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Home > Bureau of Rehabilitation Services > Division for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing> Resource Guide > Education Resource Guide: EDUCATIONLast Updated; April 30, 2012 Adult Education ServicesMaine Department of Education Bangor Adult EducationGreg Leavitt, Director Portland Adult EducationRob Wood, Co-Director Bangor Regional Program for the Hearing ImpairedOffice of Pupil Services This program offers instruction for students in grades K-12 who are deaf or hard of hearing and reside in southern Penobscot county. Instruction is provided by certified teachers of the deaf in self-contained special education classrooms that are located in Bangor public schools. Inclusion in mainstream classroom settings is provided as appropriate. Communication methods are based on the students' individual needs and may include American Sign Language, signed English, auditory-oral, or cued speech. Speech/Language Therapy, auditory evaluation, auditory equipment, and equipment management are provided. Carrie Pierce, Deaf EducatorP.O. Box 12 Services Provided Upon Request: Services available to individuals, private groups, organizations, schools, daycares, hearing, Deaf, hard of hearing, children, and adults. hear ME now!P.O. Box 896 Our mission statement: hear ME now!, Maine’s only Auditory Oral Deaf Education Center, is committed to the families of deaf and hard-of-hearing children and ensures opportunities to learn to listen and speak through innovative teaching and technology.
• early intervention services in the home – how to help your baby learn to listen through play • parent support gatherings • consultative support to community preschools by an auditory oral teacher of the deaf • school age supports and consultation • professional development, and • adult rehabilitation to deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals who choose to learn to listen and speak. We are a member of OPTIONschools International – a consortium of programs dedicated to advancing excellence in listening and spoken language education. Who we are: Our staff includes a certified early childhood special educator, certified speech/language pathologists, certified Listening and Spoken Language Specialists (LSLS), an Educational Audiologist, and certified Teachers of the Deaf who specialize in helping children who are deaf and hard of hearing learn to listen and speak. All of our direct support staff hold a certification in Listening and Spoken Language (LSLS), or are completing an extensive LSLS preparatory program. What is a Listening and Spoken Language Specialist? A Listening and Spoken Language Specialist has special training in promoting language development through listening. A LSLS holds an international certification from the Alexander Graham Bell Academy for Listening and Spoken Language. The Academy was established in 2005 to advance listening and talking opportunities for deaf or hard-of-hearing individuals through established standards of excellence.
• A passing score on the international LSLS-AV certification exam • A Master’s degree in speech-language pathology, OR education of the hearing impaired • A license/certificate to practice in Maine • At least 30-80 hours of post-graduate study in Strategies for Listening and Spoken Language Development • At least 900 clock hours of professional experience in the provision of auditory verbal therapy within the past three years. At least 750 of these hours must be in direct therapy, OR at least 15 clock hours per week for three school years directly teaching children with hearing loss to listen and talk in a Listening and Spoken Language Program • Signed letters of recommendation from three families Maine Educational Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (MECDHH) and Governor Baxter School for the Deaf (GBSD)Statewide Educational Services (SES) The Statewide Educational Services Department (SES) provides educational programming, information, support and training to families, students and professionals statewide, and encompasses the following programs:
The Early Childhood & Family Services (ECFS) program provides services to families with children newborn to five years of age who are deaf, hard of hearing or have a suspected hearing loss. We provide information to families and professionals statewide, support the choices that families make to benefit their children and assist them with identifying the resources that will help them meet the individual needs of their infant or young child. Services are provided at no cost to families. Home visits are offered to families to provide unbiased information about early childhood development, hearing loss, auditory skills development, amplification, communication and technology options, education and program resources, funding options, networking and mentoring. ECFS consultants are available for observations and consultations in daycare and preschool settings. We are also available for participation in Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) and Individualized Education Plan (IEP) team meetings. Our program collaborates with the child's IFSP team and provides opportunities for statewide networking for families, providers and agencies. We have a diverse professional staff with the following backgrounds: teachers of the deaf, parent infant specialists, early childhood educators, educational/pediatric audiologist, special educators, and family therapist.
The Public School Outreach Program assists service providers in offering a beneficial and positive educational experience for students with a hearing loss within their local school district. We offer free consultative services to schools that serve students who are deaf or hard of hearing. Our goal is to assist public school personnel with implementing an appropriate and positive educational experience for any student in Kindergarten - Grade 12 with a hearing loss.
