Wyoming Newborn Hearing Systems

1. Wyoming Newborn Hearing Systems 1992 - Present

2. Wyoming Facts • 98,00 Square Miles • 9th Largest State • 493,782 People • Least Population

3. More Wyoming Facts • Highest Point is 13,804 • Lowest Point is 3,100 • Annual Rainfall is 14.5 inches • High and Dry • 35,462 Miles of Highway • Two Towns over 50,000 People

4. Frontier State Versus Rural State Geographically Challenged

5. Wyoming Hospitals • 29 Total Hospitals • 22 Birthing Hospitals • 1 Air Force Base Hospital – does not currently deliver babies

7. Wyoming Births 6117 in 2001 • 459 Wyoming residential births outside Wyoming • 5693 hospital births • 65 at home • 100 non-resident births

8. Historical Overview April, 1992 Department of Education • Outreach From Wyoming Department of Education • Wyoming School for the Deaf 10/75 – Has since closed • One on one student to teacher ratio at Wyoming School for the Deaf

9. Historical Overview • Preschools – inconsistent application of early intervention at best • Poor Progress in school age children

10. Historical Overview, Con’t Colorado’s Work • Universal Screening - Vickie Thompson Christi Yoshinaga-Itano • Early Identification • Greater Success if identified by six months of age • Type of Communication Methods – not as critical as early identification

11. Elementary Educational Intervention • One to One with teacher for the deaf/hard of hearing • Pre-teaching – pull out of classroom • Team Teaching in classroom • Post Teaching • Delays Continue

12. WyomingState Task Force

13. Wyoming Hearing Screening Committee • Pediatrician (Public Health) • Director of MCH • Director of Children’s Special Healthcare Services (CSHS) • Part C Coordinator • Nurse from one Infant Program • Department of Education - Preschool Liaison

14. Wyoming Infant Hearing Screening Committee, cont • Audiologists - Public Schools - Hospitals • Vision Education Specialist • Geneticist • Professor of Audiology - University Of Wyoming

15. Wyoming Infant Hearing Screening Committee, cont • Wyoming School District Principal • Wyoming Department of Education Deaf/Hard of hearing Outreach Coordinator • Parent • Consumer • Wyoming Institute for Disabilities (WIND) representative

16. Wyoming Newborn Hearing Systems Advisory Board

17. Goal Reduce the age of identification of children with hearing loss to three months of age and have them entered into Early Intervention by six months of age.

18. Screening

19. In 2002, 98% of Wyoming newborns were screened before being discharged from the hospital at the time of their birth.

21. Governor’s Participation Press Conference TV/Radio Coverage Newspaper Coverage Very nice address RE topic Part C Coordinator Audiology Consultant

22. Early Intervention Council • Advisory Group • Need Their Support • Part C Coordinator worked with EIC to gain support

23. Early Identification, Diagnostic, Early Intervention • The on-site training at the hospitals also included audiologic diagnostic personnel and early intervention program personnel.

24. With this group of service providers together children and their families can be guided through screening, diagnostic, and intervention processes in a smooth, more comprehensive manner.

25. Diagnosis

26. Early Intervention

27. IDEA Part C and Wyoming Early Intervention System

28. Intervention • Wyoming is currently addressing the need for a system of personnel development in working with families and children who are deaf or have hearing loss.

29. Intervention • Wyoming Divided into 14 regions • 34 Centers within these regions • Private, Non-profit • Professional Staff • State Contracts • Under Department of Health, Division of Developmental Disabilities and Department of Education

30. Intervention Planning • Cost • Availability • All communication methodologies • Proven effectiveness • Preservice providers • Providers currently working in the state • How to deliver training

32. Intervention Training • To initially address the intervention needs of families and their infants, SKI*HI curriculum training was provided to Early Education personnel three times over a period of five years.

33. Intervention PlanningSKI*HI • Provided with stipends • Free registration • Wyoming Department of Education recertification credit • Materials • manuals • graphics • videos • reference books – lending library

34. Intervention PlanningSKI*HI Requested individuals attend who would work with children with hearing loss if/when they were identified 20 individuals trained “First Aid Class” Scattered throughout the state Mostly Speech Language Pathologists and Special Education Teachers

35. Intervention PlanningSKI*HI • 2nd Basic SKI*HI training • 40 “First Aid” providers • Outreach consultant support

36. Wyoming Services for the Deaf Lending Library Wyoming School for the Deaf – Casper Ruth Adelman

37. Intervention Training • MDT Format • MDT Sites • MDT Participants

38. Who is the on a MDT team • Parent • Audiologist • Speech and Language Pathologist • Teacher of the deaf/hard of hearing • Early Intervention • Physician

39. MDT Content

40. Model Demonstration Team (MDT) • The MDT trainings attended by a fairly large number pf participants indicate the success and practical application of these trainings

41. ECDI 5070Trends in Working with Young Children with Hearing Loss • Fall Class 3 credits • Spring Class 3 credits • Summer Class 2 credits Graduate Level Classes Sequential

42. University of Wyoming ClassesECDI 5070: Trends in Working with Young Children with Hearing Loss • Part I in the series of classes focuses on how to obtain and understand auditory status for children who have been referred from the hospital screening.

43. University of Wyoming ClassesECDI 5070: Trends in Working with Young Children with Hearing Loss • Part II focuses on Methods of Enhancing Communication Development for children who have hearing loss.

44. University of Wyoming ClassesECDI 5070: Trends in Working with Young Children with Hearing Loss • Part III is a Capstone Project in which students develop in-service training materials on a component of early intervention of infants/toddlers/preschoolers with hearing loss.

45. MCHB Funds • Grant Began Fall 2001 • $7000 per year towards tuition for students taking the University of Wyoming Classes • 6.5 More people 30.5 people trained

46. State Improvement Grant Funds • $21,000 each for 5 years or $7000/ semester $105,000 • At University of Wyoming, $538 for 3 graduate credits • $4304 per person, for all three classes or 24 people

47. ECDI 5070Trends in Working with Young Children with Hearing Loss • 12 people completed the three classes the 1st year • 24 people completed the three classes the 2nd year

48. Annual Spring Intervention Training 4th Year Carol Flexor 5th Year Arelene Stredler-Brown Diagnostic Planning 2nd Year OAE Brandt Culpepper 3rd Year ABR Steve Ackley

49. Sign Language • 400 Signs for Baby - Videos - Vocabulary Check list - Printed Visual Image • Wyoming Equality Network5 Sign Language Class - 300 Participants

50. More Early Intervention Information • Rural nature has made the program very workable • We really stayed away from communication methodology questions. We therefore have the support of the deaf community. • We would suggest beginning with whatever methodology parents were wanting, with an agreement to use an objective measure to check progress. If there was not progress seen, we would have an agreement to change methodology.