The Listening Brain

Joanna Trimble Smith was a co-founder and served as Chief Executive Officer from 2011 through March of 2024 of Hearts for Hearing in Oklahoma City, whose mission is to create life-changing opportunities for children and adults with hearing loss to listen for a lifetime. Joanna graduated from the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center and as a speech-language pathologist, she has spent 47 years improving the lives of children and adults with hearing loss or communication delays. Ms. Smith was the Executive Director of the Hearing Enrichment Language Program before co-founding Hearts for Hearing in 2003. The organization has grown from 18 employees to 165 in 2024 and the unique service delivery model developed at Hearts for Hearing has significantly improved the listening and spoken language outcomes for children and adults with hearing loss across the world.  Ms. Smith is a Listening and Spoken Language Specialist certified as an Auditory Verbal Therapist and has been recognized by the Oklahoma Speech Language Hearing Association with the Gwen Cacy Award for outstanding clinical skills. She has co-authored a periodic column entitled “The Tot Ten” in the Hearing Journal and until her retirement served as one of the Co-Chairs for the CI-PATH initiative. In 2019, she was selected to receive the Pat Potts Visionary Award by the Oklahoma Center for Nonprofits. You can listen to this podcast wherever you stream podcasts and at www.3cdigitalmedianetwork.com/the-listening-brain-podcast

At age four, I was diagnosed with a severe hearing loss. With determination and the help of powerful hearing aids, I learned to hear, speak and lipread with ten years of speech therapy and lipreading training. I was mainstreamed in public schools in Berkeley, CA. After earning master's degrees in archaeology and in public policy, and finally an MFA, I developed a career in photography and painting, a profession compatible with a hearing loss. I ran a fine art portrait photography studio for fifteen years before becoming a full-time abstract painter. My paintings are represented by the Seager Gray gallery in Mill Valley, CA. and can be seen on my website:  www.claudiamarseille.com Recently I received the Gold Medal for Best First Book in Non-Fiction from the prestigious Independent Publisher Book Awards (IPPY's as they are known), a starred review with the Library Journal, and a 5 star rating with Readers' Favorite.  You can find out more about my memoir and where to purchase at my author website:  www.claudiamarseilleauthor.com. I played classical piano much of my life; in my free time I love to read, watch movies, travel, spend time with friends, and attend concerts and art exhibits. I live with my husband in Oakland and we have one daughter.  ________________________ You can listen to this episode wherever you stream podcasts and at www.3cdigitalmedianetwork.com/the-listening-brain-podcast If you would like to be a guest on the podcast, please contact todd@3cdigitalmedianetwork.com.  

Pam is dually certified as an SLP and Teacher of the Deaf with LSLS-AVT certification. She has presented, trained, and mentored professionals internationally for many years. Pam continues to provide direct AV therapy, parent training, and consultations virtually in addition to her role as a program coordinator/trainer in a school for the deaf in New York.     Blog:  https://www.languagelaunchers.com/ TPT Store: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Language-Launchers Contact info: Languagelaunchers1@gmail.com   _______________________   You can listen to this episode wherever you stream podcasts and at www.3cdigitalmedianetwork.com/the-listening-brain-podcast    

As Executive Director of Listen Foundation, Louanne brings more than two decades of nonprofit, fundraising, and executive management experience to the Foundation. She has worked with nonprofits of all sizes and is an experienced fundraising and board governance professional.  She is a former Financial Advisor with Raymond James & Associates, and specializes in helping nonprofit organizations build their philanthropic capacity. Louanne and her wife moved from Tampa Bay to Denver in 2019, and fell in love with Colorado.    Listen Foundation was incorporated in 1969 when a group of parents came together because they shared the common experience of raising a child with a hearing impairment. These parents recognized that many other parents and professionals were unaware of technological and therapeutic options that enable children with a hearing loss to listen, speak and become part of mainstream society and that many families that might want to pursue these options did not have the financial means to pay for these services. The initial program was developed by the late Doreen Pollack, an internationally recognized author and expert in the field of Listening and Spoken Language therapy (then called acoupedics) – an innovative approach that helps children to use their residual hearing and speaking potential to communicate with spoken language. Since then, Listen Foundation has served hundreds of families with Listening and Spoken Language therapy helping children in Colorado and beyond achieve a life of independence.   For more information:   info@listenfoundation.org    www.listenfoundation.org   ___________________________   You can listen to this episode wherever you stream podcasts and at www.3cdigitalmedianetwork.com/the-listening-brain-podcast   If you would like to join me as a guest on The Listening Brain Podcast or have a recommendation for a guest, please contact me at todd@3cdigitalmedianetwork.com   Thank you for listening!    

María Fernanda Hinojosa Valencia holds a PhD Laude in Education Sciences from the Complutense University of Madrid. She holds a Bachelor's Degree in Neurolinguistics from the Colegio Superior de Neurolingüística in Mexico and a Bachelor's Degree in Educational Psychology from the Spanish Ministry of Education. She is a certified hearing and oral language specialist in Auditory-Verbal Therapy from the Alexander Graham Bell Academy, where she is a board member and co-chair of the Global Affairs Committee. She oversees Auditory-Verbal Therapy within the Spanish-Speaking Family Program at the John Tracy Center in Los Angeles, California, with which she has collaborated for more than 25 years. He has participated in the implementation of cochlear implant programs in Mexico and Spain. Aurea Lab: www.aurealab.org   _________________________   You can listen to this episode wherever you stream podcasts and at www.3cdigitalmedianetwork.com/the-listening-brain-podcast    

Mary McGinnis is a teacher of the deaf and Listening and Spoken Language Certified Auditory-Verbal Therapist. She is the former Director of the John Tracy Clinic Graduate Program, and continues to teach auditory-verbal courses for the JTC Graduate Program. She's also a consultant for Aurea Lab in Mexico City, working with families and professionals, and helping to create assessment materials in Spanish. She has worked with children with hearing differences and their families for over 55 years, with experience teaching infants through adults, and families from around the world. She was a researcher and Director of the Fellowship Program at the House Ear Institute at the beginning of FDA trials for the single channel implant in children, and the first multichannel implant in children in North America. She has published and presented on a wide variety of topics, and is known for the world's first published auditory skills curriculum for deaf and hard of hearing children. She continues to mentor professionals toward LSLS certification, and presents globally on various topics, from auditory skills, to speech, speech acoustics, pragmatics, reading, and family-centered education. Links: John Tracy Center: www.jtc.org John Tracy Center Graduate Program: https://www.jtc.org/services/masters-credential-program/ Mary's email: MaryDMcGinnis@gmail.com   _____________________________ You can listen to this episode wherever you stream podcasts and at www.3cdigitalmedianetwork.com/the-listening-brain-podcast        