• We support all communication choices; • We encourage the development of the whole child; • We are a family focused organization, and we respect the critical role that parents and families play in the lives of the children we serve; • Our hope is to become a continual resource for professionals and parents as well as a valuable member of the team serving the child; • We support the creative use of all forms of technology including hearing assistive technology, video conferencing, videophones, appropriate use of social networking systems, etc. to insure that students, parents and professionals have access to their educational environments and to services regardless of where they live. Educational consultation services provided:
• Recommendations for classroom modifications; • Assistance with all hearing assistive technology (Hearing Aids, Cochlear Implants, FM system); proper use and care; • Program recommendations; • Curriculum modifications; • Instructional strategies; • Literacy considerations and recommendations; • Language needs; • Visual and auditory access; • Proper use of sign language interpreters & cued speech transliterator; • Social emotional needs; • Transition considerations and resources; • Access to resource materials; • Involvement with the Individual Education Plan (IEP) Team. Consultation with parents and professionals. Expanded Consultation with our Fee for Service Program (FFS); • FFS contracts are developed with the district based on the individual needs of the student and professionals working with that student; • A range of services are offered including in-depth consultation services, literacy program development, language program development, support with use of all forms of technology, support writing IEP’s, modeling strategies and techniques, recommendations for materials and programs, input regarding assessments, networking, etc.; • FFS assessments are available at MECDHH/GBSD upon request. Staff development/In-service training; • Diversity Awareness Programs; and • Student Awareness Programs (offered by consultants on the day of their observations). Regional Programs: Note to Local School Districts… Student diversity enriches the educational experience for all children. Training provides an opportunity for students who are hearing to better understand the needs of their peers who are deaf or hard of hearing. This program uses a hands-on, experiential education model and incorporates group activities and discussions to facilitate student learning. This comfortable and safe environment encourages students who are deaf or hard of hearing to express their feelings and share some of the challenges they face in their everyday lives as well as respond to questions their classmates may have.
• Respecting diversity • Assistive technology • Life with a hearing loss W.I.S.E. Diversity Awareness Criteria:
• Class presentation size of up to 45 students • Classroom teacher's participation is required • Other service providers are encouraged to participate • The student with a hearing loss must be present - if absent, the program will be rescheduled Services can be requested by:
• Teachers of the Deaf • Speech/Language Pathologists • Education consultants • Guidance counselors • Occupational therapists • Physical therapists • Physicians, psychologists, psychiatrists Training Opportunities: Postsecondary Education Programs Network Northeast (PEPNet)Contact for: Maine, Rhode Island & Vermont Sandcastle Clinical and Educational Services72 Strawberry Avenue Services offered: • Audiological Services • Speech and Language Evaluations/Therapy • Occupational and Physical Evaluations/Therapy • Psychological Evaluations and Mental Health Therapy • An inclusive preschool and pre-K program incorporating basic signing for all children as a language development tool. University of Maine at Orono (UMaine)123 East Annex Disability Support Services (DSS) staff provide counseling and coordination of services such as interpreters, note takers, tape recorders, special testing situations, on-campus TTYs, and building accessibility for students with disabilities. University of Southern Maine (USM), Portland & Gorham CampusesUSM information: academics, events, employment, etc. Support for Students with Disabilities Linguistics Department, USM Wayne Cowart, Ph.D., Department Chair The Linguistics Department at USM offers a BA degree in Linguistics with an ASL/English Interpreting concentration. The interpreting program is designed for students who plan careers in interpreting and is nationally accredited by the Collegiate Commission on Interpreter Education. The program accommodates both Deaf and hearing interpreters and provides a comprehensive training program intended to prepare students to take the national certification exams offered by the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf, usually within two years of graduation from the program. Courses are offered primarily on the USM Portland campus, but sometimes also at off campus sites. In addition, the Signed Language Research Lab serves as a supersite for both RID and EIPA credentialing exams. Judy Shepard-Kegl, Ph.D., CSC, CI/CT, NIC-M, OTC, SC:L, ED:K-12 (EIPA: Primary and Secondary ASL, PSE, MCE), NAD IV, Master Mentor, Coordinator of the ASL/English interpreting track of Linguistics and Director of the Sign Language Research Laboratory Sign Language Research Laboratory RID/EIPA Supersite Wilton (Maine) Free Public LibraryHands On PAH!6 Goodspeed Street
Hands On PAH! is a service of the Wilton Free Public Library dedicated to meeting the information and accessibility needs of the Deaf and hard of hearing communities of western and central Maine; it also informs the general public about hearing loss, the Deaf community, American Sign Language and Deaf culture. |
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