Shana Lucius, is a pediatric Speech Language Pathologist (SLP) and Certified Auditory-Verbal Therapist (LSLS Cert. AVT) from Columbus, Ohio. Shana has served the pediatric hearing loss population for the last 14 years at The University of Michigan Cochlear Implant Program and Nationwide Children’s Hospital Hearing Program. In her current role as the lead Listening and Spoken Language Specialist (LSLS) on the hearing team at Nationwide Children’s Hospital she provides auditory-verbal therapy to the birth-3 population, mentors current SLPs working towards their AVT certification, and provides education and outreach to those professionals serving children with hearing loss across the state of Ohio. Shana enjoys speaking to and hosting graduate students studying speech-language pathology and audiology about various topics related to hearing habilitation and listening and spoken language.

Gayla Guignard, M.A., CCC-A/SLP, LSLS Cert. AVT has served as AG Bell’s Chief Strategy Officer since September, 2015.  Gayla has worked as a direct service provider, clinical audiology and speech-language pathology supervisor, State Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) Coordinator, and as the inaugural director of Indiana’s Center for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Education (CDHHE). She has served in numerous leadership roles on national committees and work groups. Gayla’s current work is focused on bringing knowledge forward about listening and spoken language and related areas for children who are deaf or hard of hearing.  She is deeply interested in systems that serve families and individuals and seeks to be involved in systems change as a way to realize potential and improve outcomes for all individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing.

I have a great conversation with Kathy Newbern, M.Ed., CCC-SLP, LSLS Cert. AVT. Kathy is an SLP and certified AV therapist in the Katherine Hamm Center, a listening and spoken language program for children who are deaf or hard of hearing at the Atlanta Speech School. She serves the E/I, preschool and elementary age students and coaches parents and caregivers. Kathy provides instruction and supervision to speech-language pathology grad students and CFY SLPs and mentors professionals pursuing LSL certification.  She received both her Bachelors and Masters degrees in Speech-Language Pathology from the University of Georgia. 

Today, I'm speaking with Rachel Glade, PhD, CCC-SLP, LSLS Cert. AVT. She is a certified speech-language pathologist and a certified auditory-verbal therapist (Cert. AVT). She provides clinical training and supervision and teaches both undergraduate and graduate courses in the Communication Disorders Program at the University of Arkansas. She has published several articles on the topic of hearing loss and recently published a textbook for undergraduate student clinicians. Dr. Glade is a member of ASHA, the National Council for Rehabilitation Educators, the AG Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, is a board member of the Arkansas Hands and Voices organization, and is president of the Arkansas Speech-Language-Hearing Association. Truly, I don't know when Rachel finds time to sleep!

In this episode, I have the pleasure of speaking with Naomi Horton, a speech-language pathologist and Executive Director of Hear Indiana. Naomi earned her Bachelor's Degree from Duke University, and her Master's Degree in Speech Language Pathology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She is currently in the process of getting credentialed as a Listening and Spoken Language Specialist (LSLS). Naomi has led Hear Indiana from a small parent-led advocacy/support group to a robust nonprofit organization providing direct services to countless children who are deaf and hard of hearing and their families in Indiana. Thank you, Naomi, for sharing your insights and experiences!

The official launch of The Listening Brain podcast is with a long-time friend and expert in the field with over 40 years of experiences in evaluation and management of hearing in infants and young children identified with hearing loss.  She is the author of The Listening Project, an amazing documentary by award-winning filmmaker Irene Taylor Brodsky.  She is the author of numerous publications, books, and articles, writes a blog “Hearing and Kids” at  HearingHealthMatters.org, and consults internationally.  Join me in welcoming Dr. Jane Madell!

I am excited to share The Listening Brain podcast with you! This has been a long-time desire of mine to be able to have a venue to explore educational trends, new developments in technologies, and advances in research with my esteemed colleagues and friends.  Sometimes it takes a  life-altering event to make you realize that you need to stop waiting and go for it!  So, I am going for it!  Please join me each week as I interview professionals in the field serving children with hearing loss and their families and the families who are supporting their children on this journey to learn to listen, speak, read, and sing!