ABOUT AUDITORY OUTREACH
The Province of British Columbia, in addition to the regular block of funds allocated to school districts and independent schools for education, also funds a group of education alternatives known as . These programs help public and independent schools meet the educational needs of students in exceptional circumstances.
Auditory Outreach, in collaboration with provincial centres, local audiologists and other service providers, assists public and independent schools throughout the province address the needs of school-aged students with hearing loss. Auditory Outreach loans assistive listening devices to public school districts, and group 1 and 2 independent schools, for individual students with hearing loss identified as needing this technology for school use.
Some families with deaf children are opting for cochlear implants. These are surgically implanted devices which stimulate the auditory nerve to perceive sound and promote the development of oral language. Auditory Outreach provides consultative support to students with cochlear implants and other implantable devices (ie. BAHA) so students may derive maximum benefit from this technology. AO-PRP provides a variety of services including but not limited to: consultation to school staff and to parents, assistance with assessments, and assistance with the establishment of goals for individualized education programs.
may be initiated by a parent, a principal, school/district administrator, an implant centre, or by a student if over the age of 18.
Quick facts about Auditory Outreach Provincial Resource Program:
• To enhance auditory accessibility to the curriculum for students with hearing loss, we maintain a loan library of assistive listening equipment, which is loaned out to over 1000 students in 56 school districts and at 132 independent schools across the province of B.C.
• Last year, in-person and virtual outreach services were provided across B.C. by an Audiologist, Speech-Language Pathologist, and Teacher of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing for 160 students who have cochlear implants, as well as for the teams and families supporting them.
• We provide equipment loans, written information, including EasySheets and user guides, instructional videos and presentations, technical support, and equipment repairs and replacements.
• We are experts in remote microphone technologies and focus on the unique skills and needs of students who have cochlear implants. Students with cochlear implants have unique skill sets and learning needs within the classroom. Even the input and signal they receive are very different from what students with hearing aids hear. Additionally, speech and language skills, inclusion strategies, and targets are often unique to students with cochlear implants. For this reason, the Ministry of Education funds Auditory Outreach to provide specific, expert knowledge on the equipment, learning needs, and unique skills of students with cochlear implants. We work closely with the cochlear implant clinic team at the B.C. Children’s Hospital to identify intervention needs and areas of support for this cohort.
• Auditory Outreach consultative support for students with cochlear implants includes, but is not limited to:
- Audiology, SLP, and TDHH consultative support
- Assessments
- Assistive Listening equipment validation, implementation, and technical support
- Long-term and short-term goal identification, including IEP support, and strategies for school teams
- Resource sharing, training, and education for students, school teams, community teams, and families
- Promotion of inclusion and advocacy for students who have cochlear implants in school environments
- Professional Development