2017_summer_nl_fndc : simplebooklet.com

Family Network for Deaf Children and our deaf program Deaf Youth Today SUMMER Deaf Youth Today Summer June 2017 FNDC values sharing information to deaf children families professionals and the communities that support them These events advertisements and or articles do not necessarily reflect the viewpoint of FNDC or offer an endorsement It s a Small World after All Life in the Fishbowl How do we balance confidentiality and friendships within the communities that our families are engaged in Whether it s signing or auditory verbal communication parents of deaf and hard of hearing children are introduced to other parents a long list of professionals mentors and caring folks in the deaf hard of hearing communities At first the sheer volume of new people is overwhelming but then after a while it feels like the same people keep appearing and these communities seem smaller We ve all had someone ask us if we know a certain teacher of the deaf interpreter or deaf hard of hearing child or adult When we figure out that in fact we do know them we realize it s a small world We wonder who knows what about each of our families The question of confidentiality pops up in the support services we receive and sometimes spilling into the friendships that we make When my husband and I found out our daughter was deaf I felt like we lived in a fishbowl exposed and vulnerable I had never experienced this before We began to see some of the same people in different organizations schools interpreting scenarios committees board of directors and social settings Often people wear various hats working professionally for one organization but serving in various other volunteer work capacities which made things more confusing and parents wonder if we can be assured of confidentiality or that they don t bring knowledge from one scenario into another one The answer of course from all the organizations is YES your information is confidential but we need to be reminded and reassured that private information remains within the organization that we trust Family Network for Deaf Children FNDC and our Summer program Deaf Youth Today DYT promises you confidentiality The by laws of our organization state that all board members are parents of deaf hard of hearing children This can create an awkward perception because board members may be your friends and their children may be your child s peers Parents are on the FNDC Board because they have a passion and desire to work on behalf of FNDC by steering program vision direction and finances That s the role of board members Personal details regarding families is never shared with FNDC board members All our DYT information is kept with the DYT Coordinators Your private information is assured We promise We hope this gives you confidence and freedom to pursue and maintain friendships Even though you may feel like the parent community is small and at times it does feel like a fishbowl I encourage you to continue to build friendships as you all need each other as you navigate through the next many years ahead I remember when my daughter was first diagnosed I had a hard time accepting my new group of friends Is this my new peer group I kept asking myself It felt so unnatural as I was thrown into this whole deaf hard of hearing thing with a diverse group of parents It was like we were all the lucky winners of a random lottery the Dyson Limited Edition vacuum and now I have to socialize with and seek support from this new vacuum club I went into the vacuum club kicking and screaming but after many years these parents have become my network that I turned to and continue to on those tough days or to just to have a laugh together I encourage you to build stronger parent relationships by working through issues minimizing gossip looking past each other s quirks and faults and celebrating the joyful moments together The bonus is twofold Your children will experience you as a positive role model and you become part of supporting other parents to do a better job in their parenting too Even though life in the community can feel small at times and it feels like you are living in a fishbowl just keep swimming just keep swimming from Dory Finding Nemo Happy Summer Cecelia Twitter FNDCandDYT Facebook www facebook com fndc ca

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Date July 9 13 2017 Who Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children Age 8 15 HORNBY ISLAND Youth Overnight Camp is back by popular demand Campers will participate in a variety of activities Register Today www fndc ca summerprogram2017 Fee Before June 25th 150 After June 25th 200 DYT Kids Deaf Camp at Hornby Island CIT program you will go to Hornby Island work with DYT Staff gain more leadership communication skills team building interpersonal relation and participate in campfire performance Date July 17th 20th 2017 Time 9 00am to 3 30pm Who Deaf HoH Siblings CODA Age 5 8 and 9 12 Date July 24th 27th 2017 Time 9 00am to 3 30pm Who Deaf HoH Siblings Age 5 8 and 9 12 Join us as we align our day camp theme with the celebration of Canada s 150th anniversary This year Summer immersion is all about MAKING FRIENDS and CREATING MEMORIES Fee 150 Fee Before July 10th 80 After July 10th 100 Fee Before July 17th 80 After July 17th 100 Counsellors in Training CITs Happy 150 Canada Family Summer Immersion Date July 31st August 3rd 2017 Time 9 00am to 3 30pm Who Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children Age 5 8 and 9 12 Date August 3rd 2017 Time 9 00am to 3 30pm Who Deaf HoH Siblings CODA Age 13 18 Date August 8th 10th 2017 Time 9 00am to 3 30pm Who Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children Age 5 8 and 9 14 Ready Set Action Is back by popular demand Campers will collectively create a storyboard based on inspiration from field trips Whatever the adventure is that you re looking for Playland has a wide variety of screaming options Come join us with your friends for the day Canada is known for its beauty in nature from lakes and streams to forests and mountaintops Fee Before July 24th 80 After July 24th 100 Fee Before July 17th 20 After July 17h 25 Ready Set Action Teen Event Playland Outdoors Adventure Date August 14th 17th 2017 Time 9 00am to 3 30pm Who Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children Age 5 8 and 9 12 Date August 17th 2017 Time 9 00am to 3 30pm Who Deaf HoH Siblings CODA Age 13 18 This week is geared towards the younger aqua enthusiast Explore and discover everything to do with water Everyone loves a waterpark day Come join us at the newly renovated Splashdown Park Date July 9 13 2017 Who Deaf and Hard of Hearing Age 16 18 Date August 8th 11th 2017 Time 9 00am to 3 30pm Who Deaf and Hard of Hearing Youth Age 15 18 This week offers opportunity to review the ICBC Learn to Drive Smart study guide You will get an opportunity to go for your learners permit test th as Fee Before July 31st 80 After July 31st 100 Fee Before August 7th 80 After August 7th Driver s Study Group for Teens 100 Surf s Up Fee Before July 31st 60 After July 31st 80 Fee Before August 7th 20 After August 7th 25 Teen Event Splashdown Park Click the box for more Information 3 FNDC Summer 2017

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JULIA SZEFER DYT Leader Fun Fact about me I love making jokes or doing pranks on people It is one of my favourite things to do You did not know that I learned how to ride a unicycle a long time ago My Goal if the opportunity arises I would like to teach ASL to hearing kids just for fun KAREEM MANSOURI DYT Leader Fun Fact about me I have a special dance You did not know that I am currently working at Cineplex Metropolis and I have travelled to 10 countries My Goal to attend Douglas College and graduate with Bachelor of Arts MARIA BOLOSENO DYT Leader Fun Fact about me I love taking pictures My Goal to become a professional photographer NICOLE MUSEY DYT Leader Fun Fact about me I am big fan of Spider Man and many anime shows You did not know that I have deaf second cousin We are related to our 103 year old grandmother from Saskatchewan My Goal To travel around the world and become a Teacher of the Deaf after graduating from Gallaudet University FNDC 5 Summer 2017

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STANLEY KHUU DYT Leader Fun Fact about me I have never broken any bones yet You did not know that I am NOT afraid of heights BUT am afraid of falling My Goal to become an Automotive Refinishing Technician SULEIMAN NOOR DYT Leader Fun Fact about me I am very obsessed with sports especially basketball You did not know that I can be extremely shy I may look like a fun and interesting person to be around but at the beginning I can be shy around everyone My Goal is gaining more experience working with children and youth ZAINUL RASHEED DYT Leader Fun Fact about me I am terrible at managing money You did not know that I hold a black belt in kickboxing and MMA My Goal is to become an architect and leave a legacy behind AMAR MANGAT DYT Photographer Fun Fact about me I LOVE to socialize and meet new people You did not know that been selected to go to The Youth Assembly at the United Nations FNDC 6 Summer 2017

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SCOTT JEFFERY DYT Summer Program Coordinator Fun Fact about me I love travelling around the world You did not know that I have been to 46 counties and haven t touched South America yet My Goal is to start a family TERRY MALONEY Hornby Island Coordinator Fun Fact about me Grew up in Montreal LOVE Poutine Montreal Smoked Meat and Cheese You did not know that I go to Mexico every two years for Christmas Holidays with the family My Goal I love my current role as Administrator for the Provincial Outreach Program Deaf and Hard of Hearing and want to continue to connect with as many D HH children as possible ANDREA MALONEY Hornby Island Coordinator Registration Fun Fact about me I love playing any sports You did not know that I lived in Alabama for three years My Goal is to enjoy everyday ALAYNA FINLEY DYT Summer Immersion Coordinator Fun Fact about me I used to get scared when swimming alone or walking alone in the dark I think I have outgrown this fear though You did not know that One of my first jobs was working as a Host at Milestones Feel free to ask me what I learned from this job My Goal is to work on Lila Pip projects as well as going on some adventures FNDC 7 Summer 2017

