Patient and Family Education

Education sessions on various topics for parents of children who are deaf/hard of hearing (DHH) and professionals including educators, audiologists and speech-language pathologists.

Advances in Understanding and Treating Pediatric Unilateral Hearing Loss, March 8, 2025

Unilateral hearing loss (UHL) presents multiple challenges in children. This serious of videos explore its effects on binaural hearing, sound localization, and speech understanding. Presenters will review audiologic, educational, and family considerations, compare assessment tools, and examine non-surgical and surgical interventions, including candidacy criteria and hearing outcomes.

• UHL Symposium Intro
• The Known and Unknown of Unilateral Hearing Loss in Children
• Management of Unilateral Hearing Loss in Children: An Updated Conceptual Framework
• Surgical Management of Pediatric Unilateral Hearing Loss
• Self-Report Instruments for Children with Unilateral Hearing Loss
• Optimizing Outcomes for Children With Unilateral Hearing Loss: A Clinical Perspective

Deaf Plus: When It's More Than Hearing, March 9, 2024

Children with hearing differences often have additional medical challenges. There is no "one size fits all" approach to addressing the needs of children who are deaf plus. We will explore medical and educational/social challenges of children who are deaf plus and ways to support families. We will consider examples of collaborative care and hear from a panel of parents raising children who are deaf plus.

• When It's More Than Hearing, Susan Wiley, MD
• Autism Spectrum Disorders in Children Who Are Deaf/Hard of Hearing, Susan Wiley, MD
• Collaborative Care, Terra Boulse-Archaro, MA, CCC-SLP
• Parent Panel

Listening Effort and Listening-Related Fatigue in Youth who are Deaf/Hard of Hearing, March 2023

School-age children with hearing loss experience more listening effort and are at greater risk for developing listening-related fatigue than their peers with typical hearing. During this session, we explore the link between listening effort and fatigue. We discuss factors that contribute to each and review methods for measuring and mitigating classroom-listening challenges – some evidence-based, some anecdotal. Finally, the importance of collaboration between educators and audiologists is discussed.

• Introduction
• Listening effort and listening-related fatigue: who is at risk?
• Adult panel
• Youth panel
• Supporting school-age children at risk for listening-related fatigue

Acquisition and development of two spoken languages: Background and clinical recommendations, October 2021

• Dual language development: Background and critical concepts
  Dr. Rojas sets the stage for dual language development.
• Dual language learners: Assessment and intervention
  Dr. Rojas discusses how to use converging evidence to assess the speech and language of dual language learners in addition to cross-linguistic approaches to intervention.
• A Practical Protocol for Evaluating Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Children
  Join Elyse Lambeth and Kari Tibeau as they discuss complicating variables when evaluating clinically and linguistically diverse children (CLD) and provide clinically applicable, evidenced-based assessment tools for evaluating CLD children.
• Q&A With Presenters
• Building a Toolbox for Managing Worries and Sadness for Kids who are Deaf/Hard of Hearing, September 28, 2021 (1:26:24)
  This session is designed to help parents learn and build strategies to support children who are deaf/hard of hearing cope with feelings of worry and sadness. Dr. Melick offers many tips and tools and helps parents identify when it may be time to seek professional help.

Life in the Digital Age Video Series

• Life in the Digital Age: Social Media and Social Currency (1:44:24)

Improving the Classroom Listening Environment for Students Who Are Deaf/Hard of Hearing, November 2018

• Improving the Classroom Listening Environment for Students Who Are Deaf/Hard of Hearing
  How can we improve the classroom listening environment for students who are deaf/hard of hearing? Learn about FM/DM systems and hear from kids and young adults about accommodations make them successful.
• Professional Panel on Improving the Classroom Listening Environment
• Patient Panel: From Accommodations to Advocacy

Linguistics of ASL, May 16, 2018

• Linguistics of Signed Languages
  In this video, Lorna Rozelle, PhD, explains ASL grammar, comparing and contrasting it with English.
• Sociolinguistics of the American Deaf Community
  In this video, Kristi Winter, MA, discusses the sociolinguistics of ASL. This includes ASL variation in communities and historical change in the language.
• Deafhood: A Journey to a Healthy Deaf Identity
  In this video, Lance Forshay, MS, shares his experiences and views on Deafhood and Deaf identity. He discusses the importance of language and identity and the relationship between them. The views expressed here are those of the presenter; they do not necessarily reflect the views of Seattle Children's Hospital or the Childhood Communication Center.

Communication in Children With Down Syndrome and Hearing Loss, February 22, 2018

• Communication in Children With Down Syndrome and Hearing Loss

Stuttering 101 for Parents, February 17, 2016

• Stuttering 101 for Parents
  Stuttering can be overwhelming for children who stutter and their parents. Explore the challenges and victories of raising a child who stutters with speech-language pathologists Elyse Lambeth, MS, CCC-SLP, from Seattle Children’s Hospital, and Melissa Kokaly, MS, CCC-SLP, from the University of Washington. This session covers causes of stuttering, treatment options and how to support the child who stutters.

Executive Function in Children With Hearing Loss, March 9, 2015

David Horn, MD, and Amy Melick, PhD, discuss an overview of executive function, current research on children with cochlear implants and resources for improving executive functioning.

