Self-advocacy training for students with cochlear implants entering higher education

KDH Research & Communication（KDHRC）提交了第二阶段小企业创新研究 （SBIR）的应用程序，以扩大和充分评估科帕卡巴纳植入大学（CIU）。CIU是一个在线的，自我- 为16-21岁接受人工耳蜗植入的高中生和大学生提供宣传技能建设资源 还有他们的父母CIU旨在发展高中和大学生的自我辩护知识和技能， 支持成功的学术和社会过渡到高等教育。 对CIU的需求是巨大的。越来越多的学生与人工耳蜗植入进入更高 与听力正常的同龄人相比，他们的教育和经历了无数的学术和社会挑战。这些 挑战反过来预测辍学率，学术和社会成果差的风险更高，并可能导致 就业不足或失业。缺乏针对患有CI的学生的自我倡导计划 和高等教育转型。为了解决这一差距，并满足行动呼吁， 帮助学生发展一套核心的自我宣传技能，以支持成功的高等教育的计划 在过渡期间，KDHRC开发并评估了CIU原型。与AG Bell合作，我们的第一阶段 我们的努力产生了一个强大的原型，具有支持性的可行性结果和坚实的伙伴关系，我们以此为基础 我们的第二阶段方法。领先的听力损失倡导组织，亚历山大格雷厄姆贝尔协会（AG 贝尔）和美国听力损失协会（HLAA），提供评估，招聘， 在整个第二阶段及以后完成的项目的商业化。 在第二阶段，我们将开发更多的互动内容，电影视频短片，并完成CIU。然后我们 将进行一项为期四周、三种条件的随机对照研究， 测试定罪调查组的有效性我们的市场研究表明，一个显着的需求和渴望的市场，和支持 来自无数利益相关者致力于CIU的科学严谨性和快速传播，进一步证实了CIU的 重要性和商业潜力。

KDH Research & Communication (KDHRC) submits this Phase II Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) application to expand and fully evaluate Cochlear Implant University (CIU). CIU is an online, self- advocacy skills-building resource for high school and college students with cochlear implants (CIs) aged 16-21 and their parents. CIU seeks to develop high school and college students’ self-advocacy knowledge and skills to support a successful academic and social transition into higher education. The need for CIU is great. Increasing numbers of students with cochlear implants are entering higher education and experience myriad academic and social challenges compared to their hearing peers. These challenges in turn predict higher risk for dropout rates, poor academic and social outcomes, and may lead to underemployment or unemployment. There is a lack of self-advocacy programs specific to students with CIs and the higher education transition. To address this gap and to meet calls to action for evidence-based programs to help students develop a core set of self-advocacy skills to support a successful higher education transition, KDHRC developed and evaluated the CIU prototype. In collaboration with the AG Bell, our Phase I efforts yielded a strong prototype with supportive feasibility results and solid partnerships on which we base our Phase II approach. Leading hearing loss advocacy organizations, Alexander Graham Bell Association (AG Bell) and the Hearing Loss Association of America (HLAA), provide support for evaluation, recruitment, and commercialization of the finished program throughout Phase II and beyond. In Phase II, we will develop additional interactive content, film video vignettes, and finalize CIU. Then, we will conduct a well-powered and methodologically strong four-week, three-condition controlled randomized trial to test CIU’s effectiveness. Our market research suggests a significant need and eager market, and support from myriad stakeholders committed to CIU scientific rigor and rapid dissemination further substantiate CIU’s importance and commercial potential.