The Shepherd Centre's Family Handbook

Newtown

Macquarie

Liverpool

Wollongong

Canberra

T: 1800 020 030 W: www.shepherdcentre.org.auE: [email protected]: /ShepherdCentreTwitter: @ShepherdCentre

Family Handbook

Welcome to The Shepherd CentreOur historyThe Shepherd Centre is a registered charity, founded in 1970 by Dr Bruce Shepherd AM and his late wife Annette, which provides a family-centred education program to teach children born deaf or with a hearing loss how to develop listening, spoken language and social inclusion.

The Shepherd family’s mission - to enable children with a hearing loss to develop spoken language so they may fully participate in the world, and in doing so, reach their full potential - remains our organisational vision to this day.

Since its establishment, The Shepherd Centre has supported more than 2000 families of children with a hearing loss to learn to listen and speak, attend mainstream schools and participate fully in society. Today, we provide a range of services to more than 400 families each year, across our five centres in NSW and the ACT and through our Teleintervention program to families in rural and remote areas of Australia.

Typically, more than 90 per cent of children graduating from our world-leading Early Intervention program achieve spoken language at the same level as normal hearing children by the time they are ready for school. These outcomes have earned The Shepherd Centre an international reputation as a centre of excellence in helping children with hearing loss learn to listen and speak.

Your family at The Shepherd CentreAt The Shepherd Centre, our focus is on families – we don’t just work with the hearing loss, we work with you. As your child’s primary teacher and role model, The Shepherd Centre aims to equip you with the skills and knowledge required to give your child every opportunity for listening, learning, language and social development at home, and in everyday life.

Following initial meetings with a child and family counsellor, specialist therapist and paediatric audiologist at The Shepherd Centre local to you, your family will commence a program which is individualised to suit your particular needs, to achieve your vision for your child and family

Through joining our program, your family will have access to all our programs, services and staff; including one-on-one support with Audiology, Listening and Spoken Language and Child & Family Counselling; group programs including Kidscape playgroups, social skills, school readiness, and music programs, alongside regular speech and language assessments to monitor your child’s progress, and set goals with you as a family in your annual Individual Family Service Plan.

The Shepherd Centre Family Handbook 1

ContentsWelcome to The Shepherd Centre 1Our Outcomes 3Our Commitment to your Family 6

Your Individual Family Service Plan 8

Our Programs 10 Early Intervention 10 Talk Together Parent Orientation Program 10 The First Sounds Implant Program 12

Our Service Areas 14 Listening and Spoken Language 14 Children and Family Counselling 15 Audiology 16 Speech & Language Assessments 17 Group Programs 18

Services for rural, remote and international families 20 Our Residential Workshop Program 20 Teleintervention Program 21

Preschool Program 22

Service and Eligibility Policy Summary 26

General Information 30 What to do if your child is unwell 30 Keeping safe at our centres 31 Privacy and Confidentiality 32 Feedback and complaints 33 A guide to membership fees 34

Contacts at a glance 35

Preparing for your IFSP 38

Families who come to The Shepherd Centre seek a listening and spoken-language future for their child, with the very best listening, speech, language and social skills they can. Our mission is to help every family achieve this vision for their child.

The core of our service is our intensive Early Intervention program based on Listening and Spoken Language. The culmination of this program, which children may enter as young as a few weeks of age, is when they ‘graduate’ at age five or six, and enter school.

Our graduating children often have the same spoken-language skills as normally-hearing children of the same age – a testament to the incredible skill and hard work of their families and our clinicians. As a result, children are as well prepared as possible for school: able to listen in their classroom, understand their teacher, able to join discussions in class, and talk with friends.

The Shepherd Centre has tracked the speech and language performance of our graduates over an extended period. We have published the language results of graduates who don’t have another disability, who are mainly exposed to English, and have joined our program soon after being diagnosed, for the last seven years. The typical result for these children has been well within the ‘normal’ range of ability expected for children without hearing loss for every one of those years, with a trend towards a gradual improvement over that time.

As we are focussed on supporting every child and family on our program, regardless of their situation or needs, we have also published the outcomes across all of the children who have graduated over the last three years – including those who joined our program late, who are mainly exposed to a language other than English, or who have multiple disabilities. This result has also been wonderful with the result across all of the children also well within the normal range, with the gap in outcomes rapidly narrowing over the last three years.

We believe that every family who chooses a listening and spoken language future for their child should be fully supported in their vision – and we are incredibly proud that no other centre we know of across the globe has published results matching these.

Language & Vocabulary Results 2007-2013

Our Outcomes

Normal range for typically hearing children

Median Language, standard graduates

Median Vocabulary, standard graduates

Median Language, all graduates

Median Vocabulary, all graduates

120

100

80

60

40

20

02007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

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e (10

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age)

Normal range for typically hearing children

Median Language, standard graduates

Median Vocabulary, standard graduates

Median Language, all graduates

Median Vocabulary, all graduates

120

100

80

60

40

20

02007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

Stan

dard

scor

e (10

0 =

aver

age)


Birth & the early years

Our Stories Natalia

In August 2012, Rody and Giselle welcomed a beautiful baby daughter, Natalia, into their family. Shortly after she was born, Natalia was found to have a hearing loss. This was later confirmed by the hospital’s audiology department.

Natalia was diagnosed with a condition called Auditory Neuropathy Spectrum Disorder (ANSD), causing her hearing to be distorted. Rody and Giselle were told it was difficult to determine exactly how bad Natalia’s hearing was, so she was conservatively fitted with hearing aids at the age of three months.

“Initially, our biggest concerns were Natalia not being able to live a normal life, go to a mainstream school, or to have ‘normal’ speech,” Giselle explained.

“At the time, we were referred to The Shepherd Centre by the hospital, and after reading online that more than 90 per cent of their graduates had age-appropriate language skills, I knew that that was the place for us.”

Natalia and her family joined The Shepherd Centre, attending Auditory-Verbal Therapy sessions on a fortnightly basis from when Natalia was three months old. However, in the months ahead, testing would show Natalia was unable to access enough sound from her hearing aids in order to be able to learn to speak.

At 13 months, with the support of The Shepherd Centre, Rody and Giselle made the difficult decision to proceed with cochlear implant surgery for Natalia. She received two cochlear implants at 15 months, and her family have been thrilled to note Natalia’s dramatic progress since.

“Through the AVT sessions, Natalia is now able to comprehend requests using sound alone, such as ‘Let’s go!’, and ‘Wave goodbye!’,” Giselle said.

“The Shepherd Centre has been amazing for our family. Their unconditional love and support for our daughter has been nothing short of miraculous. Their hard work and dedication has gotten us to where we are today.

“The Shepherd Centre’s ongoing love and support will never be forgotten, and we thank you all for giving Natalia a voice.”


The Shepherd Centre Family CharterThe Shepherd Centre is committed to excellence in our work towards our vision of every child with hearing loss achieving the best spoken language they are capable of, so they can fulfil their full potential in the world. This will be reflected in how we work with all families of children with hearing loss.

