Virginia Early Intervention
Professional Development Center

Virginia Specific Information

The Early Intervention Provider’s Guide for Children with Hearing Loss
VA Department of Health

When a child has been identified with a hearing loss, the parents may have many questions and there will be decisions they will need to make. You are one of the people to whom they will turn for help. This Guide will assist you in providing the best possible services to the family following the diagnosis of hearing loss. Together the Guides for Families, Early Intervention Providers, Physicians and Audiologists comprise a shared plan of care to help parents navigate the first part of their journey with their child with hearing loss.

Small Steps
VA School for the Deaf and the Blind

This free parent-infant education program is managed by VSDB and is designed for families raising children who are deaf, hard of hearing, who have low vision and who are blind.

Virginia Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Program (external website)

The goal of the Virginia Early Hearing Detection and Intervention program is to identify congenital hearing loss in children before three months of age and to assure enrollment in appropriate early intervention services before six months of age.

Virginia Project for Children and Young Adults with Deaf-Blindness
Partnership for People with Disabilities at VCU

The Virginia Project for Children and Young Adults with Deaf-Blindness is committed to supporting families, early intervention providers, and service providers as they work to improve outcomes for infants and toddlers who experience both vision and hearing loss. For information about this project, visit the website using the link above or click here to review a flyer.

Articles

Moeller, M. P. (2000). Early intervention and language development in children who are deaf and hard of hearing. PEDIATRICS, 106(3), 1-9. (external website)

This study was conducted with 112 children who were deaf or hard of hearing and examined the effects of early intervention and family involvement on language outcomes. Results indicated that enrollment in early intervention, particularly when families were actively involved, was associated with higher language scores for children.

Moeller, M. P., Carr, G., Seaver, L., Stredler-Brown, A., & Holzinger, D. (2013). Best practices in family-centered early intervention for children who are deaf or hard of hearing: An international consensus statement. Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education, 18(4), 429–445.

This article describes 10 best practices principles and a call to action to promote widespread implementation of validated, evidence-based principles for family-centered early intervention with children who are deaf and hard of hearing and their families.

eLearning, Presentations, and Webinars

eLearning

Deaf-Blindness for Early Intervention Practitioners
VA’s Integrated Training Collaborative | Partnership for People with Disabilities at VCU

This course offers Early Intervention providers with content that focuses on (1) the identification of infants and toddlers with combined vision and hearing loss (deaf-blindness), (2) key instructional strategies, and (3) developmental domains. The selection of resources was guided by the Council of Exceptional Children’s Division for Early Childhood (DEC) Recommended Practices. Time to complete: 1 hour

Smart Ears: Teaching Babies with Hearing Loss to Listen and Talk (external website)

Often early intervention therapists have questions when it comes to working with infants and young babies with hearing loss. Smart Ears has put together mini video lessons (only 2-3 minutes each) that will help them grasp some key elements of working with babies. New lessons are added periodically. Lessons so far:

1. Just waiiiiit!
2. Let's Whisper!
3. Hold Out!
4. Life's A Jingle!
5. No Throwing!
6. Speaking Means Control
7. Repetition, Repetition, Repetition!

Three Part Training: Services for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children in Early Intervention
Judy Alonzi M.Ed. Developmental/Hearing Impaired Specialist
Early Hearing Detection and Intervention(EDHI) – VA Department of Health

This series covers information about VA’s EDHI program, the early identification process and confirmation of hearing loss, amplification, different modes of communication, and how to support children with hearing loss and their families throughout the EI process.

Webinars

Everyone You Always Wanted to Know About Hearing but Were Afraid to Ask
VA’s Integrated Training Collaborative | Partnership for People with Disabilities
Presented by Ruth Frierson, Christine Evans, & Patty Eitemiller

This webinar provides an overview of early hearing development, the 1-3-6 hearing screening initiative, types of hearing loss, and communication options Click the link above to visit the 2010-2011 Talks on Tuesdays Archive and scroll down until you find the webinar.

Tools

Assessments Commonly Used in Measuring or Monitoring Language/Communication of Infants and Preschool Children with Hearing Impairments
Debbie Pfieffer, Outreach Services, VSDB

This list includes information about a variety of assessment tools for use with very young children with hearing impairments.

Videos

Newborn Hearing Screening Risk Factors for Recommended Follow up Testing (external website)
VA Department of Health

In this video presentation, Cynthia Clarke, Au.D, CCC-A, shares information about newborn hearing screening, hearing loss, risk factors, and recommendations.

Websites and Programs

American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (external website)

This page provides links to many resources to help practitioners and parents understand hearing, balance, speech, language, and swallowing. Some information is also available in Spanish at http://www.asha.org/public/espanol/ (external website)