43rd annual report - taralye · screening conference in perth in april 2011. the presentation...

2011The Advisory Council for Children with Impaired Hearing (Victoria)

43RD ANNUAL REPORT

Taralye 2011 Annual Report 3

ContentsChairman and Chief Executive Officer’s Report 4

Donors 6

Our 2010 Graduates 8

Research, Assessment and Education 9

Early Intervention Program 10

Rural and Regional Program 13

Early Childhood Program 14

Audiology and Otology Program 16

Our Staff 17

Disseminating Our Expertise 18

Parents and Friends Committee 20

Community Support 21

Advisory Council for Children with Impaired Hearing 22

4 Taralye 2011 Annual Report

2011 Taralye Annual Report

Say, The Shepherd Centre, The Hearing House, Telethon Speech and Hearing and Taralye) provide services to more than 1,000 children in Australia and New Zealand which presents a large and unique population and opportunity for research. First Voice was successful in securing a Telstra Foundation Social Innovation grant of $450,000 over three years which has enabled the recruitment of a lead researcher to coordinate the development of a database across the First Voice network. The database will be established using information from an existing platform of shared assessment protocols and will enable individual and cohort reporting on developmental progress.

During the year First Voice commissioned a cost-benefit analysis on the provision of early intervention services for hearing impaired children in Australia. The final report was launched at Parliament House, Canberra, during Hearing Awareness Week in August 2011. The analysis, undertaken by Econtext, a Canberra-based consulting firm specialising in cost benefit analyses, delivered a significant finding of a benefit:cost ratio of almost 2. This means that for every dollar spent on early intervention to develop a child’s speech and language skills, almost two dollars are “saved” in the longer term through productivity gains and other social and economic benefits. The analysis provides evidence of the true cost of early intervention and the value of services such as Taralye. The finding is robust to changes in assumptions and will be valuable material to present to Federal and State Government policy-makers as well as existing and potential donors.

Growth in a Changing EnvironmentOver the past year Taralye’s programs have continued to develop and adapt in response to external and internal factors. Our audiology and otology clinic experienced a 58% increase in

referrals from the Victorian Infant Hearing Screening Program in line with rollout of the screening program across the state, and this year a record number of children and their families engaged with our early intervention program. Since 2008 the number of families accessing Taralye’s early intervention program has increased by 31%. This increase is attributable to our intentional decentralisation of services and the offering of programs within home and community settings. Growth has occurred across metropolitan regions as well as rural and regional Victoria resulting in the launch of an early intervention service staffed by a local professional in Gippsland and also a new playgroup in the Barwon South West region.

The Financial PictureFor the year ended 30 June 2011 Taralye returned a surplus of $13,343 based on a total operating revenue of $2,923,083. Government subsidies contributed $1,270,702 and fundraising contributed $1,133,062 to overall income. This bottom line has been achieved through a team effort despite rising costs and a highly competitive fundraising environment.

Our major donors for the 2010/2011 financial year are acknowledged on pages 6 and 7 of this report. Taralye is extremely grateful for the generosity shown by many businesses, individuals, trusts and foundations in the provision of funds or pro bono gifts in supporting the delivery of our services. A special thank you is extended to Caltex Australia for their support and also our wonderful Parents and Friends Committee for their tireless work throughout the year. A full report on the Parents and Friends Committee’s achievements is on page 20.

The Future Taralye will continue to focus on responding to children’s needs within the context of their families and communities. In line with Taralye’s specific goal to develop listening and

Chairman and Chief Executive Officer’s ReportIt is with pleasure that we present this annual report for Taralye - the oral language centre for deaf children. The report provides a summary of Taralye’s operational activities and audited financial results for 2011.

Strategic PrioritiesThis year marks the second year of Taralye’s 2010-2013 strategic plan. The key areas of focus in this plan are: enhancing the capacity for a family to develop their child’s linguistic, educational and social potential; developing the organisation through continuous improvement in processes; looking beyond the boundaries for innovation; and securing the future of Taralye. The introduction of the Federal Government’s “Better Start for Children with Disabilities” funding initiative on 1 July 2011 provided a significant opportunity for Taralye to work on each of these key areas as we introduced the new funding stream into our service delivery and business activities. Our model has been developed through consultation with parents, staff and Board. Although it has been challenging to work through some of the practical implications of this new system we believe that children, families and Taralye are well-positioned to benefit from the initiative and we thank all those individuals who have worked diligently to achieve this outcome.