As a result we, our staff, and the families we work with, commit to the following Family Charter.

The commitment of The Shepherd Centre to you is that we will:1. Always act and provide advice based on our

understanding of what is in the overall best interests of your child. We will be a positive advocate for your child within and outside of The Shepherd Centre.

2. Provide the highest standard of expertise and services so we can assist your child to achieve the best spoken language they are capable of.

3. Strive to provide your child with the appropriate services they require, including assistance with access and transition to any relevant services, without discrimination and regardless of your child’s hearing ability and access to sound.

4. Ensure the safety of your child and yourself whenever you are dealing with The Shepherd Centre, including protecting you and your child’s privacy.

5. Treat you and your child with empathy, respect and courtesy; including providing you with meaningful straightforward communications as well as responding to any questions or concerns.

6. Strive to assist your journey of support for your child, including making our interactions with you as easy as we can and being there when you need us.

7. Empower and support your family to play an active role in decisions that affect your child’s life.

In return, The Shepherd centre asks the following of your family:1. Follow through with the clinical program

agreed for your child.

2. Advise of us any issues or changes in your life that may affect your child’s development; including changes to health, family situation or interactions with other health providers.

3. Recognise that we are a charity with limited resources.

4. Act in a considerate way towards other families, to volunteers and staff at The Shepherd Centre.

5. Support the success of The Shepherd Centre through cooperation with reasonable requests for information to support fundraising; and payment of any fees due including charging of Better Start where appropriate.

Our commitment to your family

Our Philosophy:• Your family is your child’s first and most influential teacher and your opinions

will be valued and respected.

• Developing a relationship with you is essential to build the links between home and what we do at the centre.

• Working in partnership to identify goals for your child and support their development is crucial to achieve positive outcomes for you.

• Your family has its own individual culture, tradition and beliefs which will be valued to enable the development of a respectful partnership.

The Shepherd Centre is committed to:• Empowering and supporting you in your decisions for your child’s life.

• Supporting your chosen participation in the community and in this organisation.

• Developing an organisational culture that supports your family’s legal and human rights

The Shepherd Centre will:• Inform you about the opportunities for choice available to you.

• Keep records of your family’s preferences regarding your service.

• Enable your family to be involved in decisions that affect you and the services you receive and support your informed choice.

• Encourage and support you to be involved in service development, evaluation, planning and organisational management.

• Seek your family’s input regarding client participation information strategies, assistance and support, service involvement and development.

• Develop links with other groups to promote greater opportunities for connections and meaningful participation in the community.

The Shepherd Centre Annual Report 2013 7

Some areas it may be helpful to think about include:

• What has gone well in the past year,

• Significant achievements for your child and family,

• Concerns you have,

• Changes you would like to see happen in how services are delivered to your family,

• Goals you would like to achieve for your child and family in the coming year.

The meeting usually lasts for one hour, and The Shepherd Centre will provide an interpreter if needed.

What will happen after the meeting?After the meeting you can review and sign your child’s IFSP, which is yours then to keep and go through with your family and pass onto any other external agencies you and your child are working with or attending.

How does our IFSP relate to our regular sessions?Your therapist will use your plan to develop clinical goals which will form the basis of all activities in your coming therapy sessions. Reviewing your IFSP regularly is a really useful thing to do, both to see how far you’ve come and knowing your next steps.

What if we want to add or change goals?If you wish to add a goal you do not need to wait for your next Individual Family Service Planning meeting, you can simply raise this with the team you work with regularly. Sometimes you may wish to add or discontinue multiple goals and this is best supported with a new Individual Family Service Plan which you may request at any time.

Working collaboratively towards your family vision for your childThe Shepherd Centre is committed to working in a true partnership with you. Our philosophy is to use a family-centred approach and to build upon your existing strengths as a family and those of your children. Our aim is to work with you to support you in reaching your goals, whatever they may be.

Your Individual Family Service Plan (IFSP)Every child at The Shepherd Centre has an annual Individual Family Service Plan (IFSP). The IFSP is used to ensure the services we are providing you are always supporting you in achieving your goals and going in the direction you want as a family. To ensure these are always current and aligned with your current thoughts, it is a requirement of our service that a new plan is done annually, and current plans are reviewed with you regularly.

The aim of your IFSP is to:• Prioritise your needs and set goals that will

maximise your child’s development ;

• Help you plan, implement, and evaluate your services and ensure they are tailored to your family’s unique concerns, priorities, and resources;

• Support and develop your skills as a parent/carer advocate for your child.

Who attends your family service planning meeting?This is your plan and your meeting, so the choice of who you would like to attend – whether it be members of your extended family, support people or other professionals involved in your child’s care – is entirely yours.

The Shepherd Centre will aim to organise your IFSP meeting at a time which suits you and your family wherever possible. If a support person or professional is unable to attend your family planning meeting, our team will seek permission to consult with them regarding your child. Similarly if you work with a number of agencies, with your permission we can work with them to have a joint planning meeting.

What is discussed in the meeting?During the meeting, we will discuss your family’s strengths, goals and feedback you may have about how we can best work together to support you and your child’s development.

We will explore your child’s progress and development over the past year in the areas of:

• Speech and language

• Audition (listening skills)

• Cognition (thinking skills)

• Social, emotional and general development

• Any other areas of concern for you.

Together we will discuss the goals you have for your child and family in the year ahead and then collaboratively set a plan of how we can support your family to achieve these goals.

Your family’s privacy and confidentiality will be respected at all times.

How can I prepare?Please see pages 38-39 for a series of worksheets which will help you to prepare for your IFSP. We strongly encourage families to prepare for your IFSP in advance, so that you can take an active role in your meeting.

Your Individual Family Service Plan

“It was nice to look back at what we’ve achieved in the past 12 months and to see the goals we’ve reached that once felt pretty far-off. Everyone’s input in setting new goals was great, and we know that we can continue to have high expectations for our child”

“It was helpful to think about our family goals, our hopes and dreams for our child, then to share these with The Shepherd Centre team. It gave us all some direction for the next year”


Our Programs

The Shepherd Centre’s Early Intervention ProgramOur family-centred Early Intervention Program focuses on guiding and coaching you as parents to seize every opportunity in day-to-day life to teach your child to listen and speak. We’ll work with you to involve your child in every day experiences in your home, community and networks in order to fully develop their spoken language.

We believe you as a family are your child’s most influential and most important teachers. As such, our Early Intervention program starts with a focus on providing you with information, support and education for this journey.

Talk Together Parent Orientation ProgramOur introductory program for parents of children with hearing lossFollowing initial meetings with a child and family counsellor, specialist therapist and paediatric audiologist at The Shepherd Centre, new families commence our Talk Together Parent Orientation Program.

Here, you will benefit from the expert knowledge of our team, including our Audiologists, Listening and Spoken Language Specialists, Child & Family Counsellors, Early Education Specialists and, if required, Ear Nose and Throat Specialists with specialised paediatric Cochlear Implant experience.

