The 7th Annual Back to School Bash for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Families will be held on Saturday, July 30, 2022 from 9am - 12pm in the Seven Oaks Park recreation center at 200 Leisure Lane, Columbia, SC.
EVENT SCHEDULE
9 am: Registration & vendor tables open (Vendor tables will remain open the entire event from 9 am until noon.)
10-11 am: Breakout session for parents
- Workshop: IEP Explanation for Parents by Beginnings SC [20 min.]
It's back to school time! This is a great time to learn or refresh your skills about the IEP (Individualized Education Plan.) Learn about the different parts of an IEP such as PLAAFP, ESY, LRE and everything in between. You will leave with documents to help you keep learning and become a more active part of your child's Special Education plan.
-Workshop: Introducing your D/HH Child by Beginnings SC [20 min.]
School districts all over SC will be inviting parents and students to Meet the Teacher events over the coming weeks. This is a great opportunity to tour the school, celebrate the new school year, learn about expectations for parents and classroom expectations for students. Students with hearing differences need access to every aspect of the school experience. Parents can advocate for their student before Meet the Teacher events or the beginnings of the school year. Join us for Tips, Tidbits and Tools for introducing you and your child to their teacher before school begins.
- Workshop: Language Facilitator Introduction by Carter Hears [20 min.]
Parents and Professionals often find Deaf and Hard of Hearing students in mainstream schools with gaps in language, social skills, and functional skills. These gaps make it difficult for students to access their educational environment through technology and, or interpreters alone. The Language Facilitator Model seeks to bridge the gaps and build language while providing a d/Deaf role model in the child’s preferred mode of communication within the local school district.
10-11 am: Magic show by magician John Tudor.
12 pm: Vendor tables close, event ends
Thank you to our 2022 Back to School Bash vendors!
If you would like to be a vendor for the 2022 Back to School Bash, register here!
Able SC
is a disability-led organization seeking transformational changes in systems, communities, and individuals. Since 1994, we’ve remained a consumer-controlled, community-based, cross-disability nonprofit that seeks to make South Carolina a national model of equity and inclusion for all people with disabilities. We are the state’s oldest and largest federally recognized disability-led organization. More than 3/4 of our staff are people with disabilities, as are over half of our Board of Directors. We practice equity, disability justice and representation, and true inclusion through consumer-driven independence and disability pride. We didn’t just learn this. As people with disabilities, our work doesn’t end when we leave the office. Disability is part of who we are. We live this every day.
Founded in 1996, the South Carolina Chapter of the Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing is proud of our work to empower parents, children, and adults with hearing loss to pursue their dreams and to provide support to the professionals who serve this population. AG Bell SC sponsors the K Todd Houston Scholarship each year. This scholarship is open to all high school seniors, college and vocational students who have hearing loss, use speech as their primary mode of communication and are residents of SC. The scholarship is named for Dr. Houston, a founding member of the SC Chapter. In addition, the SC Chapter hosts a bi-annual conference for professionals and parents to network and engage in cutting edge learning opportunities focused on educating students with hearing loss. Our team engages in conferences throughout the state as vendors to raise awareness of the possibilities available to those with hearing loss pursuing listening and spoken language.
Beginnings SC is a nonprofit organization located in West Columbia, SC. We provide services to families and professionals around South Carolina. Beginnings SC is shining light on the impacts of hearing loss on children and their families. We are making the invisible visible. Beginnings SC provides expert knowledge and individualized planning strategies for parents, professionals, & communities to promote successful outcomes for children who are deaf or hard of hearing in South Carolina.
Camp Sertoma of SC
is a weeklong residential camp located at the Clemson Outdoor Lab and is designed primarily for deaf/hard of hearing kids aged 7 - 13. Sertoma clubs throughout the state send 240 campers each summer at no cost to their families.
Camp Wonder Hands is a camp created specifically for children who are deaf and hard-of-hearing. Camp Wonder Hands provides an environment that celebrates the unique culture of our campers and fosters growth through connectivity and inclusivity.
