Working with Children with Hearing Impairment - Judith Belk, Ph.D. CCC-SLP, Aud. and Leigh Leslie, MA

School-based speech-language pathologists and their assistants are prime players in managing therapeutic approaches for students diagnosed with unilateral or bilateral hearing loss and/or with auditory processing disorders (APD). While hearing impairment is a long recognized disability area recognized by special education law, auditory processing is not (yet) one of those areas. Technology has provided a changing landscape of possibilities for providing children with hearing loss with opportunities to function much more successfully in regular classrooms with support from each schools special education team. Todays itinerant teacher of the deaf and hearing impaired can partner with speech-language pathologists to provide outstanding therapeutic approaches unavailable years ago. A challenge remains to assure that with greater reliance on technology SLPs and all other staff understand how the technology works and how to check for optimal functioning, while also teaching students to manage their own technology. This presentation will help to demystify use and limitations of hearing aids and cochlear implants. This presentation will also provide practical approaches within the scope of practice of school speech-language pathologists and their assistants to support students diagnosed with auditory processing disorder. We will discuss how APD is currently viewed and how difficulties in this area impact students within their school day. Might a student be diagnosed in school with a listening comprehension learning disability and then supported with treatment from both the speech-language pathologist and learning specialist? What are some other options the SLP may tap into already within scope of practice?