Welcome and Overview

Ed Bosso, Vice President, Laurent Clerc National Deaf Education Center

Ed Bosso, vice president of the Clerc Center and president of the Conference of Educational Administrators of Schools and programs for the Deaf (CEASD), emphasized that there is no single approach that is right for all children with hearing loss. However, in order to provide children with the most favorable outcomes, it is critical that all the approaches being considered for use provide for early access to language, normal language acquisition, and cognitive development. He stressed the necessity of:

• Challenging personal assumptions, beliefs and values and encouraging open dialogue,
• Evaluating approaches and strategies that view children with cochlear implants first as children and second as children who are using the technology of a cochlear implant, and
• Establishing collaborative networks and partnerships to facilitate identification and sharing of strategies and practices.