HearSayLW

Monday, January 4, 2016

Natural Communication, Inc. Reunion Akron, Ohio

Carrie Spangler, Au.D., CCC-A, F-AAA wrote on FB, "It is not often enough that we take the time to thank wonderful professionals who have helped out my family (and me!) with the hearing loss journey. You are truly amazing and have positively impacted me in so many ways! So blessed to have you in my life as a child and now as friends and mentors! Thanks to Stacey Lim and her parents for organizing the NCI reunion and video. Loved seeing you Lynn Wagner Wood on FaceTime! — with Donald M. Goldberg, Carol Flexer, Stacey Lim and Denise Wray.

The Natural Communication Inc., Reunion was a highlight of my life and heartwarming. I can't thank you enough for remotely connecting me last night from Illinois to Ohio. I loved hearing all the stories and seeing may familiar faces.

I am thankful that my Auditory Verbal roots are in Ohio but blessed to have moved to Illinois in the late 1980's when professionals/parents did not know that children with hearing loss could learn to listen and talk. I faced many naysayers and battled those who said that I was doing a "disservice" to children with hearing loss by guiding families and providing Auditory Verbal Therapy.

In Ohio and at the University of Akron, I was impacted and touched by countless children, their families and professionals along this journey. I love that a future of listening and talking is possible today because of some of you AV pioneers. I am in awe that Charlie and Betty Lim trusted me with their young daughter Stacey and others such as Nick and Harriet Calcagno in the earliest days.

I don't believe in coincidences and am certain that Carol Flexer came to the University at "just the right time" and she took me under her wing, guided and taught me wisely as my professor and dear friend. I didn't know back in my Ohio days how learning from Carol Flexer, Denise Wray, Marian Ernst, Daniel Ling and so many others would impact my career and the passion that still burns within me today.

Lynn with Charlie, Betty and Stacey Lim 2014 AGBELL Convention, Orlando

Last night, I was overwhelmed listening to Jessica Hengeli, Carrie Spangler and Stacey Lim and others spoke of the time when I was their AVT but honestly, I was learning from each of you, your parents as we followed our belief that spoken language was worth the effort. I wish my Illinois AV families could know that you all were the wind beneath my wings and who to grateful to because they also have children who listen and speak.

Just for the memories, I will post a few pictures. Yes, the quality is poor but these are some of the most remarkable people I know!

Wednesday, December 30, 2015

Help AG Bell tell everyone that deaf people can hear and speak!

What if you were born deaf?

What if your child was?

Dear Friend,

Think about a world where the general public understands that nearly every child with hearing loss can learn to listen and talk.

Did you know that most deaf children - more than 95 percent - are born to parents with typical hearing, and close to 90 percent of those parents are choosing listening and spoken language for their child?

Deaf children growing up now have unprecedented opportunities to develop listening and spoken language, thanks to newborn screening, early identification and intervention, and the latest technology, such as advanced hearing aids and cochlear implants.

The voices of our children with hearing loss tell their own story. AG Bell recently asked parents, children and adults, "What if you were born deaf?" In videos available on the AG Bell YouTube channel, families shared the remarkable abilities of deaf children today - making music, singing songs, and participating fully in sports and theater using speech and hearing.

Every day, AG Bell works to dispel myths about deafness and spread the word that children who are deaf can hear and talk. They can become part of the larger world and share in the great treasures of sound.

AG Bell uses timeless guiding principles to ensure that deafness doesn't mean a world of silence.

Empowering and Respectful. We empower families to make informed choices, respect their decisions and value the contributions of people who are deaf and hard of hearing.
Forward-Thinking and Innovative. We value our heritage and history, while adapting to the changing environment, and promoting access to technology.
Inclusive and Supportive. AG Bell provides a welcoming, inclusive and supportive environment for children and adults who are deaf and hard of hearing, their families and the professionals that work with them.
Dependable and Knowledgeable. AG Bell has built a reputation of providing evidence-based, reliable and accurate information about listening and spoken language.

You make our vision possible. Your contribution helps us continue to share the great news with the general public that people who are deaf and hard of hearing can listen and use spoken language.

This holiday season, help AG Bell tell everyone that deaf people can hear and speak!

P.S. Thanks to the generosity of an anonymous donor, your gift will be matched dollar for dollar if you make your pledge now and fulfill it in 2016!

Friday, December 11, 2015

HearSayLW made the list! 100 Top Speech and Language Websites and Blogs for 2016.

I am honored to have been selected as one of the Top 100

Speech and Language Blogs and Websites for 2016, and thankful to return from the 2015 list.

Check out my colleagues sites by following the link to Kidmunicate .

The sites are wonderful resources for professionals and parents alike and grouped into the following categories-

SLP Blogs

SLP Resources

SLP Disorders, and

SLP Technology

Thursday, December 10, 2015

Meeting Santa - What will you talk about?

Here is a great suggestion from N. Thompson at L2L http://www.listening2learn.com

Nan recommends preparing for your child's visit with Santa

by brainstorming of questions to ask him

beyond the typical wish list.

Holiday Baking for Listening, Spoken Language and Fun

Source

Holiday baking with children is a rich experience for listening and spoken language. Children love to measure, pour, stir and decorate. While it is messy, you are building memories alongside listening and spoken language skills.

Cooking Up Therapy is a blog post by a fellow AVT Elizabeth Rosenzweig MS CCC-SLP LSLS Cert. AVT who wrote, "Whatever your child needs to work on, you can target it in cooking with just a little bit of thought and preparation."

I recall one December when our daughters Kara and Joy were young baking a variety of cookies for Christmas. I don't recall the recipes or how the baked goods tasted, but we still talk about how Joy couldn't keep the beaters in the bowl and the flour and dough covered counters. Kara laughs about burning up two hand held mixers that year with all the mixing and beating. I wish I would have bought a Kitchenaid mixer back then. Today, I rarely bake, but both our daughters are married and love their Kitchenaids!

As an AVT, there was always lots of talking going on in my kitchen. Sweet Joy told me on many occasions, "Please Mom, I'm not one of 'the kids' you see for therapy." which was her way of asking me to hush! Oh, the memories.

There are many toys to carry over holiday cooking and baking Christmas cookies through imaginative play. Many would make great gift ideas. Go to HomemadeSpeech to view cookie toys that can help foster listening and spoken learning.

Happy baking!

Wednesday, December 2, 2015

What's In the Christmas Stocking?

http://littlewondersdays.blogspot.com/2010/12/whats-in-stocking.html

Two Ways To Play:

1. One player peeks at the hidden object and describes the item in the stocking for the other players. This targets a wide range of spoken language goals including descriptive skills, use of adjectives and expressive language.

2. One player listens and makes a smart guess based on what was heard based on the other players descriptions. This targets inferencing and auditory memory skills.