Auditory Rehabilitation Workshop

Adult Cochlear Implant
Auditory Rehabilitation Workshop

A Road Map for Self-Guided Auditory Therapy

Saturday, May 9, 2009
9:00 - 12:30 pm
3443 Camino Del Rio South
San Diego, CA 92103

Many adults who receive Cochlear Implants (CI) discover they are left largely on their own to develop improved listening skills once they receive their CI. Although some CI recipients seek out individual auditory therapy to assist in this process, many CI recipients find their health insurance does not cover the treatment or a qualified therapist is not available in their area. This workshop will explore how adult CI recipients who do not have access to auditory therapy can follow a home treatment program that will continue to support the development of listening skills. Understanding the auditory hierarchy for speech sound understanding will enhance the participant's knowledge of how to identify therapy targets. This will create a foundation for the CI recipient to progress through a self-guided therapy program. This workshop will include examples of therapy activities for each step of the auditory hierarchy, as well as provide numerous resources and references for home practice materials.

*This workshop is designed for CI recipients who do not have access to individual auditory verbal/auditory rehabilitation therapy services or CI recipients who have received a limited amount of therapy in the past and would like to continue with a home program to improve their skills.

Agenda:

9:00 a.m. Registration/ Breakfast (provided by Cochlear Americas)
9:15 a.m. Welcome and Opening Remarks
9:30 a.m. Everyone Starts at a Different Road Marker- How to
determine where
your journey begins.
10:15 a.m. What Route do I follow?- How to get from point A to
point B without
getting stranded. Part 1
11:00 a.m. Break- Stretch your legs
11:15 a.m. Continuing the Journey. Part 2
12:00 p.m. What do I Need for my Travels?- Resources and Materials
12:15 p.m. Questions
12:30 p.m. Adjourn

Registration:

Workshop fees of $90 per person are due at the time of registration. If an individual with a cochlear implant would like a hearing practice partner to attend, please contact Mellisa to determine if seating remains available as first preference will be given to individuals with cochlear implants. A reduced fee of $50 will be charged per practice partner accompanying an individual with a cochlear implant. Advance registration is required due to limited seating. The registration deadline is May 1st, 2009.



Name: __________________________________________

Telephone: _______________________________________

Address: _________________________________________

_________________________________________________

Date of CI surgery: _________________________________

Type of CI (brand/model): ______________________________

What type of auditory therapy (if any) have you had since receiving your CI? What have you tried on your own to improve your performance with your CI?

_____________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________


Please return registration form with payment by check or money order to:

Mellisa Essenburg
P.O. Box 420232
San Diego, CA 92142

April Meeting

The next San Diego Adult Auditory Rehabilitation Group meeting will be held Monday, April 20th from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.

January CI Meeting

The next San Diego Adult Auditory Rehabilitation Group meeting will be held Monday, January 26th from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.
**Please note the change in week due to the Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday**

The goal of the group is to provide auditory rehabilitation strategies and information for new and experienced cochlear implant users who would like improved performance from their implant. There will be opportunities to share successes and frustrations with implant use, compare progress with other users, and exchange tips and tricks that others have discovered to facilitate use of CIs.

***Reminder***
My new office address is 3443 Camino Del Rio South, Suite 112, San Diego, CA 92108. Please contact me if you require directions.

There is a $10 charge per person/couple to help toward the expenses of holding the meetings.

(The office complex houses a great little sandwich place where you can pick up a bite to eat before or after the meeting if you like) Please RSVP to (858) 232-5842 or by email if you would like to attend.

Finally, I have several people interested in the adult aural rehabilitation class series but still need 1-2 more to hold the class. The course will meet for an hour once weekly for 4 weeks. The charge is $25 per person/per week (spouses or practice partners are welcome to accompany the participant for only $10 per class). There is some flexibility on meeting date/time so if you’re interested please email me with your availability!

Please feel free to contact me by email or telephone if you have any questions. You are encouraged to email topics of discussion to me prior to the meeting if you have something in mind that you would like to address.

December Meeting

The next San Diego Adult Auditory Rehabilitation Group meeting will be held Monday, December 15th from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.

