========================================================== HearingExchange News - Redesigned Site, Language Stimulation, Airport Accessibility and More - Please Forward October 29, 2003 ========================================================== Dear HearingExchange News Subscriber, ---------------------------------------------------------- Thank you for subscribing to HearingExchange News! We currently have 4,107 subscribers. Feel free to forward this newsletter to someone you know with hearing loss, their family and professionals in the field. Subscription and removal information are at the end of the newsletter. If the links don't work please copy and paste them into your browser. ***ATTENTION AOL USERS*** Due to AOL's software upgrades, you must add HearingExchange@lb.bcentral.com to your buddy and/or email address book in order to ensure that you will continue to receive our newsletter. Please do it today so you won't miss an issue of HE News. - - - - - - - - - - - - Letter from the Editor - - - - - - - - - - - - The hottest news at HearingExchange is that we have just completed a redesign of the main page. Links to nearly all the pages of the site are laid out in an organized fashion for easier and faster navigation. Please take part in the poll and give us your feedback on our new look. My recent talk about my and my daughter's cochlear implant experiences to the Cochlear Implant Support Group of Southeast Florida was a wonderful experience. I enjoyed meeting HearingExchange members as well as other attendees who had or were interested in getting a cochlear implant. If you're interested in having me speak for your school or organization next spring or summer, please contact me. More information is available on the "About" pages. I hope you enjoy this issue of HearingExchange News! Be sure to send your comments my way. I read each and every one of them. Best regards, Paula Rosenthal, Publisher and Speaker SPONSOR MESSAGE FROM HARRIS COMMUNICATIONS ---------------------------------------------------------- Many amplified telephones are on sale now at Harris Communications. Save up to $30.00 off the regular retail price! Harris offers a wide range of assistive devices for deaf and hard of hearing people. Check out all the products on sale here...: http://www.harriscomm.com FEATURE ARTICLE: Language Stimulation Ideas for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children ---------------------------------------------------------- Listen Up! web site founder, Kay Powell, has written a must-see article for parents of deaf and hard of hearing children who are learning how to talk. Kay offers easy-to-do examples based on her experiences with her hearing impaired son. Read the article here...: http://www.hearingexchange.com/articles/featured_article_102703.htm FEATURED SITE: Hearing Focus ---------------------------------------------------------- Have you, a family member or friend lost your hearing gradually? See the "Practical Solutions" section of Hearing Focus to view the entertaining "Lily and Otto" comic strip for communication tips and insights. View the site here...: http://www.hearingfocus.com/index.html FEATURED BOOK: Mayo Clinic on Hearing: Strategies for Managing Hearing Loss, Dizziness and Other Ear Problems ---------------------------------------------------------- This new book from the Mayo Clinic is an informative read for those dealing with hearing loss and related issues. Published in 2003, it contains the latest information on managing your hearing loss. Get the book here...: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1893005291/hearingexchange/102-9468793-8008158 New Items in the HearingExchange Shop ---------------------------------------------------------- Have you visited our HearingExchange Shop lately? We have several new products for people with hearing loss, family members and hearing health professionals. We only carry items offering high quality information and utility. Check out the new "Unheard Voices" video starring Gael Hannon. Gael was a past keynote speaker for the SHHH convention held in Seattle. The Moog Center for Deaf Education has recently published a wonderful resource, "Teaching Activities for Children who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing - A Practical Guide for Teachers." This 260 page book gives great insight into the Moog style of teaching children how to talk. The Moog Center currently supports several schools around the U.S. as well as one in Argentina in using the Moog Curriculum. Hearing Health Magazine subscriptions, "My Baby and Me - A Book About Teaching Your Child to Talk," "Tips for Kids," "Tips for Friends," Dr. Neil Bauman's resource books on tinnitus, ototoxic drugs and much more are all available. Plus, watch for the addition of the Dry and Store Global device for hearing aids and cochlear implants coming very soon! Orders are processed and shipped promptly. We use a secure system handled by PayPal and we accept Visa, Mastercard, Discover or American Express. Learn more and order these products here...: http://www.hearingexchange.com/store/ Participate in the HearingExchange Message Boards ---------------------------------------------------------- We now have over 3,800 registered members on the HearingExchange Message Boards. Sharing your experience is a very important part of our vital community. Do you or your child have Autoimmune Inner Ear Disease (AIED)? Perhaps you can assist a new parent member seeking answers in the Member Introductions area. Interested in hair cell regeneration? This wonderfully active forum is filled with members continually networking with each other to help bring this research closer to reality. Do you have a cochlear implant or want to learn more about them? Try our individual brand and collective cochlear implant forums to ask your questions and share your journeys. Do