Topics include Diversity, Telepractice, and Literacy.
Washington, D.C. – March 25, 2013 – The Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (AG Bell) will hold its 2013 Listening and Spoken Language Symposium in Los Angeles, Calif., July 18-20 at the Omni Los Angeles Hotel at California Plaza.
With a theme of “Delivering Quality Services to Families” the conference is designed to provide professionals who serve families and children who are deaf and hard of hearing with the latest strategies and research in facilitating listening and spoken language development.
General session presenter Dana Suskind, M.D., professor of surgery and pediatrics at the University of Chicago where she directs the Pediatric Cochlear Implant Program, will provide an overview of a groundbreaking project that is helping children with hearing loss—especially those who live in poverty—overcome language disparities. Project ASPIRE—Achieving Superior Parental Involvement for Rehabilitative Excellence—is a multimedia intervention that seeks to enrich the early language environments of children with hearing loss by increasing the quantity and quality of parent and caregiver talk. Read a recent interview with Dr. Suskind in the AG Bell LSL Leading Edge, an e-newsletter expressly for AG professional members.
A general session with Donald M. Goldberg, Ph.D., CCC-A/SLP, LSLS Cert. AVT, AG Bell president and Lyn Robertson, Ph.D., AG Bell Academy president, will capture the atmosphere of change and opportunity in the field of listening and spoken language.
“The Symposium features a rich program that will invigorate professionals’ educational and clinical practice with new strategies and give them a variety of ideas for serving diverse children and their families," said Tamala S. Bradham, Ph.D., CCC-A, chair of the 2013 symposium planning committee.
The conference features seven pre-symposium workshops on Thursday, July 18, two general sessions and a wide range of symposium sessions on Friday, July 19, and Saturday, July 20. Topics include information about current issues in the field such as developing telepractice programs to serve families at a distance, strategies for increasing literacy development, and new apps and multi-media technology for facilitating listening and spoken language development.
Attendees will connect through a variety of social events, including a welcome reception; a happy hour and book signing for AG Bell’s latest book release, 101 FAQs About Auditory-Verbal Practice; and an exhibit area replete with information on state-of-the-art hearing technology, programs and educational tools instrumental to families and children with hearing loss reaching their full potential through listening and spoken language.
Symposium attendees include teachers of the deaf, speech-language pathologists, certified Listening and Spoken Language Specialists, audiologists, general educators, researchers, administrators, and clinicians.
Registration for the symposium is now open. Additional information regarding symposium events and registration fees is available online at ListeningandSpokenLanguage.org/LSLSymposium.
About the AG Bell Association
The Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (AG Bell) helps families, health care providers and education professionals understand childhood hearing loss and the importance of early diagnosis and intervention. Through advocacy, education and financial aid, AG Bell helps to ensure that every child and adult with hearing loss has the opportunity to listen, talk and thrive. With chapters located in the United States and a network of international affiliates, AG Bell supports its mission: Advocating Independence through Listening and Talking! Visit ListeningandSpokenLanguage.org.
