The Purdue University North Central American Sign Language (ASL) program and Education Department will present guest speakers Cindy Lawrence and Jodee Crace who will present the program "Outreach Services for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children - History, Services and Current Action in Early Intervention and Deaf Education" on Thursday, April 21, from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. in Library-Student-Faculty Building Room 144.
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1401 S US 421
Westville, IN 46391
Phone: 219-785-5200
This is free and open to the public. American Sign Language interpreters will be present, supported by Everybody Counts, Inc and Indiana Freedom, Access, Community, Empowerment and Support (F.A.C.E.S.) Educators, school psychologists, occupational and physical therapists, social workers, parents, care givers, counselors, PNC students and students at other universities are encouraged to attend.
Crace is an early intervention coordinator with the Indiana Outreach Services for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children, the statewide resource organization in the field of deaf education and early intervention. She will explain Outreach Services' mission and services. Its focus, as mandated by the state, is early intervention and deaf education from the birth through age 22 for all deaf and hard of hearing Hoosiers.
An alumnus of Indiana School for the Deaf, she earned her master's degree from Gallaudet University. She is an American Society for Deaf Children board member and has been involved as a developmental educator, mental health staff therapist, school counselor, guidance counselor and developmental therapist/parent advisor.
Crace has been involved on various committees influencing deaf education, deaf empowerment, early intervention, deaf-blind project and deaf-hearing partnership. She is the mother of four boys; one who is totally blind and hard of hearing and three who are deaf. Her husband, Rusty, is the athletic director at the Indiana School for the Deaf.
Cindy Lawrence of the Indiana School for the Deaf will discuss the history, services and current action in early intervention and deaf education.
She started her career as an otologist and served as an educational audiologist. She serves as director of the Indiana School for the Deaf Outreach Department and works with the Department of Education, local directors of special education, First Steps and other agencies providing services for deaf and hard of hearing children. As a licensed educational audiologist at ISD since 1986, she has served as the preschool and elementary school audiologist, director of Assessment Services and now as the Director of Outreach. Outreach services are statewide and serve children and families from birth through 21 years of age.
Further information may be obtained by contacting Joanna Witulski, PNC limited term lecturer in American Sign Language, at jwitulsk@pnc.edu. Persons with disabilities needing accommodations should contact Witulski.