National AchievementsAs a founding member of First Voice, Taralye is pleased to be able to contribute to, and benefit from, increased recognition and achievements of this national entity. First Voice presented collated outcome data from its centres at the 6th Australasian Newborn Hearing Screening Conference in Perth in April 2011. The presentation generated a high level of interest and discussion and the information is now being drafted into a “white paper” for general distribution.

Collectively, First Voice member organisations (Cora Barclay, Hear and


is in the midst of a 3-year planned transition to meet the national requirement for all children to have access to 15 hours of kindergarten in the 12 months prior to school attendance.

With GratitudeWe are deeply appreciative of our executive and staff teams as they continue to provide exemplary professional support to the many young families attending Taralye. Once again Taralye received invaluable guidance from Board and subcommittee members. We are grateful to each member for their time and expertise which is generously provided on a pro bono basis. Our ongoing work would not be possible without these invaluable contributions. In particular, we would like to acknowledge the work of Bayne Floyd upon his resignation from our Board in November 2010. We look forward to continuing to work with members of our Advisory Council for Children with Impaired Hearing, staff

and supporters to ensure future achievements and a continued service to Victorian families with hearing impaired children.

Richard Dowell Chairman

Therese Kelly Chief Executive Officer

spoken language skills of hearing impaired children, the speech and language results for children exiting Taralye in 2010 are reported on page 8. We are pleased with these outcomes which show that a high proportion of children who speak English as a first language and do not have additional disabilities have language skills comparable to children with normal hearing. Annual monitoring of these outcomes assists the development of individual family support plans as well as critical evaluation of progress against our stated mission. We are looking forward to enriching this evaluation through the First Voice national project in the coming years.

Taralye’s early childhood professionals are embracing changes reflective of the Victorian Early Years Learning Framework and are preparing for introduction of the National Quality Framework from 1 January 2012. This national system will replace state and territory licensing arrangements for kindergartens and will mean enhanced staff:child ratios within our kindergarten and early learning programs. In addition, our kindergarten



Major DonorsAcademic Hearing Aids Pty Ltd

Aldgate Lawyers South Yarra

Altitude Private Wealth

Aristocrat Technologies Australia Pty Ltd

Australian Leisure & Hospitality Group

Avalde Pty Ltd

Axfoliators

Bendigo Bank

Commonwealth Bank of Australia

Charter Keck Cramer

City of Whitehorse

Cochlear Ltd

Collier Charitable Fund

Countrywide Tolstrup

Craigieburn Secondary College

Deafness Foundation (Victoria)

Décor Corporation Pty Ltd

Deloitte

Department of Justice

Ernst & Young Foundation

Estate of the Late Edward Wilson

ExxonMobil Australia

Flora & Frank Leith Charitable Trust

Freemasons Victoria

Foundation for Rural & Regional Renewal

G W Vowell Foundation Ltd

Geoff & Helen Handbury Foundation

Grosvenor Foundation

H V McKay Charitable Trust

Kiwanis Club of Whitehorse

Lions Club of Nunawading

Freemasons Lodge of Concentration No. 753

Lord Mayor’s Charitable Fund

Marsh Pty Ltd

Middle Park Primary School

Multicultural Aged Care Services

Orchard Grove Primary School

PFD Food Services Pty Ltd

R M Ansett Trust

Ray & Joyce Uebergang Foundation

Rotary Club of Box Hill

Rotary Club of Box Hill Central

Rotary Club of Nunawading

Scobie & Claire MacKinnon Trust

Sportsbet

Taralye Parents and Friends

The Andrews Foundation

The Baker Foundation

The Calvert-Jones Foundation

The Feilman Family Foundation

The Freemasons Public Charitable Foundation

The Jack Brockhoff Foundation

The Limb Family Foundation

The Mathieson Group

The Miller Foundation Ltd

Velvet Events

Victorian Foundation for the Promotion of Oral Education of the Deaf

Victorian Women’s Trust Limited

Whitewall People Pty Ltd

William Angliss Charitable Fund

Individual DonorsRobert Albert

Norma Bathie

Paul Baulch

Albert & Patricia Blashki

James Calvert-Jones

John Calvert-Jones

Scott Cameron

Margaret Castle

Peter Cichello

Rob Clements

Joan Coghlan

Brian David

Malcolm & Joan Hardy

JL Hilliard

Paul Hockridge

Mr and Mrs G Jones

DonorsTaralye gratefully acknowledges generous support from a range of philanthropic trusts, foundations, businesses and individuals. This support has enabled the provision of a most valuable service to children with hearing impairment and their families throughout the past financial year. Regretfully, space precludes the naming of all donors.