you remember what it was like when your child was first diagnosed with a hearing loss? Support other parents and family members who are a few steps behind you in this sometimes difficult journey of learning all there is to know in the Parenting forums. We have over 40 forums, there's bound to be one or more which interest you! Click here to login or register for our boards...: http://www.hearingexchange.com/ubb/ultimatebb.cgi Interested in Airport Accessibility Issues? ---------------------------------------------------------- The editor of the National Association of the Deaf (NAD) Magazine is writing an article on airport accessibility. In this age of heightened security measures travel is more difficult for everyone. NAD would like your views on traveling through the airports. They're on a deadline for November 7th so do it soon! Participate in the NADMag survey here...: http://www.hearingexchange.com/articles/henews-102703a.htm Do You Have a Child with a Cochlear Implant? ---------------------------------------------------------- The University of Maryland is conducting a study on children with cochlear implants between the ages of 5 and 14. Children with cochlear implants are hearing better than ever before and their speech and language skills appear to be steadily improving. However, we need to know how children with cochlear implants are doing in their social and emotional lives. Some children seem to do great and others seem to really struggle even with the cochlear implant. Looking closely at social and emotional aspects of functioning may shed light on why some children seem to have an easier time than others. For more information on this ongoing study, click here...: http://www.cistudy.info/ Painkiller's Abuse Tied to Hearing Loss ---------------------------------------------------------- Rush Limbaugh has been in the news quite a bit again and it's not because of his cochlear implant. He has been accused of buying painkillers on the black market that may have contributed to his sudden deafness. Pills that combine the painkillers acetaminophen and hydrocodone -- marketed under the brand names Lorcet, Vicodin and others -- are believed to have caused dozens of cases of a hearing loss that can become almost total in weeks. Get the story here...: http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/entertainment/columnists/glenn_garvin/6929372.htm America Online Announces Closed Captions for Streaming Media ---------------------------------------------------------- America Online recently announced the availability of closed captions on the service for select multimedia content that will enhance the online experience for members who are deaf or hard-of-hearing. Here's the full scoop...: http://www.hearingexchange.com/articles/henews-101703a.htm More News Articles Available ---------------------------------------------------------- Our site is continually updated with the latest news on hearing loss and related issues. Be sure to check the "Current News" section of our site regularly. Click here for more news...: http://www.hearingexchange.com/news/ SPECIAL GUEST Betsy Moog Brooks in HearingExchange Chat, Thursday, November 6th ---------------------------------------------------------- Mark your calendar and join us as our special chat guest, Betsy Moog Brooks, Director of the Family School at the Moog Center for Deaf Education discusses topics of interest to parents, family members and professionals working with young children. Topics will focus on teaching children to talk, deaf education, parenting, cochlear implants and more. Betsy dispenses valuable advice and ideas based on her many years as a deaf educator and lecturer. Stay tuned to this page to find out about special chat guests...: http://www.hearingexchange.com/special_chats.html The New HearingExchange Poll ---------------------------------------------------------- We went live with our newly redesigned main page of HearingExchange this week. We've worked hard to make all of the information and resources easier for you to find. Initial feedback has been primarily positive, but we want your input as well. Vote in the Poll Here...: http://hearingexchange.freepolls.com/cgi-bin/polls/018/poll_center.htm Are You a Teacher or Speech Pathologist Working with Deaf/HOH Students Ages 3-8? ---------------------------------------------------------- It's not too late to sign up for the next Moog workshop, "Language Instruction for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students" offered in St. Louis, Missouri. - This workshop for teachers and speech pathologists with students ages 3-8 is offered in St. Louis on November 6-9. It is appropriate for those interested in accelerating the language development of this student population. Moog workshops continually attract professionals and families from around the country. Contact Julia Biedenstein at 314.692.7172 ext. 402 for more information. The registration form and other workshop information is available here...: http://www.hearingexchange.com/workshops.htm Live, Weekly Chats at HearingExchange - Join Us! ---------------------------------------------------------- Thanks to our terrific volunteer hosts, HearingExchange has weekly chats open to all of our members. If you haven't joined one yet, don't delay. Our chats are lively, supportive and informative. Folks who initially met online at HearingExchange have met up at national conventions and other venues. New members are always welcome. Here's the weekly line-up: (All times are Eastern Standard Time) * Monday 9pm Chat for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Adults - hosted by Snoopy * Tuesday 9pm Chat for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Adults - hosted by Torch * Wednesday 9pm Cochlear Implant Chat - hosted by Alice and SillyJulie * Thursday 9pm Chat with HearingExchange