Let's Hear it for Almigal

Children and adolescents with hearing loss are in need of support to foster positive self-concept (Moeller, 2007) and social-emotional development (Stevenson, Kreppner, Pimperton, Worsfold & Kennedy, 2015). Picture books full of positive words on children with (or without) hearing loss who handle conflicting emotions and make the choice to feel good about themselves can be a powerful tool in building self-concept (Anderson, 2013).  In this course, the learner will meet Wendy Kupfer, who is the author of  “Let’s Hear It for Almigal!” an award winning (Mom’s Choice Awards) book about Almigal, a spunky little girl with a big personality who’s determined to hear “every single sound in the whole entire universe!” Almigal enjoys life (and gets in trouble too!) with her new cochlear implant and her friends whose differences make them shine. Wendy’s family members and life experiences are the inspiration behind Almigal’s story; her daughter, Ali Axelrod, has a bilateral profound hearing loss. Wendy and Ali share their perspectives on Ali’s journey to achieving positive self-concept and feeling of belonging and acceptance in both the hearing and Deaf world. A brief overview of the research on self-concept of children with hearing loss and the value of reading aloud will be presented along with quick tips for parents and professionals. This book is a delightful tool to help children with hearing loss view themselves in a positive way. Examples of how this book can be used to help children develop skills in areas of audition, speech, language, cognition and concepts, communication, and literacy will be presented in the resources.