Each week, a Talk Together Parent Orientation session is undertaken in a small group setting, with opportunities for open discussion, and the chance to establish a parent-to-parent support network for your family, with other parents also new to hearing loss.

Sixteen new topics will be presented by our expert team, with a focus on providing take-home learnings around developing listening, speaking and social skills. Take-home materials

on educational play, resources and strategies which your family can immediately integrate into your daily routine are provided.

Some of the topics you may discover during Talk Together include:

* Listening and Spoken Language: What it means, and how you can incorporate listening and learning opportunities into your child’s everyday routine;

• Audiology: A brief introduction to Audiology, and information on choosing hearing devices and understanding audiograms.

• Counselling and Support: Tips and strategies for supporting and advocating for your child and family, both short and long term.

Talk Together is the foundation of your Early Intervention program, the core of which is regular sessions for you with a Listening & Spoken Language Specialist, who has qualifications in Speech Pathology or as a Teacher of the Deaf. They have either achieved or in the process of attaining international certification in the field (three-year theoretical and practical mentorship) . Your therapist will guide you through sessions which are structured and play-based, directed by your family goals, which focus on teaching skills in the areas of listening, speech, language and cognition. While the majority of sessions take place at The Shepherd Centre, sessions are also conducted at times at your child’s preschool or day care to work with your child’s teachers and occasional home based visits where necessary. These sessions may also be conducted via Telepractice.

Specialised group programs for you and your child include weekly group sessions for parents, children and siblings; language, listening and social development groups for babies and toddlers; social skills programs for children three years and over, readiness for school groups; group parent education programs and music programs.

Read more about the services offered through our Early Intervention program on page 14.

Where do I start?

Keep the devices in!The best start you can offer your child to develop speech and language is to keep the hearing devices in all the time unless your child is asleep, or in water. If your child is a ‘cat-napper’, you can leave them in but if they going to be asleep for an hour or more, take them out and allow the air to circulate in the ear canal. This also helps with clearing wax from the canal.

A Quiet EnvironmentYour child will hear best if the environment is quiet. Be aware of background noise in your child’s environment (e.g. ceiling fans, air conditioners, TV, radio). Ideal listening conditions are a regular sized room with mats/carpet on the floor and lots of soft furnishings to prevent reverberation.

Closer & QuieterSpeak to your child at a normal volume, ideally within a metre of their hearing device/s. The microphone on your child’s hearing device works best when you are close. Speaking loudly will distort the signal. Sit next to your child when they are playing on the floor, read books next to them or when they are on your knee, and go down to their level when you are talking to them in the pram. Baby carriers and slings are fantastic for keeping them close.

Developing Listening Attention – “I hear that!” Draw your child’s attention to all sounds in their environment. When you hear something such as a phone ringing, draw your child’s attention to it by pointing to your ear and saying “I hear that! It’s the phone ringing!” Take your child to the source of the sound and point to it saying “Listen, I can hear the phone!, Look it’s the phone.” Doing this helps them to begin to associate sounds to meaning.

Early Intervention


Learning to listen and speak with a hearing deviceThe Shepherd Centre provides services for children with all degrees and types of hearing loss so that they can make the best possible use of their hearing. For many children, this is done with traditional hearing aids that can amplify the specific sounds that they don’t hear well on their own.

For other children, traditional hearing aids are unable to provide sound that is loud enough or clear enough for good speech and language development. These children and their families may consider implantable hearing solutions such as cochlear implants or Baha. The Shepherd Centre works closely with ENT Specialists experienced in paediatric implantation, to help families to determine the best hearing device solution for every child.

The First Sounds Implant Program is a joint initiative of The Shepherd Centre and Sydney Children’s Hospital, Randwick, providing early and optimal access to sound for children with hearing loss who require implantable hearing devices.

The program provides audiological, medical, and family support; as well as speech, language

and listening services. All of these are essential to support a child and their family prior to, during and in the short and long term; following implant surgeries with devices such as cochlear implants and Baha. Most appointments are conducted at your child’s local branch of The Shepherd Centre.

An invaluable aspect of the program is its combination of services available at a central location. Your child and family can access audiological appointments, listening, speech and language therapy, and child and family counselling services, all under the one roof. The services are integrated to maximise the listening, speech, language and social benefits to your individual child, and help them reach their full potential in a professional, family-friendly and supportive environment.

There is a growing body of evidence that the most optimal outcomes for speech and language for children with hearing loss, come from primarily using their listening skills. We know that many different pieces of information about our world are communicated via sounds, and children need good access to these sounds in order to develop a full understanding of the world around them, and in turn use this knowledge to learn speech and language.

Our Programs The First Sounds Implant Program

“He calls the cochlear implants his ‘CIs’, so in the morning he asks us to put his CIs in so he can hear; or if they fall off he’ll tell me his CIs are off - or if I’m telling him off, he’ll turn them off and say, ‘I can’t hear you’!”

- Jo, parent

“Having an audiologist in the same building as your therapist has been such a benefit for my son. I feel that the communication and the knowledge the therapists have with the technology is fantastic. When I am at the centre, I know I have the opportunity to just pop my head in and ask the audiologist a quick question after a therapy session.”

- Belinda, parent


Listening and Spoken Language Our Listening and Spoken Language Therapists guide and coach you as parents to teach your child to talk through listening. You will be encouraged to use everyday routines as opportunities for your child to learn spoken language. This approach facilitates natural speech and language development and listening becomes an integral part of your child’s life.

What are the key features of Listening and Spoken Language Therapy?

Access to SoundFor children to benefit from a Listening and Spoken Language approach they need access to all the sounds of spoken language. It makes sense that they need to hear all the sounds in order to be able to make them. Similarly if they are not hearing the sounds clearly, chances are they won’t be able to make them clearly. We will work with you so they can do this. This may include the use of hearing devices such as hearing aids or cochlear implants.

Parent ParticipationChildren learn language most easily in their everyday environments with the people who love them, and talk to them the most. The Listening and Spoken Language approach, therefore, focuses on developing your skills in language development. You are a main part in all your child’s sessions provided at The Shepherd Centre, in fact even more of an important part than your child!

Who Guides Parents in Listening and Spoken Language? A Listening and Spoken Language Specialist (LSLS) is a professional who has received further training in developing listening and spoken language in children. They usually have a Bachelor’s or Master’s Degree in in Audiology, Speech Pathology or Education of the Deaf, and are then involved in a three year theoretical and practical certification and mentoring program. The Shepherd Centre has one of the highest number of certified therapists of any early intervention centre in Australia. We are strongly committed to the ongoing training and development in current best practice for all the staff who work with you and your family.

What is the aim of choosing a Listening and Spoken Language approach?Children who listen and speak like their hearing peers, who can go to mainstream schools and participate in all the speech and hearing activities of family and social life.

Does it Work?At The Shepherd Centre, more than 90% of our graduates achieve age appropriate spoken language and attend mainstream schools.

