2025 Early Hearing Detection & Intervention Conference
March 9-11, 2025 • Pittsburgh, PA
DAVID L. LAWRENCE CONVENTION CENTER
| Better Together: University-School Partners Address Shortage of Teachers of the Deaf
Better Together: University-School Partners Address Shortage of Teachers of the Deaf
Teachers of the deaf (TODs) are in high demand, with personnel shortages consistently reported across the United States. Each year, dozens of positions for TODs prepared to meet the language, academic, and social-emotional needs of young children who are DHH and their families remain unfilled. While universities and educational programs that serve DHH children share the goal of increasing the number of highly qualified TODs, collaborative efforts to address the shortage of TODs have been limited in scope. Recognizing that growing and sustaining professional capacity in DHH education will require a concerted national effort, five university DHH education graduate programs partnered with OPTION, a network of 43 North American early childhood programs that focus on developing listening and spoken language (LSL) for children who are DHH. Our collaboration, called OPTION University Partners, has two aims: (1) to spread awareness of and increase graduate applications to the field of DHH education and (2) to recruit and retain highly skilled professionals to work in LSL programs. To further these priorities, OPTION University Partners has hosted exhibit booths at national conferences to distribute information about graduate programs in DHH education and to advertise current career opportunities for professionals with LSL expertise. Through these exhibits, we have engaged in hundreds of conversations with students and faculty, many of whom expressed they had not previously known that DHH education was an option for graduate study. Additionally, we hold virtual career fairs to bring together representatives from OPTION programs and scholars and faculty from the five university partners for lightning talks and small-group networking. These virtual fairs have led to many students expressing interest in future job opportunities at OPTION programs. This poster presentation will highlight these activities and the importance of promoting new professionals into the field of LSL Deaf Education.
- Participants will discuss the significance of teacher shortages and the impact on educational services for young children who are deaf or hard of hearing.
- Participants will discuss the OPTION University Partners program and explore ways to help promote greater awareness of LSL Deaf Education services.
- Participants will discuss the value of collaboration among agencies and the gains that can be made when partnerships are formed.
Presentation:
This presentation has not yet been uploaded.
Handouts:
3545975_18186LauriNelson.pdf
Transcripts:
CART transcripts are NOT YET available, but will be posted shortly after the conference
Presenters/Authors
Lauri Nelson
(Primary Presenter), Utah State University, lauri.nelson@usu.edu;
Lauri Nelson is a Professor in the Department of Communicative Disorders and Deaf Education at Utah State University. She is the Director of the Listening and Spoken Language Deaf Education graduate training program, the Director of Sound Beginnings, and the Deaf Education Division Chair. She has a dual background as both a pediatric audiologist and LSL deaf educator.
ASHA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
No relevant financial relationship exists.
Nonfinancial -
No relevant nonfinancial relationship exists.
AAA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
No relevant financial relationship exists.
Nonfinancial -
No relevant nonfinancial relationship exists.
Elaine Smolen
(Co-Author), Teachers College, Columbia University, es3519@tc.columbia.edu;
Elaine Smolen, PhD, CED, LSLS Cert. AVEd, is a Visiting Assistant Professor in the Special Education: Deaf and Hard of Hearing program at Teachers College, Columbia University. Her research work centers around language and literacy development for young deaf and hard of hearing children who use listening and spoken language. Smolen received her PhD in deaf and hard of hearing education from Columbia as a National Leadership Consortium in Sensory Disabilities scholar. An experienced teacher of the deaf and certified Listening and Spoken Language Specialist, Smolen has served young children with hearing loss and their families as a head classroom teacher and in an itinerant role. She holds teaching certification in the areas of deaf education, elementary education, and English.
ASHA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
No relevant financial relationship exists.
Nonfinancial -
No relevant nonfinancial relationship exists.
AAA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
No relevant financial relationship exists.
Nonfinancial -
No relevant nonfinancial relationship exists.
Casey Reimer
(Co-Author), Washington University School of Medicine, caseyreimer@wustl.edu;
Casey Reimer is Director of Deaf Education Studies and Assistant Professor of Otolaryngology at Washington University School of Medicine and is an active member of OPTION University Partners.
ASHA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
Nonfinancial -
AAA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
Nonfinancial -
Dorie Noll
(Co-Author), Utah State University, dorie.noll@usu.edu;
Dr. Dorie Noll is a deaf educator and Listening and Spoken Language Specialist, Auditory-Verbal Educator (LSLS Cert. AVEd). She is an Education Specialist in Listening Spoken Language in the Communicative Disorders and Deaf Education Department at Utah State University. Over the past 17 years, Dr. Noll has worked with children and families as an early intervention provider and teacher at Central Institute for the Deaf, mentored graduate students and early career teachers of the deaf, presented nationally and internationally, and researched the role of caregiver coaching in early intervention services for deaf children learning to listen and speak. She has planned and implemented workshops for local teachers and healthcare professionals in Vietnam and Mongolia with the Global Foundation for Children with Hearing Loss and is a member of AG Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing’s Global Matters Committee. Dr. Noll has a young adult son who is deaf and uses a cochlear implant.
ASHA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
• Receives Salary for Employment from Utah State University.
Nonfinancial -
• Has a Professional
(Global Matters committee member)
relationship for Volunteer membership on advisory committee or review panels.
• Has a Personal
(Parent leader)
relationship for Other volunteer activities.
AAA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
Financial relationship with Utah State University, AG Bell Association for the Deaf or Hard of Hearing, Hands & Voices.
Nature: Faculty member and Co-PI on two OSERS grants at USU, member of AG Bell Global Matters Committee, Chapter Leader for Hands & Voices.
Nonfinancial -
No relevant nonfinancial relationship exists.
Maria Hartman
(Co-Author), Teachers College, Columbia University, mch33@columbia.edu;
Maria Hartman, PhD, is the Director of the Program for the Education of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing at Teachers College, Columbia University, where she teaches graduate level courses in language and literacy development as well as courses in assessment and teaching methods. Dr Hartman also supervises pre-service teachers in schools, clinics and agencies that serve deaf and hard of hearing children throughout the New York City area. At Teachers College, her research and publications focus on language and literacy development. Dr. Hartman is a NYS certified Teacher of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing with many years of classroom teaching experience.
ASHA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
No relevant financial relationship exists.
Nonfinancial -
No relevant nonfinancial relationship exists.
AAA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
Financial relationship with Teachers College, Columbia University.
Nature: I am a senior lecturer and program director at TC.
Nonfinancial -
No relevant nonfinancial relationship exists.
Renee Polanco Lucero
(Co-Author), John Tracy Center, rlucero@jtc.org;
Renee Polanco Lucero is the Chief Academic Officer at John Tracy Center and is an active OPTION University Partner member.
ASHA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
Nonfinancial -
AAA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
Nonfinancial -
Sofia Ramirez
(Co-Author), California Lutheran University, smramire@callutheran.edu;
Sofia Ramirez is an Assistant Professor and Deaf and Hard of Hearing Program Director at California Lutheran University and is an active OPTION University Partners member.
ASHA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
Nonfinancial -
AAA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
Nonfinancial -