- Tuesdays, Mar 18, 25, Apr 1, 8, 2025
- For professionals and families
- 8:00 - 9:00 pm ET
- Hearing First: virtual, via Adobe Connect App
- Presenter: Sherri Fickenscher, MS, LSLS Cert. AVEd
Children today born deaf or hard of hearing have unprecedented opportunities to reach their full potential as they interact with the world around them and learn to listen and talk alongside their siblings and peers. We don’t have a moment to spare, so let’s start learning! For children to reach their full potential, the adults in their lives must have a strong knowledge base of typical development and professionals need the ability to coach and guide parents to become effective facilitators in all areas of development. Parents, teachers, caregivers and therapists must be continually stretching a child's development by keeping one step ahead of them. This means knowing what skills are next to develop. It also means knowing when a child is veering a bit too far off the path and discovering ways to unlock potential in each and every child.
This updated learning experience for 2025 will focus on areas of typical development for a child between the ages of 18 - 36 months where we’ll share and answer some important questions: What’s happening in the brain during this critical time? Why is focusing on a child’s social-emotional development important? How do we focus on theory of mind, literacy and stress the importance of play from the start? Perhaps the biggest question of all: how do we stay current and continue to ensure every child who is deaf or hard of hearing reaches their full potential?
Sherri Fickenscher, MS, LSLS Cert. AVEd, education support specialist at Clarke will answer:
- List two activities that caregivers can engage in that support brain development between the ages of 18-36 months
- Discuss how knowledge of social-emotional development can impact a child’s learning trajectory
- List 5 listening and spoken language strategies that align with Serve & Return
- Discuss how play can strengthen core life skills for Toddlers
Sherri Fickenscher, MS, LSLS Cert. AVEd, is an Education Support Specialist and Early Interventionist at Clarke Schools for Hearing and Speech in Pennsylvania. Sherri also mentors professionals seeking their certification as Listening and Spoken Language Specialists (LSLS).
