News & Updates from the SSAT/DHH Team

Monday February 10, 2025

News & Updates from the SSAT/DHH Team

 

NEW:

 

No new updates this week!

 

REMINDERS:

 

Usher Syndrome Webinar Series

Offered by the North Carolina DeafBlind Project

Part 1: Understanding Usher Syndrome

Date: March 18, 2025 Time: 1:30-2:30

Description of Webinar: What is Usher Syndrome? Population Estimates, Types of Usher Syndrome, and Q&A.

Registration Link 

Part 2: Educational Considerations for Students with Usher Syndrome

Date: March 25, 2025 Time: 1:30-2:30

Description of Webinar: Working with Students with Usher Syndrome, Ask the Experts, Connecting with Resources, and Q&A.   Registration Link

 

ENCSD Summer Program

The Eastern North Carolina School for the Deaf's summer program, Operation Accelerate will be back this year, June 9th-20th, 2025.  This summer program is open for Deaf and Hard of Hearing students in the Eastern part of NC to apply. The application is open now and will be closed on March 21.  Both English and Spanish applications are available.  The program includes field trips, STEM activities, sports, art and explorative play, life skills, and American Sign Language enrichment.  Overnight boarding for eligible students is available Sunday - Thursday.  If you have any questions, please contact Natasha Wood.

 

2025 Applications Now Open

A.G. Bell’s Leadership Opportunities for Teens (LOFT) is a program for high school students who are deaf and hard of hearing who use listening and spoken language as their primary mode of communication. This five-day sleepaway experience helps teens strengthen skills in individual leadership, teamwork, group dynamics, public speaking, and self-advocacy. Best of all, LOFT is fun! Teens make life-long friends and connections.  LEAP for Middle School is for students (6th to 8th Grade), ages 11-13, with a bilateral or unilateral hearing loss, who use Listening and Spoken Language as their primary communication method.

 

Save the Date: Deaf Field Day

Deaf Field Day will be held on April 10, 2-25 from 10am - 2pm at UNC-G. It is open to students PreK - 12th grade. Please complete this interest survey for planning purposes. 

 

Support for Families of Children with DeafBlindness

The mission of NCDPI and the NC DeafBlind project is to assist educators, related service providers, and families to gain knowledge to enable children who are DeafBlind to access the general curriculum and to gain skills and experiences that prepare them to successfully transition to adult life. This includes connecting families with Family Engagement Coordinators from Project partner ECAC, both of whom are parents of children with DeafBlindness and bring invaluable personal and professional experience to their roles.  Please help us spread this valuable resource by sharing the flyer and DeafBlind fact card with families, educators, and related service providers of children with combined vision and hearing loss.

 

Annual DeafBlind Census

The annual DeafBlind Census will be collected again this year using the ECATS submission form.  The window for submissions will open on January 1, 2025, and close on February 14, 2025.  All students who were previously submitted for the DeafBlind Census and continue to be eligible must be reported during the submission window.  Any student who is no longer eligible for the DeafBlind Census (graduated, moved, etc.) should also be reported by submitting the form and indicating the reason the student is no longer eligible.  Information that was previously submitted using the DeafBlind Census form will automatically pre-populate in ECATS. Users should update any relevant information about the student that has changed and then submit the form.  As a reminder, any student with both a hearing loss and vision loss should be reported on the DeafBlind Census. A student may be eligible under any disability category on their 504 plan or IEP.  If you have any questions or need any technical assistance, please reach out to Dr. Alan Chase at alan.chase@dpi.nc.gov.

 

 

IMPORTANT LINKS:

 

SSAT/DHH Canvas Hub

Deaf & Hard of Hearing Canvas Hub

 

Office of Exceptional Children: Professional Development Calendar

NCDPI Calendar of Events in Calendar View 

NCDPI Calendar of Events in List View