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and FNDC s Summer Program Deaf Youth Today DYT FNDC Family Network for Deaf Children PO Box 50075 Southslope RPO Burnaby B C V5J 5G3 Email fndc fndc ca Website www fndc ca June 7 2017 FNDC members DYT camper families and newsletter subscribers Re MEMBERSHIP RENEWAL DATES All FNDC membership expired March 31 2017 We decided to change our membership dates to coincide with our Summer DYT Program It s that time of year for FNDC memberships July 1 2017 to June 30 2018 Our Board of Directors feel that families benefit greatly from our low cost Deaf Youth Today summer programs For this reason becoming a member of FNDC to show your belief in our organization is valued and vital As a non profit society we are required to have formal memberships Membership lets us know that you believe in what we are doing for deaf and hard of hearing children youth and their families in British Columbia FNDC has been the catalyst to many of the changes and services that families currently receive and benefit from We continue to inform and educate by writing letters consulting and information sharing to ensure that deaf hard of hearing children and their families have access to sign language classes counselling family support better TV movie theatre captioning government videos Video Relay Services improved literacy the right to qualified interpreters postsecondary opportunities The list is endless and the work ongoing when it comes to access and inclusion for our deaf and hard of hearing children Your membership says you believe in what we are doing and is an indicator that you support us FNDC s Summer Program Deaf Youth Today DYT provides social recreational programs for deaf children leadership opportunities for deaf youth and is the leading employer of deaf students during the summer months We keep our costs to a minimum by working from home offices sharing a FNDC cellphone and applying for grants to employ deaf students as DYT summer staff We do this because we believe that parents make huge financial sacrifices ie gas costs significant travel time time off work driving your children daily to attend our DYT Summer Program Your membership fees and donations help us with the costs incurred in website maintenance workshop planning newsletter production and our DYT Summer Program We are extremely grateful for donations If you wish to receive our newsletter and ongoing email updates please make sure that you add fndc fndc ca and fndc shaw ca to your safe sender s list and email address book To pay online www fndc ca membership To download form and mail in go to www fndc ca click about click become a member and download the form FNDC FAMILY NETWORK FOR DEAF CHILDREN FAMILY NETWORK FOR DEAF CHILDREN PO Box 50075 South Slope RPO Burnaby BC V5J 5G3 Phone 604 684 1860 voice text message line Email fndc fndc ca Website www fndc ca FNDC 8 Summer 2017

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35 00 includes newsletters by MAIL updates by Email 10 00 includes newsletters updates by Email ONLY You may use this form or pay for your membership online at www fndc ca membership Voting Member Parent guardian of deaf hh child Non Voting Member Individual or organization Note voting members are parents legal guardians of a deaf hh child One vote per family Birth year of your deaf hh child __________ If you are unable to pay at this time please just let us know NAME ADDRESS CITY PROVINCE EMAIL POSTAL CODE TEL CELL Check if text only Note Please add fndc fndc ca and fndc shaw ca to your safe sender s list You will receive our email information via MAILCHIMP Please add Mailchimp to your safe sender s list too You may donate using this form and mail to FNDC or you may also donate directly at www fndc ca donation I would like to make a charitable donation of ______________ income tax receipts will be issued for donations over 10 00 Thank you for your continued support Charitable Registration No 88622 5655 RR 0001 You may pay your membership using this form and mail to FNDC or you may also renew your membership online at www fndc ca Mastercard Visa PayPal Cheque CHARGE CARD EXPIRY DATE MM DD YY SIGNATURE TOTAL AUTHORIZED PAYMENT Please make your cheque payable to FNDC Family Network for Deaf Children FNDC Family Network for Deaf Children PO Box 50075 South Slope RPO Burnaby BC V5J 5G3 Phone 604 684 1860 voice text message Email fndc fndc ca Website www fndc ca FNDC 9 Summer 2017

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Deaf children should be able to dream Posted on May 23 2017 From http limpingchicken com 2017 05 23 bianca birdsey i created these images to show that deafchildren should be able to dream Mom when I m big I want to be a Vet I want to help animals she signed eyes gleaming as heart and head agreed on a dream In the split seconds between an assuring smile careful nod and encouraging hug I couldn t help debating whether to interject her little dream with a suggestion that yes she could help animals she could volunteer at the SPCA or maybe we could adopt a zoo Was it ok for me to affirm her actual dream or even dare encourage it when as it stands in my country South Africa for kids like her that s pretty much an impossibility What do you say to your kid Sorry Honey Deaf kids can t become Vets or Doctors or Scientists or Engineers or well anything that needs Physical Science as a school subject Maybe think of something else Imagine choosing to just pretend for that moment that becoming a Vet for a Deaf Bilingual child was possible just to keep that toothless smile bright and excited and protect that little heart from prematurely discovering the overwhelming reality Sure kids dream of being princesses in castles super heroes astronauts and other things that only very few might ever be able to experience and yes they even have the freedom to change their adventurous minds fifty million times if they want to The joy of endless possibilities FNDC 11 Summer 2017

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And whilst I m the first person to appreciate that joy contentment and success need not come from any clich d career I still think having the freedom to dream and ultimately choose how to spend your life is important You know what Those sensitive hands and heart would make one heck of a Vet or even a compassionate Psychologist That enquiring and creative mind would be an exceptional Scientist Inventor or Leader for that matter That astute vision and attention to detail the making of an incredible Designer or world class Architect The sharp sense of smell and taste a recipe for a MasterChef So what is limiting our Deaf children What is snuffing out their dreams for their future Early Identification and Early Intervention are critical Time missed here is critical time lost This reality is true for most developing nations that s the bulk of Deaf children Then the ugly truths of the unequal education opportunities aren t often enough declared nor honestly discussed The fattest elephant is in this room Where can my child learn Physical Science There is not one school where she can access and I mean truly ACCESS this subject According to statistics Deaf children in my country will leave school with English literacy levels equal to that of a typical primary school child There s no chance there of the Psychology degree nor really anything that will require independent reading for comprehension and study It would be so great if more people said that this reality was not okay That little Deaf people should have I want to become dreams too That moms and dads all over the world wouldn t need to shatter those dreams early to avoid disappointment later Feeling compelled to share the truth and advocate for change I roped in an incredibly talented friend of mine Julie Smith Belton who helped me created images of a I am Deaf and I want to be campaign Why Because being Deaf shouldn t mean that you can t dream It shouldn t mean that you are discriminated against through inequity It shouldn t mean that broken systems dictate your future Being Deaf should mean you can exclaim I m different and unique and I CAN Julie thank you for sharing your talent with us and for us Deaf kids out there you ve been made with special gifts and for a special purpose let those little lights of yours shine bright You CAN Parents NEVER settle for 2nd best comfort zones are overrated Government you are losing out on an incredible resource the gift of our Deaf people in every arena Bianca is a South African mom to three extraordinary girls who are all Deaf Medical Doctor now National Coordinator of HI HOPES Early Intervention Programme and founder of THRIVE parent support group Bianca enjoys supporting families journeying similarly FNDC 12 Summer 2017

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Deaf lacrosse star uses sports to show deaf girls they can do anything receives scholarship to Westminster College Posted at www cottonwoodholladayjournal com 2017 05 30 145537 deaf lacrosse star uses sports to show deaf girls they can do anything receives scholarship to westminster college By Koster Kennard koster k mycityjournals com May 30 2017 Kennedy Flavin celebrates after assisting on a goal during the state quarterfinals her junior year Brighton High School Yearbook Senior attacker Kennedy Flavin is an all region all state lacrosse player one of the top scorers on Brighton High School s team and she recently received a scholarship to play at Westminster college She s also a student body officer a social butterfly and a budding philanthropist Oh and she s deaf too When she was in sixth grade Kennedy s best friend Nici Boutwell invited her to a lacrosse practice After the practice Kennedy knew that lacrosse was something she wanted to do Kennedy s first coach taught her a stick drill that involved lying on the floor while moving the lacrosse stick in different patterns She must have done them one million times said Kennedy s father Mike Flavin She told me Dad I have to work harder so I can be better Fast forward five years and Kennedy and Boutwell are seniors with Brighton lacrosse and they ve committed to play at rival schools Flavin at Westminster College and Boutwell at Colorado Mesa University I m going to be playing my best friend Nici three times a year said Kennedy That s really cool That ll be fun FNDC 13 Summer 2017

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Kennedy visited colleges in California New Hampshire and Texas and even verbally committed to Pacific University in Oregon It was a long process to find that school Kennedy said At first I didn t even want to think about staying in state I didn t even want to apply I said No way I need to move and go out of state Westminster ended up feeling like the best fit Kennedy said They made a good scholarship offer and I wanted to play division 2 lacrosse Kennedy said They had good interpreters and a good coach and good players I wanted to be close to my best friend and my family Kennedy isn t sure what she wants to major in but she knows she wants to help deaf people Well I don t know I know that I want to help Kennedy said Growing up I ve always wanted to help those who can t help themselves So I don t know because I felt alone growing up and I didn t have people to look up to or the right deaf people to look up to that played my sport or did the same things that I wanted to do I think of that a lot I want to be that for little girls Mike said that many of Kennedy s friends have become adept signers It s neat because a lot of her friends have worked hard to learn sign for her and that s an amazing gift they give to her and it s not because she s deaf Mike said It s because they love her as a person Originally Brighton s lacrosse team learned some sign language to help out Kennedy but signs have ended up improving the team as well The whole team will communicate they ll be signing Kennedy said It helps us to be more visually focused It helps us to be faster on our feet The team sees more They steal the ball more They do things faster They read people s body language In the deaf community instead of clapping they raise their hands in the air and shake them When Kennedy scores several members of the crowd applaud her in her native language Going into this year s playoffs Brighton is ranked seventh in the state even though a few key players have dealt with injuries This includes Boutwell who is one of the team s top players she suffered a season ending back injury In the three years Kennedy has been at Brighton the team has finished in the top three twice including a heartbreaking overtime loss to Park City who scored a goal to tie the game with 17 seconds left in regulation In addition to playing for Brighton Kennedy has played with the Utah Mamaci Lacrosse club s under 17 team Playing for these teams has allowed her to play lacrosse across the country It s been really cool for me as a dad to watch Kennedy play all over the U S People will hear that there s a deaf player and I watch them because in the summer I m on the sidelines and they re trying to decide who is the deaf player and a lot of the girls are signing so they don t know Mike said Kennedy said helping deaf girls see what they can accomplish is a big part of what motivates her to excel at lacrosse I work really hard because I want to show other deaf girls that they can do it because I can do it Kennedy said If I can play you can play Just because you can t hear doesn t mean you can t do something You can do whatever you want I don t want that to stop them FNDC 14 Summer 2017

