Message from Dorene Watkins to parents of deaf and hard of hearing children
All of us at the Center for Hearing and Communication (CHC) are delighted to welcome you and your family back for the 2015/16 school year. For those of you just discovering CHC and the services we provide, a warm hello. We look forward to getting to know you.
I’m thrilled to report on a number of exciting developments that have taken place at CHC’s Shelley and Steven Einhorn Communication Center since we last caught up. Speech pathologist Liz Ying, since returning to CHC last spring, has spearheaded some truly innovative programming for the coming year. You’ll also see several new faces of extraordinarily talented staff members. Here are a few of the highlights:
An expanded clinical staff now brings new expertise in key developmental areas that will be of benefit to all of our kids. Clinicians with expertise in education of the deaf, pre/post-implant training, language processing, and memory have joined the team at CHC along with a child psychologist available for child and family psychology assessments and counseling.
Expanded pediatric services include a social skills group, after-school tutoring, academic reinforcement therapy, classroom observations, self-advocacy training, in-services to schools, and a toddler music and rhythms group.
Extended services for parents include a series of new parent workshops for “all ages and stages” as well as weekly parent/infant training groups through EI and DIP. Also, do join us in New York for the CHC Open House on November 9, 2015 at 6pm! Note that this date was changed from the original date of September 30.
An interdisciplinary team made up of speech pathologists, an audiologist, teacher of the deaf, and a child psychologist will support you and your child with more comprehensive care and superior outcomes.
While much has changed, please know that our enduring emphasis on family-centered care remains at the heart of our children’s program. It is only with your active participation that we can successfully guide and support your child’s journey to hearing.
Join us 11/9 for NYC Open House
We hope to see all our CHC parents (as well as some new faces!) at the CHC Open House November 9, 2015 in New York (note new date). It’s an excellent opportunity to see our refurbished therapy space and meet a superb team of audiologists, speech-language pathologists, psychologists, and an education specialist, all dedicated to helping your child with hearing loss or auditory processing disorder achieve his or her full potential.
We look forward to a happy, healthy and productive year!
Dorene Watkins
Dorene Watkins has been with the Center for Hearing and Communication for over 30 years as a school psychologist, working with children who are deaf, have a hearing loss, or have auditory processing disorder (APD) as well as counseling parents and other family members. Often the first point of contact for parents with a baby newly diagnosed with hearing loss, Dorene provides information and emotional support to help parents make informed decisions about their child’s hearing healthcare,
Parents seeking guidance in navigating Early Intervention (EI), Committee on Preschool Education (CPSE), Deaf Infant Program (DIP) and the New York State educational system find Dorene an indispensable resource. As Coordinator of Family Programs, Dorene facilitates peer support through educational and social events that bring CHC families together throughout the year. Contact Dorene at dwatkins@chchearing.org or (917) 305-7881.