11: LSLS Certification Process
Deanna talks about getting her LSLS certification and how she uses it in her job. She discusses the mentoring program, the test, maintaining her certification, the benefits of the process, and more.
Note: After recording this episode, we learned that the Hearing First mentoring program is no longer running. :(
Resources Mentioned:
Listen and Color Language Skills Bundle
Children with Hearing Loss Developing Listening and Talking by Elizabeth Cole and Carol Flexer
101 Frequently Asked Questions About Auditory Practice
Listening and Spoken Language Therapy for Children with Hearing Loss
This podcast is brought to you by:
episode 11: LSLS Certification Process
Transcript
Intro: Welcome to the TOD Podcast, or as we like to say, the “TOD POD.” We chat about all things Deaf Education while you drive around. I’m Kimmy from The Hard of Hearing Teacher and I’m Deanna from Listening Fun, and let’s get started!
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D: So I get a lot of questions about how I got my LSLS Certification, so we thought today Kimmy can interview me about the process and how I use it in my job now.
K: Well I'm excited to learn about it. But let's start at the beginning. What is a LSLS certification? Can you tell us?
D: It stands for Listening and Spoken Language Specialist either in Auditory Verbal Therapy or Auditory Verbal Education. So if you hear people say they're an AVT, that's the certification they're referring to. It's an audiologist, an SLP, or a Teacher of the Deaf who has completed additional training to specialize in helping children with hearing loss learn to listen and speak. The whole thing takes between 3 to 5 years, a bunch of clinical hours, a bunch of CEUs, and a bunch of observations. Both you observing a certified LSLS and being observed by a mentor.
K: So you mentioned two things. You mentioned auditory verbal therapy and auditory verbal education. Can you tell us what the difference is between the two?
D: Yeah, most people think that an AVT is an SLP and an AVEd as a teacher but that's not actually true. It just has to do with how you get your clinical hours. So, if most of your clinical hours are with parents that's Auditoy Verbal Therapy. And if most of your clinical hours are in a school setting, that's Auditory Verbal Education. So it doesn't really matter; the test is the same, the principles are the same, it just comes down to how you get your clinical hours. So at the end of the day they're more similar than they are different.
K: So you're talking a lot about the clinical hours and the CEUs and the observation, it sounds like there's a lot that goes into this and a test. So what made you want to do this? What made you want to get this certification?
D: So I knew that I wanted to work at least in some capacity in early intervention and in EI as the TOD I'm the one doing the auditory habilitation and I just didn't feel 100% prepared to do that without further training. It's such a specific skill set, and they just couldn't cover it in grad school fully. Like I went to TCNJ and it was a very well-rounded five-year program. So I learned ASL, I learned how to teach science, I learned how to teach reading, and I think I had one class on auditory habilitation. So I just felt like I personally needed more training in order to take on that responsibility. And I also take my role really seriously in the sense that like every year in a young child's life when they're learning language is so precious. You just don't have time to like mess around and figure it out. I felt like I really needed the skills and I needed them as soon as possible. And then I also figured logistically it would be easier to do all this extra work like while I was younger, before I had a family of my own to take care of. So I'm very glad I did it early even if it meant it was a little harder at the beginning because I was learning everything all at once, like kind of a steep learning curve [laugh].
K: So you're talking about doing this like early on in your career, when did you decide to start your LSLS Certification?
D: I started it at the beginning of my second year of teaching. I was working at a private agency at the time and one of my co-workers was in the process of getting certified through a private mentor. And she mentioned to me that Hearing First was starting a mentoring program, or maybe they were in their second year of it, um, and it was free and it was a lottery based and I should look into it. And at the time, besides this one person who was in the process, no one was certified so I couldn't have an in-house mentor. So kind of on a whim at the last minute I applied for the Hearing First mentoring program. And like I said it's a lottery, and initially I didn't get picked, I thought okay no big deal it's a lot of work I'll try again next year. But then in September of that year I got an email that someone dropped out of the program and I was next on the list. So I just jumped right in. [laugh]
K: That's awesome. Can you tell us a little more about that program? About the Hearing First program?
D: Yes, so there's more to the application process now than when I started. I believe you need to have completed some of their learning experiences and maybe a couple other requirements. But basically there’s a cohort. In my year there was ten of us, split between two mentors. So I had my primary mentor Cheryl Dickson and then periodically we'd meet as a whole group with both Cheryl and the other mentor, who is Becky Clem. And they would both be there along with all 10 of us and we'd meet to like talk about different topics, sometimes have guest speakers, review material we found challenging. The program requires that you have enough clinical hours to support getting your LSLS Certification in three years and you're agreeing to finish all of your requirements in three years. So even though technically you have three to five if you're going to do the Hearing First program you're agreeing to get it all done in three.
K: Wow that sounds like a big commitment. What was the mentoring like?
