Katie Sparo, a fourth-year student at Eleanor Mann School of Nursing, works with children during SPARK Day.
College of Education and Health Professions Nursing, Speech Language Pathology, and Occupational Therapy students recently had the unique opportunity to work with children with hearing loss at SPARK Day.
The university collaborated with Arkansas Hands and Voices, a nonprofit organization that supports parents and professionals working with hearing-impaired children, regardless of communication approach.
Funding for SPARK (an acronym for Student Preparation for the Care of ARkansas Kids) was partially funded by a WE CARE grant. Future care professionals at this university have gained clinical experience with people in this specialty. This is a requirement for American Speech-Language-Hearing Association professional certification. The day also provided clinical training opportunities for people aiming to become occupational therapists and nurses.
Students completed hearing and health screenings for issues such as vision and scoliosis. The Parent Professional Summit, also held on February 10, brought together parents and professionals who work with children with hearing loss, while providing fun, age-appropriate activities for children. Tina was the keynote speaker for the Northwest Arkansas event. She Childress is deaf and has bilateral cochlear implants, and she is also fluent in American Sign Language. She works full time as an educational audiologist in the Chicago area while consulting with parents and professionals around the world.
Rachel Grade, program director of the university's Communication Sciences and Disorders Program, said: “Our SPARK Day is a great opportunity to learn more about working with children with hearing loss and interdisciplinary practice in a variety of settings. There is no doubt that this fueled the motive.” “Students in the Communication Sciences and Disorders, Occupational Therapy, and Nursing programs have had the opportunity to collaborate and learn from each other like never before. This event is the foundation of interdisciplinary practice and training opportunities for students. We're excited to see what the future holds. ”
Andrea Scott, a master's student in the Communication Sciences and Disorders program, said the experience deepened her understanding of communication development in preschool and elementary school children with cochlear implants.
“This was one of my first experiences working with these people,” she said. “The opportunity to observe the differences between neurotypical students and those who were born deaf was helpful in my future career as a speech-language pathologist.For SLPs, being familiar with communication development across different populations is valuable. It’s essential.”
Students were supervised by a licensed and certified speech therapist, audiologist, occupational therapist, or nurse in the Northwest Arkansas region. After completing their clinical hours, they participated in professional development and breakout sessions.
The Arkansas Department of Health's Infant Hearing Program reported that more than 500 babies failed newborn hearing screening in 2021. “This means that each year more than 500 families need follow-up care to learn the importance of hearing screening and how it impacts their child's communication development,” Grade said. Told.
That same year, the Arkansas Department of Education reported that approximately 4,000 students enrolled in Arkansas schools had hearing loss. This number is increasing due to bad hearing health habits, such as listening to earphones that are too loud.
