The GRI's First Wednesday Research Seminar Series provides an opportunity for the Gallaudet University academic community and visiting scholars to share insights from current research.
The lectures are held from 12:00 noon until 1:00 p.m. usually on the first Wednesday of the month in the Student Academic Center (SAC) and are open to the public. Sometimes, the lectures come on the second Wednesday morning, depending on circumstances. Sign language and voice-over interpreters are provided.
The GRI will provide technical assistance to presenters. If you are interested in doing a presentation on your research or related topic, contact Senda Benaissa, senda.benaissa@gallaudet.edu.
The Gallaudet Research Institute oversees Gallaudet Priority Research Fund which is designed to support research projects at Gallaudet (by faculty, students, and staff) that address areas that have been determined to be of high priority to the University (http://gri.gallaudet.edu/priorities.php). If you are interested in applying to the Gallaudet Research Priority Research Fund for financial support for your project, please contact us. Detailed information and an application form can be found at http://gri.gallaudet.edu/Funding/.
| February 6 When Autism and Deafness coexist: What do we really know? Christen Szymanski, Ph.D. Student, Department of Psychology, Gallaudet University |
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In the United States Autism remains the fastest-growing developmental disability for children. Autism affects how the brain processes information in social, emotional, behavioral and communication situations. Deficits and difficulties in communication, social interactions, as well as cognitive impairments are life long and often disabling.
Current estimates of Autism in children within the United States most recently has been estimated as 1 in 150 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in 2007 (up from 1 in 166 in 2005 and 1 in 10,000 in the 1980's). However, this number overlooks those children who have other coexisting conditions or language differences. In essence they also overlook children who are Deaf. As a best estimate of children who are Deaf and have Autism, the Annual Survey of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children and Youth conducted by the Gallaudet Research Institute (Szymanski and Brice, In-Press) can be utilized. The report indicates that 1 deaf child in 104 is receiving services for hearing loss and Autism. The question becomes why? Szymanski will present information explaining what Autism is, previous available research related to Deafness and Autism, as well as explain current research findings from a pre-dissertation research project. Questions related to possible over-diagnosis and under-diagnosis will be addressed as well as the bigger question of possible cultural influence or cultural confusion in the diagnosis of children who are Deaf and have Autism.
Christen Szymanski is currently a 3rd year Clinical Psychology Doctoral student. She graduated from Western Maryland College in 2005. Since 2000 she has worked with children with Autism and Asperger's Syndrome at Courage North in Lake George, Minnesota. Upon entering Gallaudet she began studying the effects of Autism on Deaf Children. She has presented at several national conferences, coauthored two articles for the Odyssey Magazine, and has successfully completed her pre-dissertation research project on the impact of Autism in children who are Deaf.
This presentation is now available as a Portable Document Format (PDF), Open Document presentation, Shockwave Flash and Microsoft PowerPoint presentation.
| March 5 The Latin American and the Caribbean Newborn Hearing Screening Survey Barbara Gerner de Garcia, Department of Educational Foundations and Research, Gallaudet University Susan Chacon, MSW, New Mexico Department of Public Health |
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This presentation will provide information on a research project on the current state of newborn screening in various Latin American and Caribbean countries, implications of the findings from the research conducted, and the challenges and rewards of cross-cultural and cross-national research. This voluntary survey is collecting data from Brazil and Spanish-speaking countries in the Caribbean and Latin America about the current state of infant hearing screening in each country. This information is being collected to serve several purposes including:
The idea for this survey arose in a group of early interventionists and other service providers who participate in the Diversity Committee of EHDI (Early Hearing Detection and Intervention), which is supported by the Center for Disease Control (CDC). The survey instrument was developed in consultation with experts in the U.S. The English instrument was shared with members of the Diversity Committee for feedback, and then translated to Spanish, and Portuguese. Experts in Mexico, Guatemala, and Puerto Rico helped revise the survey. The most challenging aspect of conducting the survey has been identifying contacts. This process has been interesting, and required perseverance. In this session, I will share findings including the current state of newborn screening in various Latin American and Caribbean countries, implications of the findings, and the challenges and rewards of cross-cultural and cross-national research.
This project has been approved by Gallaudet University IRB
Dr. Barbara Gerner de Garcia, Professor and Chair of the Department of Educational Foundations and Research, Gallaudet University, Washington, DC. She has long worked on issues of education of Latino deaf in the U.S., and deaf education in Latin America, and was a Fulbright Scholar during Fall, 1999, at the Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul in Porto Alegre, Brazil. In addition to English and ASL, she is fluent in Spanish, has advanced knowledge of Portuguese. She holds degrees from Carnegie-Mellon University, Pittsburgh, and Boston University.
Susan Chacon received her MSW from Boston University and has worked as a professional social worker for the past twenty years. Her experience includes advocating for and assisting diverse populations within the Boston metro area to access health care services and providing mental health services to children in rural Alaska. Ms. Chacon currently oversees the Newborn Hearing Screening Program in coordination with the Part C program within the New Mexico Department of Public, Health Title V Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs, Children's Medical Services. In 2005 she became the Chair of the Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) Diversity Committee, initiated by the CDC to address disparities minorities and underrepresented populations face when accessing EHDI services. Through her work with the CDC she has presented on working with diverse families at several venues including the National Leadership Summit on Eliminating Racial and Ethnic Barriers I Health, Washington DC; at the annual EHDI conference in Washington DC; in Salt Lake City Utah at a meeting to engage family support and on a CDC Ad-hoc call addressing disparities within the EHDI system.
This presentation is now available as a Microsoft PowerPoint presentation.
| April 2 Qualitative and Quantitative Studies of the Societal Impact of Genetic Testing for Deafness Kathleen S. Arnos, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Biology & Director, Genetics Program Gallaudet University |
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More than one hundred genes for deafness have been identified during the last decade. Diagnostic molecular testing for a growing number of these genes is now available, most common being testing for the GJB2 (connexin 26) gene. The availability of genetic testing has far outpaced the efforts to understand the actual social and ethical impact this knowledge will have on consumers. This presentation will discuss ongoing research to explore the knowledge and attitudes of deaf adults and hearing and deaf parents of deaf children about emerging ethical dilemmas created by advances in genetics and treatment of deafness, and to study the long term impact of genetic testing on the attitudes and behavior of deaf individuals. This research is funded by that National Institutes of Health and is conducted by the Genetics Program at Gallaudet University in collaboration with geneticists at Virginia Commonwealth University. This presentation will focus on the qualitative and quantitative methods (focus groups, surveys, etc.) used to explore these issues and will describe some of the project results and plans for future research.
Dr. Kathleen Arnos teaches courses in research methods and human genetics. She is actively involved in research on hereditary deafness and has several externally-funded research grants to study common genes causing deafness and the impact of genetic testing on the deaf community. She is also Director of the Genetics Program, which provides genetic counseling services to deaf students who are curious to learn more about the cause of their deafness and their chance to have deaf or hearing children.
[Last modified: February 26, 2008 13:13:51]
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