D: So since I did it through the Hearing First cohort it was a lot more structured I think than other, like, more informal ways of doing it. So what I would do is I would record myself teaching about once a month because you need to be observed 20 times total over the three years so it's like roughly seven times a school year. So I had to get all the permissions to record, get the updated audiological, submit a formal lesson plan, my long-term goals, submit the recording itself, and a self-reflection, and then Cheryl would watch it and then we would be on Zoom for about an hour to discuss it. And this was pre-pandemic so I was on Zoom before it was cool. [laugh]
K: So you were ready then [laugh]
D: I was ready I knew what Zoom was at least [laugh]
K: So during this whole process what kind of feedback would your mentor give you?
D: So I mean everything like what feedback didn't she give me? [laugh] I was only a second-year teacher at this point. So honestly I had a lot to learn I had a lot of room to grow and I think people who approached this with more experience might have a different experience than I had. But looking back I do notice some patterns in my mentoring. A lot of my feedback in the first year had to do with auditory skill development making sure I knew the auditory hierarchies back and forth, making sure I was using diagnostic teaching to determine a child's listening level and adjusting accordingly, making sure the kids always had access, looking at audiology, making sure I had good grasp on child development generally. A lot of it focused on that foundational listening stuff. And then my second year the focus shifted more to speech development and expressive language. The speech part was my weakest part because I had a good handle on the TOD stuff, and a decent handle on the audiology stuff. But I- I just didn't learn a lot of the speech stuff in grad school because I'm not a speech pathologist, shocking. So I focused a lot of my CEUs this year on speech and I consumed a lot of like speech development information in general. And during my mentoring sessions a lot of my feedback was about how I could foster speech development better. So even though there are things in my first year I could have been doing better Cheryl didn't necessarily bring them up because I wasn't quite ready for that feedback I kind of needed the foundational stuff first and then we moved on to speech. And then my third year after I had a good grasp of all the content we mostly focused on parent coaching. Knowing the information is one thing but conveying that information to parents, of all different types, is a whole other beast. So I spent a lot of time learning strategies and a lot of my mentoring was how I handled specific situations with parents. Also, the pandemic happened in the middle of this. So as soon as teletherapy started up for EI, I picked up my observations right away I still finished all the requirements in 3 years regardless of the switch to teletherapy. So a lot of my mentoring was also like how to be a tele-therapist, which honestly ties really well in with parent coaching because that's really the only option when you're not physically there.
K: So throughout this you kind of focus on things each year but how did you know what to focus on each year and while you were studying for the test and just kind of overall? Like, how did you know what you needed to be looking at?
D: I noticed the trends like in hindsight. At the time I was just bringing my questions to Cheryl like as they came up. I generally think it's smart for people to focus on being very comfortable with audition first since that's like the whole thing, and then moving on to an area of weakness. So it happened naturally for me. I think I felt frustrated at the beginning when I was struggling with speech and parent coaching but I couldn't really tackle it until I had that solid basis in auditory skill development. So I think most people start there and then work on whatever areas of need that they personally have.
K: So moving from the practice of it to the test. I heard the test is really hard. Can you tell us more about that?
D: It is hard [laugh] I don't mean to be like dramatic but I thought it was really hard. And I'm like not a bad test taker like I don't get testing anxiety, I've never had a problem with like my practice test or anything. And it's the same test whether you're doing AVT or AVEd so like I'm expected to know as much as an SLP or an audiologist about auditory verbal therapy which is kind of like scary to think about. And it's just tricky because there's a lot of content and the questions are very situation based so you have to think through all the factors. But I passed! I was nervous but I passed. I finished the CEU and the mentoring requirements in three years but I took a little more time, about a year, to actually study and submit my application. Partially because it took me forever to fill out the application. It was it was a lot paper, it's online now but it wasn't then. Every single thing is documented and I kept my documents organized like I'm organized with that stuff but it was still a lot to like actually compile into my application. And then I needed a bunch of letters and signatures and it took a while to collect all that. So I basically took a year to study and do my application and I had a study partner. Her name is Gab, she's @superhearoslp on Instagram. We met on Instagram and we met every week on Zoom for like a year and studied together. She was a clinic-based SLP and I was a school and home based TOD so between the two of us we had all the content covered and we were able to like teach each other the parts that we didn't know a lot about.
K: Don't you just love meeting people on Instagram? [laugh]
D: [laugh] Yeah! I have a good, I have a good run of meeting people on Instagram.
K: So how specifically did you find her like on Instagram and how'd you connect as study partners?