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Family and Community Services A program offered by Provincial Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services Driver s Study Group for Youth This week offers Deaf and Hard of Hearing youth aged 15 23 opportunities to review and study the ICBC Learn to Drive Smart study guide with the support of staff from Family and Community Services Who Deaf Hard of Hearing Youth aged 15 23 Location Provincial Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services 4334 Victory Street Burnaby BC Dates Tuesday August 8th Thursday August 10th from 11am 3pm Optional We will arrange an interpreter if you want to do your learners permit test on Friday August 11th at ICBC in Metrotown Please note anyone 19 and under must have their guardian present Register Email Erin at Erin Bentley gov bc ca Deadline June 24th 2017 Bring Your own bag lunch The study group will be in ASL however if you prefer the spoken language please request an interpreter and we will book one Deaf Youth Today DYT will be running a Teen Fun Week Camp during this week after the Driving Study Group Don t forget to register www fndc ca summerprogram2017 Stay up to date with FCS by liking us on Facebook Look for Provincial Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services FNDC 15 Summer 2017

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Reprinted with Permission Laurent Clerc National Deaf Education Center Gallaudet University Debra Nussbaum MA CCC A manages projects on language development and communication support at the Laurent Clerc National Deaf Education Center located on the campus of Gallaudet University in Washington D C Since 1977 she has been involved in direct service provision in audiology as well as resource development research and professional training Genie Chisholm MA CCC SLP is a speech language pathologist at the Laurent Clerc National Deaf Education Center In addition to providing direct service to students she is coordinator of support services and a certified See The Sound Visual Phonics trainer High School Students with Cochlear Implants Coming Together for Success By Debra Nussbaum Genie Chisholm Rebecca Galloway Venita Dzime Assison and Jane Doyle While many people assume that students with cochlear implants have placements in mainstream schools almost 25 percent of the approximately 175 students at the Model Secondary School for the Deaf MSSD the residential high school on the campus of Gallaudet University in Washington D C have an implanted listening device Working with these students professionals encounter a group that is ethnically culturally and educationally diverse Some students arrive from general educational settings some arrive from schools for the deaf Some have been educated primarily through spoken language others use both spoken and signed languages Some learn visually others have strong auditory skills and preferences Some received their implants when they were very young others just got them Some love their implants and use them all the time others feel ambivalence and use their implants periodically Despite these differences all have gone through the experience of surgery and all have lived with an implanted listening device In fact having a cochlear implant provides a common bond for these young individuals The professionals at MSSD have discovered that providing opportunities for these students to come together and interact can be an important part of their personal and social success A multidisciplinary group of professionals including speech language pathologists audiologists school counselors school psychologists teachers and graduate Photos by Susan M Flanigan 24 FNDC 16 ODYSSEY Summer 2017 2017 FNDC 16 Summer 2017

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Reprinted with Permission Laurent Clerc National Deaf Education Center Gallaudet University Rebecca Galloway MS CCCSLP is a speech language pathologist and a PhD student She has practiced in both general education settings and at the Laurent Clerc National Deaf Education Center interns collaborates to plan three to four gatherings a year to give students the chance to talk about their experiences and challenges These events provide an opportunity to explore helpful listening accessories and discuss effective language and communication strategies especially those that include social media They address identity issues and connect with deaf adults who may or may not use cochlear implants within the community The Bond of Implantation Getting Together to Learn and Have Fun All students with cochlear implants and students with other technologies that rely on implantation such as implanted bone conduction hearing systems are encouraged but not required to attend these meetings It does not matter how consistently students use their devices or whether they have a single or a bilateral implant Some students who have had their device s internal components removed have come as well as students who are considering a cochlear implant for themselves and those who are curious to learn more about the technology Typically 35 40 students 2017 FNDC 17 Summer 2017 Above Students learn about home and family communication tips while enjoying cupcakes and popcorn attend the meetings Pizza is a strong motivator The meetings occur at the beginning or the end of the day or during lunch so they do not interfere with academics Information publicizing each gathering is shared with students staff and families Planning starts each year when every MSSD student with an implant is given a needs assessment The assessment completed either in print or through a face to face meeting gathers information about each student s implant communication background feelings about his or her device and possible supports After reviewing the needs assessments as well as brainstorming with the students themselves a theme for each meeting is identified Each meeting includes an opportunity for social interaction as well as a structured learning experience Students are encouraged to mingle informally and technology and games are incorporated to promote their engagement Activities are structured around topics to encourage information exchange and ground Venita DzimeAssison AuD CCCA has worked for 30 years as an audiologist at the Laurent Clerc National Deaf Education Center She has been involved in resource development and professional training Jane Doyle MS CCC SLP is a speechlanguage pathologist at the Laurent Clerc National Deaf Education Center She is in the process of completing a master s degree in reading at Johns Hopkins University Doyle is the mother of two adopted children who are deaf The authors welcome questions and comments about this article through Nussbaum at debra nussbaum gallaudet edu 25 ODYSSEY FNDC 17 Summer 2017

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Reprinted with Permission Laurent Clerc National Deaf Education Center Gallaudet University Teens Demonstrate Independence and Advocacy And a Need for Knowledge We have learned that students with cochlear implants at this age and stage of development are transitioning to becoming greater advocates for themselves in the use and care of their implant At the same time they may have limited knowledge about the device they are using For example they may not be aware of the company that manufactured their cochlear implant or the many accessories that are available for it accessories that can afford them increased opportunities for connectivity to media or improved listening in noisy situations In addition as many of the students are teens issues arise that are central to identity development Students may Above The students brainstorm a name for the group rules are established to ensure information is conveyed in a nonbiased and respectful manner An evaluation is completed at the end of each meeting to determine if the students enjoyed the activity and if learning objectives were met Some highly successful activities have included using personal videos developed by the students that demonstrate how to use assistive listening accessories to connect to media a Jeopardy style game involving truths and misconceptions about cochlear implants a Speed Meet and Greet during which students move quickly from peer to peer asking each other questions related to cochlear implants The Line Game in which students meet at the line according to areas of commonality e g the professional leading the meeting calls out such statements as Come to the line if you use your cochlear implant every day or Come to the line if you went to a mainstream 26 FNDC 18 ODYSSEY Summer 2017 school and polling technologies e g Turning Technologies ResponseWare www turningtechnologies com to survey students on opinions about topics such as the advantages and disadvantages of a cochlear implant the decision to obtain a cochlear implant or the advice about implants that they would offer to others Below A student evaluates the activity answering questions such as Did you socialize with other students Did you learn any tips for communicating Was this a supportive environment in which to share your experiences The groups have also enjoyed opportunities for participation in an essay contest on the topic of What Would You Tell Other Deaf Students Who Are Considering Getting a Cochlear Implant and Why presentations from cochlear implant manufacturers on assistive listening accessories and how they connect to smartphones tablets and other portable devices and panel discussions involving Gallaudet University students and MSSD staff who use cochlear implants 2017

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Reprinted with Permission Laurent Clerc National Deaf Education Center Gallaudet University everyone but it has growing number of younger children with cochlear implants who are becoming teenagers providing these opportunities for social engagement should be considered an integral part of promoting student success At MSSD students with implants have access to a wide variety of services provided at school These services are integral to ensuring students have properly functioning technology and that they benefit from it to capacity Services include worked for me audiological services including a I didn t realize how many other students had CIs I know that a cochlear implant doesn t work for 12th grade Justina MSSD student express interest in exploring questions such as Why did my parents decide that I should have a cochlear implant Do I fit more in the hearing community or the Deaf community Now that I am in a school for the deaf should I use my cochlear implant From many years of providing these group gatherings we have seen how much students appreciate these opportunities and learn from them We have observed that this opportunity fills in gaps that may not have been otherwise addressed in students educational or personal experiences We feel this kind of structured yet informal interaction is important in the program of every student who has an implanted device Professionals and volunteers from various settings school districts cochlear implant clinics civic organizations such as Lions Clubs or Sertoma can help establish afterschool activities clubs camps and weekend experiences to bring students with cochlear implants together Students who live in rural areas or find getting together is difficult because of geography may find similar interaction through FaceTime Skype or other video chatting software Based on the 2017 complete audiological evaluation troubleshooting when problems develop with implant equipment and education regarding assistive devices to support listening with their implant access to spare and loaner parts auditory and speech training provided by a speech language pathologist based on goals documented through the IEP process and counseling as needed Each of these services is important However it is also important to remember that one of the best supports we can provide for our students is the opportunity to get together This is what the professionals at the Clerc Center have done allowed our students to meet talk with each other about their implants and explore their own questions We have found that while we offer a wide range of supports for deaf and hard of hearing students with cochlear implants sometimes one of the best supports we can provide for them is each other Resources to Support Teens with Cochlear Implants Teens and Adults Cochlear Corporation www cochlear com wps wcm connect au home support rehabilitation resources teensand adults Tweens Teens Telephone with Confidence www cochlear com wps wcm connect us communication corner program intro tweensteens telephone htm Telephone Tips Med El www medel com us user support telephone tips Guide to Access Planning Phonak Planning Guide for Teens with Hearing Loss www phonak com us en support children and parents planningguide for teens html Young Adult Network Hearing Loss Association of America www hearingloss org content young adults 0 Encouraging Peer Support Groups Alexander Graham Bell Association www agbell org Document aspx id 1517 27 ODYSSEY FNDC 19 Summer 2017