Child & Family Counselling The Child and Family Counselling Team provides support to you as a family throughout your journey with The Shepherd Centre.

Our Child and Family Counsellors (CFCs) come from a range of professional backgrounds, such as Social Work, Psychology, Psychotherapy Counselling and Family Therapy. They have a wealth of experience in working with children and families and are committed to supporting you and helping your family reach your goals.

How will a Child & Family Counsellor work your family?Your first appointment at The Shepherd Centre will be with one of the CFC team who can answer your questions and provide information for you about The Shepherd Centre and your options. Following this, you can meet with your CFC team member at any time for individual or family counselling sessions, which can be provided face to face, by phone or over Skype. The CFCs work closely with your Listening and Spoken Language Specialist and Audiologist. CFCs will often attend your Individual Family Service Plan meeting and may provide support in any therapy sessions.

Your CFC team member will also contact you from time to time to see if there we can provide any additional assistance information or support.

Group ProgramsIt is likely you will meet a Counsellor at one of the many groups held at The Shepherd Centre as they coordinate the Parent/Carer Group, which is a part of the weekly Kidscape Playgroup held at each centre. In the Parent Group, our team run reflective and strengths-based parenting programs and provide the opportunity for you as a family to meet one another to share your journeys and experiences. Throughout the year, the Counselling team arrange guest speakers to attend, and also facilitate the Parent Group. We also facilitate the parent education group as part of the School Readiness Program, held every year at each of our five centres.

Why meet with a Child & Family Counsellor?Your child’s diagnosis can be a challenging time as it often involves having to negotiate a range of services, attend many appointments, understand the implications of your child’s hearing loss and make choices about it at the same time as continuing with the day-to-day joys and challenges of parenthood. The role of our team is to assist you in adjusting to these challenges, to build upon your family strengths and to identify resources and services to ensure you are getting the support you need.

The areas this can include are:• Managing the everyday demands of parenthood

• Bonding and developing relationships with your baby, child or children

• Any concerns you may have following the diagnosis of your child’s hearing loss or how their hearing loss is being managed

• Decision making around your child’s care plan or choice of hearing devices

• Support around your child’s development and managing challenging behaviours

• Managing family and sibling relationships

• Grief and loss issues

• If you (or a member of the family) are having difficulty coping or experiencing mental health difficulties

• Advocating for your child or family

• Preparing your child for school

• Information and referral to a range of support services

• Support if you are feeling isolated or experiencing financial difficulties

• Any other issues that may be impacting on your wellbeing or that of your family.

What do I do if I’d like to talk to a Child & Family Counsellor?You can contact any member of the clinical team, or by calling your local centre to make an appointment.

Our Service Areas Our dedicated staff and world-class programs support families’ visions in teaching their children with hearing loss to listen and speak by providing the following services:


Audiology The Shepherd Centre has a team of highly specialised paediatric audiologists whose role is to liaise with you. The role of the audiologist is to liaise with you as a family, The Shepherd Centre team, your medical professionals and external audiological services to ensure that your child has optimal access to sound at all times. This then gives your child the best possible chance of developing typical listening, speech, language and social skills through audition.

Audiological services at The Shepherd Centre include:• Infant audiological assessment (behavioural

observation audiometry)

• Paediatric audiological assessment (visual reinforcement orientation audiometry or ‘puppet show’ testing

• Play audiometry

• Speech perception testing

• Monitoring of middle ear function (tympanometry, acoustic reflexes, otoacoustic emissions)

• Cortical evoked response testing (to objectively evaluate the detection of sound)

• Direct and timely referral for additional objective testing as required

• Advice on assistive listening devices and the acoustics of a child’s different listening environments

In addition, the audiologists at The Shepherd Centre are regularly part of interdisciplinary appointments with you and your child. They are an integral part of goal setting for your child, and can be part of your goal-setting, and other ongoing appointments to assist your therapist in evaluating your child’s responses to sounds and to troubleshoot any challenges in access to sound.

A clean, clear auditory signal is the foundation to listening, speech and language development and the experienced team of audiologists who specialise in working with infants and young children are part of the team that will support your journey every step of the way.

The audiology team will also assess your child’s need for implantable hearing devices as part of our First Sounds Implant Program (see page 8)..

Our Service Areas Speech & Language AssessmentsThe Shepherd Centre carries out speech and language assessments at regular stages through every child’s program.

Why do we need them?• To provide additional information about your

child’s listening, speech, language and social development.

• To provide an opportunity to reflect on your family’s journey; what you have achieved and what you can work on in the future.

• To check how your child is able to transfer the skills they have learnt at home and in sessions to other settings and activities.

• To identify areas of your child’s speech and language development that can be targeted at home and in therapy.

Although your therapist will regularly talk to you about your child’s progress in each of these areas from what they see in every session with you, this formal ‘check-in’ provides some much needed additional information from which further clinical goals and intervention areas can be set.

When do they happen?Assessments are completed around the following times:

• Your child’s first, second, third, fourth and fifth birthday.

• When graduating from The Shepherd Centre (if an assessment has not been completed in the second half of that year).

• And on a yearly basis thereafter as requested by your family.

If you are concerned about your child’s progress at any time, additional assessments can be arranged upon request, depending on when your child’s last assessment was completed.

What should I expect?The assessments are play-based, utilising toys and rewards to engage your child. As they are standardised assessments the questions can only be said in a certain way. If your child does not understand the wording used let your assessor know what they would understand and they will note it on the assessment form. Please try not to rephrase or repeat the questions during the assessment session.

For children under three years of age, the assessment usually takes 90 minutes. For children three years and older, there are more assessments to complete, so it usually takes two sessions. The first session will take an hour and the second session will take 90 minutes. Sometimes, children might require shorter or longer times to complete the assessment.

How do I prepare?There are a number of things you can do to help prepare your child:

Talk positively to them about the assessment and let them know they will be seeing a different person (tell them the person’s name) in the week before the assessment.

Let your therapist know if your child has had middle ear fluid/infections recently or has been unwell.

A note on AssessmentsThese assessments aim to provide a general indication of your child’s progress in their speech and language development however we understand that children’s participation in the assessments can be affected by a range of factors such as attention and fatigue. As such, the assessments form only one piece of your child’s picture and other information including all the things you see and observe your child doing, and what you cover in therapy sessions are used to complete the picture of where your child is at.


Our Service Areas

The Shepherd Centre offers a variety of group learning programs for your child and family. Although your child can develop their listening, speech and language skills in a quiet therapy room, they need opportunities to practice and improve these skills in more ‘real world’ situations with the support of trained professionals, particularly to develop their social skills

Our group programs aim to create these ‘real world’ situations that present more complex listening environments for the development of listening, speech and language skills; while also giving both you and your child a chance to learn from other parents and children.