Carly Sygrove is a hearing loss coach and a hearing health writer who has single-sided deafness. She writes about living with hearing loss at My Hearing Loss Story and manages an online support group for people with hearing loss. She is also the founder of the Sudden Hearing Loss Support website, a source of information and support for people affected by sudden hearing loss. In her previous career, Carly worked for 14 years as an Early Years teacher in various countries, including the UK, China, Thailand, and Spain, where she currently lives with her partner, Stuart. Outside of hearing health advocacy, Carly enjoys yoga, baking, and walking in the Spanish countryside.  Carly's links: Coaching website: https://www.carlysygrove.com/  Facebook support group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1422427341250724  Personal blog: https://myhearinglossstory.com/  Podcast: https://www.3cdigitalmedianetwork.com/happy-hearing-podcast All links: https://linktr.ee/carlysygrove  _______________________________ You can listen to this episode wherever you stream podcasts and at www.3cdigitalmedianetwork.com/the-listening-brain-podcast  

Erin Thompson, M.S., CCC-SLP, LSLS Cert AVT has been working with the Children's Cochlear Implant Center at UNC since July 2004. She earned her Bachelors from Appalachian State University and her Master's in Speech and Hearing Sciences from UNC-Chapel Hill. She completed her clinical fellowship year with Pediatric Speech and Language Services out of Greensboro and became a Listening and Spoken Language Specialist in 2009. Erin conducts Listening and Spoken Language parent participation sessions, speech and language diagnostics for children who are deaf and hard of hearing, as well as co-treat sessions with families and audiologists. A passion has been mentoring students and professionals across NC, the US and abroad. Erin has been a member of the Global Foundation for Children with Hearing Loss and has traveled to Vietnam on three occasions, and Mongolia on one occasion to help provide mentoring and training abroad. She also spent time coaching a team of Speech-Language Therapists in Auckland, New Zealand. Erinexpanded her interests in 2019 to 2023 to include the role of Family Care Coordinator for The Children's Cochlear Implant Center at UNC. She helped manage, facilitate and coordinate cochlear implant consultation referrals, supporting all families going through the CI consult process at UNC. https://www.med.unc.edu/earandhearing/ ____________________________ You can listen to this episode wherever you stream podcasts and at www.3cdigitalmedianetwork.com/the-listening-brain-podcast

Sydney Bassard, MSP, CCC-SLP, is a speech-language pathologist who specializes in working with individuals who are Deaf and hard of hearing and literacy. She owns The Listening SLP, her private practice and social media brand. Sydney creates graphics to promote healthy equity of information.   The Listening SLP Website Free Downloads from The Listening SLP Instagram Facebook   ________________________________   You can listen to this episode wherever you stream podcasts and at www.3cdigitalmedianetwork.com/the-listening-brain-podcast    

Paige Stringer, M.A., M.P.H -- Paige is the Founder and Executive Director of the Global Foundation For Children With Hearing Loss.  Born with a severe to profound hearing loss, Paige benefitted from early identification and early intervention services as a baby to learn to listen and speak. In 2009, she established the Global Foundation For Children With Hearing Loss (GFCHL) to help young children who are deaf or hard of hearing and living in developing countries access the locally-based services that they need to listen, talk, and thrive. Prior to her current role as the organization's Executive Director, Paige held various marketing positions for 15 years, including at Amazon.com and The Clorox Company. She served on the Board of Directors of the Coalition for Global Hearing Health from 2014 – 2016. Paige has been involved in committee work at the World Health Organization since 2015 to help raise global awareness for hearing loss, including in her current role on the advisory group for the WHO Resolution and World Report on Hearing. She lived for a few months in Geneva in 2019 to lead the development of the communications strategy for the 2021 release of the WHO World Report on Hearing. She has been honored with several awards for her work in developing countries including the 2019 World of Children Health Award, the 2018 AG Bell Association Award for International Service and the 2014 Humanitarian of the Year Award by the American Academy of Audiology.  Paige earned a full tennis scholarship to the University of Washington where she earned her Bachelor's degree. She holds a Master's of Arts degree from the University of San Francisco and her Master's in Public Health, Global Health degree from the University of Washington. For more information about the Global Foundation: http://www.childrenwithhearingloss.org/ ________________________________ You can listen to this episode wherever you stream podcasts and at www.3cdigitalmedianetwork.com/the-listening-brain-podcast  

Wendy D. Visser, MEd, Dipl. AV Studies, is an Itinerant Teacher of the Deaf/Hard of Hearing in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Wendy has her Masters in Education, a Postgraduate Certificate in Auditory Verbal Studies and is an Auditory Skills Therapist. In addition to being a Content Creator at the 3C Digital Media Network, she is also a Course Consultant for SoundIntuition. With more than 25 years of teaching experience, Wendy has been a classroom teacher for grades 6-10, developed and taught Geography and History for high school ESL students, an itinerant resource teacher with a focus on autism spectrum disorder and her current role. Wendy has presented internationally and works with private clients all over the world in both French and English, including Auditory Skills Training (AST) for newly implanted adults and children older than 6 .11yrs. When she is not teaching, Wendy loves to travel with her husband, figure skate and scrapbook. email  wendydawn@rogers.com  AVT book -  Contributing Author Visser, W. (2016) [Professional Partnerships and Auditory-Verbal Therapy]. Estabrooks, W., MacIver-Lux, K., Rhodes, E. (Ed.) Auditory-Verbal Therapy For Young Children with Hearing Loss and Their Families, and the Practitioners Who Guide Them (ch16). San Diego, CA: Plural Publishing, Inc. Facebook link -  https://www.facebook.com/wendancesresourcestpt  3C Digital - courses  Theory of Mind and the Middle School Child https://www.3cdigitalmedianetwork.com/course/theory-of-mind La guidance parentale - Les avantages des stratégies auditives verbales https://www.3cdigitalmedianetwork.com/course/guidance-parentale-strategies-auditivesverbales Parental Guidance & the Advantages of Using Auditory Verbal Strategies https://www.3cdigitalmedianetwork.com/course/parental-guidance-avt ________________________ You can listen to this episode wherever you stream podcasts and at www.3cdigitalmedianetwork.com/the-listening-brain-podcast If you are a conent creator and want to share your knowledge with others, please consider working with the 3C Digital Media Network. To learn more, please contact todd@3cdigitalmedianetwork.com .  

