audiology, she plans to be a pediatric audiologist.
ASHA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
No relevant financial relationship exist.
Nonfinancial -
No relevant nonfinancial relationship exist.
Emilee Segura is currently a masters student at the University of Utah in the Special Education: Deaf and Hard of Hearing department. She received her B.S. in Communication Disorders at Brigham Young University. Emilee was born with a bilateral profound sensorineural hearing loss and received a cochlear implant when she was 18 months old. She is bilingual in ASL and English. She is currently working as a deaf mentor at the Utah School for the Deaf and Blind early intervention Parent Infant Program.
ASHA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
No relevant financial relationship exist.
Nonfinancial -
No relevant nonfinancial relationship exist.