FICAP Confident Kids

Social Skills group program for all children aged 3 and olderWe know that learning how to say words and putting them in a sentence is one thing, but children need to know how to actually ‘use’ this language with their friends and other children and adults in their environments. Research has shown social skills such as the ability to have ‘Theory of Mind’ (allowing us to predict and explain other people’s behaviour and emotions, understand inferences in communication, and to have skills such as empathy, pretending to be someone else, understanding sarcasm, understanding humour) is delayed in children with hearing loss. This is regardless of communication mode. From our own research at The Shepherd Centre, we know this is an area all children need a particular focus in development, regardless of the level of language skills they have. This group program run at each of our centres will focus on in the strategies and techniques needed to improve your child’s pragmatic and social skills through the use of listening-based strategies that can be used at home. As a faimly, you will be shown activities to use to practice these skills, and incorporate them into day-to-day activities.

School Readiness

Preparation group for children commencing schoolOur ‘School Readiness’ group will provide your child with an introduction to common school language and a head start on learning skills they will need for school. The group covers topics such as independent management of their own devices; pre-literacy and prenumeracy concepts; classroom etiquette; talking in front of a group; and asking for assistance, repeats or clarifications as required.

If your child is attending the School Readiness group, as a parent you are offered a parallel Parent Group. Our School Readiness for Parents Group provides an opportunity for you to discuss some of the challenges associated with the transition from home/pre-school to ‘big school’ with our clinical team, past parents and guests, as well as ways to advocate for your child in the school environment and build resilience.

Sing and Grow

Music programSinging and music is an integral part of the therapy program at The Shepherd Centre and is proven in developing children’s listening skills. Music facilitates the development of pitch, intonation and rhythm in the speech of children with hearing loss. The session leaders integrate the use of percussion instruments, drums, ribbons, balls and parachutes, along with singing of known and new songs to increase positive interactions between you and your child, enhance your child’s development, build social support networks and increase your confidence to use music as play and for language development at home.

Group Programs


Intensive Workshops for children with hearing loss aged 0-6, and their familiesThe Shepherd Centre’s Workshops for parents and professionals are internationally renowned for over 20 years of providing educational and practical information on developing listening and spoken language in children with hearing loss.

Designed for both families of a child with hearing loss, and for professionals working with children with hearing loss, workshop attendees will benefit from the expertise of our specialised clinical team, with access to Listening and Spoken Language Specialists, Pediatric Audiologists and Child and Family Counsellors. This program is run annually in Sydney and throughout NSW.

A focus on ‘take home learning’ provides you and the teachers/educators/professionals working with your child with the resources and strategies needed to ensure their child’s spoken language continues to develop and improve. The Workshop programs are designed to include your whole family, with sibling participation encouraged at all levels.

The Shepherd Centre’s Workshops are open to all families, including those who have never previously been enrolled at any of our centres; families based in rural and remote regions unable to attend our five NSW and ACT centres; or families connected with our Teleintervention program.

The workshops are also open to professionals working with children with hearing loss, including Teachers of the Deaf, Itinerant Teachers and other professionals. It is strongly encouraged that professionals currently working with you join your family at the workshop.

Teleintervention Program

The Shepherd Centre’s Teleintervention Program offers outreach specialist services to children with hearing loss, via online video-conferencing sessions. This program is available to all families but is particularly important for families in rural and remote regions of Australia who are unable to access our five centres in-person; or families based overseas.

The program aims to guide and coach you in your home environments, with experts in paediatric hearing loss supporting the development of listening, spoken language and social skills using every day equipment and daily life routines. Families can access the services using a range of technology best suited to your needs, including laptops, iPads and tablets.

Experienced health professionals from The Shepherd Centre will connect with your family via video conferencing sessions that are catered to the diverse needs of your child and family, along with collaborating with your local educational support workers and allied health professionals using a consultative model to help you achieve the best possible outcomes for your child.

Specialist services will include Audiology, Child and Family Counselling and individualised support for the development of listening and spoken language skills for children with hearing loss. Attending the residential workshop program in conjunction with the teleintervention program will provide necessary face to face visits, with access to specialised seminars, group programs, individualised therapy sessions and discussions, forums and sessions about hearing loss and your child.

Services for rural, remote and international families Our Residential Workshop Program

A snapshot of your time at Workshop• Individual sessions with Listening and Spoken Language Specialists, Audiologists and

Child and Family Counsellors; • Speech and language assessments• Integrating therapy into everyday activities;• Learning to use iPads for supporting communication goals;• Topical seminars; • Parent-to-parent support;• The opportunity to meet other families with children with hearing loss; • PlayTime Program for all children, including siblings; • Dad’s Time for all attending fathers.


A caring Preschool environment for children with or without hearing lossAvailable at Liverpool and Wollongong .

Our Preschool Program focuses on all areas of your child’s early development and education. Our individual programs will assist in developing your child’s language, listening, social and speech skills. We are dedicated to providing a quality early childhood learning experience in a safe and caring environment.

Our staff develop and implement an educational program which focuses on the individual needs of each child. The program includes: socialisation skills, language, cognition, fine and gross motor skills, music and craft activities. All activities are designed to develop your child’s social, intellectual, emotional and physical skills based on the Early Years Learning Framework, in an enjoyable learning environment.

Children learn through play, as it is the way they begin to construct an understanding of the world around them. At The Shepherd Centre, we provide opportunities for children to engage in meaningful play; and our educators support their discoveries, helping engage their interest further and encourage their problem-solving and enquiry skills.

Toys and activities presented in the Preschool Program represent a variety of cultures, reflecting the multicultural society we live in. We aim for greater independence by providing opportunities that allow your child to practise self-help skills.

Positive reinforcement is used to guide behaviour, co-operation, and sharing.

Our staffThe Preschools are staffed by Early Childhood Teachers and Diploma-trained educators. All staff have current first aid qualifications and attend professional development courses to develop their skills to meet the changing needs of the children in their care.

Our Preschool staff have years of experience and training in working with children who have a hearing loss in a Preschool environment and are equipped to help prepare all children for the school environment.

Entry into the Preschool ProgramEach Preschools is licensed for 15 children and will include up to five children with a hearing loss attending each day. For children with a hearing loss, schools and preschools can be noisy and thus difficult learning environments. The Shepherd Centre Preschools aim to overcome these obstacles with small educator to child ratios, staff trained specifically in language stimulation and development, and preschool environments designed to provide good acoustics.

Opening timesThe Preschools operate from 9.00am to 3.00pm during the Department of Education and Training school terms.

LocationsThe Annette Shepherd Centre 43 Graham Ave, Liverpool NSW 2170Ph: 02 9370 4420Monday - Tuesday & Thursday - Friday

Wollongong Shepherd Centre 48 Dempster St, West Wollongong NSW 2507Ph: 02 4225 9732Tuesday – Friday

Preschool Program


Preparing for School

Our Stories Emerson

Emerson was born prematurely at 35 weeks with a bilateral cleft lip and palate along with a condition called microtia, where his ear didn’t form properly on his right side. While the full extent of his hearing loss on his right side wasn’t clear, a hearing test when he was six weeks old found Emerson also had a mild to moderate loss in his left ear. With no previous family history of either condition, mum Vanessa remembers it as a huge learning period.