Dr. Kathy Dowd worked in audiology settings for school systems, as state hearing impaired supervisor, ENT clinics and private practice for 36 years.  Dr. Dowd is currently the Executive Director of The Audiology Project, a 501c3 nonprofit organization focused on raising awareness of the impact of chronic diseases, ototoxic medications and other medical issues affecting hearing.  She was credited with helping the Centers of Disease Control to add audiology to their diabetes care model in 2021, with the support of Audiology professional organizations.  Dr. Dowd's work now is working to implement the CDC guidelines for a baseline hearing evaluation at the time of diagnosis and annually thereafter for persons with diabetes.  In addition, Dr. Dowd is currently engaged with CMS on the issue of lack of hearing services in nursing homes, which is mandated by the federal law OBRA 1987.  www.theaudiologyproject.com Diabetes and Hearing Loss | Diabetes | CDC Take Charge of Your Diabetes: Healthy Ears | Diabetes | CDC How to Promote Ear Health for People With Diabetes | Diabetes | CDC _________________________________________   You can listen to this episode wherever you stream podcasts and at www.3cdigitalmedianetwork.com/the-listening-brain-podcast   If you are a content creator and want to distribute your webinars, courses, podcasts, or blogs, please consider working with us at the 3C Digital Media Network. To learn more, contact K. Todd Houston, Founding Partner & CEO, at todd@3cdigitalmedianetwork.com. I look forward to hearing from you!  

Dr. Jasmine Simmons was born in Columbus, Ohio and currently resides in Jacksonville, Florida. Her journey in the field of Audiology is marked by dedication, resilience, and a relentless commitment to inclusivity and advocacy. Dr. Simmons' educational path began at the University of Akron, where she obtained her undergraduate degree. Her determination for knowledge and passion for audiology led her to Central Michigan University, where she earned her Doctorate in Audiology, solidifying her expertise in the field. What makes Dr. Jasmine Simmons truly unique is her personal journey. Born profoundly deaf, she was implanted with a cochlear implant at the age of two. It provided her with a remarkable perspective on the world of audiology. She also faces the challenges of Usher's syndrome, which has caused progressive vision loss due to retinitis pigmentosa. Her personal experiences have fueled her fierce commitment to inclusivity and advocating for quality healthcare and employment opportunities for people with disabilities. Dr. Simmons firmly believes that every child should be able to see themselves in the pages of books, and she's actively working on her first children's book series, aimed at promoting awareness, acceptance, and inclusion. Her dedication to creating a more inclusive world extends to her public speaking engagements, where she passionately advocates for better healthcare and job opportunities for people with disabilities.   My website which is drjasminesimmons.com and my instagram @drjasminesimmons.   _________________________________________   You can listen to this episode wherever you stream podcasts and at www.3cdigitalmedianetwork.com/the-listening-brain-podcast   If you are a content creator and want to distribute your webinars, courses, podcasts, or blogs, please consider working with us at the 3C Digital Media Network. To learn more, contact K. Todd Houston, Founding Partner & CEO, at todd@3cdigitalmedianetwork.com. I look forward to hearing from you!

Donna Smiley, Ph.D., CCC-A is the Chief Staff Officer for Audiology at the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.  She works with the ASHA teams in Audiology Practices, Accreditation, Certification and Ethics.  Prior to coming to ASHA, she was the coordinator for the Educational Audiology/Speech Pathology Resources for Schools (EARS) Program at Arkansas Children's Hospital.  Dr. Smiley has practiced audiology for 33 years, co-authored a textbook about school-based audiology practice (Title:  School-Based Audiology; Plural Publishing) and was named a Fellow of ASHA in 2018.  She received her Ph.D. in Hearing Science from the University of Tennessee Knoxville.   Websites and contacts info: www.asha.org ASHA Action Center:  Contact the ASHA National Office; OR by phone 800-498-2071 (members) and 800-638-8255 (non-members) Over-the-Counter Hearing Aid Toolkit (asha.org) Demonstrating Your Value (asha.org) ____________________________________ You can listen to this episode wherever you stream podcasts and at www.3cdigitalmedianetwork.com/the-listening-brain-podcast If you are a content creator and have a story to tell or expertise to share, consider working with the 3C Digital Media Network. For more information, contact K. Todd Houston, Founding Partner and CEO, at todd@3cdigitalmedianetwork.com. We are looking for talented speech-language pathologists, audiologists, occupational therapists, physical therapists, educators, listening & spoken language specialists, early interventionists, early childhood educators, and others who would like to publish blogs, webinars, courses, and/or podcasts related to their disciplines and areas of specialty. 

Tracy B. Pate, M.S., CCC-SLP, Listening and Spoken Language Specialist/ Certified Auditory-Verbal Therapist, is the Program Coordinator for The Listening Center at Arkansas Children's Hospital. The Listening Center is an evaluation, therapy, and consultation program designed for the development of listening and spoken language skills for children and adults who are deaf and hard of hearing.  For the past thirty years, she has worked exclusively with this population.  Her responsibilities include working directly with families to educate and empower them on issues related to hearing loss.  She consults with Early Intervention professionals and school districts statewide to educate them on intervention for students using cochlear implant technology.  She provides direct speech language therapy and telehealth sessions to families as well.  She also uses a telehealth format to consult and educate other professionals who are serving the deaf and hard of hearing population.  She received certification to practice Auditory-Verbal Therapy in 1998, which places her in a group of highly qualified individuals specifically training to teach listening and spoken language to young children who are deaf and hard of hearing. https://www.archildrens.org/ https://www.archildrens.org/programs-and-services/audiology/Treatments/the-listening-center You can listen to this episode wherever you stream podcasts and at www.3cdigitalmedianetwork.com/the-listening-brain-podcast If you are a content creator and have a story to tell or expertise to share, consider working with the 3C Digital Media Network. For more information, contact K. Todd Houston, Founding Partner and CEO at todd@3cdigitalmedianetwork.com.  

Lillian Henderson, M.S.P., CCC-SLP, LSLS Cert AVT, earned a Master's Degree from the University of South Carolina in Speech Pathology and is a LSLS Certified Auditory Verbal Therapist.  Lillian is an Assistant Professor with the Department of Otolaryngology and Clinic Manager for Speech for The Children's Cochlear Implant Center at UNC.  She works with cochlear implant and auditory brainstem implant recipients providing therapy and assessments to children who are deaf or hard of hearing learning spoken language through listening.  Lillian also provides training to professionals and graduate students throughout the United States.  She is a consultant with the Global Foundation for Children with Hearing Loss. Contact the Children's Cochlear Implant Center:  https://www.med.unc.edu/earandhearing.  Opportunities for future trainings including CSI and LSL Junction can be found here. SSD Studies out of UNC-Chapel Hill:  Two year outcomes paper:  https://journals.lww.com/ear-hearing/Fulltext/9900/Two_Year_Outcomes_of_Cochlear_Implant_Use_for.122.aspx# One year outcomes paper: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9293149/ You can listen to this episode wherever you stream podcasts and at www.3cdigitalmedianetwork.com/the-listening-brain-podcast If you are a digital storyteller and want to create new content (webinars, courses, blogs, or podcasts), please contact todd@3cdigitalmedianetwork.com. We are looking to add more content to our platform!  