Jennifer M Lang

Gavin & Chantel Myers-Hately

G R McKnight

Paula McMahon

BM & LE Moss

F Rickards

Ian Rohde

Margaret Ross AM

Joan Selby Smith

Caroline Smith

Alexander Terris

Matthew Tyzack

Pro Bono BusinessesAaron’s Outdoor Creations

Allens Estate Agents (Blackburn)

Australian Breastfeeding Association

Barry Plant (Blackburn)

Bendigo Bank (Blackburn South)

Blackburn Brunch & Lunch

Blackburn Scouts

The Bush Inn Hotel

The Chase Hotel

Crayola (Australia) Pty Ltd

Custom Laminating Services

Deloitte

Flossy’s Fairy Floss

Hills Poultry Creations

Hoath’s Print

IGA Blackburn

Kiwanis Club of Doncaster & Templestowe

Laurent Patisserie

Lions Club of Blackburn North

Lombards The Paper People

Metro Trains Melbourne Pty Ltd

Nunawading Highway Patrol

Phillip Webb (Doncaster)

Nunawading SES

Pud for all Seasons

Ray White Real Estate (Blackburn)

The Rising Sun Hotel

Victorian Fine Wines

Taralye Parents and Friends

Wridgways The Removalists

Pro Bono IndividualsJodie Black

Marilyn Dann

Felisia Dewi

Valerie Ebdon

Jo Farrell

Lita Ferguson

Andrea Floyd

Chantel Myers-Hately

Gavin Hately

Craig Hoath

Sarah Hockridge

Irene Hudson

Rebekah Jewell

Mike Larkan

Bryan Martin

Chelsea McKay

Lucky Mendis

Glenn Murray

Jackie Nathanielsz

Pat Powell

Ben Price

Rick Robey

Tony Robinson

Edward Sadler

Dale Stevens

Louanna Thompson

Anna Van Weel

AcknowledgementsTaralye is grateful to Scarab Blue Design, Lisa Saad Photography and Little Red Photography for their generous support in preparing this annual report.

Taralye, a not-for-profit organisation, is endorsed by the Australian Taxation Office as a deductible gift recipient (DGR). Donations of $2.00 or more are tax deductible.

The Liu FamilyShenzhen is the economic heart of China, and is where Eva and Kevin enjoyed successful professional positions which allowed both of them to travel the globe. They fell in love with Australia and applied for visas as skilled migrants. While still in China, John was born to them in 2007, and was diagnosed with a severe hearing loss through a screening program at the hospital. Determined to provide the best start for John possible, Eva and John moved to Guangzhou, a city with better early intervention services, while Kevin commuted from Shenzhen every week. Eva quit her job, saying “John became my full-time job.” John was fitted with hearing aids at the age of 9 months, and from that point his speech started to develop very quickly.

The move to Australia came when John was 2 years old. The family enrolled with Taralye, and access home-based services in Melbourne’s northern metropolitan region. As Mandarin speakers, early intervention services were originally provided using an interpreter. Kevin and Eva have been overwhelmed by the high quality of service they have been able to access through Taralye. “At six months, John was below the norm for everything. At 2 years, he was above the norm,” his mother says with a smile. “The staff and programs at Taralye are all excellent,” Kevin adds, “The staff is very dedicated and experienced. And John’s language is very good. He is 4 years old now and can read Mandarin and English and even type on the computer to our family and friends in China.”

Eva and Kevin are confident about John’s future in Australia. Eva explains, “In China, there are few resources and children with disabilities are not welcome. They can be refused entry to school. Here, we have the support of Taralye and schools are glad to have him.” John is starting mainstream primary school next year, and is participating in the transition program. “At first he was nervous, because it’s a new place with new people,” Kevin says, “but the children and teachers are very friendly. He is relaxed now and looking forward to it.”



The Wong-Reid FamilyClare was identified as having possible hearing loss at 2 days old, an early beneficiary of the Victorian Infant Hearing Screening Program. She was officially diagnosed with a mild to moderate hearing loss at 4 weeks old, and was fitted with bilateral hearing aids by 8 weeks old. Clare’s mother, Liz, is a nurse and was familiar with the language of audiograms and using the hearing aids, but even so “I felt very frightened – terrified. I was surprised by the degree of heartache I felt.”

