Iona Wins $1.25 Million Grant to Train Deaf-Education Specialists
Congratulations to BCW Member Iona College on being awarded a $1.25 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education to train deaf-education specialists for the next five years. The grant is part of the federal government’s effort to improve the clinical preparation of speech-language pathologists and special education professionals to meet the needs of deaf/hard of hearing children up to five years old.
Iona College will create an Interdisciplinary Advanced Certificate in Deafness to equip graduate students with the needed skills. Currently the college has no programs that focus on deafness and the new certificate program is unique in the New York City metro area.
“When a family finds out that they have a deaf child, they will either be sent a special education professional or a speech/language pathologist. That individual may not have any experience with very young children,” said Dr. Amanda Howerton-Fox, who with Dr. Michelle Vevyoda designed the certificate program and applied for the grant.
The federal grant will pay for 40 Iona College graduate students over the next five years starting July 2022. Each year, four graduate students from the Communications Sciences and Disorders track and four graduate students from the Education track will enroll in the certificate program, which lasts two summers and an academic year.
One reason there is a scarcity of deaf-education specialists is because deafness is considered a low-incidence disability. “This certificate program is a good example of something that really needs government support because there are so few children with deafness. In a public school, there might be just one or two deaf kids,” said Vevyoda.
Howerton-Fox stressed the importance of intervention at the earliest ages for deaf children. “It’s the only disability that can cut you off from language completely and the people around you won’t know the effects of that until you are older,” said Howerton-Fox. “So, it’s important to have specialists who understand the effects of language deprivation.”
Similar News Items
Today’s official lifting by Con Edison of the moratorium on new natural gas installations in Westchester makes it an opportune time to consider all energy supply options. In its letter to the NYS Public Service Commission dated November 17, Con Edison said that a combination of lower peak demand forecast and increased supply resulting from […]
The unequal socioeconomic, health, and educational outcomes faced by the county’s children and youth is the focus of a new data bulletin released by the Westchester Children’s Association (WCA). Titled “Children By The Numbers,” the bulletin aims to be an instrumental tool for policymakers, educators, parents, and advocates working to develop equitable programs and policies […]
In a significant victory for new land uses in the Town of Yorktown, the New York State Supreme Court recently upheld zoning overlay districts adopted by the Yorktown Town Board in 2021 to incentivize economic development. The overlay districts provide greater flexibility over land use, including mixed-use concepts, to encourage private developers to invest in […]
Become A Member
Join the county’s largest and most influential business organization today.
JOIN NOW!
Leave a Comment
You must be logged in to post a comment.