Jennifer Wallace, M.S., CCC-SLP, LSLS Cert. AVT is a speech-language pathologist and certified AV therapist at the Atlanta Speech School. She received her master's degree in Speech-Language Pathology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Jennifer has over 20 years of experience providing listening and spoken language therapy in outpatient clinical settings, cochlear implant teams, and schools. She currently works in the Stepping Stones program at Atlanta Speech School serving children with speech/language and learning needs in a therapeutic classroom setting. eMail:  JWallace@atlantaspeechschool.org Web:     www.atlantaspeechschool.org You can listen to this episode wherever you stream podcasts and at www.3cdigitalmedianetwork.com/the-listening-brain-podcast  

Melissa Chaikof is a cofounder and Chair of Usher 1F Collaborative, a nonprofit foundation whose mission is to find a treatment to save or restore the vision of those with Usher syndrome type 1F. Usher syndrome is the leading cause of inherited deaf-blindness. With two daughters affected by Usher 1F, the cause is a very personal one to her, and she is determined to save her daughters' vision. Prior to founding Usher 1F Collaborative, she worked for 14 years as Donor Research Analyst for Nonprofit Leadership (NPL), LLC. Prior to her work at NPL, Melissa was a contributing author on the topic of “English Language Acquisition of Children with Cochlear Implants” for the book written by Tom Bertling entitled Communicating with Deaf Children. She also worked as Outreach Coordinator for the Auditory-Verbal Center of Atlanta and as a systems analyst at the MITRE Corporation. She is currently a state champion for the American Cochlear Implant Alliance, past board member of the Gift of Hearing Foundation, Cochlear Implant Association, Inc. (CIAI), the Auditory-Verbal Center of Atlanta, and served as contributor and associate editor for Contact, the publication of CIAI, for six years. Melissa holds an M.S. in Engineering from Johns Hopkins University and a B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania in applied math. She lives in Boston and has three adult children, two with Usher Syndrome type 1F. To learn more about Usher 1F Collaborative and their work and progress toward a cure or to help, please visit https://www.usher1f.org.  You can listen to this episode wherever you stream podcasts and at: www.3cdigitalmedianetwork.com/the-listening-brain-podcast    

Arlene Stredler-Brown, PhD, CCC-SLP provides consultation and technical assistance to programs working with children who are deaf or hard of hearing in the United States and internationally. She has graduate degrees in Speech/Language Pathology, Education of the Deaf/Hard of Hearing, and a doctoral degree in Special Education. Her recent  research focuses on telepractice and the use of coaching strategies in the delivery of family-centered early intervention. Having worked many years in program administration and policy development, Dr. Stredler-Brown brings this skill set to her role as Director of the Colorado Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) Program. Common themes guiding her work are: inclusiveness, collaboration, evidence-based practice and a commitment to infants and toddlers who are deaf or hard of hearing and their families. You can listen to this episode wherever you stream podcasts and at www.3cdigitalmedianetwork.com/the-listening-brain-podcast  

Mom to a cCMV Angel. After losing her 3-year-old daughter, Bella Dawn, to congenital CMV, Sarah Streeval set out to change things for future CMV families in Kentucky. Sarah became a Community Chairperson for National CMV Foundation. She helped to spearhead a focus group in her state that worked for two years toward implementing CMV policy. In April of this year, Kentucky became the 5th state to pass legislation providing CMV education to expectant parents and targeted CMV testing for Kentucky newborns.   You can listen to this episode wherever you stream podcasts and at www.3cdigitalmedianetwork.com/the-listening-brain-podcast  

Adam Chitta is a music educator in San Antonio, Texas, who has been wearing behind-the-ear hearing aids following the diagnosis of bilateral sensorineural hearing loss at age 7. For the past twelve years, he has been teaching band and orchestra in the North East Independent School District. In this podcast interview, Adam shares his experiences of growing up with hearing loss and his journey through music in learning how to play musical instruments alongside his “hearing” twin brother, Stephen. Since completing his master's degree in music education from Texas State University in May 2021, Adam has been on a journey to promote advocacy and raise awareness of how to best teach and reach DHH students in the music classrooms. His past professional presentations include the Cambridge University Press Accessibility Champions Virtual Talk, ALPSP (Association of Learned and Professional Society Publishers) Virtual University Press Redux Conference, Colorado Music Educators Association Clinic/Conference, and the Texas Music Educators Association Clinic/ Convention. Adam actively seeks out newer techniques that can be utilized in the current music classrooms, of which include being a Teacher Affiliate for Soundbrenner Metronome products. Alongside being a music educator, Adam has a strong background in the marching arts. This includes his five years of being a brass performer for the Madison Scouts Drum & Bugle Corps, and a visual instructor for the Spirit of Atlanta Drum & Bugle Corps, Glassmen Drum & Bugle Corps, and Guardians Drum & Bugle Corps. He also worked with winter guard and indoor percussion in the Houston area as a visual instructor, drill designer, administrative assistant, and director. Adam serves as a role model and mentor to children and parents who may be facing challenges with their child wanting to succeed in their growth with music education. Anyone, including teachers, who would like to contact Adam for more tips, tools, or strategies for DHH students can reach him at adamchitta@gmail.com and can join his Facebook group, “Music is for ALL in our Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Community.” Qualifying for the deaf tuition waiver through the Texas Health and Human Services has helped Adam and his family with financial assistance through his higher education journey and he strongly recommends all DHH students in Texas to look into this program. You can listen to this episode wherever you stream podcasts and at www.3cdigitalmedianetwork.com/the-listening-brain-podcast  

Ellen Thomas is a senior speech-language pathologist and LSLS Certified Auditory-Verbal Therapist at the University of Michigan where she provides direct intervention to children with hearing loss using an auditory-verbal approach.  She is a part of the University of Michigan Cochlear Implant Program. Ellen has published articles in Otology & Neurotology and has given numerous presentations nationally and internationally related to the development of listening and spoken language in children who are deaf or hard of hearing. Since its beginning in 2004, Ellen has worked on the outreach grant Sound Support throughout the state of Michigan to bridge the medical and educational needs of children with hearing loss.   In addition to her work at the University of Michigan, Ellen is the co-director of and an instructor for the Institute for Cochlear Implant Training's Auditory-Verbal Practice Course. Ellen received her master's degree in Speech-Language Pathology from the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. She completed her certification in Auditory-Verbal Therapy in 2000. Ellen has had the privilege of serving on the Michigan EHDI board and the A.G. Bell Academy board. She is passionate about helping children learn to listen and talk so that hearing loss does not drive their choices in life. You can listen to this episode wherever you stream podcasts and at: www.3cdigitalmedianetwork.com/the-listening-brain-podcast

Carol Flexer, PhD, CCC-A, LSLS Cert. AVT, received her doctorate in Audiology from Kent State University in 1982. She is a Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Audiology, The University of Akron. An international lecturer in pediatric and educational audiology and author of more than 155 publications including 17 books, Dr. Flexer is a past president of the Educational Audiology Association, the American Academy of Audiology, and the AG Bell Academy for Listening and Spoken Language.    You can listen to this episode wherever you stream podcasts and at: www.3cdigitalmedianetwork.com/the-listening-brain-podcast  