When the family moved to Victoria from Darwin when Clare was 9 months old, their relationship with Taralye began. Liz was determined to do all she could to ensure Clare’s speech and language were the best they could be, and conscientiously implemented the practices recommended by Taralye staff. Now, her skills and understanding are so good that she and Clare only see an early intervention coordinator every 3 months, for an assessment and to ensure they are on track. “The support from Taralye has made me a better parent – I am much more attuned and engaged than I would have been otherwise. Every parent should have this level of support, regardless of their child’s hearing status!”

And how is Clare progressing? Now 5 years old, she is part of the National Acoustic Laboratories longitudinal study of children with hearing loss. At her most recent assessment, she tested in the 99th percentile for speech and language – an incredible outcome for a child whose hearing is now in the moderate to severe range. She has spent a year at the Taralye inclusive kindergarten, where she has gained social confidence, and will start at a public primary school next year. “She’s entitled to an aide in the classroom,” Liz explains, “but she doesn’t need it. She’s just fine.”

A Diverse GroupFifty-two children and families exited the Taralye program in 2010 to transition to a variety of settings. These children represent a diverse group across a number of parameters:

n 93% reside in locations evenly spread across metropolitan Melbourne and 7% reside in regional Victoria

n 15% use a first language that included Arabic, Turkish, Italian, Mandarin, French or Urdu

n 56% have a disability in addition to hearing loss and

n 44% have a severe or profound hearing loss.

Where did they go?While some children moved to different services throughout 2010, by far the majority (62%) exited at the end of the academic year to transition to school in 2011. Of the group transitioning to school, a variety of school settings were chosen with 2/3 choosing a local Government or Independent mainstream school option.

Language SkillsAt Taralye each child’s communication skills are assessed annually. It is expected that a range of development, skills and individual differences will be observed in any group of children. Research indicates that many factors contribute to this variability. With this in mind, we have reported on the language skills of all children who exited Taralye in 2010 who are from English speaking families and have no disability other than hearing loss. This group constitutes 24 children with various degrees of hearing loss and device characteristics.

Of the 24 children, 50% were diagnosed with hearing loss under 6 months of age and 50% after 12 months of age. A severe or profound hearing loss was

diagnosed for 42% of the group, and a mild, or mild to moderate hearing loss was diagnosed for 29% of the group. Bilateral hearing aids were fitted to 63% of the group and bilateral cochlear implants to 21% of the children.

Language skills for this group were assessed using the Preschool Language Scale (4th edition) which measures expressive language (use of words and sentences) and receptive language (understanding of words and sentences). The average standard score for hearing children on this test is 100 with scores between 85-115 considered to be within the normal range. The Taralye group obtained an average standard score of 93 (range = 55-117) for receptive language and 92 (range = 68-114) for expressive language.

In summary, it is expected that 84% of children in the general population will have language scores on the PLS-4 at or above the normal range. It was found that 69% of the Taralye group scored at or above the normal range in their receptive or expressive language development which is a positive finding.

Dr Pauline Nott Manager, Research Assessment and Education

l Locall Hearing unitl Special schooll School for deaf

Our 2010 Graduates

School choice by exiting families


Research, Assessment and Education are three principles embedded into all aspects of the early intervention program at Taralye. This aims to ensure that contemporary and relevant evidence-based practices are delivered.

Assessment Assessment informs the delivery of services to young children and their families and it is Taralye’s intent that this process is conducted in partnership with each family. Families bring unique and expert knowledge about their children that informs each assessment and shapes future programs.

An initial assessment is undertaken with each child and their family at enrolment. This builds a picture of each child’s communication skills and their general development as well as provides a starting point for intervention. Subsequent to this, an annual assessment is undertaken to monitor progress and determine intervention goals.

Overseeing the assessment protocol for all families is a major task and one that has been done with great expertise by our new Research, Assessment and Education Coordinator, Dr Ruth Nicholls. The early intervention team continues to strive for ways to improve the assessment process and several professional learning sessions have been devoted to the assessment of communication skills of children from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. This is a complex area with research providing no easy answers; however we are keen to support the cultural and linguistic diversity of families through improved assessment and program models.

