New Provincial Resource Program for
Students with Cochlear Implants
Submitted by Joe Coelho

The Provincial Resource Program for students with cochlear implants (PRP-CI) is a new program funded by the Ministry of Education to support the delivery of effective education and habilitation programs for students who either have or are being considered for a cochlear implant. A collaboration protocol has been developed between PRP-CI and Children's Hospital to assist families and educators from the initial contact and consideration for a cochlear implant to the ongoing support required post implant.

Services provided through PRP-CI are child - and family- centered. These services are intended to meet the needs of students with cochlear implants within their communities and to assist families and students to maximize the effectiveness of the cochlear implants. PRP-CI staff members have expertise in audiology, speech and language therapy, and education of the deaf and hard of hearing. These professionals are available to consult with schools/districts and families throughout the province and can address issues related to language assessment, development of aural/oral skills, classroom acoustics and technology used by students with cochlear implants.

During the first three years post implant, PRP-CI staff can also arrange to make available diagnostic auditory/speech habilitation training, if needed. These services are usually provided through a provincial network of local speech and language pathologists and hearing resource teachers who will also consult with parents and school staffs so that skills developed during diagnostic training sessions can be effectively reinforced at home and at school. Auditory/speech habilitation services provided by PRP-CI are intended to supplement, rather than replace the student's education program. Therefore, most of these services will be offered as an out of school program and will be made available on a 12 month basis.

An insert to this newsletter gives more detailed information about the services provided by PRP-CI. For further information or to request support from PRP-CI staff, please contact the Sensory Institute - British Columbia located at 1001 Columbia Street, New Westminster, B.C. V3M 1K4; call (604) 525-0502 or contact one of the team members by e-mail: Joe Coelho (Program Director and Hearing Resource Teacher) jcoelho@sd47.bc.ca, Penelope Bacsfalvi (SLP) pbacsfalvi@sd47.bc.ca, Dan Paccioretti (Aud.) dpaccioretti@sd47.bc.ca, Sue Wastie (SLP) swastie@sd47.bc.ca. Outside the Lower Mainland parents can also call toll free 1-866-SENSORY (1-866-736-7679).

A listserve has been established to provide parents information updates in a timely fashion and to allow parents to share information on issues related to education and hearing loss. Messages can be sent to the list by addressing them to Forum@sensory.ca. To subscribe to this listserve and receive posted messages send an e-mail to lists@sensory.ca, leave the subject blank and in the body of the e-mail add the following: subscribe FORUM (user e-mail address); e.g., subscribe FORUM jcoelho@sd47.bc.ca