Sylvia Rotfleisch, MSc(A), CCC/A, BSc(OT), LSLS Cert, AVT, is a certified Auditory-Verbal therapist, educator, and audiologist. She has devoted her career to providing therapy to families with children with hearing loss and teaching and mentoring other professionals. Trained at McGill University with Dr. Daniel Ling, Ms. Rotfleisch worked at Montreal Oral School for the Deaf, House Ear Institute, and Echo Horizon School before starting Hear to Talk (hear2talk.com), her own private practice. In addition to working with hundreds of families over more than 35 years, Ms. Rotfleisch has taught at University of Southern California, California Lutheran University, and led international master classes. She lectures, consults and mentors for school districts, helping to update their professional staff and mentors for LSL certification.  She has presented at a wide variety of workshops and conferences. Ms. Rotfleisch has also served a variety of committees, including for AG Bell Academy for Listening and Spoken Language® and the task Force on Principles of Auditory-Verbal Therapy. Maura Martindale, EdD, LSL Cert. AVEd, is a certified Auditory Verbal Educator. She received her doctorate in Educational Leadership from the University of Southern California in 1999. She is the founder and director of the Master's Degree of Science in the Education of the Deaf and Credential Program, and is an Associate Professor, at California Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks, California. She has provided guidance and support to families of children with hearing loss in listening and spoken language at No Limits for Deaf Children centers in Southern California for over 15 years. Throughout her 40-plus years teaching at numerous universities, Dr. Martindale has prepared hundreds of teachers of the deaf for schools and programs throughout the US. She was a teacher and Director of Educational Services at the John Tracy Clinic in Los Angeles California for 26 years. You can listen to this episode wherever you listen to podcasts or at: www.3cdigitalmedianetwork.com/the-listening-brain-podcast You can get Sylvia's and Maura's book at www.pluralpublishing.com  

Kathryn Wilson Linder M.A., CCC-SLP, LSLS Cert. AVT is a speech-language pathologist, teacher of the deaf and Auditory-Verbal therapist, with more than 40 years of experience as an educator, therapist, and consultant in public school, private practice, home-based, and clinical settings. From 2014 until 2018, Kathryn held the position of Coaching and Mentoring Leader for Hearing First, This followed a position as Director of FIRST YEARS at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. Kathryn is a founding member of the American Cochlear Implant Alliance, has been a member of the Coordinating Committee for the American Speech and Hearing Association Special Interest Group, Hearing and Hearing Disorders in Childhood and has served on the Board of Directors for The CARE Project. Kathryn has contributed to the professional literature as an author of several articles on a variety of topics. She provides professional learning opportunities both nationally and internationally and mentors professionals pursuing certification in Listening and Spoken Language practice. You can listen to this episode wherever you listen to podcasts or at: www.3cdigitalmedianetwork.com/the-listening-brain-podcast    

Suzanne Picerno is a former corporate professional, who lost her hearing over a 30-year period of time. From hearing aid wearer to becoming functionally deaf, she is an example of what can be achieved despite the appearance of obstacles. Today, Suzanne has bilateral cochlea implants and is a passionate advocate for creating hearing awareness. She has an MA in clinical psychology, an MBA, and is a licensed hearing aid specialist. Eddie the Elephant's Magical Ear is her first published book, as well as the first book in the Eddie the Elephant Series. Amazon Link https://amzn.to/3MZktB8 Social Media Suzanne can be found online at: www.athomehearingservices.org Facebook Group:  Breaking the Silence of Hearing Loss: www.facebook.com/groups/2674496696176741  www.linkedin.com/in/suzannepicerno Twitter: @DeafGrl2 email: athomehearingservices@gmail.com You can listen to this episode at: www.3cdigitalmedianetwork.com/the-listening-brain-podcast  

Christy is a relational therapist and deaf educator, bringing mindful and yogic principles, energy healing modalities, plus evidence based therapeutic models to her practice with families and practitioners in the field of deaf education.   In 2016, Christy completed her masters in Deaf Education from Washington University and later completed her degree in Marriage and Family Therapy in 2021.   She brings these together in her work of Deafness Relations, where she helps hearing parents of DHH children gain clarity and help them navigate their emotions.   Christy is also an advocate for deaf education services in Hawaii and founded Hawaii Hears in 2017 to bring more services to the islands for families and their children who are deaf or hard of hearing. You can follow Christy on Instagram, Facebook, or send her an email Hello@christychadwick.com http://www.facebook.com/hawaiihears www.christychadwick.com www.hawaiihears.com IG: @Christy.Chadwick.Healing IG: @hawaiihears IG: @deafnessrelations   You can listen to this podcast at: www.3cdigitalmedianetwork.com/the-listening-brain-podcast    

Dr. Dimity Dornan, AO is a social entrepreneur, bionics advocate, speech pathologist, researcher, Founder and Executive Director of Hear and Say, and Founder and Chair of Bionics Queensland. Dimity has also been appointed to Adjunct Professor to the University of Queensland and Adjunct Professor to the Science and Engineering Faculty, School of Mechanical, Medical & Process Engineering.  In 1992,  she established Hear and Say as a leading not-for-profit for deaf children learning to listen and speak, particularly with surgically implantable hearing technology like the bionic ear. She is currently sharing her experience for the benefit of the stakeholders in the wider bionics industry through Bionics Queensland. Dr Dornan is aiming to bring outcomes similar to those legendary ones possible for many people who use the bionic ear to other new spin-off devices (e.g. bionic eye, deep brain stimulation, bionic organs and limbs etc.). You learn more about Dr. Dornan and her passions at: http://hearandsay.com.au/ http://www.bionicsqueensland.com.au/ You can listen to this episode at: www.3cdigitalmedianetwork.com/the-listening-brain-podcast    

Shari Eberts is a passionate hearing health advocate and internationally recognized author and speaker on hearing loss issues. She is the founder of Living with Hearing Loss, a popular blog and online community for people with hearing loss, and an executive producer of We Hear You, an award-winning documentary about the hearing loss experience. Her book, Hear & Beyond: Live Skillfully with Hearing Loss, (co-authored with Gael Hannan) is the ultimate survival guide to living well with hearing loss. Shari has an adult-onset genetic hearing loss and hopes that by sharing her story, she will help others to live more peacefully with their own hearing issues. Connect with Shari: Blog, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter. You can access this episode by visiting:  www.3cdigitalmedianetwork.com/the-listening-brain-podcast  

