of contacting the hotline, Swaim schedules a phone or video call in which she provides a safe space to listen and respond to questions. Swaim has worked in the Early Hearing Detection and Intervention field for the past eight years, and is a parent of an adult who is deaf.

Often at the end of a call, parents tell Swaim that they feel so much better, and have hope that their child can join in with peers with typical hearing, and have a fulfilled life.

Since the start of COVID, AG Bell has hosted Parent Chats on Zoom. At least eight sessions a year, cover topics relevant to parents and caregivers of children with hearing technology. These are also good opportunities for parents to connect with others who share their concerns.

PROFESSIONALS IN THE FIELD OF HEARING LOSS

A key element of the AG Bell community is the professionals in the field of hearing loss. They can obtain their Listening and Spoken Language certification, attend symposiums, and keep up to date on research via a scholarly peer-reviewed journal.

"One of the most important facts about AG Bell is that we work to ensure there are trained and qualified professionals around the world to help children learn to hear and talk," said Lisa Chutjian, Chief Development Officer. "We dedicate extensive resources to assisting parents, especially in their child's early years, to understand what is involved in Listening and Spoken Language; but this is only possible when families work closely with audiologists, auditory-verbal specialists, and educators, to provide their child with the best possible outcomes in spoken language and literacy. There are now 1,081 LSL specialists around the world, including 36 working exclusively in Spanish. The added benefit of preparing professionals is that they in turn become mentors to other professionals, creating a multiplier effect globally."

A volunteer board that represents each part of the community, is helped by AG Bell's professional staff based at the historic Volta Bureau in Washington, DC, and at AG Bell International in Madrid, Spain.

MEETING OTHER PARENTS

Heather Kirby of Minnesota is another parent who has benefited from AG Bell. When her son Gavin was born deaf, she googled "deaf resources" in Utah, where she lived at the time. The name and number for the president of the Utah Chapter of AG Bell appeared on her screen. When she contacted him, he asked if she wanted to meet a teenager who was deaf. Thus, when Gavin was two weeks old, a 16-year-old visited her house and showed her what was possible.

Gavin is 15 now, and Kirby has met numerous parents, since those early days. "AG Bell has made it much simpler to meet other parents with children who have hearing loss," she said. Meeting these parents with kids older than Gavin allows her to learn from their experiences and know what to expect. Gavin has also received multiple scholarships. He has been on TV news and in the newspaper, testified before legislative subcommittees, and talked to other parents of children who are deaf.

"AG Bell taught and demonstrated to me that, despite being deaf, my son could learn to listen and communicate in a hearing world," Kirby said.

Michael Zocca gives back as a parent mentor. His daughters are now 13 and 10, and both are bilaterally implanted. They are at the

top of their respective grades in school. Marin has been a ballerina since she was three. She also plays piano, is in choir, and loves going to concerts. Nala is a music lover, too, excels at soccer, loves art, and enjoys cooking. Both girls love to read.

FOLLOWING HER DREAMS: Marin Zocca celebrates her acceptance into a prestigous dance program. She has been a ballerina since the age of three.

"The sky is the limit for them and they can be anything they want to be," Zocca said. "For us as parents, it has been a long, tough road with many sacrifices along the way. It was absolutely worth it though, and we couldn't have done it without our village."•

To learn more, visit agbell.org or contact us at 202-337-5220.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS:

Emilio Alonso-Mendoza, J.D., CFRE has served Chief Executive Officer of the Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing since April 2014, guiding the organization in international growth and innovation. Prior, he served in multiple President and CEO roles for Take Stock in Children; the Catholic Community Foundation; the Children's Home Society of Florida, and the National Parkinson's Foundation, where he established 52 centers for research through the US, Europe, South America, and Asia.

Lisa A. Goldstein has been a member of AG Bell since 1982. She was born profoundly deaf, diagnosed at 14 months, learned to lipread and speak, and now listens through a cochlear implant and digital hearing aid. Lisa has a master's degree in journalism from UC Berkeley and works as a freelance journalist in Pittsburgh, where she lives with her husband and two children.