2023 Early Hearing Detection & Intervention Conference

March 5-7, 2023 • Cincinnati, OH

3/02/2021 | 1:45 PM - 2:05 PM | TN Legislative Research Report: 2019-2020 Deaf Mentor Pilot Project | Topical Breakout

TN Legislative Research Report: 2019-2020 Deaf Mentor Pilot Project

In 2018 the Tennessee Legislature authorized and funded both Senate Bill No. 2143 and House Bill No. 2149 establishing the TN Deaf Mentor Pilot Project. Legislators required specific criteria for the program and data collection to determine benefits and funding. A presentation of the 2019 – 2020 research results from the Tennessee Deaf Mentor Pilot Project will be shared. Goals of the pilot program included: Prevention of language deprivation in children with hearing loss; Providing a positive impact on a child's social and emotional development through a deaf role model; Ensuring that children who are deaf have equal access to learning opportunities at home and in the community; and Parents developing advocacy skills to communicate with educators about their child's learning preferences and needs. The presentation will include the data and evaluation of the pilot project sent to the education committee of the Senate and the education administration and planning committee of the House of Representatives. Additionally descriptions and anecdotal stories describing the Project Plan was implemented, how the project engaged adults who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing (DHH) to improve EHDI systems, development and implementation of effective DHH Mentor program, how to use adults who are DHH in supporting families including the impact of deafness or hearing loss on language and literacy development and social well-being, and Family perspective of participating in the pilot project for 12 months.

Participants will identify multiple language tools used to effectively monitor progress of children with hearing loss in a Deaf Mentor program.
Participants will recognize the positive impact on a child's social and emotional development through a Deaf Mentor program.
Participants will name three types of advocacy skills taught to parents in the Deaf Mentor program which developed their communicate with educators about their child's learning preferences and needs.

Presentation:
23278_13546TracyDuncan.pdf

Handouts:
Handout is not Available

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

Presenters/Authors

Tracy Duncan (), Statewide 0-5 Language & Literacy, TN Schools for the Deaf, t.duncan@tsdeaf.org;
Tracy Duncan, M.ED. & M.Ed. Statewide 0-5 Language & Literacy Coordinator; Educational Consultant Tracy Duncan, is serving as an Educational Consultant for the Middle & West regions of Tennessee. Previous professional employment beginning in 1970’s includes: Head Start – Child & Family Resource Program, social worker, preschool teacher, RID interpreter for the deaf, infant massage instructor, SKI*HI state & national trainer, home visitor for parent – infant home based programs for children identified with hearing concerns, TEIS Service Coordinator, classroom & itinerant teacher of the deaf for MNPS, and community planner. Tracy’s passions include collaborating with providers in order to address the needs of the child with hearing concerns within their family system by promoting language acquisition, social-emotional integrity, cognitive development, and the full realization of their self-esteem as a person.