Born in a small town of Summit Station, Ohio east of Columbus, Jaime Vernon will make you laugh, cry and feel like getting out and making a difference. She is the founder and Executive Director of Songs for Sound, a 501c3 non-profit organization she started in 2011.    Jaime is the mother of two teenagers, Jacob (17, normal hearing child) & Lexi (14), who is profoundly deaf and has bilateral cochlear implants. She is a coach, a missionary, public speaker, motivator and lives life to inspire others into action in their corner of the world.    Jaime has turned her daughter's gaps in hearing healthcare into a movement. Jaime was heartbroken at the thought that, like Lexi, people could go without the beautiful sounds life has to offer including music because of bad information or lack of understanding about where to get help for hearing loss. Jaime believes every human being on the planet deserves the right to hear, yet most people lack understanding, awareness or access to get help.    Songs for Sound has a mobile hearing health outreach project that has toured 35+ states, countless cities and communities and provided over 31,000 people free hearing screenings, information and awareness. They've hosted over 900 free hearing health events and have over 700 community partner organizations and businesses. Songs for Sound started its international business model in Jamaica in 2014 and will continue its work helping to build a model for hearing healthcare systems in developing nations by returning this Fall to work with the Jamaican government to establish early intervention strategies and testing, awareness and increase interest in hearing and speech careers.    Songs for Sound also hosts an annual Hear the Music Kids Camp each year for families with children with hearing loss.    Jaime believes in the following pillars and approach:  Outreach and Awareness  Care Team support (team of people who nurture and help families navigate the hearing journey) Hope Programs (programs to help people of all ages to live sustainably & thrive with hearing technology)   Jaime is passionate about helping people feel great about themselves and living their best lives. Simply put, Jaime wants to change teh world and believes God has called her to help those living with untreated hearing loss, to receive a gift and miracle of hearing.    To learn more or donate, SongsForSound.org To partner as a clinic, audiologist, company or sponsor: jvernon@songsforsound.com, 615.739.1194   You can listen to this episode by visiting: www.3cdigitalmedianetwork.com/the-listening-brain-podcast        

As Certified Listening and Spoken Language Specialists, Jim and Lea Watson have over forty-five years experience promoting listening and speaking as a way of life for people who are deaf or hard of hearing. Both trained under the late Auditory-Verbal Pioneers, Dr. Daniel Ling and Helen Beebe.  Jim's and Lea's certification in LSLS Cert AVT is from 1994, the initial exam. Jim is a past president of Auditory-Verbal International and past Board member of the A G Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. In 1980, Jim implemented the Auditory-Verbal Inclusion Program for children who are d/hoh in the Gloucester Public School System, Gloucester, MA USA. He directed and expanded that program for 34 years. In 1980, as a husband-wife team, Lea and Jim started the Auditory-Verbal Communication Center in Gloucester, MA-a private practice offering parent guidance for families from all over New England. The Watsons helped children attend school in their hometowns until specialists became available in those locations. Lea specialized in teaching parents of infants and preschoolers. She is the recipient of the 2008 Helen H. Beebe Memorial Award for mentors in AVT. From day one, the Watsons accepted students and other professionals to observe therapy or mentor with them. Throughout their career they presented at Boston hospitals and at conferences with the A G Bell Association and the New England Cochlear Implant Association. As international consultants for children with hearing loss they worked in Canada, England, Australia, Qatar, and around the USA. They volunteered in Vietnam in 2011 & 2012 with the Global Foundation for children with hearing loss. In 2020, they taught an online introductory course in Auditory-Verbal Therapy with the University of Hong Kong Special Education Dept. Now, retired, Jim and Lea spend time traveling, sailing, hiking, writing, painting, as they continue to speak up and promote spoken language for children who are deaf/hard of hearing. Most of all, they enjoy listening and talking with their five grandchildren who all live in Gloucester.

Dana Suskind, MD, is Founder and Co-Director of the TMW Center for Early Learning + Public Health, Director of the Pediatric Cochlear Implant Program, and Professor of Surgery, Pediatrics, and Public Policy (affiliated) at the University of Chicago. A recognized thought leader on the national stage, Dana has dedicated her research and clinical life to optimizing foundational brain development and preventing early cognitive disparities and their lifelong impact. Her work is focused in particular on helping parents leverage their power as brain architects. Dr. Suskind is the author of Parent Nation: Unlocking Every Child's Potential, Fulfilling Society's Promise and Thirty Million Words: Building a Child's Brain. She is a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics and a Fellow for the Council on Early Childhood. Her work has been profiled by numerous media outlets, including the New York Times, The Economist, Forbes, NPR, and Freakonomics. To access this episode, please visit: www.3cdigitalmedianetwork.com/the-listening-brain-podcast/      

Lydia Denworth is an award-winning science journalist and a sought-after speaker. She is a contributing editor at Scientific American and the author of Friendship: The Evolution, Biology, and Extraordinary Power of Life's Fundamental Bond, which was named one of the best leadership books of 2020 by Adam Grant and called “the best of science writing” by Booklist. She has written two other books of popular science: I Can Hear You Whisper and Toxic Truth. Her work has also appeared in The Atlantic, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Newsweek, Time and many other publications. She lives in Brooklyn, New York with her family. 

Michelle Hu has been a pediatric audiologist for over 10 years working with diagnostics, hearing amplification options, cochlear implant evaluations, hearing aid programming and aural rehabilitation. What makes Michelle distinctive is that she grew up hard of hearing herself. She was fit with hearing aids at the age of 3 years and now utilizes bilateral cochlear implants.   Her unique and personal experiences lend to her innate ability to relate and be a role model for others who are deaf/hard of hearing (DHH). She also serves as a source of strength and hope for parents of DHH children.   As a military spouse and mother of three, Michelle strives to balance family life, clinical practice and entrepreneurship. During her maternity leave with her second child, she found herself missing the relationships created while in the clinic with patients. Thus, Mama Hu Hears was created as a space to connect back to her passion and share both personal and professional experiences with hearing loss and within the field of audiology.   When Mama Hu Hears was created, thousands of people within the DHH community (especially parents of DHH children) reached out to her for help, guidance and to share their stories. Michelle knew she had found her purpose and made it her mission to do something more to support those who needed her and related to her the most. She has created an online program titled "My Child Has Hearing Loss, Now What?" to support anxious and doubtful parents on their DHH journey and to provide hearing healthcare professionals valuable and functional knowledge to improve and maximize the outcomes for clients. To learn more, visit: www.mamahuhears.com  

As a busy mom of eight, Heather is no stranger to doctor appointments, speech therapy, audiologists, counseling, IEP meetings, and more. She has spent the last 18 years learning about challenges her kids have or are facing and advocating for them so they feel successful. These opportunities have taught her a great deal about therapy-based clinics and endeared her to the hardworking professionals that own them. Combining these experiences with her background in marketing, has given Heather the unique opportunity to help therapy-based clinics build thriving and vibrant practices so they may bring their much needed services to more people. She is the owner of Therapy Marketing Solutions and Inspired Web Design. 