The goal of the group is to provide auditory rehabilitation strategies and information for new and experienced cochlear implant users who would like improved performance from their implant. There will be opportunities to share successes and frustrations with implant use, compare progress with other users, and exchange tips and tricks that others have discovered to facilitate use of CIs.

It would be greatly appreciated if those who are interested in attending would RSVP to mellisaslp@yahoo.com or leave a message at (858) 232-5842 so appropriate seating can be arranged prior to the meeting.

***Please Note***
I have moved to a new office and am now in a great space in Mission Valley with plenty of free parking. The new address is 3443 Camino Del Rio South, Suite 112, San Diego, CA 92108. Please contact me if you require directions.The support group meetings will continue on a monthly basis with a $10 charge per person/couple to help toward the expenses of holding the meetings.

(The office complex houses a great little sandwich place where you can pick up a bite to eat before or after the meeting if you like) Please RSVP to (858) 232-5842 or by email if you would like to attend.

Finally, I’m shooting for a January start for the adult aural rehabilitation class series. The course will meet for an hour once weekly for 4 weeks. I require a minimum of 4 participants to hold the class and the charge is $25 per person/per class (spouses or practice partners are welcome to accompany the participant for only $10 per class). I do have a couple of interested people on a waiting list, I just need the remaining slots to be filled to begin the class. There is some flexibility on meeting date/time so if you’re interested please email me with your availablitity!

Please feel free to contact me by email or telephone if you have any questions. You are encouraged to email topics of discussion to me prior to the meeting if you have something in mind that you would like to address.

November Group Meeting- November 17th

Just a reminder: I have moved offices and am now in a great space in Mission Valley with plenty of free parking. The new address is 3443 Camino Del Rio South, San Diego, CA 92108.

The support group meetings will continue on a monthly basis with a $10 charge per person/couple to help toward the expenses of the new larger meeting area.

The office complex houses a great little deli/sandwich place where you can pick up a bite to eat before or after the meeting as well.

The next San Diego Adult Auditory Rehabilitation Group meeting will be held Monday, November 17th from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. Please RSVP to (858) 232-5842 or by email if you would like to attend.

Adult CI Class Series

I am now taking enrollment for an adult aural rehabilitation class series. This course will meet once weekly for 4 weeks. The charge is $25 per person/per class for a total of $100 for the series (spouses or practice partners are welcome to accompany the participant for only $10 per class). I require a minimum of 4 CI users to hold the class series. Available class times are Mondays from 9:00-10:00am for 4 consecutive weeks or alternating Thursdays from 5:30-6:30pm over 8 weeks.

Interested? Send me an email with your prefered class time and any dates that you would be unable to attend. As soon as I have interest from 4 CI users for the same time slot, I will set the start date.

I am also in the process of developing a Saturday 3 hour workshop for CI users who do not have the ability to attend therapy sessions on a regular basis or would just like a “jump start” in their listening practice at home. I will be offering this workshop for $90/person with a discounted rate of $50 for the practice partner of the individual with a CI. This is a great option for people who do not live close to an implant center or have limited time for traditional therapy. I will start an "interest list" for anyone who might be interested in this option, just email your contact information.

Interesting Local Play

Mo`olelo Performing Arts Company presents:

Night Sky

A play by Susan Yankowitz
Directed by Siobhan Sullivan
August 27 – September 21, 2008
Mo`olelo in Residence at La Jolla Playhouse
Tickets available at 619-342-7395 or www.moolelo.net

Holes - in - talking. Heart - in - jail.
Night Sky is the story of Anna, a brilliant astronomer. When a car accident renders her aphasic, her speech becomes a hodgepodge of disconnected words alternately poetic, funny, confusing and profound. She and her family must fight through the black holes of her mind and journey from her night sky into an unfamiliar world and a new language. A moving story about the resiliency of the human spirit and the universal need to find words to communicate our deepest thoughts and feelings.

Current ticket availability for Night Sky below.
If your top choice is sold out, please know that we welcome standbys. Should we have any no-shows, we'll do everything we can to get you in. Standbys should plan on arriving at the theater 30 minutes prior to the performance to get on a standby list.

You can purchase tickets at www.moolelo.net or 619-342-7395.