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How Gallaudet University is working to reach young deaf readers From the Washington Post May 28 2017 From www washingtonpost com local education how gallaudet university is working to reach young deafreaders 2017 05 28 6ea538d6 40bd 11e7 adba 394ee67a7582_story html utm_term d4986d1b1e8c Melissa Malzkuhn left and Jason Lamberton prepare to give a demonstration of how motion capture apps are created at the Motion Light Lab at Gallaudet University Malzkuhn leads a team at the lab that is giving young deaf children new digital tools to learn to read Jahi Chikwendiu The Washington Post There was once a curious little girl with bright pink hair who loved to climb trees One day the little girl met an old man who gave her fruit from a baobab tree The fruit was delicious So the girl set off to find the tree We re not going to tell you what happens next though Wouldn t want to ruin the ending This story of the pink haired child and her fruit focused adventure is told through an app created in a Gallaudet University lab that aims to give deaf children something quite valuable easy early access to American Sign Language People like me deaf people don t ask to be fixed said Melissa Malzkuhn founder and creative director of the Motion Light Lab We just ask to be able to thrive In this lab at Gallaudet the private university for the deaf and hard of hearing in Northeast Washington research and innovation turn into resources for children and families There is so much out there for hearing children Malzkuhn said through interpreters But much of what is available is sound based Which is great there s been beautiful work done lots of wonderful applications but FNDC 21 Summer 2017

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they have absolutely zero benefit for deaf children who are visually oriented Malzkuhn said So that s where this lab comes in Launched in 2009 the lab in recent years has developed The Baobab the story of the young girl which has been translated into Russian Japanese and other languages It is also home to similar projects known as VL2 Storybook Apps There is The Blue Lobster which follows the same adventurous child The Museum of Errors features wordplay The Boy Who Cried Wolf and The Little Airplane That Could are new spins on classic tales There really aren t that many resources out there for deaf children Malzkuhn said Especially when you re talking about technology Posters outside the Motion Light Lab at Gallaudet show various interactive American Sign Language and English bilingual storybook apps created by the lab Jahi Chikwendiu The Washington Post The bilingual storybook apps offer vivid colorful illustrations of dogs and airplanes and pink haired heroines As the stories progress children can press highlighted words for a video of someone signing and fingerspelling They can also watch a video of a story told through ASL The lab is also using motion capture technology to develop a more authentic signing experience A video of an ASL nursery rhyme done in collaboration with a lab in Paris shows why that matters the system can create clear expressive language delivered through a three dimensional character Motion capture is used to show movement usually dance sports that kind of stuff Capturing gestures though is a bit more complicated Typically Malzkuhn said the lab s system has about 50 markers which are basically raised knobs placed along joints in the body The lab uses more than 100 markers to make sure the finer points of gesture are preserved I feel like a ninja because it s black and I have all these markers on so I dress completely in black she said of the motion capture outfit The work is tedious for putting the markers on the face I will say that Because you don t just pull on a mask The Motion Light Lab is part of a Science of Learning Center backed by the National Science Foundation It works with the Brain and Language Laboratory for Neuroimaging at Gallaudet led by Laura Ann Petitto whose research has found that sign and spoken language are processed by identical brain tissue FNDC 22 Summer 2017

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Gloves laden with reflective points are some of the tools used for creating motion capture apps at the Motion Light Lab Jahi Chikwendiu The Washington Post We used to think this part of the brain in the left hemisphere was only the side for processing sound We thought that for 125 years Petitto said We thought this tissue near the ear of course it must be sound based So I did a variety of studies that tested the hypothesis And found that it is false Malzkuhn is from a deaf family and grew up in a home in which everyone signed Her father loved stories especially funny ones He encouraged his children to create their own tales use this hand shape he d say and tell me a story with it So we would play with language constantly in my home and that language play is what I am trying to basically embed in the work we re doing here she said Norma Mor n and her partner Franklin Torres have two young sons Ram n Torres Mor n who is nearly 3 and Te filo Torres Mor n who is not yet 2 She and Torres are both deaf as are Ram n and Te filo The family uses the apps and Mor n can see Ram n sign information that is specific to it We re modeling it for him but he s also following the app Mor n who lives in the District said through an interpreter It s definitely a reinforcer So there s one character that does a lot of pointing He points the same way We do as well So he duplicates what the character is doing in the app Mor n said she finds the apps are easy to use and help increase access to sign language It s easier for us to expose them to some of these concepts earlier she said And we re not so dependent on a school It s something we can do on our own time and really reinforce the learning that they re getting at school Austin Carrigg another D C mother recalled telling her daughter Melanie s ASL teacher about the time when her daughter encountered someone in an elevator who signed to her Melanie s eyes grew wide Carrigg said and she realized that her daughter believed only a few people in her world could sign The storybook apps help the 4 year old who is deaf and the mother who is not understand the emotions behind the language Carrigg said her daughter is now very very stingy with the iPad Melanie carries it with her constantly Carrigg said often with storybook apps open We need more support for things like this Carrigg said If they could get funding to do hundreds of these think about the way it can change kids lives FNDC 23 Summer 2017

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Reprinted with Permission Laurent Clerc National Deaf Education Center Gallaudet University T COMMUNICATION ANd LANGUAGE EXPOSURE KEY TO SON S SUCCESS Brenda Perrodin MA is a teacher in the Parent Infant Program at the Laurent Clerc National Deaf Education Center s Kendall Demonstration Elementary School KDES on the campus of Gallaudet University in Washington D C With a bachelor s degree in early childhood education and a master s degree in familycentered early education from Gallaudet University Perrodin has worked at the Clerc Center since 1996 She is also a mentor with the Shared Reading Project at KDES Perrodin welcomes questions and comments about this article at brenda perrodin gallaudet edu A Mother Reflects By Brenda Perrodin My son Emmanuel wants to go to medical school He is currently in his third year of college Already he is amassing an impressive vita studying for the Medical College Admission Test working in clinical settings and hoping Emmanuel was born deaf with a hole in his heart Both of these statistically unlikely characteristics have brought unexpected richness to his life and perhaps the heart situation was the one that caused us the most grief We have learned that the heart of every fetus has a small hole This allows the blood from the mother with its rich oxygen content to enter the small growing body inside of her At birth the hole blood vessel generally closes but in his case this didn t happen This resulted in a heart problem called as Emmanuel reminds me patent ductus arteriosus and required heart surgery to resolve it Emmanuel went to the hospital for the operation when he was 10 years old He peppered Dr Rachel St John whom we had known for several years with questions He wanted to know about his condition and he wanted the details of the surgery He asked so many questions that Dr St John told him he should become a doctor himself He made up his mind right then He would do it He would become a doctor Emmanuel has never deviated from this goal From the first days Emmanuel was a top student I had read to him when he was small and he began to read on his own while in Kendall Demonstration Elementary School on the campus of Gallaudet University in Washington D C He read everything he could get his hands on After his conversation with Dr St John his reading accelerated and deepened a pattern that continued when he entered the Model Secondary School for the Deaf MSSD also on the Gallaudet campus In both schools Emmanuel won multiple awards Some of the awards were cash and we put the money away to cover college costs At MSSD he joined the Diversity Club to learn more about his African American identity and to show interest in his community He became more outspoken about what he believed was right and the Photos courtesy of Brenda Perrodin 76 FNDC 24 ODYSSEY Summer 2017 2017

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Reprinted with Permission Laurent Clerc National Deaf Education Center Gallaudet University importance of appreciation for others and for diversity in our American society His desire to participate in his community led to his work in the Student Body Government As a sophomore Emmanuel joined MSSD s Academic Bowl team which competed in the National Academic Bowl for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students and he and his team earned second place During his junior year he became the team captain While the team lost in the regionals that year Emmanuel remained captain The following year he led his school to victory in both the regional and the national competitions When Emmanuel graduated from high 2017 school both Gallaudet University and the Rochester Institute of Technology RIT courted him both schools seemed ready with scholarships Emmanuel said he chose RIT because it had the best premed program with a record of success He also wanted to live away from home for a while and to experience a Deaf community that was different from the one in which he had grown up As an RIT student Emmanuel competed in the National Association of the Deaf s College Bowl With him on its team RIT won for the third year in a row Clockwise from left Emmanuel left at KDES Perrodin helps her son with schoolwork Emmanuel and his Academic Bowl team with MSSD principal Mindi Failing Emmanuel holding Emma and Perrodin check MSSD s Academic Bowl team s standing 77 ODYSSEY FNDC 25 Summer 2017

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Reprinted with Permission Laurent Clerc National Deaf Education Center Gallaudet University Left Salutatorian for MSSD s Class of 2014 Emmanuel right addresses his graduating classmates and the audience Parents Make the Critical Difference Parents often marvel at Emmanuel s success and even ask me how I did it Of course I did not do it he did However this doesn t mean that parenting was irrelevant In fact as a person who works with young deaf and hard of hearing children and their parents every day I know that parenting is critical Parents often ask me what is most important if there is a special key to enabling their deaf and hard of hearing children to achieve academic success and self fulfillment I tell them that absolutely there is a special key Language exposure I was a single mom for a while but I always made sure that we Emmanuel my daughter Emma and I talked with each other I always had books in our home and every week I would whisk Emmanuel and Emma to museums and other cultural events We also credit success to the ease of communication that occurs when parents and children use the same language in our case American Sign Language There were no communication barriers Wants needs stories and jokes were easily shared 78 FNDC 26 ODYSSEY Summer 2017 We were lucky too We met Dr St John the doctor who encouraged Emmanuel to explore the medical field when he was only 2 years old My family was returning from a conference talking on a plane as we headed back to our home when a woman in the seat behind us interrupted us It was Dr St John She was trying to set up a clinic for deaf and hard of hearing toddlers at Georgetown University Hospital in response to the Early Hearing Detection and Intervention legislation that mandates hearing testing of every newborn in the United States She signed beautifully and she said that she needed some help Would we be interested in advising her Of course We worked with her for several years This contact proved enriching both for her and for me and my son She has since moved to Texas but we keep in touch The summer before high school Emmanuel had his first clinical experience I have a good friend Julia Engram who helped him find a job working with a doctor who treats the eye foot hand and gallbladder at the SurgCenter of Southern Maryland in Clinton Soon after that Emmanuel sought out placements on his own When he learned that my sister his Aunt Mary had a fianc who had a sister who was a doctor he made the contact and asked about shadowing her at work throughout his winter break As a third year college student Emmanuel is so busy This is his second semester working as a teaching assistant of organic chemistry He works as part of a group of deaf teaching assistants who give weekly workshops and review sessions for deaf and hard of hearing students He has two jobs on campus serving as an American Sign Language consultant for interpreters and other access service providers in the Department of Access Services in RIT National Technical Institute for the Deaf NTID and as student researcher in the NTID Center on Cognition and Language s Deaf Health Lab He joined the RIT Honors Program last semester Emmanuel also worked as a student research assistant in the Department of Biochemistry and Cellular and Molecular Biology at the University of Tennessee That position culminated in a presentation at the department s End ofSummer Symposium The topic of this presentation Trust me my son s work is so specialized that most people don t even try to understand it but his presentation involved the effects of a virus that causes molting and discoloration of tobacco plants on other plants Titled Integrative Effects of the Tobacco Mosaic Virus on ISE2Overexpressed Plants it was the culmination of seven weeks of research in the lab under the supervision of doctoral candidates and post doctoral fellows 2017

