There are many reasons to attend this year’s annual Hearing Loss Association of America Convention in Milwaukee, June 17-20. Yes, there are 19 hours of workshops that offer 1.9 CEU’s for ASHA & AAA (and by extension, IHS for hearing aid dispenser licensure) — And some of these workshops are hosted by the likes of Pat Kricos, PhD, Sam Trychin, PhD, and even crack CI surgeon John Niparko, MD, from Johns Hopkins.
All that being said, Christie Nudelman wrote a brilliant blog entry on her experience at her first HLAA Convention, last June at Opryland. Rather than opine, I’ll let Christie say it in her own words:
My First Time at an HLAA Convention
By Christie Nudelman
Last year I attended the HLAA convention in Nashville for the first time. I was the proud recipient of a grant from the Rocky Stone Scholarship program. This was a GREAT to help me offset the cost to get my feet wet with HLAA.
You see, I joined HLAA, Boulder chapter, in March 2009 for my first meeting ever! I got information about the conference and I wanted to connect with others LIKE MYSELF. I heard there was an effort to get younger people to attend, in addition to workshops and fun activities; so I said why not? The conference venue was amazing in itself. It was HUGE, too!
The schedule of events allowed you freedom to attend what you wanted, when you wanted and then some (i.e. after hours get-togethers). The keynote speakers were great, the workshops were well thought out and the parties were always fun! In addition, the people were all so amazing and accepting. At the conference, you are amongst a “like kind” – they don’t ask you about “your accent”, or look strangely at you when you ask them to repeat 3 times! I was amazed to be around so many people who “got me” – they understood me and I could just be myself! I remember one profound moment when I was in the exhibit hall trying out the CapTel phone and I called my mom. I told her, “I feel like I found a home here at this conference!”
Key takeaways I got:
You have to go to her blog entry to see what she took home!
Now, back to those workshops. As it turns out, Martha Jones, MS, CCC-SLP and I are hosting the workshop on (class)room acoustics this Thursday at 1PM, titled From Mouth to Ear: Acoustic Architecture, Assistive Listening Devices and New Room Acoustical Standards (click link for syllabus). What works out well is that Donna Sorkin, PhD is teaching What Children with Cochlear Implants Need at School (Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5); which is a nice primer to what Martha & I will be teaching.
Hope to see everyone in Milwaukee in just a few days!