Wednesday, September 10, 9:30 AM – SOLD OUT (High Tech High International)
Thursday, September 11, 9:30 AM – Montgomery & Mar Vista High School (20 seats remaining)
Friday, September 12, 7:30 PM – SOLD OUT
Saturday, September 13, 7:30 PM – 33 seats remaining
Sunday, September 14, 2:30 PM – 15 seats remaining
Wednesday, September 17, 9:30 AM – SOLD OUT (KIPP Adelante Preparatory Academy)
Thursday, September 18, 9:30 AM – SOLD OUT (Hoover High School)
Friday, September 19, 7:30 PM – SOLD OUT (Torrey Pines Bank)
Saturday, September 20, 7:30 PM – 20 seats remaining
Sunday, September 21, 2:30 PM – SOLD OUT

More information about Night Sky is available at www.moolelo.net.

September Support Group Meeting

A few changes to announce!
I have moved offices and am now in a great space in Mission Valley with plenty of free parking. The new address is 3443 Camino Del Rio South, San Diego, CA 92108

The support group meetings will continue on a monthly basis with a $10 charge per person/couple to help toward the expenses of the new larger meeting area. The office complex houses a great little deli/sandwich place where you can pick up a bite to eat before or after the meeting as well.

The next San Diego Adult Auditory Rehabilitation Group meeting will be held Monday, September 22nd from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Please RSVP to (858) 232-5842 or by email if you would like to attend.

Finally, I will be offering the adult aural rehabilitation class series again this fall. This time the course will meet once weekly for 4 weeks. I require a minimum of 4 participants to hold the class and the charge is $25 per person (spouses or practice partners are welcome to accompany the participant to the class for only $10). The class will be held on Mondays. The announcement with the specific start date and times will follow shortly, however I welcome comments about your preferences for class times.

Happy New Year!

The San Diego Adult Auditory Rehabilitation Group will be meeting again on Monday, January 7th from 12:00 noon to 1:00 at Laurie Silverman & Associates.

The goal of the group is to provide auditory rehabilitation strategies and information for new cochlear implant users and those who would like improved performance from their implant. There will be opportunities to share successes and frustrations with implant use, compare progress with other users, and exchange tips and tricks that others have discovered to facilitate use of CIs.

It would be greatly appreciated if those who are interested in attending would RSVP so appropriate seating can be arranged prior to the meeting.

November Adult Cochlear Implant Meeting

The San Diego Adult Auditory Rehabilitation Group will be meeting again on Monday, November 19th from 12:00 noon to 1:00 at Laurie Silverman & Associates.

The goal of the group is to provide auditory rehabilitation strategies and information for new cochlear implant users and those who would like improved performance from their implant. There will be opportunities to share successes and frustrations with implant use, compare progress with other users, and exchange tips and tricks that others have discovered to facilitate use of CIs.

It would be greatly appreciated if those who are interested in attending would RSVP so appropriate seating can be arranged prior to the meeting.

Please feel free to contact me by email or telephone if you have any questions. You are encouraged to email topics of discussion to me prior to the meeting if you have something in mind that you would like to address.

Mellisa Essenburg, M.S., CCC-SLP
Speech Pathologist

CI Group Listening Class

I’m pleased to let everyone know that after months of working on the details, I am finally ready to offer a small group therapy course for adults with cochlear implants!

The course will be held one hour a week for 6 weeks and will accommodate 4-6 individuals. I plan on offering the class every 8-10 weeks so if you’re interested once the class is full, there will be other opportunities.

This course is intended for individuals who do not have insurance coverage for individual therapy, those who would like additional guided listening practice outside of or upon conclusion of individual therapy, and anyone who would like a “crash course” in listening with their CI.

As health insurance will not cover this type of small group course, I have deliberately set the fees well below an hourly therapy rate. Each class will be $25 per “student” with payment for the full 6 week course due upon enrollment.

The course will provide opportunities for listening practice across a variety of contexts, strategies for listening in challenging environments, information on providing feedback during mapping sessions, and use of assistive listening technologies, among many other topics. Activities will be modified to accommodate the listening abilities of the class participants and the requests of the group. Participants will receive written and audio materials for home and independent practice.

