The 5th Annual Back to School Bash, sponsored by the S.C. Academy of Audiology, will be held virtually on Saturday, Aug. 1, 2020 from 9 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. on Facebook! The Bash is a FREE educational and fun event for children, adults, and their families who experience the impact of hearing loss. The Bash will provide awareness regarding the myriad resources available to families concerning access to communication, language, emergency support, educational supports, and assistive technology.
We know going back to school will look different for everyone this year. That’s why we want to bring the same valuable resources & services in South Carolina as well as educational presentations to you from the comfort of your home! Catch the bash on our Facebook page. Between presentations, look out for vendor commercials, story time and deaf role models for the children! The Bash will be accessible with live captioning and ASL interpretation.
The Bash is hosted in partnership by Beginnings SC, SC Association of the Deaf, SC Hands and Voices, First Sound & Irmo Fire Department. Special thanks to our accessibility partner, Able South Carolina!
Back to School Bash Presentations:
Kathy Stoehr and Aileen Welch, SC Vocational Rehabilitation Dept. | Raising the Bar for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children
National research using census data shows that children who are deaf and hard of hearing are behind their typically hearing peers in the following areas: enrollment in postsecondary programs, completion of college and post-graduate degrees, completion of training programs, employment opportunities, and earning power. This presentation will explore some of the root causes for the disparity and provide parents with ideas on how to raise expectations, advocate for their child, provide opportunities for self-determination, and teach self-advocacy skills. Parents will learn how to partner with VR to create a successful transition experience.
Amelia England, SC Vocational Rehabilitation Dept. | Audisim, Racism, & Ableism in the DHH Community
This presentation provides the background context necessary for hearing people to identify the dynamics of audism, racism, & ableism as they affect the lives of Deaf and Hard of Hearing individuals. The presentation includes the definitions of -isms and an overview of terms related to the oppression of Deaf and Hard of Hearing children and adults. Resources are available at the end of the slide presentation.
Mariann Carter, Carter Hears | Virtual Learning for DHH Students
Jennifer Rainville, SC Legal Services | IEPs, Pandemics, and Your Rights
An overview of Special Education law, and how the pandemic has impacted the rights of parents and students with IEPs. Tips will be offered at how to best communicate with schools and how to best advocate for what your student needs in their IEP to continue learning during this pandemic and beyond.
Jennifer Villar and Kamili Belton, SC Dept. of Mental Health-Deaf Services | Challenges of Meeting Social Emotional Needs During COVID-19
The SC Department of Mental Health Deaf Services program will be presenting on challenges of meeting families’ and their children’s social emotional needs during the pandemic. Staff will introduce school based therapists available as well as discuss accessibility of telehealth via various platforms. Staff will also discuss common challenges of meeting social emotional needs as well as provide an insight in therapy via telehealth. Staff will also promote social emotional well-being through role play.
The full schedule is TBA. We’ll share it here as soon as it’s finalized so you can tune in to which sessions you’re interested in. Though we hope you’ll spend the whole morning with us! While this is a free event, we do ask that you register so we can get an idea of who plans to watch. We have a limited supply of book bags full of school supplies that we will send to families who request one on the registration form.
Thank you to our 2020 Back to School Bash vendors! More TBA!
Make sure to watch for their commercials during the Bash.
Able SC
Beginnings SC
Irmo Fire Department
Lexington County EMS
S.C. AG Bell Association
S.C. Association of the Deaf
S.C. Dept. of Mental Health Deaf Services
S.C. Hands & Voices
S.C. Thrive
The Quill School
