Idaho Community Foundation awards $2,500 to ISU-Meridian’s TELL Program

Treasure Valley toddlers with significant hearing loss will be better prepared for mainstream preschool, thanks to two grants totaling $2,500 awarded to the Toddler Early Listening and Language Program at the Idaho State University-Meridian Health Science Center.

The gifts are from funds administered by the Idaho Community Foundation, a tax-exempt charity devoted to improving the quality of life for Idahoans. A $1,500 grant is from The Kissler Family Foundation Philanthropic Gift Fund, and the remaining $1,000 is from the Greatest Need Endowment Fund for Southwestern Idaho. Both are to provide scholarships for Treasure Valley toddlers who are learning to use cochlear implants or hearing aids to understand auditory information in their environments before entering mainstream preschool, said Cally Stone,  ISU-Meridian’s Speech and Language Clinic coordinator.

“This money provides scholarships to make the summer TELL program  possible. We are thrilled that the Idaho Community Foundation recognizes the value of the program and the benefit to the children we serve,” said Stone.

The Toddler Early Listening and Language Program—known as TELL—started in summer 2010 and consists of group therapy sessions for children, ages 2 to 5, who have mild to profound hearing loss. The toddlers meet with ISU student therapists and faculty clinicians twice a week in 30-minute private sessions during the semester, followed by an hour of group therapy where they work on listening, speech and social skills.

TELL is enrolling students for the summer 2012 session, which lasts a month. For more information, call the ISU Speech and Language Clinic at 208-373-1725.

Media contact: Chris Gabettas, ISU-Meridian Health Science Center, gabechri@isu.edu or (208) 373-1806