DSHA Evening Meeting

DSHA Evening Meeting 

Title: Facilitating Communication Plans for Children with Hearing Loss
Speaker: Kathleen J Riley, AuD, CCC-A, FAAA

Date: November 21^st, 6:30-8:30pm
Location: UD Star Campus Atrium

Presentation Description: Under Title 14 of the Delaware code; all students with an identified permanent or chronic hearing loss of any degree; even if not the primary disability; is required to have a communication plan attached to his/her IEP. This plan must be reviewed and updated at least annually and should inform IEP development.   The CDC and EHDI programs also encourage communication plan development as best practice for 0-3 children with hearing loss as part of the IFSP process. Often, the SLP is the IFSP/IEP team member with the most background knowledge and insight into how hearing loss affects a child’s access to language, instruction and the curriculum. This presentation is meant to familiarize clinicians with the sections of the communication plan and how to use this information in IFSP/IEP development.

Learning Objectives:

1. Learn about the Delaware mandated communication plan under Chapter 474 of Title 14 of the Delaware Code.

2. Learn the five components of the communication plan and understand the scope and intent of each area

3. Learn how to use the communication plan to populate areas of need, supports and accommodations into the IEP.

Bio: Dr. Riley is an educational audiologist with 35 years of experience working with children with hearing loss; their families and service providers. She retired from Delaware School for the Deaf and Statewide Programs for Deaf, Hard of Hearing and Deaf Blind in 2017. She currently provides contracted educational audiology services to several district and charter school programs in Delaware. Kathi teaches coursework in the AuD and SLP graduate programs at Salus University; as well as undergraduate courses at University of Delaware. Kathi serves on the ASHA Audiology Advocacy Committee as the Delaware representative. She also serves on the advocacy committee for the national Educational Audiology Association helping to co-write advocacy statements and Position papers.