Carter Hears! believes that all children, specifically children with hearing loss, reach their potential in academic, social, emotional, functional, and spiritual avenues through conducive learning environments. We fill a gap in deaf education by tailoring our services to the needs of each entity through effective leadership from a collaborative team that truly makes a difference in the lives of Deaf and Hard of Hearing children. Our team’s diverse backgrounds provide unique intentional opportunities to cultivate a variety of approaches when working with children who have hearing loss. We are knowledgeable, problem-solving, and data-driven educators with the backing of strong credibility.
The mission of Services to Deaf and Hard of Hearing People within the South Carolina Department of Mental Health is to provide a statewide system of care for the delivery of mental health services which promote recovery and allow enhanced mental functioning for Adults, Children and Families where Deafness presents a significant cultural and/or linguistic barrier.
Disability Rights South Carolina: Disability Rights South Carolina is the Protection and Advocacy system (P&A) for South Carolina. We are here to help people with disabilities understand and defend their rights. We provide a variety of services to include client assistance, training, abuse & neglect investigation, legal assistance, and advocacy for change.
For more than 30 years, Family Connection of South Carolina has been changing lives by making connections, raising awareness, and promoting inclusion for those with disabilities and chronic health conditions. We offer programs and services to ensure that parents, professionals, and caregivers have access to available resources to help children reach their full potential. Our work focuses on peer-to-peer support, healthcare, education, training, and advocacy. For more information visit www.familyconnectionsc.org or call 800-578-8750.
Hooves and Hands seeks to promote social, emotional, and behavioral growth, learning, and knowledge of these virtues to enrich the quality of life and relationships for the under-served populations which include individuals of all walks of life through accessible counseling, equine assistance therapy and education.
Using training and education as our foundation, the Irmo Fire District is committed to providing professional fire and life safety services to the citizens of our community in a fiscally responsible manner. We, as a team, will strive to minimize losses and suffering through effective emergency service delivery, public education and community involvement.
The South Carolina Association of the Deaf (SCAD) is a non-profit statewide organization working with and for the South Carolina Deaf and Hard of Hearing people. SCAD is the state affiliate of National Association of the Deaf (NAD). SCAD focuses on promoting the equal treatment of Deaf and Hard of Hearing citizens in areas of education, employment, legislation, healthcare, and other fields.
SC First Sound is South Carolina's early hearing detection and intervention program. South Carolina hospitals that birth an average of 100 or more babies per year screen each newborn baby for hearing and send the results to DHEC. Infants who do not pass the initial hearing screening in the hospital are referred for rescreening; this should be performed by the time the infant is one month old. The rescreening may be done at the birth hospital or at an audiologist's (hearing specialist) office. Infants who do not pass the rescreening are referred to an audiologist for a diagnostic hearing evaluation. The evaluation should be performed before the baby is three months old.
The Palmetto ABLE Savings Program is administered by the State Treasurer's Office. The program opened for enrollment in 2017 and is offered to eligible South Carolinians with disabilities.
SC Housing: The South Carolina State Housing Finance and Development Authority (SC Housing) is the state agency that finances and supports affordable housing opportunities for South Carolina.
It is the mission of the South Carolina Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (SC RID) to provide local forums and an organizational structure for the continued growth and development of the profession of signed language interpretation. SC RID serves as an essential local arena for its members to pursue excellence.
The Statewide Deaf-Blind Project helps meet the unique needs of children and young adults who have combined vision and hearing losses. By offering support from birth to age 21, the project can improve early intervention, special education, and transition services.
SC Thrive is a statewide non-profit whose mission is to lead South Carolinians to stability by providing innovative and efficient access to quality-of-life resources. We do this by connecting people to technology, providing resources within the technology, and providing trainings statewide.
SC Vocational Rehabilitation Dept.
provides comprehensive transition services for qualified DHH students ages 13 - 21. Programs include: Pre-employment Transition Services, Group and Individual Transition Services, Work-based Learning Experiences, Job Coaching, Rehab Technology, and a dedicated DHH Summer Program. Students participate in activities to enhance self-determination, self-advocacy, job exploration, accommodations, and communication technology. VR counselors provide guidance to students and families on postsecondary opportunities, vocational training, supported employment, and specialized programs available to them.