2023 Early Hearing Detection & Intervention Conference
March 5-7, 2023 • Cincinnati, OH
DUKE ENERGY CONVENTION CENTER
3/07/2023 | 3:00 PM - 3:30 PM | VT Coalition for D/HH NASDSE Guidelines Workshop: How it affects ALL D/HH/D+ Children | DECC 207/208
VT Coalition for D/HH NASDSE Guidelines Workshop: How it affects ALL D/HH/D+ Children
The National Association of State Directors of Special Education produced its 2018 Educational Service Guidelines, 3rd Ed., which provides information on legal requirements, best practices, and implementation. The guidelines end with a self-assessment checklist that can be used by programs to identify strengths and areas in need of improvement, as well as a template to help plan specific steps toward improvement.
The VT Coalition for D/HH NASDSE Guidelines was created in 2020, bringing together various stakeholders who sought to bring the Guidelines as best practices for our state. First, we created short and long-term achievable goals.
Our nationally recognized summarization publication, "10 Essential Principles for Effective Education of Students who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing" was our first foray into this work. We then took time to research what was most suitable for our state's needs. This quickly became awareness. Our families, Special Educators, and the VT Agency of Education itself lacked basic knowledge or understanding of the NASDSE Guidelines.
We decided, with the assistance of presenter Dr. Cheryl D. Johnson, co-editor of the NASDSE Guidelines, to hold a 4-part series workshop on Zoom, giving an Overview of critical issues in Deaf education as well as an overview of the NASDSE Guidelines, followed by a deeper dive into the individual chapters with opportunity for discussion. These one-hour seminars held on October 19, November 2, November 9, and November 16, 2022, were presented virtually in real time and recorded for later viewing.
This session will cover information and tips on how the Coalition was formed, how inter and intra-agency tasks worked, and areas of weakness that were encountered. Together, attendees will be able to identify and discuss ways to overcome these obstacles, as well as view how VT Coalition found this initial NASDSE work to include all VT children, not just students.
- Participants will be able to understand how NASDSE Guidelines are not just for school aged children. This includes defining ways to utilize the guidelines in the EI system.
- Participants will have a basic understanding of what the NASDSE Guidelines are and how to access them
- Participants will leave with resources to begin holding introductory workshops in their state, including suggested to-do's and missteps made by VT.
Presentation:
3420032_15655MichelleJohn.pdf
Handouts:
3420032_15655MichelleJohn.pdf
3420032_15655MichelleJohn_1.pdf
Transcripts:
3420032_15655MichelleJohn.docx
Presenters/Authors
Michelle John
(), Vermont Hands & Voices, michelle.john@hotmail.com ;
Michelle holds dual Bachelors of Arts degrees in psychology and sociology from Hofstra University, and her Masters of Science in community counseling and psychology with a specialization in addictions counseling from Springfield College. She also earned her certification as an End-of-Life Doula through the University of Vermont. Currently, she is in the final portfolio stage of becoming a certified DeafBlind Intervener. Michelle is a Newborn Screening Ambassador for Expecting Health, works closely with the National Center on DeafBlindness, and is a governor-appointed member of the VT Developmental Disabilities Council.
While spending many of her beginning adult years enjoying pursuing higher education, and proud of these accomplishments, she's just as quick to share life sent her in a divergent direction; her highest achievement comes from raising and educating her 3 children by being a stay-at-home parent. She is all things medical, educational, coordination and physical care to her 10-year-old DeafBlind+ (Plus) child who has a variety of significant medical complexities, and willing teacher to those with questions and readiness to learn—most often her other two children.
Michelle has been the President of Vermont Hands & Voices since 2018. In this role, she sits on a variety of Boards, Committees, Coalitions, Panels, and Councils to further the identified needs of children birth to adulthood, who are D/deaf/hard of hearing/plus and their families. She is passionate about inclusion of choices, D/HH/Plus adult infusion, all volunteer-organizations, NASDSE Guidelines, parents as paid caregivers to medically complex children, DeafBlind Plus needs, and siblings of D/d/hh/Plus individuals, as well as the vastly differing needs of families in rural living. Spending time in webinars, meetings, trainings, as well as presenting at and fully attending various conferences yearly keeps her up to date on best practices, improving the ability to meet a variety of stakeholders who can become a resource to families across the US and Canada.
In her middle of the night “spare time”, she enjoys reading autobiographies, creating wild goals that sometimes seem unattainable, watching reality television and “American Greed”, and pretending to get some sleep.
ASHA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
No relevant financial relationship exists.
Nonfinancial -
No relevant nonfinancial relationship exists.
AAA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
Financial relationship with .
Nature: .
Nonfinancial -
No relevant nonfinancial relationship exists.