• Part 1
• Part 2
• Part 3

8th Annual Loeb Family Foundation Symposium: Children With Unilateral Hearing Loss: Assessment and Outcomes, October 24, 2015

• Talk About It! Strategies and Accommodations for Unilateral Hearing Loss
• Amplification and Assistive Listening Devices for Unilateral Hearing Loss
• Audiologic Assessment of Children with Unilateral Hearing Loss: From Laboratory to Clinical Measures
• Consequences of Unilateral Hearing Loss in Children
• Consequences of Unilateral Hearing Loss on Hearing in Natural Acoustic Environments
• Etiology of Unilateral Hearing Loss
• Children with Unilateral Hearing Loss: Assessment and Outcomes
• Nuts and Bolts of Binaural Hearing
• Quality of Life

Be the Boss of Your Hearing Loss, May 8, 2015

This video is a presentation “by teens for teens.” Stephanie Olson from Children’s Hospital Colorado moderates a panel of teens with various degrees of hearing loss. What are the challenges they face? How have they handled these challenges? What makes them successful?

What Can Your School Audiologist Do (and Not Do) for Your Child?, February 25, 2015

• What Can Your School Audiologist Do (and Not Do) for Your Child?
  Education audiologists Dennis Lambert, MA, CCC-A, and Erin Donlin, AuD, CCC-A, from Seattle Public Schools, discuss advocating for your child’s audiological services, working collaboratively with your school district, legislative mandates (IDEA and ADA), special education (IEP) and 504 plan processes.
  • Lambert slides (PDF)
  • Donlin slides (PDF)

Children Who Are Hard of Hearing: Still Forgotten, October 25, 2014

This session provides a basic understanding of outcomes for children who are hard of hearing including the journey of HH children and their families from early intervention through school age years. It also explores amplification and strategies for optimizing communication.

• Early Intervention: The Whole Child, Whole Family and Whole Team
  Stephanie Olson, BA
  • Presentation (PDF)
• Amplification and Strategies for Optimizing Communication
  Meghan Wisneski, AuD, and Lisa Yamaguchi, AuD
  • Presentation (PDF)
• And They Grow… Journeying Through the School-Age Years With Hearing Loss
  Stephanie Olson, BA

Say It Clearly: Information on Common Speech Sound Disorders and Stuttering and How Parents Can Help, May 22, 2014

Say It Clearly: Information on Common Speech Sound Disorders and Stuttering and How Parents Can Help
Speech sound development; various speech difficulties including articulation, phonological and other disorders; childhood apraxia, dysarthria and stuttering; and strategies for parents to support their children's motor speech development and tools for supporting fluency.

Microtia and Aural Atresia: What Every Family Should Know, October 14, 2013

In this video, presenters discuss and give an overview of microtia and aural atresia; hearing and amplification options; surgical options; and auricular prostheses.

All about VPI (Velopharyngeal Insufficiency) (video, 3:14)

All about VPI (Velopharyngeal Insufficiency) Treatment at Seattle Children's Hospital

• Deaf and Hard of Hearing Support Group for Middle and High School Students Who Communicate With Sign Language (PDF) (Spanish)
• Social Group for Kids and Teens Who Are Deaf/Hard of Hearing and Use Spoken English (PDF) (Spanish)
• Parent to Parent (The Arc of Washington State)
• Guide by Your Side
• List of support groups at Seattle Children’s
• Sibshops

• Family Conversations
• Hearing Speech and Deafness Center
• Listen and Talk

Speech, Language, and Hearing Health Organizations

• AAC Institute (augmentative and alternative communication)
• Learn about tools and services that help people who have trouble speaking find better ways to communicate.
• American Speech-Language-Hearing Association
• Read about Birth to Age 5 developmental milestones including hearing, speech, language, feeding and swallowing.
• Apraxia-KIDS
• This site offers support and resources for families whose children have apraxia.

• International Society for Augmentative and Alternative Communication
  • This group helps spread the word around the world about ways to help child and adults with complex communication needs.

Deaf and Hard of Hearing Advocacy and Support

• Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing
• Families can use this site to learn about childhood hearing loss with an emphasis on listening and spoken language.
• Babyhearing.org
• A robust site with reliable information from Boys Town Research Hospital.
• Center for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Youth This is a statewide resource to support education for all students in WA State who are D/HH.
• Hands and Voices National Chapter
• This national group provides unbiased support and information from parents no matter what communication choice you make for your child.
• Hearing First
• This site offers resources and guidance focused on helping children learn to listen and talk using hearing technology.
• MyDeafChild.org
• Offers parents of deaf and hard of hearing babies (0-36 mo.) free access to online ASL classes.
• National Center for Hearing Assessment and Management
• This site offers information about newborn hearing screening programs across the country.
• Washington State Hands and Voices
• This local chapter offers support, advocacy and events for WA state families.

Government and Public Health Resources

• Early Hearing-Loss Detection, Diagnosis and Intervention Program (Washington State Department of Health)
• WA families can get connected to the services and support they need right after baby is diagnosed with hearing loss.
• American Academy of Pediatrics - Immunizations
• Recommended facts about vaccines to help keep your child healthy and safe from diseases.
• Office of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (Washington State Department of Social and Health Services)
• Families in WA State can find resources that help people who are deaf/hard of hearing.
• Washington Sensory Disabilities Services (WSDS)
• This program offers support and services to families with hearing and/or vision loss.