D: Basically we had just chatted a little bit about like AVT and about like hearing stuff, and then when I realized she was also in her third year of mentoring I just messaged her and was like, "Hey, do you want to form a study group? I'm available on Tuesday afternoons." [laugh] Like it was exactly how I messaged you Kimmy and was like, "Hey, do you want to start a podcast?" [both laugh] Like it was very like just like, “Hey, I want to do this like do you want to do it with me?” And she was like, “Yeah, absolutely!” So it actually it worked out nice. I think having a study partner whether you find one in real life or from your cohort or from your job like just having that focus time every week to dedicate studying at least an hour made a huge difference because I felt pretty confident about the content going into the test. I was nervous about the test itself but I feel like I learned everything I definitely needed to learn while studying.
K: So now that you've passed the test, you did all that studying, you did all that mentoring. How do you use your LSLS Certification now?
D: So it's the most helpful and applicable to the early intervention part of my caseload. But I also used it heavily when I had preschoolers and new listeners on my caseload. For more established listeners having a more foundational understanding of audition and language helps me embed auditory skills into their sessions more seamlessly and effectively. There's also a focus on diagnostic teaching in AVT which is where you're constantly assessing a child and adjusting, so you're always on the right level or one step ahead. I think that all good teachers do this, but there's such a focus on it in AVT that I just got better at it because I was mentored on it so directly. And there's a focus on forward process closing gaps quickly. So I was always just pushing skills forward a tiny bit and I think it helps my students make more measurable progress. Generally I just think it made me a better teacher in the way that focusing on anything for four years is going to make you better at it. Since it was a priority I was spending a lot of time learning, observing, and I naturally improved a lot faster than if I had been just gaining experience without the focus of working towards my certification.
K: So it sounds like this was a really valuable experience for you. Do you think that all itinerant TODs should get certified? Is it worth it?
D: I think if you have any interest in early intervention, yes. If you have zero interest in early intervention, it depends. [laugh] Um, it certainly made me a better TOD with all ages, there's no doubt about that. And as the hearing loss expert, like on the team in the building, I just feel like I know what I'm doing and I feel a lot more confident in my ability to explain things to others easily because I spent so much time studying it. So if you're feeling unsure about your skills, it's a huge boost in skills and in confidence. Also, even if no one on your caseload is desperately in need of AVT, the need for AVT overall is great. It's like kind of like if you build it they will come. Once you have the skills people will refer kids to you who need AVT support but don't have it because no one's available. And this is like regardless of where you live. I'm sure they could use another certified AVT or AVEd to help with these kids. And there's lots of school-age kids who fall into this category. New implants, progressive hearing loss, kids coming from uh back to district from a specialized program, like most preschoolers, kids with single sided deafness getting implanted for the first time. There's just a lot of situations where the extra training is really important.
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K: So for people who want to learn and are willing to do all of the readings and enjoy doing professional development, what is the benefit of actually doing the program and paying for the certification instead of just doing kind of all the learning on your own?
D: For me the LSLS Certification is more of a mentoring program than an informational program. Yes, you read a bunch of books and you attend a bunch of CEUs. But the actual learning comes from observing other LSLS and getting specific feedback and coaching from the mentor. So it's one thing to learn the information but having someone help you work through it and actually apply the information to children on your caseload is totally different and so impactful. So that mentoring aspect is really unique and very important. And also I think there's just more focus and urgency when you're on a deadline with a goal. I still do CEUs and I learn new things every day but it's not with the intensity or focus as it was during my training process. Plus you just when you are more focused you make yourself learn about topics that you don't really want to learn about like speech acoustics. Like I don't know how much time I would have spent really researching and taking CEUs on speech acoustics had I not been required to because I didn't see how it applied. But now that I've actually done it I do see how it applied and it, you know, it helps a lot so it's things like that that maybe you would have avoided had you not been required to do it. Plus, the mentoring piece I think actually going for the certification if you're going to do a lot of professional development anyway is probably worth it.
K: So if someone is interested, how do they find a mentor? So you said you applied to this Hearing First program and you got in on this kind of lottery-based system. But if someone isn't able to do that or doesn't get in are there other options?
D: So there's kind of three options. The first is doing it like in-house in your district if there is anyone in your district who is already LSLS certified and they agree to be your mentor. They can just mentor you, like at your job, and that's probably I imagine the most informal way of doing it. I moved jobs about halfway through and where I work now there are many LSLS certified people. So I've seen the informal mentoring process up close even though I continued with my hearing first program. And it's a little bit more like conversational and you know the observations are a little more informal. So I can see how that would be a little bit easier if that option is available to you. Some jobs like some districts will pay the mentors and some it's just kind of expected to do it so you kind of have to figure that out at your job. The second option would be paying for a private mentor. So there are people who are certified who do mentoring as, you know, like a business. They have prices and I don't know exactly what the range is but basically like you pay them hourly for their time or their package and then they will help you with the mentoring. And I don't think you necessarily have to stay with one mentor the whole time. So it's kind of up to you if you want to go that route. If you look on the AG Bell directory it'll tell you like what people are actively mentoring and then you could message them. It doesn't have to be anyone in your state either like my mentor was in Australia so...