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Reprinted with Permission Laurent Clerc National Deaf Education Center Gallaudet University Emma is interested in more handson experiences than her brother and she is hard of hearing so we are following a different plan for her education Each child is different and the differences are to be treasured Of course both children have our support as I had my parents support We are part of a large African American family that can trace its deaf ancestors back six generations I am deaf as is my mom six of my seven sisters and brothers and several extended family members We were raised in Grand Coteau a small town near Lafayette Louisiana known for its Cajun heritage My mother grew up using French within her family and is trilingual in French English and American Sign Language She went to school during the days of segregation and she was among the first African American students to integrate into the Louisiana School for the Deaf 2017 for both Emmanuel and Emma communication and language exposure throughout their early years built the foundation for what we have today My mother never went to college but she instilled in her children the belief that we could achieve if we worked hard When I wanted to go away to study at Gallaudet University she encouraged me Gallaudet was an eye opener There is no experience like it I wanted to work with young children and when I graduated and I stayed on campus to get my master s degree in early childhood education I ve taught in the ParentInfant Program with the youngest deaf and hard of hearing children who are just beginning their lives and learning at KDES for 20 years I m so proud of both of my children They are at different stages in their lives and excel in different areas but for both Emmanuel and Emma communication and language exposure throughout their early years built the foundation for what we have today At 19 busy with college and preparing for medical school Emmanuel texts me daily and I text him too Emma is moving ahead and making me proud Language exposure and communication remain key to my children s success 79 ODYSSEY FNDC 27 Summer 2017

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My Deaf Son Fought Speech Sign Language Let him Bloom From the New York Times https mobile nytimes com 2017 05 26 well family my deaf son fought speech signlanguage let him bloom html _r 0 referer https t co MGEWY8ubop By ELIZABETH ENGELMAN May 26 2017 I watched my toddler wade into the Gulf and launch a fistful of pebbles in flight They glistened tiny sparks of light before I realized he was up to his chin in cold water And I realized that if I called his name if I screamed it the word would sink like stone When Micah turned 2 we had learned that he was profoundly deaf In the audiologist s office an auditory brain response concluded he couldn t hear a helicopter You re taking this well the doctor had said But later as I watched Micah step deeper into the Gulf water I wanted to rage I was so angry I could have torn the beach apart We celebrated his third birthday and the audiologist turned his cochlear implants on for the first time I said Hi Micah can you hear mommy His hazel eyes widened and he screamed in terror his body trembling Shock In American Sign Language the sign for cochlear implant is similar to the sign for vampire Vampire is signed with two fingers like teeth to the throat Cochlear implant is signed with two fingers like teeth behind the ears The audiologist told me not to sign at all She said sign language was a crutch that would hinder his speech When he heard my voice for the first time his cry was guttural a stab wound He was bitten by sound The audiologist adjusted the pitch and tuned the levels to make a simulation of sound She called this process mapping but there were no guideposts to show the way How do you chart loneliness How do you trace a landscape of silence and sound between mother and son At home I wrapped my legs around my toddler and pinned him to the carpet in what looked like a wrestling hold as I tried to keep the processors for his implants on his head He was crying and I was crying and I wondered if my actions could be considered abuse He refused to wear the 18 000 sound processors and his defiance was feral head butts to my face kicks bites The back of his head smacked against my jaw and for a moment everything went black The implant surgery alone had cost 50 000 Auditory verbal therapy was out of pocket the doctors were out of network What choice did I have but to force him When Helen Keller wouldn t cooperate her teacher Annie Sullivan used brute force In The Story of My Life Sullivan described how teaching obedience to the deaf and blind girl had to precede teaching language Sullivan compared her work with Keller to housebreaking a dog She wrote to get her to do the simplest thing such as combing her hair or washing her hands or buttoning her boots it was necessary to use force and of course a distressing scene followed FNDC 28 Summer 2017

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To sign the word force spread your fingers wide and grip an imaginary face with the palm of your hand With a quick motion shove the face into an invisible water bucket and don t let the head rise for air Each week I dragged him to speech therapy Let the ritual of F begin His upper teeth on his lower lip as he tried to blow a scrap of paper off the back of his hand Next came the puh and guh with its grunts and grimaces He didn t resist He gagged his hands He let his fingers slip dumb at his sides He tucked his hands into his pockets like two clipped birds Micah was prelingually deaf meaning his deafness preceded language Doctors say there is a critical window from birth to 12 months for language acquisition By the time he was 4 years old he had a severe language delay and I feared that his window for language was closing When I spoke to him I observed his stoic expression and panic knotted my stomach In public his meltdowns drew unwanted attention on playgrounds and in grocery stores How had I become the dejected mother in the fruit aisle helpless as Micah bucked and cried dangerously hitting his head on the linoleum floor I felt the eyes of other shoppers watching our distressing scene with pity others with harsh disappointment but no one could have been more disappointed in me than myself I was failing him Then I took one too many of his head butts to the chin and woke up paralyzed on the right side of my face I couldn t blink I couldn t smile The doctor said it was trauma to the seventh cranial nerve causing facial muscles to weaken as happens with Bell s palsy My face drooped like a stroke victim s and for two months I used a patch over my unblinking eye There is no particular sign for the word desperate Instead it is conveyed by a panicked facial expression But my face was frozen much like Micah s voice Stuck I blamed myself I was no Annie Sullivan I couldn t break him and instead he was breaking me I gave up on spoken English and enrolled in American Sign Language classes at the local community college Micah s first sign was flower To sign flower the right hand grasps an imaginary stem and holds it first against the right nostril and then against the left and like a flower Micah blossomed one new sign at a time and took his implants off his head for good The first time he told me a story he was 6 We were eating greasy burgers and fries in a diner s pleather booth and he told me about a dream from the night before Our mouths were full chewing lips sealed but his story continued with rapid fire signs Sometimes when we lie side by side in the dark he places a small hand on my throat to feel my voice a gesture as intimate as a lullaby and I consider the symphony of touch On my skin I feel his palm outstretch feeling for vibration and I think of my voice as a petal pressed between locked pages In the dark his hand reaches up to speak and I shine a flashlight on his fingers They make rapid shadow puppets onto the bedroom wall and I understand his story like a hieroglyph I see his voice I hear his face His pristine silence fills a room far more than sound Elizabeth Engelman the parent support specialist at the Family Center on Deafness in Largo Fla writes the blog OnDeafness and is working on a novel The blog is at www ondeafness com Elizabeth Engelman holds an MFA in fiction from the University of Tampa where she was recognized with the Outstanding Graduate Award She holds an MA in Poetry from Lancaster University and was the recipient of the Rotary Ambassadorial Scholarship to Ireland She is the recipient of the 2017 Marianne Russo Award an Emerging Writer Award from The Key West Literary Seminar She writes OnDeafness com a blog for the non profit organization The Family Center on Deafness and she lives in Dunedin Florida with her husband and two children FNDC 29 Summer 2017

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From Boston University March 6 2017 http www bu edu research articles asl language acquisition BU Deaf Studies researchers look for ways to prevent deaf children from being deprived of language BY ELIZABETH DOUGHERTY A few years ago Naomi Caselli a Boston University Deaf Studies researcher stumbled upon her father s faded class picture from the 1960s He stood in the back a suited adolescent in a sea of elementary schoolchildren Caselli assumed he was a teacher s aide He wasn t Her father had been held back He had lagged behind his peers for a specific reason Caselli s father Raymond Kenney is profoundly deaf in both ears He was in a class for deaf and hard of hearing children but they didn t teach sign language there Instead teachers spent years coaching him to speak using physical and visual cues Over and over they sounded out words like ball repeating bah bah bah while holding his hand at their mouths to show him how to mimic the vibrations They really wanted him to speak says Caselli Raymond Kenney stands in the back row far right a bright adolescent in a class of elementary age students Kenney is deaf but had no access to sign language in school so he had limited opportunities to advance Photo courtesy of Naomi Caselli By age eight he knew a few basic words but he could not speak in sentences and used made up gestures to communicate with his family He did learn to read however and excelled in math and science as a teen At age 19 at the National Technical Institute for the Deaf at the Rochester Institute of Technology he got his first look at American Sign Language ASL in practice among other deaf students I was enthralled says Kenney who immersed himself in learning the language A lightbulb went on Photo by The Learning Center for the Deaf FNDC 30 Summer 2017