“Emerson and I embarked on our listening and language journey when Emerson had just turned one,” Vanessa said. “I have to be honest, in our first few sessions I felt ridiculous! Here I had my one-year-old, and with very little idea about his level of hearing loss, we were playing language games with him that felt very unnatural.

“Really, who talks to a door before they open it? Who in their right mind gives objects instructions?! It took a few sessions and a couple of trips to Kidscape playgroup for all this weirdness to become so natural, and part of my everyday life.”

The skills Vanessa learned in those initial sessions became invaluable. “The Shepherd Centre turned me, an average mum of three, into an Auditory-Verbal Therapist! They gave me the skills to move therapy out of our one hour, weekly sessions into our everyday. Something as simple as playing with blocks became a time of learning and listening for Emerson.”

It wasn’t just about therapy, though. “Having the audiology team around was a godsend,” Vanessa remembers. “Baha! This word Baha (Bone Anchored Hearing Aid) was thrown around a few times and without the knowledge and care of

the audiology team, I’m not certain we would’ve taken the plunge. But that Baha changed Emerson’s life. It opened up a whole new world of sound to him.”

Even now, at five-and-a-half years old, Emerson is still discovering the magic of sound, thanks to his Baha device.

“We recently went on a camping trip to test out a new tent,” Vanessa explained. “Both mornings, we woke to quite heavy rain, rain so loud I had to raise my voice in order to be heard in the tent. After getting dressed, I put Emerson’s Baha on him, and a couple of seconds afterwards he said, with surprise on his face, ‘It’s raining, Mamma!’ He couldn’t hear the loud rain pelting down on our tent without his Baha. Amazing, how this little box can change his world so dramatically.”

Having graduated in our Class of 2013, Emerson is now a popular, attentive kindergarten student in a mainstream public school.

“Emerson mixes with students of all ages and is well liked by the teachers and support staff. I’ve been told he sits beautifully during group time and listens well. I can’t say where we’d be if it wasn’t for The Shepherd Centre, because it scares me to even think about it.

“I’m proud to have been a part of The Shepherd Centre family, and even more proud to say I am the mother of a gorgeous, charming, clever boy who just happens to be deaf.

“Our family will be forever grateful. From the glimmer of hope at the start, the gentle nudges along the way, and the final product at the end.”

“The Shepherd Centre turned me, an average mum of three, into an Auditory-Verbal Therapist! They gave me the skills to move therapy out of our one hour, weekly sessions into our everyday.


Service Policy SummaryYour family will have the opportunity to make choices about how you access our service, including:

• Attending the centre closest or most convenient to you;

• Accessing our services at a day/time that you prefer (within the constraints of core operating hours and available resources)

Service Frequency The frequency at which your family attends The Shepherd Centre for service is determined by our Early Intervention Service Frequency Framework, which will be discussed with your family at various points throughout your journey with us.

The Framework is a clinical guide to your session frequency – it informs the provision of a level of therapy that is clinically appropriate for your family. The Framework is designed to give your family the optimal amount of service, matched to your child’s unique needs.

Typically families will receive either:

• 40 scheduled sessions per year

• 20 scheduled sessions per year or

• 12 scheduled sessions per year.

The above includes an annual Individual Family Service Plan Meeting and a Speech and Language Assessment. The majority of sessions take place during the Department of Education and Training school terms.

Should you have an alternate preference for service frequency, The Shepherd Centre is committed to discussing this with you and offering supplementary services as appropriate.

Your family’s choice of communication for your childYour family will be respected and supported in your decisions regarding the social and cultural development for your child, including:

• Choosing simultaneous or sequential bilingualism (spoken or visual)

• Using a mixed mode communication method

The Shepherd Centre uses the American Speech Language Hearing Association guidelines for second language acquisition, that is, teaching:

• By person (e.g. Mum will speak only in Vietnamese and Dad speaks English only)

• By place (e.g. English is spoken only at daycare and Auslan is used at home)

• By time (e.g. English is used during meal times and Arabic is used at all other times)

As The Shepherd Centre specialises in listening and spoken language, we will work with other agencies and interpreters to support your family choices as required.

Eligibility Policy SummaryThe Shepherd Centre’s core program embraces the principles of Listening and Spoken Language. There is an established evidence base which indicates that the following requirements are necessary for a child with a hearing loss to develop age appropriate spoken language:

• Audiological management and early intervention are commenced as close to the time of the child’s hearing loss diagnosis as possible.

• Consistent use of appropriate hearing technology to obtain maximum benefits of auditory stimulation across the speech spectrum.

• Exposure to a rich language learning environment that supports listening for the acquisition of spoken language. For young children, this is best achieved through child-directed play and meaningful activities as all social interactions have language and communication as their base.

The above form the foundation of The Shepherd Centre’s Eligibility Criteria for Services, which is as follows:

• Child has a permanent hearing loss in one or both ears (i.e. hearing outside the normal range, where normal is defined as up to 25dB hearing loss inclusive). Children with a permanent conductive hearing loss are eligible for service.

• Caregivers want their child to develop at least one spoken language and:

• At least one primary caregiver uses a spoken language to communicate; or

• The child is exposed to sufficient spoken language during a typical week.

• The child has no known physiological/medical barriers to developing listening and spoken language (for example, absent auditory nerves).

• Primary caregivers are committed to giving their child the best possible access to sound including the use of recommended and appropriate hearing technology such as hearing aids, cochlear implants and FM systems.

• Caregivers will be the primary facilitators of their child’s spoken language development.

Your family’s vision for your child will inform which program is best suited to deliver services. The Shepherd Centre recognises that sometimes your family’s choices mean our program is not the most effective for your child. These include:

• Choosing not to use hearing devices where they have been recommended

• Choosing not to aid all waking hours

• Choosing not to have a cochlear implant where other devices are not providing sufficient access to sound

In cases like these when there is not adequate access to the sounds of speech to fully develop all aspects of listening and spoken language, we are committed to working with you to achieve your vision through open and honest communication..

In order to support and respect your family’s choice(s), The Shepherd Centre may:

• Suggest other services which may complement The Shepherd Centre’s program, and if you wish to access these programs, work with these partner organisations to deliver services for yourchild; or

• Suggest an alternate service which is better equipped to meet your family’s vision for your child, and support your family through your transition to this service.

We are ethically bound to ensure that your child develops a good strong language base. We are committed to tracking and monitoring your child’s progress very closely and communicating with you openly and regularly about this so your choices with communication mode, path and service can be made in the timeliest and most informed way.

Service and Eligibility Policy Summary

Your child’s ability to use a second language will depend on your family’s proficiency in the language. The most important factor to successful language development is that strong, consistent language models are provided.


Success in the Classroom, and Beyond

Our Stories Jonah

Twelve-year-old Jonah is an outgoing and sociable boy, who was diagnosed with profound hearing loss at birth.

Jonah received his first cochlear implant at just six months of age, and is now in Year 6, attending mainstream school via distance education.