From the moment she received her son Jordan's deafness diagnosis, Jodi dedicated herself to finding the most suitable tools for improving quality of life for families living a journey in hearing loss, rising to a high level of professionalism as a consultant and advocate for inclusion rights through various international initiatives. Since RALLY CAPS, among her many professional accomplishments, Jodi has published 4 books both in English and Italian.

Lilian obtained a degree in Special Education in 1980. Has the specialization in Cognition and Language and a Master's in Educational Technology. She also has a Ph.D. degree in Pedagogy. She was certified in Auditory-Verbal Therapy in 2003 by the AG Bell Academy for LSL. She also was recognized with the award for the best professional of the year in 2005 by the Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. She is the author of four books related to hearing rehabilitation and an App.

Pam Dawson, M.Ed., has been working in the field of Early Intervention for over 25 years. She holds a Masters degree in Early Intervention from the University of Maine. As the director of hear ME now, a listening and spoken language program in Maine, she works to promote access to qualified LSL providers to all families in northern New England, regardless of geographic location. hear ME now has been successfully using tele-intervention to coach families for over 10 years. Pam serves on the Board of Directors for OPTION, the EHDI Planning Committee, and facilitates the NCHAM Tele-Intervention Learning Community. She has also served as co-chair of the Maine Part C Interagency Coordinating Council and a Northern New England Collaborative to examine access to services for families in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont.

Shelley Moats, Au.D., PASC, is a Board Certified Pediatric Audiologist in Louisville, KY. She founded Little Ears Hearing Center in 2010, which merged with Home of the Innocents/Open Arms Children's Health in 2017. Little Ears will become part of Norton Children's ENT and Audiology effective 10/1/2021. To Dr. Moats, the most enjoyable part of her job is using science and technology, alongside providing family support, to help children grow into their best selves. “It's extremely rewarding to develop these long term relationships,” she shares. Dr. Moats has more than 25 years of experience providing comprehensive, family-centered pediatric audiology services. She provides diagnosis and treatment for childhood hearing loss including hearing aids and cochlear implants. She is active on numerous committees to promote quality pediatric audiology services at both the state and national level. Outside of work, Dr. Moats enjoys spending time with her family, attending her children's sporting events, being outside, and reading.

Ellen A. Rhoades, Ed.S. is a consultant, mentor, researcher, and writer. Across all continents, she serves colleagues, early intervention service providers, and families including their children with hearing loss. In 1977, she founded a non-profit auditory-verbal center in Atlanta USA and served as its executive director for 17 years. Additionally, she secured, developed, and directed a 3-year federal grant providing exemplary EI auditory-verbal services for the state of Georgia. She also established an auditory-verbal program in Tampa FL and was its executive director for 8 years as well as served as advisor to other auditory-verbal centers in other nations. Her 100+ published works include professional journal articles and chapters as well as her co-authored books entitled “Auditory-Verbal Practice: Family-Centered Intervention” (first and second editions), “Aural (Re)habilitation for Adolescents with Hearing Loss” and “Auditory-Verbal Therapy.” Her areas of expertise include psychosocial aspects of hearing loss, families of children with hearing loss, infant development, cross-modal learning, communication skills assessment, cross-cultural competence, self-determination, and the development of listening, auditory memory, spoken language, and cognitive capacities.  

Barbara Hecht, director of Clarke Schools for Hearing and Speech in the Boston area (Clarke Boston), received her undergraduate degree in linguistics and psychology at Harvard University and her PhD in linguistics and child language development at Stanford University. She has a long and accomplished career as an educator and deaf education specialist. She has long been an innovator in and advocate of distance learning. Prior to her work at Clarke, Dr. Hecht directed the John Tracy Clinic (JTC) in Los Angeles, CA. At Clarke, Dr. Hecht has been a leader in the development of teleservices for families of infants and young children.   About Clarke Schools for Hearing and Speech & Clarke's Evidence-Based Teleservices  Children who are deaf or hard of hearing learn to listen and talk at Clarke. After expanding its brick-and-mortar locations along the East Coast, the national nonprofit organization continued to hear from families who were not able to access Clarke's in-person listening and spoken language (LSL) early intervention services.  In response to this need, Clarke created the tVISIT (telepractice: Virtual Intervention Services for Infants and Toddlers) Program with support from private foundations and pilot funding from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. Since 2013, tVISITs give families direct access to experienced, listening and spoken language, early intervention practitioners, regardless of the family's proximity to on-site services. The Donahue Institute (University of Massachusetts) has provided formative feedback and summative evaluation during all phases of Clarke's implementation of the tVISIT Program. In addition to increasing the accessibility of Clarke's early intervention services, evaluation data demonstrate the effectiveness of this mode of service delivery. Not only do tVISIT children make developmental progress comparable to that of in-person-only children, but tVISITs support professional-caregiver communication and parent coaching. For example, in a recent survey, more than 95% of caregivers participating in tVISITS said that they were able to establish effective communication and healthy relationships with their tVISIT provider and were confident that they acquired effective strategies for developing their child's communication skills. Today, Clarke has adopted tVISITs as an evidence-based standard of care in early intervention at its five locations.   

Dr. Joanna Stith has been working with children with hearing loss and their families for over 25 years.  She currently lives in Broomfield, Colorado and has a private practice, Listening for Life, where she provides listening and spoken language therapy for children and adults.  She serves as an adjunct professor with the University of Colorado-Boulder, is a Listen Foundation therapist, provides early-intervention, mentors therapists working toward becoming LSLS certified, and facilitates Love and Logic Parenting courses.

Linda Daniel is a Board Certified, Licensed Audiologist and Listening and Spoken Language Specialist/Certified Auditory-Verbal Therapist with over 45 years' experience in the field. She earned a BS in Speech and Hearing Science from the University of Iowa, a MA in Audiology from the University of Denver, and a MS in Communication Disorders from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. In her graduate education, Linda focused on aural rehabilitation, language development, and human information processing. She is owner of HEAR In Dallas, a private practice in which she provides aural rehabilitation services to individuals of all ages around the world. Via telehealth, she provides her services to individuals with hearing loss living in diverse cultures. Linda's mission is to assist patients in living within the hearing-speaking mainstream of education and society when possible. With dual graduate degrees, she serves a widely heterogeneous population of individuals with hearing loss, including those with associated disorders and complex situations. Her special interests include cochlear implants, auditory brainstem implants, family coaching, processing of multisensory input, cognitive functions of audition and communication, and adapting the Principles of Auditory-Verbal Practice to people in diverse cultures. She is a well-known presenter at state, national, and international conferences, and guest lecturer at universities. She served as the first Chair of the Examination Development Committee of the Certification Council of Auditory-Verbal International in the 1990's. Linda is current Chair of the Education Committee and a volunteer for the Dallas Hearing Foundation. In addition, Linda enjoys mentoring university interns and professionals. She is first author of a recently published textbook entitled Video-based Aural Rehabilitation Guide: Enhancing Listening and Spoken Language in Children and Adults. This university level textbook includes 200 video segments illustrating a wide range of topics related to hearing loss such as hearing technologies, communication development, education, family involvement, comorbid conditions, psychosocial aspects, and advocacy. https://www.pluralpublishing.com/publications/video-based-aural-rehabilitation-guide-enhancing-listening-and-spoken-language-in-children-and-adults. With an average of 20 videos integrated into the 10 chapters, this is an invaluable resource for professionals and families affected by hearing loss. Currently, Linda is producing hour-long videos of therapy in listening and spoken language with children and adults and interviews on topics related to hearing loss for Simucase, which maintains a video library accessed by speech and hearing instructors in over 300 universities worldwide (www.simucase.com). Linda has devoted her life to improving the lives of individuals with hearing loss and their families and educating future professionals. Linda L. Daniel, Owner of HEAR In Dallas MA Audiology, MS Communication Disorders ABA Board Certified Audiologist, ASHA CCC-A, TX Licensed Audiologist Listening and Spoken Language Specialist, Certified Auditory-Verbal Therapist www.hearingimpaired.com linda@hearingimpaired.com

