Email from a professor

I wanted to give you a brief report about our recent trip to South Vietnam.  Janet Fuller and I, along with 4 of our wonderful graduate students, participated in a teacher and audiology training program at the Thuan An Center, which is a deaf education school just outside of Ho Chi Minh City.  The program provided training to approximately 90 teachers, 18 audiologists, and 40 families (most of whom traveled many, many hours by motorcycle to attend). The teachers who attended represented 35 schools and early intervention programs throughout South Vietnam.  We toured two hospitals, met with several physicians and other personnel who are dedicated to improving services to young children with hearing loss.  In addition, we were able to fit 30 hearing aids on young children who otherwise would not receive this technology.  Our students, Jane Fenton, Liz Hankins, Kate Powell, and Jeanette Smoot, were amazing.  Their contribution was significant beginning first thing in the morning and continuing until late into the evening.  They did training to large groups, small groups, and individuals.  They organized events, prepared materials, took care of last-minute or unexpected details, and entertained many, many children.  I received numerous compliments regarding their knowledge and skills, with many comments along the lines of “what would we have done without them here” ….I felt like a proud mom.

It was a wonderful experience and brought together people who live half a world apart who, despite the language barrier, have the same desires to provide the best services possible to children with hearing loss.

You can visit the blog at:  http://childrenwithhearingloss.blogspot.com/

Lauri Nelson, PhD

Assistant Professor 

Communicative Disorders and Deaf Education

Utah State University