EARLY HEARING DETECTION AND INTERVENTION VIRTUAL CONFERENCE
MARCH 2-5, 2021

(Virtually the same conference, without elevators, airplane tickets, or hotel room keys)

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3/14/2022  |   1:15 PM - 1:45 PM   |  Building Early Childhood Systems: A collaboration between New Jersey EHDI, New Jersey Head Start/Early Head Start, and Montclair State University’s AuD Program   |  Room 6

Building Early Childhood Systems: A collaboration between New Jersey EHDI, New Jersey Head Start/Early Head Start, and Montclair State University’s AuD Program

During the second year of the current four-year HRSA funding period, New Jersey EHDI, along with the staff at NJ HeadStart/Early HeadStart partnered with faculty and doctoral students from the Audiology (AuD) program of the Communication Sciences and Disorders Department at Montclair State University in creating enhancements to the federally required newborn hearing screening process required for children from birth to five years of age who are enrolled in Head Start. Collaborative efforts between these 3 entities resulted in establishment of a comprehensive, evidence-based screening program that afford graduate audiology students the opportunity to conduct and document results of pediatric hearing screenings conducted at 2 separate HeadStart/Early HeadStart sites. This innovative pilot program serves as a model for use by remaining HeadStart/Early Head Start programs throughout NJ and has implications for future partnerships with university-based Communication Sciences and Disorders programs located throughout NJ. Hearing screening results/recommendations were not only shared with families but outcomes, tracking timelines and compliance with follow-up recommendations were also logged into individual HeadStart records and the NJ EHDI online reporting system via the New Jersey Immunization Information System (NJIIS) for those children who are in the EHDI-ages of birth to 3 years. The successful outcomes of this pilot program are far reaching in not only meeting federal HeadStart screening timelines, but also in providing children with the benefits of undergoing screening administered by doctoral students in audiology under the supervision of NJ licensed audiologists. Ultimately, the tracking and documentation portion of this pilot program should yield information on the hearing status and potentially close the gaps for those children who were either lost to follow-up within the EHDI system or those who passed the newborn screening but present with late-onset hearing loss.

  • Review the various components of a successful collaborative hearing screening system for HeadStart/Early HeadStart programs by State EHDI Programs, HeadStart and a university based graduate school program in audiology.
  • Examine results of a pilot study done by student audiologists at a New Jersey State University and two New Jersey HeadStart/Early HeadStart locations
  • Discuss implications for future studies and benefits of collaboration between State EHDI programs, State HeadStart/Early HeadStart programs, and local universities that offer graduate programs in Audiology

Presentation:
3353554_15001ArielMeltzer.pdf

Handouts:
Handout is not Available

Transcripts:
CART transcripts are NOT YET available, but will be posted shortly after the conference


Presenters/Authors

Ariel Meltzer (Virtual), New Jersey Department of Health, ariel.meltzer@doh.nj.gov;
Ariel Meltzer is the New Jersey Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (NJ EHDI) Coordinator for the New Jersey Department of Health. Ariel is a Licensed Social Worker in the state of New Jersey. Ariel graduated from Columbia University School of Social Work with a Master of Clinical Social Work and a focus on children/families and policy. Ariel attended Rochester Institute of Technology and National and Technical Institute for the Deaf and pursued a Master of Deaf Education. Previously, Ariel has worked as a School Social Worker, a Clinical Social Worker, and a Teacher for the Deaf. In addition to being a passionate LSW, Ariel enjoys rock climbing, Pilates, hiking, traveling, volunteering, being by the ocean, and spending time with family.


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Maryrose McInerney (Virtual), Montclair State University, mcinerneym@montclair.edu;
Dr. Maryrose McInerney has been practicing audiology in New Jersey since 1981. Dr. Maryrose McInerney is an associate professor at Montclair State University.


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Nancy Schneider (), NJ EHDI Program - NJ Department of Health, nancy.schneider@doh.nj.gov;
Nancy G. Schneider, M.A., CCC-A, FAAA, has served as the sole audiologist at the New Jersey EHDI program since its establishment at the New Jersey Department of Health. She received her M.A. degree in Audiology from the University of Maryland; her B.A. degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders from Montclair State College (now Montclair State University) and completed a Certificate Program in American Sign Language Studies at Union County College where she later served as an Adjunct Faculty Instructor. Miss Schneider is a licensed audiologist and hearing aid dispenser in New Jersey and received a gubernatorial appointment to serve on the Audiology and Speech Language Pathology Advisory Committee at the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs (2004 to the present). Prior to joining NJ EHDI, Miss Schneider was the Senior Clinical Audiologist at The University Hospital - The University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey.


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Janet Koehnke (), Montclair State University, koehnkej@mail.montclair.edu;
Janet Koehnke is Professor and Chair of Communication Sciences & Disorders at Montclair State University and an ASHA Fellow. She was ASHA Vice President for Academic Affairs in Audiology and currently serves on the ASHA Committee on Nominations and Elections, the National Advisory Committee for the Audiology Praxis, and as a CAA Site Visitor. Her research focuses on effects of aging and hearing loss on binaural and spatial hearing.


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Faith Mogila (), Montclair State University, mogilaf@montclair.edu;
Faith Mogila is the Audiology Clinic Director for the AuD program at Montclair State University. She also teaches courses in vestibular disorders, supervision and auditory processing disorders. She has served on the ASHA Committee for Nominations and Elections and currently serves on the Committee for Leadership Cultivation. She is the Vice President for Continuing Education for the New Jersey Academy of Audiology.


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Suzanne Burnette (), New Jersey Department of Education, suzanne.burnette@doe.nj.gov;
Suzanne Burnette works in the Department of Education in the Division of Early Childhood Education Services as the State Director of the NJ Head Start Collaboration Office for 16 years. Ms Burnette is responsible for facilitating and enhancing coordination and collaboration between Head Start agencies and other state and local entities that provide comprehensive services designed to benefit low-income children from birth to age five and their families, as well as pregnant women. In her role, Ms Burnette has established the Infant and Toddler Committee and led the draft Infant/Toddler State certificate, and serves on the NJ Oral Health Coalition and led the development of the Statewide Pediatric Oral Health Plan for children birth to age five. She serves on the New Jersey’s Office of the Governor First Lady’s Maternal and Infant Health Nurture NJ Campaign Committee. She works with the NJ Department of Education, Division of Early Childhood Services and created the State Head Start/Pre-K Contract, and serves on the State QRIS (Grow NJ Kids) Committee to ensure the tool is aligned with the Head Start Program Performance Standards, and coordinating with the Department of Health, Division of Family Health Services in providing infant/toddler hearing screenings. She has a BS degree in Special and Elementary Education, and MA degree in Curriculum and Instruction with a concentration in Early Childhood Education from Delaware State University. She is a proud grandmother of two lovely grand children Leora and Prescott.


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