Both: [laugh]
D: So if you're fine with like Zooming with them and recording yourself teaching then it doesn't really matter location wise. And then the third option would be the Hearing First cohort which is what I did which is remote, obviously because she's in Australia, ummm [laugh] not all the mentors are in Australia, but it is remote, it is free, and it is a lottery-based system so that I believe the applications come out once a year, so I would go on the Hearing First website and go into the Professional Forums and see if there's anything about when the next cohort is going to be out.
K: So what are the costs involved in getting your certification? Do you have to pay for the CEUs that you're talking about? Do you have to pay for training manuals or the test? What about recertification, like what are the costs overall?
D: So I paid for the test itself which I think was about $300. I'm a member of AG Bell so I pay $100 a year so to maintain my membership. Some people pay their mentor I did not. For CEUs most of my CEUs were free through the Hearing First learning experiences. They have a bunch of those 10-hour ones that it's like five Mondays in a row or whatever where you like sign on live and you watch it and you do like the pre-learning and they're pretty good topics and they're free. You do have to go to all of them to get- like you have to go to all five sessions to get the 10 hours so it's a little challenging logistically I think, but if you're dedicated to doing it that's how I got most of my hours for free. And then you can also pay to go to the AG Bell conference and get a lot of hours that way.
K: So that was the CEUs then there's also, I feel like I've seen on your Instagram stories, that you did a lot of reading so what books do you recommend?
D: So AG Bell has a recommended book list. Of the ones on that list, there's one that I recommend above all others. That is Children with Hearing Loss Developing Listening and Talking by Elizabeth Cole and Carol Flexer. I would just read that one cover to cover take notes, like that's like the best one I think personally for studying for the tests. And then there's another one that's green, it's 101 Frequently Asked Questions About Auditory Practice, I found that one helpful because sometimes I had a question and I'm like I wonder if it's in that green book and guess what a lot of times it was in the green book. I didn't read that one cover to cover, but if I was unclear about something and or if I needed like the wording to explain something that was a really helpful book to go to. And then there's a newer book I'm not even sure if it's on the AG Bell um, recommended reading list but I really liked it. It has like a rainbow of hands on the cover like children's like handprints. Um, it's called Listening and Spoken Language Therapy for Children with Hearing Loss and I can link these in the notes. But I liked that one because it was very clinical based in the sense of like this is what actual sessions look like and this is what. The, um, strategies look like embedded in sessions. So I thought it was a little more practical than some of the other ones less information-based and more like application-based so I found that one very helpful for someone who's not necessarily studying. But for someone who's like really trying to figure out how to do auditory verbal therapy. That is a great book.
K: I love that the books that you just talked about all were different in like how you use them and their application seemed like it was very comprehensive with just those three books.
D: I mean I have a lot more but I don't think you guys want to just hear me read book titles. [laugh] But if I had to pick three I'd pick those three.
K: Love it. Love it, last question. How do you keep up to date with your certification? Once you initially passed the test, do you need to renew it? What does that look like?
D: Um, it's just twenty CEU hours every two years and annually you have to renew your license. So if you go to the AG Bell Conference every other year that covers a big chunk of them. And then I don't know about you but I have to do like, I have to do um, a certain number of hours for work for my teaching certification. They don't necessarily have to be LSLS CEUs. But I just try to pick ones that are so that way they kind of double count for me but 20 hours every two years which is not too bad I don't think.
K: No, that's not too bad that makes sense. Um, in Pennsylvania we have to do like a certain amount of hours every certain amount of years just for our teaching license in general. Um, so that would be a part of it.
D: Right? And like not all of those would count for your LSLS because they have to be like LSLS accredited.
K: Right. But then you could like you said try to pick the ones that match that.
D: Right and like basically if it counts at least for me if it counts for my LSLS, it definitely counts for my job like it works that direction very easily. So I uhh, if I you know pick out a couple things to go to do one Hearing First ten hour thing a year which I haven't done in a while but I um, I like the AG Bell Conference, I like the um Pediatric Audiology Conference in New York every year that one is virtual. It's less expensive than AG Bell but also has a lot of good LSLS hours, I like that and it's virtual, it's been virtual the last two years. So using those conferences and then the Hearing First ones that's basically how I keep my CEUs up to date.
K: Awesome. Well thank you Deanna for sharing all about your LSLS experience you shared a lot of really good information. And to our audience, if you have any questions about this topic, you can always reach out on Instagram. I'm @TheHardofHearingTeacher but if you have any specific questions for LSLS certification definitely reach out to Deanna @ListeningFun. If you enjoyed today's episode we’d love if you could share it with a TOD friend and as always a full transcript and links can be found in the show notes at listentotodpod.com and we'll see you next time.
Both: Bye!