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Today he still struggles with reading and expressing himself in written English frustrations that evoke his childhood when his ability to communicate was so limited I m still connecting to that anger says Kenney who is now a Certified Deaf Interpreter He s a beautiful signer now says Caselli who is hearing but learned ASL alongside spoken English from birth But that s uncommon for people who ve had a similar experience Today ASL has been accepted as a full fledged language with all of the complexity structure syntax and storytelling found in spoken languages Also elementary and secondary school programs for the deaf teach and assess ASL proficiency using accepted measurement tools some of which were developed at BU But language deprivation remains a real problem for deaf children Kids today are still having much the same experience that my dad did says Caselli It is not a thing of the past Many deaf children perhaps as many as 70 percent are deprived of language The concern now among researchers like Caselli and Amy Lieberman assistant professor of deaf studies in the BU School of Education is what happens before school starts Approximately 90 to 95 percent of deaf children are born to hearing parents who often don t know sign language and therefore will likely struggle to teach it before their children enter school Even among school aged deaf children estimates based on data from a 2010 survey from Gallaudet University which specializes in deaf education suggest that at most 40 percent of families use sign language at home Given this data educators in the field worry that a majority of deaf children may be deprived of language Exposure to language from birth is essential for the development of thinking skills according to a range of studies Without access to language children have a harder time in school They also have more difficulty developing a sense of self and others They even struggle with planning and time management It s a constellation of challenges says Caselli So Caselli Lieberman and their collaborators are using the tools of linguistics behavioral psychology cognitive science and education to understand how deaf children acquire language and in turn how best to teach them We desperately need data about this she says We are still at the beginning stages of identifying the most prevalent issues Critical Moments When Robert Hoffmeister founded the BU Deaf Studies program in 1980 ASL was on the fringes of acceptance Students at BU could study it but it did not count as a foreign language That s the cloud we lived under for about 25 years says Hoffmeister associate professor emeritus of deaf studies That cloud was more or less lifted by evidence based research Linguistic analyses showed that ASL is a language not just a bunch of gestures It uses space coordinated handshapes and movements facial expressions and a unique syntax to build meaning Together this visual language has all the structural features found in spoken languages It also has its own literary traditions We have folklore passed down from generation to generation says Bruce Bucci a BU Deaf Studies instructor who is among several deaf faculty members at BU and communicated through an interpreter for this story There is a visual tradition and culture connected with the language Acceptance of ASL as a language was a fundamental first step toward preventing language deprivation because it validated the teaching of ASL to deaf babies and children The developing brain responds to language no matter how it is presented so exposure to ASL is equivalent to exposure to a spoken language The same brain regions and mechanisms perceive and acquire language regardless of the modality says Lieberman At most 40 percent of families with school aged deaf children use sign language at home FNDC 31 Summer 2017

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Researchers also learned that language deprivation delays the development of thinking skills In 2007 Hoffmeister and colleagues studied deaf children s development of theory of mind the human ability to think about other people s thoughts They found that children exposed to sign language from birth develop theory of mind apace with hearing children But children with delayed language exposure also had delays in theory of mind You need language to talk about the world says Hoffmeister who hears but is a child of deaf parents Language was the crucial factor Hoffmeister went on to develop ways to assess language acquisition in school aged children Now research in the Deaf Studies program is shifting the focus to younger children from birth to age five This age range is known as the critical period of language development During those years exposure to language triggers all kinds of development Pull the trigger and children associate words with things ideas and feelings They form a sense of self and others an understanding of time and planning and an ability to pay attention and make connections On the flip side without language exposure children experience a cascade of deficits If babies don t have stimulation with language during that critical time of development then their cognitive development their thinking skills and their language development are all at stake says Nicole Salamy a speech and language pathologist at Boston Children s Hospital who is also a deaf studies instructor at BU Bucci puts it more directly If children are deprived of language they will not thrive The problem is that for deaf children language is visual It s not passively absorbed as the sounds of life occur around them When deaf children have access to visual language they can navigate their world right away Salamy says If children are deprived of language they will not thrive Bruce Bucci deaf studies instructor Boston University Language Barriers Hearing parents of deaf children face all of the challenges of parenthood plus the need to learn a completely new language for communicating with their child They also face conflicting advice from health providers associations and educators Some advocacy and professional groups counsel against introducing sign language particularly targeting parents who want to use medical interventions such as cochlear implants Parents are told that sign language will distract their child or that it will take up space in the brain and not leave room for learning spoken languages Amy Lieberman tracks eye movements to study how deaf children learn and process language Photo by Cydney Scott These and other concerns have largely been debunked In a recent review of research on the subject Caselli and her colleagues Matthew Hall from the University of Connecticut and Wyatte Hall from the University of Rochester Medical Center show that learning ASL early supports learning a spoken language later the same way learning one spoken language supports learning a second If you understand the structures of one language you ll be able to use and understand them in another she says There is also a notion that deaf children struggle with reading because they can t sound out words This connection between written language and sounds is called phonological coding But according to research Lieberman did before she came to BU this is also a misconception Many skilled deaf readers do not have access to phonological coding she says They clearly have alternate routes to reading most likely having a foundation in sign language Ultimately there is no risk to introducing children to sign language Research shows that the deaf child will only benefit whether hearing and speech are introduced later or not You can do both says Caselli You can learn sign language and try to get spoken language One of the biggest challenges for educators and researchers who want to improve deaf education is figuring out how to detect language deprivation This would not only help researchers understand the scale of the problem but also help them guide deaf children and their parents to services that can smooth the way to introducing sign language FNDC 32 Summer 2017

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90 to 95 percent of deaf children are born to hearing parents who often don t know sign language A first step being taken by Caselli Lieberman and Jennie Pyers a visiting faculty member from Wellesley College is to develop an ASL test for children under five With new funding from the National Institute on Deafness and other Communication Disorders part of the National Institutes of Health NIH they plan to work initially with deaf children who have deaf parents We want to sort out what vocabulary acquisition looks like under ideal conditions says Caselli ASL LEX is an online visual database containing nearly 1 000 ASL signs Caselli hopes it will become a repository for data on how and when children acquire sign language From there they will study deaf children with hearing parents who likely face bigger challenges and potential delays as parents learn to sign Our goal is to determine where children fall behind and where they don t so that we can focus interventions she says To support this effort Caselli developed an online visual lexical database for ASL called ASLLEX The tool which won the People s Choice Award Interactive Category in the Vizzies Visualization Challenge sponsored by the National Science Foundation and Popular Science documents nearly 1 000 ASL signs along with information about frequency of use grammar and hand movements The database will also become a repository for information about milestones such as the age at which children learn different signs This information in turn can become a source for building assessment tools Attention Getters For parents of deaf children job one aside from learning the language itself is getting the child s attention It seems simple but parents need to learn how to manage their child s gaze says Lieberman Deaf babies who learn sign language from their parents learn to manage their attention by the time they reach preschool according to earlier research by Lieberman They look up to see a sign and down to connect the sign to an object she says They do so in meaningful and purposeful ways Bruce Bucci holds his daughter Sophia age one at the time and teaches his daughter Isabella to sign birthday while celebrating her third birthday Photo courtesy of Bruce Bucci Since eye movements reveal a lot about how deaf children process and learn language Lieberman developed a set of studies using techniques that track eye movements and is continuing this research with a grant from the NIH She and her research team which includes both deaf and hearing researchers are focused on deaf children as young as 18 months and up to five years to understand how and when they learn words The study will include both deaf children with deaf parents and deaf children with hearing parents We want to look at the full spectrum of deaf children looking carefully at the quantity and quality of language exposure they re receiving says Lieberman How do those two measures correlate with the ability to develop visual attention skills and new words Not only will this research help develop milestones for detecting language deprivation it will also help develop interventions for children who are falling behind An outcome could be an educational program or tips for parents that help them manage their child s gaze Without looking there s no language says Lieberman FNDC 33 Summer 2017

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This is a wonderful opportunity to earn tax free income to help cover the cost of living in the Lower Mainland Hello I am Patrick and I am looking for a family household to share their home with me I currently live with my parents but I feel it is time for the next stage of my life I am Deaf and my first language is American Sign Language ASL I also use basic English text when needed to communicate and I am comfortable using Facebook and iPhone messenger I am very social outgoing love children pets enjoy sports and all of the recreational opportunities Vancouver has to offer I love to be around people and children I work part time in Vancouver volunteer at a community day care and am active in Burnaby Special Olympics I have a supportive family and a growing personal support network through Planned Lifetime Advocacy Network PLAN With the right support I can be very independent Ideally my new home share will know ASL or be willing to learn have easy access to SkyTrain and buses include me as a contributing member of an active household provide support needed to ensure safety security and wellbeing help organize my daily schedule activities For more information about Patrick contact vancouverkathy hotmail com For contract details and responsibilities contact LBlackwell posAbilities ca This is a Community Living B C CLBC home share contract FNDC 35 Summer 2017

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Greetings The BC School for the Deaf Elementary wishes to share its heartfelt gratitude with everyone who made it to the Spring Drama on May 4th 2017 so a brief video was made for you at https youtu be uxKCLAuwEW0 It was incredible to see all the support we have from families friends and community members It has meant a lot to our students to have your endless rainbow of support Thank you from BCSD Elementary Team National Deafblind Awareness Month Catch a wave from coast to coast NATIONAL ANTHEMS FOR WHITECAPS GAME IN ASL What Vancouver Whitecaps FC v FC Dallas Soccer Game Who Deaf Deaf Blind and hard of hearing persons will be SIGNING the Canadian and American anthems at the June 17 Whitecaps game to raise awareness of Deaf Blind Canadians and funds for the Deaf Blind Planning Committee and the services they provide When Saturday June 17 2017 Gates open 6 00 pm Opening ceremony starts 7 00 pm must sit by 6 45 pm Where BC Place Stadium 777 Pacific Blvd Vancouver BC V6B 4Y8 Admission Ticket prices 32 00 to 60 00 depending on location A part of each ticket price will go to the Deaf Blind Planning Committee Website to reserve buy tickets for this event www whitecapsfc com deafblind DEADLINE FOR BUYING TICKETS IS MONDAY JUNE 5 at 5 00 PM If the seating area you want is almost all sold please email Marcia or Leanor and we can request more seats For Deaf Blind persons who want help ordering tickets or guiding to seat at the game please contact Marcia Tanaka mytanaka44 gmail com or Leanor Vlug leanyvlug gmail com FNDC 36 Summer 2017