Jonah was recently invited to present a speech at the National Press Club as part of the inaugural Power of Speech event, which celebrates the achievements of children with hearing loss. An excerpt from Jonah’s moving speech is printed below.

Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,

Twelve years ago I was born into a world without sound. It was a world in which my mum and dad’s lips would move but nothing was spoken. A world in which my toys were quiet and bath time was silent. Mine was a world wrapped in the sounds of silence.

Although I did not know it at the time, as a child born profoundly deaf, my world was soon to change forever. It all started many years earlier with one man’s dream to achieve what was considered at the time to be impossible. A humble professor by the name of Graeme Clark pursued the dream of helping restore his father’s failing hearing and bringing the freedom of sound and speech to the lives of many.

The world is changed by men and women of vision. The vision to create, the vision to succeed where others have failed, and the vision to blend imagination with ingenious advances in technology.

There have been many people who have continued the fight to give deaf children the freedom to hear and to give them a voice. I would like to give credit to our government, past and present, who have continued to financially support the provision of Cochlear Implants to the hearing impaired. Your support is greatly appreciated and is a far greater gift than you can probably imagine.

I would like to thank the First Voice Centres around Australia who work tirelessly to raise extra funds

and provide dedicated support to kids like me and our families. You are all amazing people and I count you among the heroes in my life.

To those people who have recognised the importance of this gift and generously donated your own money to see the work continue - I humbly thank you.

To my family, who have supported me, encouraged me, laughed with me and cried with me, I want to thank you and say that without you, I wouldn’t be here today.

Finally, I wish that I could thank Professor Clark personally for the sacrifices he has made. For the vision which burned within his heart to restore hearing to people like me.

It has been said that a journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step and I count myself blessed and privileged to be part of this incredible journey of improving the lives of hearing impaired and deaf people around the world.

The journey is of course not over, and I only stand here today because I have stood upon the shoulders of giants.

Today I could not imagine a world without sound. I have experienced so much, from the rushing of a roller coaster to the soft purring of a kitten, my life has been changed forever.

Thank you.

Today I could not imagine a world without sound. I have experienced so much, from the rushing of a roller coaster to the soft purring of a kitten, my life has been changed forever.


A sniffle. A cough. A sore throat. Children come down with illnesses big and small. Some are contagious, some are not. How do you know when to keep your child home from the centre?

Three questions to ask about your sick childTo know whether your child should stay at home, we suggest answering these three quick questions:

1. Does your child have a fever? Fevers of 38°C or more are generally a sign of illness, so children should stay home from the Centre.

2. Is your child well enough to engage in their one-on-one or group session, or to participate at Preschool? Ill children can be too run-down to get much out of their session, and may remember that they didn’t enjoy this time.

3. Do you think your child has a contagious illness, such as the flu or conjunctivitis? If so, keep them at home until they’re no longer infectious.

When children should stay homeFever is the body’s way of destroying the germs making it sick, and it’s a common symptom of infections such as flu. Keep your children home if their temperature is 38° or higher. Wait until children are fever-free before letting them return.

Diarrhea is often the result of infection, food poisoning, or a side effect to medications like antibiotics. Keep children home until stools are formed and your doctor gives the ok. Make sure your sick child stays well hydrated.

Vomiting is another way for the body to rid itself of the germs making it sick, and is usually caused by a stomach virus or stomach infection. Keep children home if they’ve vomited twice or more in the last 24 hours. They can return after symptoms clear up or your doctor says they’re no longer contagious.

Severe cough and cold symptoms should keep kids home. A serious cough could be a sign of contagious conditions like whooping cough, viral bronchitis, or croup. It can also be a sign of asthma or allergies.

Sore throats can be a symptom of strep or a common cold. If your child has been diagnosed with strep throat, keep your child at home for at least 24 hours after starting antibiotics. If your child has a mild cold, it’s ok to come in.

Signing in and out of the centreFor your safety, The Shepherd Centre requires all families to sign in on arrival and out on departure from our centre. The sign-in register is located at the entry.

Sun safetyThe Shepherd Centre is a sun smart organisation, and requires children playing outdoors during Kidscape, Residential Workshop or other programs to wear a hat at all times. Please provide a hat which shades the face, neck and ears. It should be clearly marked with your child’s name. Please also dress your child in protective clothing – tops with sleeves are best. Sunscreen should always be applied at home in the morning.

Settling your child into group programsDuring programs such as Kidscape, you will enjoy an hour-long Parent Group, during which time your child will be cared for in a group setting by our qualified staff. It may be beneficial to speak to our staff about your child’s interests prior to your first Parent Group, so they can incorporate them into your child’s play time.

If your child is upset for any reason, has been ill during the night, or has had a late or disturbed night, please discuss this with a staff member so that we are aware of your child’s needs.

Parent Groups are usually one hour in duration, but even a short separation can prove stressful for your child. When you leave your child to attend Parent Group, we encourage you to say goodbye. This is so your child doesn’t get distressed at your sudden ‘disappearance’! While it may be difficult at first, this habit will build your child’s trust, making it easier to say goodbye next time.

Behaviour managementParents/carers are responsible for their child at all times in our centres. This includes a responsibility for children’s behaviour management and discipline.

Emergency proceduresA written emergency plan for evacuation is displayed at all centres.

General InformationWhat to do if your child is unwell Keeping safe at our centres


PrivacyPrivacy PolicyThe Shepherd Centre adheres to all legislative requirements regarding privacy and Confidentiality, including those detailed in the Commonwealth Privacy Act 1988.

The Shepherd Centre is required to provide information to NSW Government Family & Community Services Ageing Disability and Home Care (ADHC) and Department of Education NSW and ACT as a condition of our funding agreement. This information is coded to ensure that no child or family is identifiable.

The Shepherd Centre uses information obtained from families for internal research projects and reviews of clinical population. If this information is disseminated outside of The Shepherd Centre it is de-identified to ensure the privacy of all families.

Personal information may be disclosed to authorised officers for child protection purposes as detailed in the Children and Young Persons (Care and Protection) Act 1998.

You may request to view your child’s files and records at The Shepherd Centre at any time. If you have any questions or concerns regarding the use or storage of personal information, please contact:

Sharon Hill, Manager Clinical Administration

Address: 146 Burren Street, Newtown NSW 2042

Postal address: PO BOX 871, Strawberry Hills NSW 2012

Phone: 02 9370 4401

Fax: 02 9370 4499

Email: [email protected]

Feedback and complaintsFeedback and complaints processThe Shepherd Centre actively seeks the input of families and stakeholders and encourages you to provide feedback, both positive and negative, as a source of ideas for improving our services and activities.

Complaints, compliments and suggestions are an immediate and effective way that The Shepherd Centre is provided the opportunity to correct errors, improve services and acknowledge individuals and teams who are providing excellent service.

