Looking for a place to connect with others and learn more about hearing loss? This week we are going to highlight a few ONLINE forums for learning about techniques and strategies for working with children and students with hearing differences.
Region 11 Educational Service Center
There are a number of ONLINE COURSES that are provided through the Region 11 ESC based in Tarrant County, Texas. These courses are offered FREE of charge. Just create a profile, log on, and register for one of more of these great courses. Topics include: Listening and Spoken Language in Educational Settings, Deafness 101, The Science of Cochlear Implants, Best Practice for Working with Students Who are Deaf and Low Functioning. Target audiences include: clinical and educational professionals, parents, teachers, and administrators. Check out their online course library.
Hearing First
The Hearing First Professional Learning Community is an ONLINE PLATFORM for professionals to learn together to improve Listening and Spoken Language (LSL) practice. Professionals can collaborate with leading LSL professionals to discover new solutions and improve outcomes for children and their families. Whether you’re an aspiring or advanced practitioner, you can share and grow in your skills. There’s no reason to go it alone in the digital age. Participation in this professional community is FREE of charge. Target audiences include: clinical professionals, educational professionals, and teachers working with children and families affected by hearing differences. Join the ONLINE COMMUNITY.
The Communication Corner by Cochlear Corporation
The Communication Corner provides age-appropriate resources to help maximize your or your loved one’s hearing. The ONLINE TRAINING PROGRAMS include fun and engaging activities from early listening to more complex conversations to use of technology. Information is set up in the following categories: Young Children and Families, School-Aged Children, Tweens & Teens, Adults, and Español. Each program has a short assessment which helps you know where to start. This ensures tasks are at the right level and will be fun and engaging. You will always have access to easier materials if you would like to practice skills you have already mastered. Target Audiences include: parents, clinical professionals, educational professionals, family members, and teachers. Get started learning by clicking here.
Additionally, check out the FOR PROFESSIONALS tab and get directed to the FREE one-hour educational seminars given by internationally known experts on a range of topics relating to the (re)habilitation and educational needs of children, teens, and adults who use cochlear implants or the Baha System. There are hundreds of ONLINE COURSES offered on the site here.
American Sign Language Courses
There are some families and professionals that want to add a signed language system to their repertoire of skills. Sign language is a universal term used to describe a variety of different forms of manual communication. Just like spoken languages, there are different forms of signed languages. For example, American Sign Language (ASL) is quite different that Brazilian Sign Language (BSL). Additionally, in the region where I serve families, there are several different types of signed language systems that are used including: American Sign Language (ASL), Singed Exact English (SEE), and Morphemic Sign System (MSS). Although there are similarities in each of these manual communication systems, there are significant differences as well. So learning one system does not ensure that you have learned “sign language”. If you are interested in learning about using a sign language system, it is important to also understand the cultural beliefs of the communities that use that system. Each sign system is an intricate language with its own set of rules and grammatical markers and accepted variations. It truly is most effective to learn from others who are in the community where you live. For those who are not able to attend classes in their community in person, I am including a few links to fun and interactive ways to learn American Sign Language ONLINE. Many of them include a FEE for use of the online course.
- https://www.start-american-sign-language.com/learn-sign-language-asl_html
- http://www.lifeprint.com/asl101/
- http://www.gallaudet.edu/asl/asl-online.html
- https://signingonline.com
For more information and additional ASL resources check out this list provided by Study.com.
Do you have a favorite ONLINE learning forum? We would love to hear from you!! Leave a comment below or email us at carrie@carrienorman.com
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