2008 Meetings
January 8, 2008 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM: Parents Met 8:00 PM - 9:00 PM:Invited Guest Speaker: Kym Meyer, M.S., is a certified teacher and educational audiologist. She is the Coordinator of The Outreach Partnership Program (TOPP) at The Learning Center for Deaf Children (TLC), which provides consultation services to public schools. She has also been supervisor of the Speech, Spoken English and Educational Audiology department at TLC. Prior to working at TLC, she was the cochlear implant/rehabilitative audiologist at The Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary. In 2003, Kym and a group of audiologists founded the Mass Educational Audiology (MEA) Task Force, and are still working toward the mission of statewide educational audiology services for all children with hearing loss and hearing disorders in public schools. Kym is working on her Ph.D. at UMASS-Amherst, focusing her research on educational audiology services in schools. She is also the mom of two elementary-aged daughters.
March 11, 2008 7:00 PM - 7:30 PM: Parents Met 7:30 PM - 9:00 PM:Invited Guest Speakers: Panel of Young Adults with Hearing Loss
Erika Guarino was most likely born with some hearing loss which was exacerbated over time with countless ear infections. At 16 months, she was diagnosed as profoundly deaf and was fitted with hearing aids. Throughout her childhood, she attended an oral school, a Signed Exact English program, and a Total Communication program and took speech lessons every week until the age of 15. Erika has obtained both a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree, and holds professional licensure, Erika teaches deaf and hard of hearing students at the high school level in a Total Communication program. In her spare time, she teaches sign language.
Matthew Kelley is a 25 year old graduate student at the University of Massachusetts studying to obtain his doctoral degree in Audiology. Matt was fit with amplification at the age of 3, and has been enthused by hearing aids ever since his parents allowed him to fool around with them. He is an advocate for using today's technology to its highest advantage and continues to search for different ways to adapt his hearing aids to be used with modern devices.
Kristin Britton has been benefiting from Cochlear Implant technology since March of 2005. She was diagnosed at age five with a moderate bilateral hearing loss that was detected at her kindergarten screening. She was immediately fitted with hearing aids and attended the mainstream school setting for all of her elementary and high school years. Kristin obtained her undergraduate degree in Communication Disorders from Emerson College and Master's in Health Administration with a focus in Public Policy from Suffolk University. Due to the consistent progression of her hearing loss, hearing aids offered very little benefit. At the age of 29, Kristin received a cochlear implant in her left ear and has been doing very well ever since. Currently, she is employed by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts as a Public Policy Strategist.
Emily Dagleis a 14 year old high school freshman. She was diagnosed with moderate to severe sensorineural hearing loss at age 3, which is when she was first fit with behind-the-ear style hearing aids. She communicates orally and has received speech therapy through the school system, where she is mainstreamed. Emily has always been very active in sports and is currently involved in the Drama Club where she attends school.
May 13, 2008 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM: Parents Met 8:00 PM - 9:00 PM:Invited Guest Speaker: Martha A. deHahn and other staff at the Department of Public Health started the Newborn Hearing Screening Program in Massachusetts and she worked there for over 7 years as a Parent Outreach Specialist. She was responsible for contacting families when they learned their child had a hearing loss. She connected the families to Early Intervention, other specialty service providers, other parents of children with hearing loss and notified them of resources in Massachusetts and nationally. She remains active with the CDC/Early Hearing Detection and Intervention conference calls with Family Issues and is the Co-Chair of the Parent to Parent Committee. Recently she left the Department of Public Health to work at Clarke School for the Deaf as the Director of Program Information and Outreach. Both of Martha’s children were born profoundly deaf and attended Clarke School but are now mainstreamed. She and her husband were introduced to Clarke School over 15 years ago and have used many of their services.
July 8, 2008 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM: Parents Met 8:00 PM - 9:00 PM:Invited Guest Speaker:
Robert A. Raphael, Ph.D. Dr. Raphael received is Ph.D. in Psychology from the University of Rhode Island. He was the school psychologist at the Rhode Island School for the Deaf from 1975 until his retirement in 2005. He administered psychological evaluations, consulted with students, parents and teachers, lead therapy groups and taught specialized classes for deaf students with special needs. Since his retirement he has worked in private practice in Johnston, R.I. Married for 37 years, he is the father of a daughter, 27, and a son, 21.
September 9, 2008 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM: Parents Met 8:00 PM - 9:00 PM:Invited Guest Speakers:
Mr. Richard and Mrs. Denise Campbell, parents of Mark Campbell, successful young adult with severe to profound sensorineural hearing loss. Ms. Donna Tiso, mother of Erika Guarino, successful young adult with profound sensorineural hearing loss.