founder, Paula on Hearing Loss, Parenting and More in Paula's Place Chat rooms are available 24/7 so come anytime! To enter our chat rooms, click here...: http://www.hearingexchange.com/chat.html Book Paula to Speak on Hearing Loss or Related Issues ---------------------------------------------------------- During the past two years I have been speaking to a variety of groups around the country about hearing loss, cochlear implants, self-esteem in children and many other related topics. My next available speaking dates will be in the spring and summer. Learn more about Paula here...: http://www.hearingexchange.com/aboutus.htm NEW SECTION: "Hear Our Parents" Added to HearingExchange ---------------------------------------------------------- Are you a parent who could use some inspiration when it comes to raising your deaf or hearing impaired child? Have something you'd like to brag about? Hear Our Parents is a new section where parents write in and tell our community members about their children. Read the entries here...: http://www.hearingexchange.com/hear_our_parents.htm "Hear Our Kids" - A Place for Children to Talk ---------------------------------------------------------- Like adults, children need to express their feelings and frustrations. In the Hear Our Kids section, children of a variety of ages have written in to tell us about themselves, their hearing loss, school and more. Read it with your kids and have them submit their own thoughts and ideas. Check out the comments in Hear Our Kids here...: http://www.hearingexchange.com/hear_our_kids.htm Hearing Loss Related Events Calendar ---------------------------------------------------------- Find out what seminars and meetings are happening near your area or around the country. If you know of conventions, seminars and conferences on hearing loss related issues, be sure to submit them to the calendar. Please remember to include the state in the title so it appears on main page of the calendar. View and Submit to the Calendar here...: http://www.hearingexchange.com/events/calendar.cgi HearingExchange Resource Directory - A Great Place to Start Research ---------------------------------------------------------- I've created an organized directory of over 365 hand-picked links to other terrific resources available to you online. Make our Resource Directory your first stop when researching anything related to deafness. If you have or know of a worthwhile site, please submit it using the "Add a Site" link at the top of the directory. Please add a reciprocal link to HearingExchange at your site. We appreciate it. Visit the Resource Directory here...: http://www.hearingexchange.com/resources/ NEW SECTION: Parent Resources ---------------------------------------------------------- Parenting children with hearing loss requires a lot of research and knowledge to help them in educational and social arenas. Check out the new Parent Resources area for helpful information. Access Parent Resources here...: http://www.hearingexchange.com/parents-resources/index.html HearingExchange Employment and Resume Boards ---------------------------------------------------------- Looking for a job? Need to fill a position? Check out our job boards. (Leave the keyword area blank when conducting a search for best viewing.) Click here...: http://www.hearingexchange.com/jobs/ Help Spread the Word and Recommend HearingExchange to Others ---------------------------------------------------------- Like this newsletter and/or the HearingExchange site? Please help us in our endeavors to assist people with hearing loss by passing our information on to others. Your local audiologist, speech therapist, ENT, pediatrician, cochlear implant center, teacher, family members and others are all key people who should know about HearingExchange. Simply use the link below, fill it out and we'll do the rest. Your assistance is greatly appreciated. Click here to recommend us via email...: http://www.hearingexchange.com/recommend/index.html Full Color Postcard Brochures Available ---------------------------------------------------------- We also offer color postcard brochures that describe what HearingExchange offers. These can be mailed out individually or we'll send you a bunch to distribute at your next convention, support group meeting, school, etc. Our brochures are already in doctor's offices, cochlear implant centers, audiology offices and other places. You can help others to enjoy the benefits of HearingExchange by distributing our brochures in your area. If you would like several brochures, please email me at publisher@hearingexchange.com with your request. To send one postcard, click here...: http://www.hearingexchange.com/postcards/index.htm Until Next Time... ---------------------------------------------------------- I hope you've enjoyed this issue of HearingExchange News. As always, your feedback is important so please email me with your comments, suggestions, news, etc. Warmest regards, Paula Rosenthal, Publisher HearingExchange "The Leading Online Community for People with Hearing Loss, Families and Professionals" To modify your subscriptions, click on the "unsubscribe" link below, make your changes and click on "submit." All email addresses are kept strictly confidential. (c)Copyright 2003 HearingExchange, a division of Taylor Rose, Inc. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to reprint and distribute this newsletter as long as it is reprinted in its entirety, is unedited and includes this copyright. To view past issues of HearingExchange News click here...: http://www.hearingexchange.com/newsletter_archives.htm ========================================================== HearingExchange a division of Taylor Rose, Inc. PO Box 689 Jericho, New York 11753 Web Site: http://www.HearingExchange.com E-mail: publisher@hearingexchange.com Phone: 516.938.5475 Fax: 516.935.2065