How to provide feedback or complaintsYou may provide feedback in the following ways:

• Raising concerns or feedback by telephone, face to face or in writing;

• Providing feedback during your Individual Family Service Plan Meeting, during which all families are actively asked for suggestions for improvement;

• Completing a Complaints, Compliments and Suggestions for Improvement self-mailer available in the common area of each centre;

• Contacting a Senior or Principal Manager, Director of Clinical Programs or the CEO directly whether by telephone, face to face or in writing;

• Via email, on [email protected];

• Through participation in the Parent and Caregiver Advisory Committee;

• By participating in annual surveys or other feedback groups.

General Information


An introductionThe Shepherd Centre is a registered not-for-profit charity and actively pursues fundraising income streams to provide listening and spoken language intervention at low cost to all families.

The average cost for a child on the Early Intervention Programs is $18,000/year. Less than 30 per cent of The Shepherd Centre’s funding comes from government grants. As a result, we must actively pursue other sources of funding, including:

• Fundraising,

• Service fees (such as those procured through Medicare, the NDIS or Better Start),

• Membership fees.All families are required to pay membership fees for each child in the Early Intervention program. If your family has more than one child enrolled in the program, a membership form is required for each of your children. Families in hardship situations may apply for an abatement of their membership fees (see Abatements, below).

How much is the membership fee?The membership fee for the early intervention programs at The Shepherd Centre (TSC) are:

Early Intervention Intensive Program $79/month

Early Intervention Non-Intensive Program $39/month

Membership fees are reviewed annually. Should there be any changes to pricing structures, three months’ written notice will be provided to you prior to implementing these changes.

Abatements An abatement is a reduction in membership fees required to be paid to The Shepherd Centre due to hardship.

The Shepherd Centre will consider abatement applications on a case-by-case basis. If you believe your family may qualify for an abatement of membership fees, or if you have concerns about meeting the cost of membership, we encourage you to discuss this with your Child and Family Counsellor as soon as possible.

All abatements are approved for a 12 month period, which expires annually in July. In May each year, if your family has not had an abatement request approved in the preceding three months you will be asked to re-apply before July. If you have more than one child attending The Shepherd Centre, only one application is required for the family.

Newtown Head Office146 Burren Street Newtown NSW 2042

P: 02 9370 4400 or 1800 020 030 (toll-free) F: 02 9370 4499 E: [email protected] W: shepherdcentre.org.au

MacquarieThe Shepherd Centre at The Australian Hearing Hub Ground Floor 16 University Avenue Macquarie University NSW 2019

P: 02 8297 4700

LiverpoolThe Annette Shepherd Centre 43 Graham Avenue Liverpool NSW 2170

P: 02 9370 4404

Wollongong48 Dempster Street West Wollongong NSW 2500

P: 02 9370 4403

CanberraNealie Place Rivett ACT 2611

P: 02 9370 4402

Audiology & First Sounds After-Hours Support0414 692 914

The Shepherd Centre Preschool – Wollongong48 Dempster Street West Wollongong NSW 2500

P: 02 4225 9732 E: [email protected]

The Shepherd Centre Preschool – Liverpool43 Graham Avenue Liverpool NSW 2170

P: 02 9370 4420 E: [email protected]

Australian Hearing CI Support1800 131 339

Parent Line (toll free, 24 hour telephone information, counselling and referral service for all NSW parents of children aged 0 – 18 years):

13 20 55

General Information Contacts at a glanceA guide to membership fees


Life After School

Our Stories Rosie

Twenty-two year old Rosie was born in Gunnedah in country NSW, the youngest of three spirited girls. While Rosie’s hearing loss wasn’t picked up at first, when her family discovered she had profound hearing loss, they made it their mission to ensure Rosie would be able to listen and speak just like any other normal-hearing child.

Rosie remembers spending a large chunk of her childhood in transit - travelling six hours by car from her hometown to the city for regular AVT sessions. “It was exhausting, but the support, positive encouragement and guidance by the staff made every little daunting thing seem less scary and it was all so worthwhile.”

After years of intensive therapy, two hearing aids, and a great deal of hard work by Rosie and her family, Rosie was able to attend mainstream school.

“I just couldn’t wait to start!” Rosie explains. “I was so excited to learn, knowing I’d be comfortable in the classroom environment, and felt confident to make new friends. I was more than ready to take on whatever challenge was thrown my way. I believe this confidence was heightened by the endless amount of support, guidance and advice from the wonderful staff at The Shepherd Centre.”

In recent years, Rosie received two cochlear implants as part of The Shepherd Centre’s First Sounds Program, and is now studying at University.

“My proudest achievement to date is that I am now studying Interior Design. It’s my absolute dream job, and I never thought that it would be possible.

“My other proud accomplishment is that I have travelled to Europe for five months on my own, a journey most people wouldn’t think that me, a profoundly deaf girl, would be able to handle independently.”

Rosie recently addressed the parents of our Graduating class after being named our 2013 Past Graduate of the Year, and gave them encouragement and advice for the road ahead.

“Hearing loss doesn’t necessarily mean you won’t be able to connect and communicate with the world. Take it from me - I lived in a small country town, there wasn’t really an option for me to sign, and I’m glad there wasn’t.

“Don’t give up hope. The road is a tough and challenging one, with plenty of heartbreak and setbacks, but there’s no doubt that with all your love, support, encouragement and positivity, your child will reap the benefits and will live a healthy, happy and normal life, like any other child, and like I am today.

“When you find an organisation like The Shepherd Centre who shares your vision, goals and aspirations, it’s a life-changing experience. It’s a lovely feeling knowing that I have been able to overcome all the obstacles I have faced in my life, despite the fact that when the doctor first diagnosed me as profoundly deaf, my family and I were told that I would never be able to hear or communicate with the world.

“Being able to speak and to hear all the amazing sounds this beautiful world has to offer is literally music to my ears. It’s a huge credit to the Early Intervention programs offered by The Shepherd Centre, who give such unfailing support and really do provide families with deaf children the best chance at a remarkable life.”


When setting goals, remember that your goals can be general, such as finding a good preschool, toilet training, improving your child’s attention, or perhaps a goal which relates to your whole family. Of course, you might also like to include specific goals related to areas of listening, speech,language and social skills.

As a family, think about and discuss the following questions:

YOUR CHILD & FAMILY What are the strengths of your child and family?

What do you like to do together?

What are your priorities?

What things do you think are working well?

What things aren’t working so well? Are there any changes you’d like to make?

What are your thoughts about your child’s development and wellbeing?

Are there any areas of concern you have?

Preparing for your IFSP


YOUR SUPPORTSDo you feel adequately supported as a family?

Who or what supports you when things are difficult?

How is your partnership with The Shepherd Centre working?

How are partnerships with other services working?

YOUR FAMILY GOALSWhat are your main priorities and goals for your child and family for the next 12 months?

What do you need to do to achieve these goals?

What supports might you need to achieve these goals?

Is there anything you would like to change along the way?

In 12 months’ time, I would like my child to:

In two years’ time, I would like my child to:


Documents

The Shepherd Centre's Family Handbook