CHOICES Delaware spoke with three nationally known and respected educators of the deaf outside of Delaware to ask for their perspectives.
Judy Sexton is a teacher of the deaf who has over 30 years experience working with children in listening and spoken language programs in pubic and private settings. She worked ten years in public school settings as an itinerant teacher of the deaf and a resource room teacher and has spent twenty years in listening and spoken language programs in private school settings with eight of those years in administration. Judy is currently the director of Clarke Pennsylvania. She has presented on the topic of literacy and learning as it relates to the development of listening and spoken language skills as well as presentations on cochlear implants to regular educators, parents, and professionals in related fields. She has co-orchestrated a research/pilot program titled, “Teacher and Clinician as Collaborators” and has co-presented to graduate and doctoral speech and language pathologists and audiologists at various universities. Judy co-instructs the Professional Preparation in Cochlear Implants program. She is on the Pennsylvania State Department of Health Infant Newborn Screening Advisory Committee and the LaSalle University Speech Language Hearing Science Advisory Committee. INTERVIEW
Kathleen Treni is the principal of the pre-kindergarten through 12th grade programs for deaf and hard of hearing students in Bergen County Special Services District in Northern New Jersey. In addition, she supervises the staff of Sound Solutions, a service group of Educational Enterprises. This agency of itinerant teachers, therapists and audiologists consults with school districts throughout the Northern New Jersey area. She also supervises the early intervention program, a home-and center-based model. Other professional duties include being adjunct professor in the Speech and Communication Disorders department at Montclair State University teaching Supervision and Organization of Speech Programs. She serves on the board of directors of the St. Joseph’s School for the Deaf in Bronx, N.Y., and on the Advisory Committee at the Clarke School of New York. INTERVIEW
Carol Flexer received her doctorate in audiology from Kent State University in 1982. She was at The University of Akron for 25 years as a Distinguished Professor of Audiology in the School of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology. Special areas of expertise include pediatric and educational audiology. She continues to lecture extensively nationally and internationally and has authored more than 150 publications. Dr. Flexer’s talks, seminars, and workshops focus on the development and expansion of listening, speaking and literacy skills in infants and children, including those with all degrees of hearing loss. She is licensed as an audiologist and holds the CCC/A and the LSLS Cert. AVT.INTERVIEW.