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Nasa s first Deaf Engineer From www facebook com amightygirl May 18 2017 Johanna Lucht has just made history by becoming the first Deaf engineer to take an active control role during a NASA mission Lucht who was born deaf works at NASA s Armstrong Flight Research Center in California where she recently served as a systems engineer for tests of a new type of NASA aircraft It was a gratifying moment after years of overcoming obstacles to education and communication When I was a child I essentially missed my schooling between preschool and third grade says Lucht NASA offered me the opportunity and I was shocked When I was a kid I used to learn about Challenger and the shuttles It was interesting but I never really thought I d be a part of NASA Lucht was born in Germany where resources for Deaf children were limited at the time As a result she didn t learn her first true language American Sign Language or ASL until the age of nine Math was the first thing I really understood in school so I always had a love for it growing up she recalls It was something I worked at understanding and it became my favorite subject She later moved to the U S where more accessible programs for Deaf people were available and eventually studied computer science at the University of Minnesota Lucht says that catching up on other subjects helped prepare her for NASA s high intensity environment The catch up was of course overload but that really helped me in being able to work here and handle moderate to large information on a daily basis FNDC 37 Summer 2017

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While studying for her degree she discovered the NASA internship program and decided to apply When she received the offer Lucht says that she was shocked but she quickly distinguished herself as an intern in NASA Armstrong s research and engineering department The internship turned into a full time job and NASA arranged for Lucht to work regularly with one interpreter and set up a second monitor so she could watch flight data while also receiving ASL translations Lucht says that employers can ensure that they don t miss out on talent by understanding that obstacles facing Deaf employees can be overcome with a little creativity We all meet the challenges that are presented in the environment and do what we can to overcome it she explains And Lucht encourages kids facing similar obstacles not to give up You must always keep an open mind for opportunities You never know when one might come by she says I never thought I would work for NASA until they offered me a spot Follow your motivation Congratulations to Johanna Lucht on her boundary breaking role at NASA To read more about her work visit https go nasa gov 2qw1nJH Resources For several stories starring Mighty Girls who are deaf or hard of hearing we recommend Let s Hear It For Almigal for ages 5 to 8 http www amightygirl com let s hear it for almigal Deaf Child Crossing for ages 8 to 12 http www amightygirl com deaf child crossing and El Deafo for ages 8 to 12 http www amightygirl com el deafo There is also a touching picture book about an inventive young girl who helps a Deaf neighbor solve a potential problem The Mitten String for ages 3 to 7 at http www amightygirl com themitten string For books to help children and teens understand that diversity comes in many forms including ableness check out our blog post Many Ways To Be Mighty 20 Books Starring Mighty Girls with Disabilities at http www amightygirl com blog p 12992 For a fun set of colorful blocks perfect for teaching children sign language check out the ASL Alphabet Books at http www amightygirl com asl alphabetblocks And for books for children and teens about more pioneering women of science visit our blog post Celebrating Science 50 Books to Inspire Science Loving Mighty Girls at http www amightygirl com blog p 13914 FNDC 38 Summer 2017

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Two Vancouver Island families share thanks for the BC Early Hearing Program From www phsa ca about news stories news two vancouver island families share thanks for the bc early hearing program Lydia with mom Sage and dad Kurt Iliyan with mom Shazia and dad Zen Provincial Health Services Authority s PHSA BC Early Hearing Program BCEHP is a leader in infant hearing screening in Canada the only provincial program that received a score of excellent on the Canadian Infant Hearing Task Force s report card for 2014 and 2016 After speaking with two Vancouver Island families about their experiences with BCEHP for Speech and Hearing Awareness Month it s easy to see why the program ranks so highly The BCEHP and the infant screening gave our family much needed information and support We are very grateful Sage Kuzminski s daughter Lydia had her initial hearing screening at St Paul s Hospital when she was one or two days old I don t really remember much of the screening other than having an uneasy feeling when the technician said that Lydia referred the test Sage says The term referred means that she did not pass the screening There was mention of the possibility of fluid in her ears and she was retested the following day Lydia referred the test a second time Mom and Dad were told again that it was most likely fluid in her ears Back home on Vancouver Island a specially trained Audiologist performed an auditory brainstem response ABR assessment and Lydia was identified with a hearing difference It was confirmed that she was profoundly deaf Sage remembers BCEHP s quick and consistent follow up after Lydia s diagnosis A lovely woman from BCEHP phoned us and continued to phone every ten days or so to check in she recalls She didn t require anything of us and became this great support who knew much more of what was going on than we did If we had questions she d answer them and otherwise she would just let us know the next steps I believe it was from her that we found out about the different agencies in BC that provide support to families like ours FNDC 39 Summer 2017

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Sage is thankful to live in BC where a program like BCEHP exists Although it was difficult initially when we found out about Lydia s hearing difference it was the best thing that could have happened for her Sage says Because she was identified as being deaf at such a young age she was able to start wearing hearing aids at three months and our family was able to start learning sigh language The BCEHP and the infant screening gave our family much needed information and support We are very grateful Lydia now 13 months old wears cochlear implants in addition to learning American Sign Language ASL Our family is doing great Sage says Lydia knows upwards of twenty signs with more every day We are so proud to have a deaf daughter Because of her our whole family is learning a new incredible language Every interaction we have had with BCEHP has been memorable positive and has helped us learn more about who our son is Shazia Karmali s son Iliyan did not pass his first two hearing screening tests in the hospital after which the family was referred to an audiologist for further testing We almost didn t go for follow up testing since we assumed it was probably just an false positive as we had not heard of a deaf or hard of hearing family member on either mine or my husband s side of the family Shazia says It wasn t really even on our radar When Iliyan was six weeks old we went in for our ABR with the audiologist and it was confirmed that he was born profoundly deaf An ABR is an auditory brainstem response test and differs from the AABR in that it s performed by an audiologist ABRs confirm hearing loss and are considered the gold standard for testing infant hearing Within hours of learning about Iliyan s deafness Shazia received a call from their service coordinator Lindsay at BCEHP She told us that we would not be alone through this process that there was a lot of support in BC for deaf children and that our son was going to be fine Shazia remembers She then asked us how we were doing and stayed on the phone with us for what was probably hours Until we received that call we were in a tailspin and didn t even really know which way was up or how we would navigate having a deaf child when we knew nothing about it Her call made us feel like we could breathe again and trust that we wouldn t have to figure it all out on our own It s also through BCEHP that Mom Dad and Iliyan began to connect with various agencies groups deaf and hard of hearing individuals and parents of deaf and hard of hearing children Iliyan is now a year and a half and doing wonderfully He signed his first word at ten months it was light not mom or dad Shazia says with a laugh He s been signing up a storm ever since actively using close to 200 signs to communicate Iliyan also has cochlear implants which were activated in February 2017 and is starting to speak a little in addition to signing Overall we are so grateful for BCEHP Every interaction we have had has been memorable positive and has helped us learn more about who our son is and how best to support him BCEHP by the numbers 2007 The year BCEHP was started at BC Children s Hospital More than 390 000 Number of babies screened since the inception of the program 97 Percentage of babies born in BC that have been screened by BCEHP 2015 FNDC 40 Summer 2017

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Silent Walk Run 2017 Sunday June 25 2017 Support BC s Deaf Hard of Hearing Athletes As part of the Scotiabank Half Marathon and 5K Option 1 5k Fun Run Walk FNDC 42 Begins at 9 30 am Start Lagoon Drive at Stanley Park Fish House Finish Park Drive across from Stanley Park Fish House Cost with Charity Discount Code 30 plus taxes and processing fees To Register go to Option 2 Half Marathon 21K Run Begins at 7 30 am Start UBC East Mall west of Thunderbird Arena Finish Park Drive across from Stanley Park Fish House Cost with Charity Discount Code 60 For Half Marathon use Charity Discount Code For 5K use Charity Discount Code plus taxes and processing fees www vancouverhalf com 17BCDSF21K 17BCDSF5K The Charity Discount Code allows you to fundraise for BC Deaf Sports Federation supporting BC s Deaf and hard of hearing athletes Thank you What s included Souvenir Shirt Medals and Healthy Snacks Summer 2017 For more information Email tblock bcdeafsports bc ca See you there