Classes will begin Wednesday October 31st (Happy Halloween-costumes will be optional!) from 4:45-5:45. We will take a break for the week of Thanksgiving and the final class will be held December 12th. Classes will be held in office space on Morena Blvd. Please contact me for the address and directions.

To reserve your place in the class please send checks payable to Mellisa Essenburg for $150 ($25 per session) to the following:

Mellisa Essenburg
P.O. Box 420232
San Diego, CA 92142

I will send you an email confirmation when your check is received.

I’m looking forward to seeing you there!

September Support Group Meeting

The next San Diego Adult Auditory Rehabilitation Group meeting will be held Monday, September 24th from 12:15 p.m. to 1:15 p.m.

Please take a minute to email your RSVP if you plan to attend!

No Meeting for August

Due to beautiful weather, historically low attendance and the fact that I will be taking the month off, there will be no meeting for August. The meetings will resume in September (I promise!) however the day of the week and exact time are to be announced.

CI Group Outing!

We're considering a group outing to the symphony in July (details to be determined) that sounds very exciting! I've created a brief (5 questions only!) survey to find out what kind of interest we have.

Please take a minute to follow the link below to complete the survey. You will not be required to provide any personal information.

Click Here to take survey

Ticket prices would vary as the group would not be required to be seated together. I believe the seats range from $15 up to quite a bit more for prime seating. Once I know we have enough interest I can find out additional details about group pricing.

July Adult CI Meeting July 12

Since the first Thursday of the month falls the day after 4th of July, the meeting will be held on the second Thursday in July, the 12th. Join us for cookies, coffee and a lively discussion about any CI topics that are on your mind!

Interested in finding out more about a Hearing Dog? This is a wonderful option for individuals who live alone and would like a little extra help in identifying the presence of important sounds.
The Sam Simon Foundation based out of Malibu, CA has a short waiting list and some pups that are getting close to graduation and ready for duty! Applications and more details are available on their website: http://www.samsimonfoundation.com/

June Adult CI User Meeting

The next meeting will be Thursday June 7th at 12:00. Please RSVP if you would like to attend.

There are 3 interesting research studies currently in the works in Southern California for individuals with hearing loss:

1. The University of California, Irvine is looking for post-lingually deafened individuals who have been wearing a CI for at least 6 months. http://www.ucihs.uci.edu/hesp

2. San Diego State is looking for individuals who are 21 years or older and have a hearing loss that occured after the age of 18 years. http://chhs.sdsu.edu/slhs/stika/research1/study.htm

3. UCLA and CSUN are looking for individuals with sensorineural hearing loss since birth. http://www.deafgeneticsproject.org

I'll have more informaiton on each of the studies at the next meeting as well.

April Meeting

The April meeting will be held from 12:00-1:00 on Thursday April 5th.

February Support Group Meeting

February is already upon us! The next meeting will be held Thursday February 1st at 12:00 noon. Join us for coffee, cookies and lots of CI chat!

January Support Group Meeting

Happy New Year!

As our January support group meetings have had low attendance due to the holidays in the past, I've decided to shift the meeting to the second Thursday of the month this time around. Our next meeting will be held Thursday, January 11th at noon.
Please send me an email if you have any questions before the meeting, Hope to see you there!

San Diego Adult Cochlear Implant User Support Group

The Adult Cochlear Implant Support Group typically meets the first Thursday of each month from 12:00 noon to 1:00 at Laurie Silverman & Associates in San Diego, CA.

The group is open to all adults with a cochlear implant who are interested in increasing success with their implant. There will be opportunities to share successes and frustrations with implant use, compare progress with other users, and exchange tips and tricks that others have discovered to facilitate use of CIs. In addition, auditory training strategies may be provided and applied during the meeting.

It would be greatly appreciated if those who are interested in attending would RSVP by email or call (619) 291-3515 so appropriate seating can be arranged prior to the meeting.

Please feel free to contact me by email or telephone if you have any questions. You are encouraged to email topics of discussion to me prior to the meeting if you have something in mind that you would like to address.

Mellisa Essenburg, M.S., CCC-SLP