Valerie James Abbott is an author, a parent-champion for early hearing detection and intervention programs, and an active promoter of parent-to-parent support organizations. She is also co-founder of national Late Onset Hearing Loss Awareness Week (May 4-10). A native of Long Island and a graduate of Hollins University, Valerie has served on boards and state councils that are dedicated to serving families of children who are deaf or hard of hearing. Her debut book Padapillo was published on May 4, 2021. Mary Clare (19) graduated from Douglas S. Freeman High School in Richmond, Virginia in June 2020. She has served as a youth editor and book launch logistics coordinator for her family's Padapillo book project. Mary Clare will attend Hollins University in Roanoke, Virginia in September 2021 and plans to major in psychology. Bridget/Bridie (16) is a sophomore at Douglas S. Freeman High School. She was identified with hearing loss when she was 2.5 years old and benefitted from bilateral hearing aids and Auditory-Verbal Therapy. Bridie has played violin for more than 10 years and is passionate about introducing children who are deaf and hard of hearing to the joys of music.  

Paige Stringer, M.A., M.P.H -- Paige is the Founder and Executive Director of the Global Foundation For Children With Hearing Loss.  Born with a severe to profound hearing loss, Paige benefitted from early identification and early intervention services as a baby to learn to listen and speak. In 2009, she established the Global Foundation For Children With Hearing Loss (GFCHL) to help young children who are deaf or hard of hearing and living in developing countries access the locally-based services that they need to listen, talk, and thrive. Prior to her current role as the organization's Executive Director, Paige held various marketing positions for 15 years, including at Amazon.com and The Clorox Company. She served on the Board of Directors of the Coalition for Global Hearing Health from 2014 – 2016. Paige has been involved in committee work at the World Health Organization since 2015 to help raise global awareness for hearing loss, including in her current role on the advisory group for the WHO Resolution and World Report on Hearing. She lived for a few months in Geneva in 2019 to lead the development of the communications strategy for the 2021 release of the WHO World Report on Hearing. She has been honored with several awards for her work in developing countries including the 2019 World of Children Health Award, the 2018 AG Bell Association Award for International Service and the 2014 Humanitarian of the Year Award by the American Academy of Audiology.  Paige earned a full tennis scholarship to the University of Washington where she earned her Bachelor's degree. She holds a Master's of Arts degree from the University of San Francisco and her Master's in Public Health, Global Health degree from the University of Washington.

Maura Berndsen holds her BA in Deaf Education from Fontbonne University and her MA in Early Childhood Education from the University of Texas, San Antonio.  Maura is also a Listening and Spoken Language Specialist- Certified Auditory-Verbal Therapist.  As Executive Director at Listen and Talk in Seattle, WA, she fosters relationships while providing leadership and oversight of operations and staff that ensure the delivery of quality listening and spoken language services. During her career, Maura has been involved in local, state and national efforts to build sustainable systems that optimize opportunities for families and their children who are deaf/hard of hearing.

Jennifer Borgatti is a wife and mother of two young boys, ages 5 and 2. Her youngest son was born deaf and wears bilateral cochlear implants. Her family is based in Northern California where her sons attend an oral school for deaf and hard of hearing children. Prior to becoming a mom, she graduated from The University of Tennessee and worked professionally in medical sales. Jennifer now helps families of deaf and hard of hearing babies as a Parent Mentor. She also writes a blog called The Cochlear Mom where she offers support and advice for families on the journey of raising a child with hearing loss. Jennifer is passionate about advocating for DHH kids and proving that they are capable of anything.

Dr. Melissa Hall received her Doctor of Audiology degree from the University of Florida in May 2010, and her Master of Arts degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders from the University of Central Florida in August 2006. Dr. Hall is dually certified and licensed as an audiologist and a speech-language pathologist. Dr. Hall works as a team member on the UF Health Cochlear Implant Program, and provides services such as cochlear implant evaluation, programming, and rehabilitation, while working closely with otolaryngology to provide a team approach to patient care. Dr. Hall is a board member of the American Cochlear Implant Alliance.

JJ Whicker, AuD, PhD, CCC-A: Dr. JJ Whicker is a pediatric audiologist and clinical researcher at Primary Children's Hospital in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA. As a clinician, JJ works with children who are cochlear implanted and completes diagnostic testing for infants who fail their newborn hearing screen. Dr. Whicker also runs the Central Auditory Processing Disorders clinic. As a researcher, JJ is interested in understanding the unique challenges posed to parents of children who are Deaf or Hard-of-hearing (DHH) with other disabilities, and how those challenges shift parents' priority for their children's hearing-related needs. He is also interested in understanding the challenges faced by adolescents who are DHH as they prepare to transition to post-secondary opportunities. 

Stephanie Lucas is a licensed marriage and family therapist in Oregon, and mom to two beautiful daughters. Her youngest was diagnosed with single sided deafness at 2 months old and their family has journeyed through the process of a clinical trial, hearing aids, cochlear implantation and speech therapy over the last year and a half. Stephanie is passionate about advocating for family involvement in treatment, supporting parents as they support their kiddos, and advocating for deaf and hard of hearing children everywhere. She can be found on facebook or instagram at Stephanie Lucas, MFT or riversidefamilycounseling.com.

Dave is the creator of many beloved materials for children with hearing loss, including Listening Games for Littles and the Cochlear Implant Auditory Training Guide. Dave is known for inventive and effective games that work on both listening, speech and language, and his lighthearted illustrations are loved by both parents and children around the world. He is the developer of TheListeningRoom.com, Speechtree.ca, Listeningtree.ca, and  is now adapting his work for telepractice on boomlearning.com and Teachers Pay Teachers. He is currently pursuing his PhD in Hearing Science at Western University. For more information about HearOn, visit the YouTube channel at: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrWGk0BzGmTF1ZkH0BfS2Cg