Hilda Furmanski, Fga., LSLS Cert. AVT (Argentina)

Hilda Furmanski, Fga., LSLS Cert. AVT, is a speech-language pathologist, audiologist, and LSLS Cert. AVT. She has been working with families of children with hearing loss for the last 35 years. She has trained many professionals in Spanish speaking countries and teaches at the University of Buenos Aires. She is president of ASARA (Argentinian Association of Audiology) and co-authored the book, “Cochlear Implants in Children, Auditory Habilitation and AVT.”

Teri Ouellette, M.S.Ed, LSLS Cert. AVEd (United States)

Teri Ouellette, M.S.Ed, LSLS Cert. AVEd, is the executive director-emeritus of St. Joseph Institute for the Deaf. She has degrees in deaf education and early childhood education and has provided auditory-based programming from early intervention through middle school. Teri is past president of the AG Bell Academy for Listening and Spoken Language board of directors, has served as adjunct university faculty, and presents internationally.

Elizabeth Tyszkiewicz, LSLS Cert. AVT (UK)

Elizabeth Tyszkiewicz, LSLS Cert. AVT, is an independent trainer and mentor in auditory-verbal therapy in the UK and numerous other countries. She previously spent over 25 enjoyable years mainly in children’s cochlear implant programs, as well as in education and the voluntary sector. She values the highly individual coaching interactions offered by work with caregivers and from mentoring relationships with aspiring auditory-verbal therapists. She continues to be fascinated by many aspects of children’s thinking and communication, and by their play, and enjoys learning from a wide range of parents and their children in different countries and settings.

Rana Barghouty, LSLS Cert. AVT (United States)

Rana Barghouty, LSLS Cert. AVT, is a speech-language pathologist and LSLS Cert. AVT in the pediatric audiology department at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital, Stanford. Rana previously worked at the St. Joseph Institute for the Deaf-Indianapolis in the early intervention and preschool programs. Rana hopes to see listening and spoken language services expand throughout underserved areas worldwide.

Pedro Brás da Silva, LSLS Cert. AVT (Portugal)

Pedro Brás da Silva, LSLS Cert. AVT, is a speech and language therapist at the Center for Deafness, Vertigo and Tinnitus, in the Hospital Lusíadas Porto, Portugal. He is the only professional certified as a Listening and Spoken Language Specialist in Portugal and the second LSLS Cert. AVT who is a speaker of Portuguese in the world. He supports families and provides mentoring for Portuguese-speaking professionals.

Nora Gardilcic, LSLS Cert. AVT (Chile)

Nora Gardilcic, LSLS Cert. AVT, is a speech therapist at the University of Chile. She has a master’s degree in audiology from Andrés Bello University (Chile), and received certification as a LSLS Cert. AVT in 2009. Nora is the director and co-founder of AUDILEN Center where she conducts evaluation, cochlear implant programming and auditory-verbal therapy. She is a member of the committee of rehabilitation leaders for Latin America (Advanced Bionics) and co-author of the book, “La Práctica Auditivo Verbal en Latinoamérica.”

 Renee Polanco Lucero, Ph.D., LSLS Cert., AVEd (United States)

Renee Polanco Lucero, Ph.D., LSLS Cert., AVEd, is currently the director of Echo Center in Los Angeles, CA. Her 20-plus year career in deaf education includes classroom teaching, early intervention, itinerant teaching, and teacher education. Renee has served as an assistant professor at Utah State University and is currently a faculty member of the John Tracy Clinic/Mount St. Mary’s University deaf and hard of hearing teacher training program. Her personal experience as a woman of color who is deaf inspires her commitment to working with culturally and linguistically diverse children and families in school age programs.