Jenny is a licensed Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP) through both the Hawaii and California Speech-Language Pathology & Audiology & Hearing Aid Dispensers Board(s).  She maintains her Certificate of Clinical Competence (CCC) through the American Speech and Hearing Association (ASHA).  Jenny received her Masters of Science Degree from Fontbonne University in St. Louis, Missouri.  Her specialty track included additional coursework and practicum in developing auditory, speech, and spoken language in children with hearing loss utilizing cochlear implants and/or hearing aids.  Jenny attends annual ASHA and AGBell conventions to stay current on most recent research and techniques in developing these skills in the children at her center.  Additional trainings have included Hanen It Takes Two to Talk and PROMPT for restructuring oral muscular phonetic targets.

In addition to being a licensed Speech-Language Pathologist, Jenny is a In addition to being a licensed Speech-Language Pathologist, Jenny is a Listening and Spoken Language Specialist, Certified Auditory-Verbal Therapist (LSLS, Cert. AVT).  In order to obtain certification, Jenny committed over 1200 hours working with children with hearing loss and their parents in the therapy setting.  She participated in over 200 hours of professional development and continues to gain knowledge each year.  In addition to working with a Certified AVT for three years, with completion of supervised therapy sessions, Jenny completed a rigorous exam in order to gain the credentials of an LSLS, Cert. AVT.  Work experience includes the cochlear implant team at the House Ear Institute Children’s Care Center, the John Tracy Clinic, The Moog Center for the Hearing Impaired, and St. Joseph’s Institute for the Deaf.

Jenny has supervised professionals through the clinical fellowship year and required professional experience in order to gain certificate of clinical competence and licensure as a Speech-Language Pathologist.  She has supervised professionals in gaining their Speech Language Pathology Assistant License.  Jenny has successfully mentored three professionals from start to completion of their LSLS, Cert. AVT application binder and exam.  She has also mentored three professionals still in process for obtaining their LSLS, Cert. AVT

Jenny completed the PROMPT training, Introduction to Technique, a three day intensive workshop in January of 2010. PROMPT is an approach used by Speech- Language Pathologists to restructure oral muscular phonetic targets. It provides a systematic way to plan and organize the direction and type of treatment needed for speech production delays or disorders.

Through PROMPT, the trained therapist can help “develop an interactive focus/awareness for oral communication, use integrated, multi-sensory (tactile-kinesthetic) associative mapping for cognitive or linguistic concepts, and balance or restructure speech sub systems at the sound, word or phrase level.” Each phoneme (sound units of a language including vowels and consonants) has a PROMPT associated with it. The therapist gives input to all areas by using touch, pressure, and specific placements, thereby refining the movements of the speech sub-systems.

Jenny has found that PROMPT can benefit some children with cochlear implants and/or hearing aids. This method has been used when a child struggles with the development of speech and spoken language following appropriate access to the speech banana. The use of a multi-sensory approach can be extremely beneficial.

Please refer to the PROMPT Institute for further information.

Jenny became a certified Hanen Instructor for the “It Takes Two to Talk” program in August of 2009. This program is “the most well known and most researched early language intervention program consistent with utilization of naturalistic contexts and a family-centered approach.” The goal of this program is to “empower parents to become their child’s primary language facilitator, thereby maximizing the child’s opportunities for communication development in everyday situations.” The three main objectives of this program are parent education, early language intervention, and social support.

What Parents Learn in It Takes Two to Talk includes: “how their child communicates and the next steps to take, what motivates their child to communicate, how to turn everyday activities into opportunities for their child to learn language, how to respond to their child in ways that improve language learning, and how to talk so that their child can understand them and learn new words and ideas.” It Takes Two to Talk, The Hanen Program for Parents, Information for Parents Pamphlet.

Jenny uses this evidence-based approach during therapeutic intervention. She combines it with the skills and knowledge she has gained from her Auditory-Verbal Therapy training. Currently, Jenny is not running the full It Takes Two to Talk program. She uses the coaching/mentoring philosophy, individual lessons and handouts applicable to the families she works with.

More information on The Hanen Centre and the It Takes Two to Talk program can be found at www.hanen.org.