November 11, 2008 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM: Parents Met 8:00 PM - 9:00 PM:Invited Guest Speaker:
Eva M. Bero, Au.D. CCC-A Ms. Bero is an Audiologist and the Clinical Coordinator of the UMass Memorial Healthcare Cochlear Implant Program. She received her Master's degree in Audiology from the University at Buffalo and her AuD through Salus University. She completed her clinical fellowship as well as a cochlear implant fellowship at Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary. Her current clinical and research interests include pediatric cochlear implantation and bilateral cochlear implants. She presented to the support group on: Transitioning to School: Helpful Tips
March 11, 2008 7:00 PM - 7:30 PM: Parents Met 7:30 PM - 9:00 PM:Invited Guest Speakers: Panel of Young Adults with Hearing Loss
Erika Guarino was most likely born with some hearing loss which was exacerbated over time with countless ear infections. At 16 months, she was diagnosed as profoundly deaf and was fitted with hearing aids. Throughout her childhood, she attended an oral school, a Signed Exact English program, and a Total Communication program and took speech lessons every week until the age of 15. Erika has obtained both a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree, and holds professional licensure, Erika teaches deaf and hard of hearing students at the high school level in a Total Communication program. In her spare time, she teaches sign language.
Matthew Kelley is a 25 year old graduate student at the University of Massachusetts studying to obtain his doctoral degree in Audiology. Matt was fit with amplification at the age of 3, and has been enthused by hearing aids ever since his parents allowed him to fool around with them. He is an advocate for using today's technology to its highest advantage and continues to search for different ways to adapt his hearing aids to be used with modern devices.
Kristin Britton has been benefiting from Cochlear Implant technology since March of 2005. She was diagnosed at age five with a moderate bilateral hearing loss that was detected at her kindergarten screening. She was immediately fitted with hearing aids and attended the mainstream school setting for all of her elementary and high school years. Kristin obtained her undergraduate degree in Communication Disorders from Emerson College and Master's in Health Administration with a focus in Public Policy from Suffolk University. Due to the consistent progression of her hearing loss, hearing aids offered very little benefit. At the age of 29, Kristin received a cochlear implant in her left ear and has been doing very well ever since. Currently, she is employed by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts as a Public Policy Strategist.
Emily Dagleis a 14 year old high school freshman. She was diagnosed with moderate to severe sensorineural hearing loss at age 3, which is when she was first fit with behind-the-ear style hearing aids. She communicates orally and has received speech therapy through the school system, where she is mainstreamed. Emily has always been very active in sports and is currently involved in the Drama Club where she attends school.
May 13, 2008 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM: Parents Met 8:00 PM - 9:00 PM:Invited Guest Speaker: Martha A. deHahn and other staff at the Department of Public Health started the Newborn Hearing Screening Program in Massachusetts and she worked there for over 7 years as a Parent Outreach Specialist. She was responsible for contacting families when they learned their child had a hearing loss. She connected the families to Early Intervention, other specialty service providers, other parents of children with hearing loss and notified them of resources in Massachusetts and nationally. She remains active with the CDC/Early Hearing Detection and Intervention conference calls with Family Issues and is the Co-Chair of the Parent to Parent Committee. Recently she left the Department of Public Health to work at Clarke School for the Deaf as the Director of Program Information and Outreach. Both of Martha’s children were born profoundly deaf and attended Clarke School but are now mainstreamed. She and her husband were introduced to Clarke School over 15 years ago and have used many of their services.
July 8, 2008 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM: Parents Met 8:00 PM - 9:00 PM:Invited Guest Speaker:
Robert A. Raphael, Ph.D. Dr. Raphael received is Ph.D. in Psychology from the University of Rhode Island. He was the school psychologist at the Rhode Island School for the Deaf from 1975 until his retirement in 2005. He administered psychological evaluations, consulted with students, parents and teachers, lead therapy groups and taught specialized classes for deaf students with special needs. Since his retirement he has worked in private practice in Johnston, R.I. Married for 37 years, he is the father of a daughter, 27, and a son, 21.
September 9, 2008 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM: Parents Met 8:00 PM - 9:00 PM:Invited Guest Speakers:
Mr. Richard and Mrs. Denise Campbell, parents of Mark Campbell, successful young adult with severe to profound sensorineural hearing loss. Ms. Donna Tiso, mother of Erika Guarino, successful young adult with profound sensorineural hearing loss.
November 11, 2008 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM: Parents Met 8:00 PM - 9:00 PM:Invited Guest Speaker:
Eva M. Bero, Au.D. CCC-A Ms. Bero is an Audiologist and the Clinical Coordinator of the UMass Memorial Healthcare Cochlear Implant Program. She received her Master's degree in Audiology from the University at Buffalo and her AuD through Salus University. She completed her clinical fellowship as well as a cochlear implant fellowship at Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary. Her current clinical and research interests include pediatric cochlear implantation and bilateral cochlear implants. She presented to the support group on: Transitioning to School: Helpful Tips