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Why Are Our Children So Bored at School Cannot Wait Get Easily Frustrated And Have No Real Friends BY VICTORIA PROODAY OCCUPATIONAL THERAPIST From https yourot com parenting club 2016 5 16 why our children are so bored at school cant wait and get so easily frustrated Dear readers I published this article in May 2016 Within a year it has been read by six million people The article was translated into 15 languages I received thousands of comments from parents teachers and professionals sharing my concerns The overwhelming response to my article proves that people all around the world share my concerns regarding the well being of their children and change in the way we raise out children is inevitable Thank you Victoria Prooday I am an occupational therapist with 10 years of experience working with children parents and teachers I completely agree with this teacher s message that our children are getting worse and worse in many aspects I hear the same consistent message from every teacher I meet Clearly throughout my ten years as an Occupational Therapist I have seen and continue to see a decline in kids social emotional and academic functioning as well as a sharp increase in learning disabilities and other diagnoses Today s children come to school emotionally unavailable for learning and there are many factors in our modern lifestyle that contribute to this As we know the brain is malleable Through environment we can make the brain stronger or make it weaker I truly believe that despite all our greatest intentions we unfortunately remold our children s brains in the wrong direction Here is why 1 Technology Using technology as a Free babysitting service is in fact not free at all The payment is waiting for you just around the corner We pay with our kids nervous systems with their attention and with their ability for delayed gratification Compared to virtual reality everyday life is boring When kids come to the classroom they are exposed to human voices and adequate visual stimulation as opposed to being bombarded with the graphic explosions and special effects that they are used to seeing on the screens After hours of virtual reality processing information in a classroom becomes increasingly challenging for our kids because their brains are getting used to the high levels of stimulation that video games provide The inability to process lower levels of stimulation leaves kids vulnerable to academic challenges Technology also disconnects us emotionally from our children and our families Parental emotional availability is the main nutrient for child s brain Unfortunately we are gradually depriving our children of that nutrient 2 Kids get everything they want the moment they want I am Hungry In a sec I will stop at the drive thru I am Thirsty Here is a vending machine I am bored Use my phone The ability to delay gratification is one of the key factors for future success We have the best intentions to make our children happy but unfortunately we make them happy at the moment but miserable in the long term To be able to delay gratification means to be able to function under stress Our children are gradually becoming less equipped to deal with even minor stressors which eventually become huge obstacles to their success in life The inability to delay gratification is often seen in classrooms malls restaurants and toy stores the moment the child hears No because parents have taught their child s brain to get what it wants right away 3 Kids rule the world My son doesn t like vegetables She doesn t like going to bed early He doesn t like to eat breakfast She doesn t like toys but she is very good at her iPad He doesn t want to get dressed on his own She is too lazy to eat on her own This is what I hear from parents all the time Since when do children dictate to us how to parent them If we leave it all up to them all they are going to do is eat macaroni and cheese and bagels with cream cheese watch TV play on their tablets and never go to bed What good are we doing them by giving them what they FNDC 43 Summer 2017

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WANT when we know that it is not GOOD for them Without proper nutrition and a good night s sleep our kids come to school irritable anxious and inattentive In addition we send them the wrong message They learn they can do what they want and not do what they don t want The concept of need to do is absent Unfortunately in order to achieve our goals in our lives we have to do what s necessary which may not always be what we want to do For example if a child wants to be an A student he needs to study hard If he wants to be a successful soccer player he needs to practice every day Our children know very well what they want but have a very hard time doing what is necessary to achieve that goal This results in unattainable goals and leaves the kids disappointed 4 Endless Fun We have created an artificial fun world for our children There are no dull moments The moment it becomes quiet we run to entertain them again because otherwise we feel that we are not doing our parenting duty We live in two separate worlds They have their fun world and we have our work world Why aren t children helping us in the kitchen or with laundry Why don t they tidy up their toys This is basic monotonous work that trains the brain to be workable and function under boredom which is the same muscle that is required to be eventually teachable at school When they come to school and it is time for handwriting their answer is I can t It is too hard Too boring Why Because the workable muscle is not getting trained through endless fun It gets trained through work 5 Limited social interaction We are all busy so we give our kids digital gadgets and make them busy too Kids used to play outside where in unstructured natural environments they learned and practiced their social skills Unfortunately technology replaced the outdoor time Also technology made the parents less available to socially interact with their kids Obviously our kids fall behind the babysitting gadget is not equipped to help kids develop social skills Most successful people have great social skills This is the priority The brain is just like a muscle that is trainable and re trainable If you want your child to be able to bike you teach him biking skills If you want your child to be able to wait you need to teach him patience If you want your child to be able to socialize you need to teach him social skills The same applies to all the other skills There is no difference You can make a difference in your child s life by training your child s brain so that your child will successfully function on social emotional and academic levels Here is how 1 Limit technology and re connect with your kids emotionally Surprise them with flowers share a smile tickle them put a love note in their backpack or under their pillow surprise them by taking them out for lunch on a school day dance together crawl together have pillow fights Have family dinners board game nights see the list of my favorite board games go biking go to outdoor walks with a flashlight in the evening 2 Train delayed gratification Make them wait It is ok to have I am bored time this is the first step to creativity Gradually increase the waiting time between I want and I get Avoid technology use in cars and restaurants and instead teach them waiting while talking and playing gamed Limit constant snacking 3 Don t be afraid to set the limits Kids need limits to grow happy and healthy Make a schedule for meal times sleep times technology time Think of what is GOOD for them not what they WANT DON T WANT They are going to thank you for that later on in life Parenting is a hard job You need to be creative to make them do what is good for them because most of the time that is the exact opposite of what they want Kids need breakfast and nutritious food They need to spend time outdoor and go to bed at a consistent time in order to come to school available for learning the next day Convert things that they don t like doing trying into fun emotionally stimulating games 4 Teach your child to do monotonous work from early years as it is the foundation for future workability Folding laundry tidying toys hanging clothes unpacking groceries setting the table making lunch unpacking their lunch box making their bed Be creative Initially make it stimulating and fun so their brain associates it with something positive 5 Teach social skills Teach them turn taking sharing losing winning compromising complimenting others using please and thank you From my experience as an occupational therapist children change the moment parents change their perspective on parenting Help your kids succeed in life by training and strengthening their brain sooner rather than later FNDC 44 Summer 2017

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5 Steps To Provide Greater Access For Deaf Students From http www ai media tv 5 steps to provide greater access for deaf students Universities have a wide range of choices when it comes to making their content accessible for Deaf students ranging from live lecture captioning and transcripts to closed captions alongside recorded content What s more technology has brought economies of access allowing a piece of content to be captioned once and reused across multiple platforms As we approach the new term check out these five steps to provide greater access for your students 1 Start by offering live access Student note takers are great and so are transcripts But for students who are Deaf or hard of hearing nothing beats the power of real time access and for this you can t compete with the access provided by sign language interpreters and live captioning It s immediate access that allows the student to follow along with the pace of the lecture The choice between the two is a personal one and can depend on the student s preference and fluency in either English or a sign language such as Auslan BSL or ASL Pre lingually deaf people or culturally Deaf people usually learn a sign language as their first language and English as a second language later in life Therefore they generally feel more comfortable and have a higher level of comprehension in sign language via the use of an interpreter However some students whose first language is a sign language still choose live captioning as it provides them with direct access to the written English language which is the language that they will be using for most assignments and exams Post lingually deaf people have become deaf later in life and so they are often more comfortable communicating in English They may have little or no knowledge of a sign language and generally prefer captioning to provide them with access 2 Think of the output The process of live captioning is creating a live accurate record of everything that s said This means that at the conclusion of the session you have an accurate written record of that lecture s content This can be provided to students immediately following the lecture 3 Look at all the access points Universities are prolific content creators a single university produces more content in a year than all of Hollywood And since the advent of lecture capture systems most of this content is available for students to watch off campus What was considered appropriate access a few years ago may be considered insufficient today Similarly there are more cost effective ways of providing access thanks to the advent of additional accessibility options You need to make an assessment of your university s facilities against your students needs Does your university use a lecture capture system like Echo Mediasite or Panopto Are your students subjects taught in Echo enabled lecture theatres If you can answer yes to these you now have the ability to offer captions for all recorded content 4 Extend the access Recent technological advancements in captioning mean that the captions created in a live environment can be extended into closed captions quickly and with minimal effort This means you can offer your students live captioning and then extend these captions to the recorded lecture as captured in your lecture capture system 5 Assess the benefits beyond disability Live and closed captions not only provide students who are deaf and hard of hearing access to the university s content but they also assist students who have English as an additional language What s more adding captions to the lecture capture system makes all of the content searchable assisting every student with their revision increasing the number of students who can benefit from captioning FNDC 45 Summer 2017

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FNDC is a non profit society S 33351 that was founded in March 1995 to bring together families of deaf children in British Columbia who share common concerns Federal Registered Charity Number 88622 5655 RR0001 Deaf Youth Today DYT is a program administered by FNDC D Y T What is FNDC all about Family Network for Deaf Children FNDC is a parent run non profit charitable organization supporting families with deaf and hard of hearing children that use sign language or are interested in learning sign language Even though technology and methodology have changed over the years we seek the wisdom of parents professionals and Deaf HH adults so that common themes of access equity and a sense of belonging continue to be highlighted in areas such as social recreation leadership education employment general services and community involvement What is Deaf Youth Today Deaf Youth Today DYT is FNDC s summer social recreational program and is committed to providing recreational experience and leadership opportunities for deaf and hard of hearing youth in British Columbia that use sign language for all or part of their communication or who are interested in learning sign language FNDC Board of Directors Hester Hussey Mentor Advisor Colleen Peterson President Nicki Horton Director Karen Jackson Director Charlie Coyle Director Joy Santos Director Gwen Wong Director Laura Batista Director Leigh Chan Director The Board of Directors are parents of deaf children FNDC Staff Cecelia Klassen Executive Director cecelia fndc ca Bella Poato Executive Assistant accounting fndc ca Jason Berube Website Designer Developer webmaster fndc ca FNDC General Inquiry fndc fndc ca DYT Staff Deaf Youth Today Scott Jeffery DYT Coordinator scott fndc ca Terry Maloney DYT Hornby Island Coordinator terry fndc ca Andrea Maloney DYT Registrations andrea fndc ca Alayna Finley DYT Summer Immersion Coordinator alayna fndc ca Deaf Youth Today General Inquiry dyt fndc ca Membership Paid Membership is open to those who support the goals of our Organization Our membership is open to individuals schools and organizations Parents guardians of deaf and hard of hearing children are eligible to vote Join Our E Mail List for free Join our email list for free and receive Our newsletter which is published four times a year Email Updates regarding upcoming workshops and courses children youth programs as well as community updates Contact Us Contact us below and be added to our email list or to request a membership form Family Network for Deaf Children P O Box 50075 South Slope RPO Burnaby BC V5J 5G3 604 684 1860 voice text message www fndc ca website fndc fndc ca e mail