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News from the Department of Communication Disorders
Audiology Students Help Children in Guatemala
Dr. Sandra Clark-Lewis, clinical professor of audiology in the Department of Communication Disorders, was awarded $14,749 from the University for her project, "Auburn Audiology Outreach in Guatemala," which provided hearing and middle ear screening to 500 impoverished children attending three inner city schools in Guatemala City. The College of Liberal Arts provided an additional $3,800 in matching funds to support the project. The funds were enough to send six audiology doctoral students with Clark-Lewis for the August trip to Guatemala where they fit 40 children diagnosed with significant hearing loss with digital hearing aids.
The group arrived in Guatemela to a warm welcome (see photo of sign above) and began testing the children the next day at Los Cedros (school for boys aged 6-14 years). On the first day alone, the group tested the hearing of 92 children and of them, 14 children failed; of those 14, three were fitted with hearing aids. The rest were referred for medical intervention and the group is hopeful that funding will be available again in the future so they may see these children to re-screen them.
Here, an excerpt from Audiology student Jackie Brooke's blog about her experience from the first day of testing: "The first child we fit had a flat, moderately/severe hearing loss. We fit him with chocolate brown ReSound X-plore behind-the-ear hearing aids that matched his hair perfectly! He was able to hear his mother speaking from behind him for the first time! The child and his mother traveled from a rural school to take part in our hearing screening. His mother was SO appreciative of our services and the child hugged everyone!"
To read about the second day of testing click here.
Department of Communication Disorders alumna Dr. Martha Miller also made the trip to Guatemala and acquired the donated 40 digital hearing aids needed for this project.
Miller writes in her blog, entitled Day 3 - Still Alive!, "We are so overwhelmed by these precious children. They are without exception
polite, humble, and so grateful for all we are doing. . . The parents of the children we have fit with hearing aids have been so
grateful...many, many tears. (yes, of happiness)."
You can read much more about the trip and the students' experience by visiting http://auaudiology.ning.com/. The students kept daily blogs and uploaded photos of the children, the city, and the schools.
It is important to note that this project only received funding for the 2009-2010 school year. In order to continue the partnership with these schools in Guatemala we need your help! If you would like to donate to this outreach program please send a check to the following address:
Mary Baird
Director of Development for College of Liberal Arts
323 Biggin Hall
Auburn, AL 36849
Checks should be made out to Auburn University Foundation (Memo: Guatemala Outreach)
Or donate on-line by clicking here.
For information on these and other community and civic engagement projects in the College of Liberal Arts, visit www.auburn.edu/cce.