Research We are continuing our investment in research internally through two projects. The First Voice coalition, of which Taralye is a member, is embarking on a national research project documenting outcomes of children with hearing loss in auditory-based early intervention

programs. Taralye hosted a planning forum in September 2011 with First Voice parties from Australia and New Zealand in attendance. In addition, our collaboration with the Cooperative Research Centre for Cochlear Implant and Hearing Aid Innovation (HEARing CRC) continues through a research project on literacy. Fifteen families from Taralye have participated in the project thus far and other participants from interstate are likely to become involved. Taralye children and families are also involved in several external research projects, most particularly the Longitudinal Outcomes of Children with Hearing loss Investigation (LOCHI).

Education There are two major educational programs offered by the early intervention team throughout the year. First, our inclusion workshop program, titled “Inclusion for littlies with hearing loss”, is implemented in Term 1 of the academic year to maximise the benefit for children attending community group programs. This year, seven workshops were offered across the state in Blackburn, Geelong, Ballarat, Bendigo, Pakenham, Broadmeadows and Warrnambool with a total of 150 participants attending. While these workshops are targeted to early childhood staff, some early primary school staff also participated in these regional workshops. The Bendigo workshop was Taralye’s second workshop offered in collaboration with the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development. The support of Ms Jenny Burghardt, Parent Adviser Hearing Impaired Preschool Children in this region, contributes to the great success of this workshop. The location of workshops is varied each year to improve accessibility for participants. This year, a workshop was offered in Pakenham for the first time and was attended by almost 30 participants.

The second aspect of our education program is our information and support sessions. Our Technology Forum

continues to be well received, helping families to keep abreast of the constant changes and upgrades to hearing devices being fitted to their young children. We are most appreciative of representatives from Australian Hearing, the Cochlear Implant Clinic and Word of Mouth for their regular support of our annual Technology Forum and this year we welcomed the participation of Phonak representatives for the first time. Similarly, we are most grateful to Kathy Walker and Associates from the Early Life Foundations for their ongoing support of our sessions devoted to Social Skills, Self Esteem and Resilience. Finally, our Life after Taralye evening never fails to draw a crowd. It was wonderful to hear the success stories of past students Daniel Pigato, Sarah Hockridge, Nicholas Armstrong and Kaitlyn Gaudion. Families who are starting out on this journey marvelled at their confidence in sharing their experiences and all they have achieved.

With GratitudeI would like to thank all the staff of the early intervention team for their commitment to our rigorous assessment protocol and their ongoing support of Taralye’s education program. The success of these programs is a reflection of the high quality of work delivered by a cohesive team. The hardworking members of the Research, Assessment and Education team include Margaret Charlton, Rhonda DeStefano, Janice Millard and Ruth Nicholls.

Dr Pauline Nott Manager, Research, Assessment and Education

Research, Assessment and Education



Early Intervention ProgramThe early intervention team maintains focus on Taralye’s strategic goal to “enhance the capacity for a family to develop their child’s linguistic, educational and social potential.” In response, we continue to strengthen our core services while providing additional holistic support to families. This is reflected in our individual family-centred sessions, small group programs and specialist support. We are pleased to report that, according to our annual parent feedback survey, 97% of our families report satisfaction with the services that they and their child have received.

Growth across VictoriaThis year, a record number of 182 children and their families received early intervention services across Victoria, inclusive of 48 new families. Our Northern Metropolitan region continues to see the highest number of enrolments; families are supported with a mix of home and community-based services. We remain thankful to Noah’s Ark in Heidelberg Heights for their generosity in supporting our position in the North and hosting our Northern Playgroup. The number of enrolments in the Southern and Western Metropolitan regions has steadily increased, particularly through the high growth population corridors of Pakenham, Narre Warren, Hoppers Crossing and Melton. We are keen to provide relevant and accessible services to families residing in the high growth population corridors, and in 2011/2012 we continue to explore appropriate locations for the establishment of our small group programs.

Group ProgramsOur 2010 end of year review reinforced the importance of offering a range of opportunities for children and their families to come together, to engage, to be stimulated and to have fun. The small group programs focus on specific domains, particularly literacy, social skills, active listening, strengthening

the parent-child bond, and creating mutual support networks. The small groups introduced in 2010 – Sprouts, Itty Bitty Book Club and Lunch Bunch – were firmly embedded in our small group programs in 2011, alongside our popular Little Book Club and Parent-Child Mother Goose program. In particular, we were proud to present our innovative Lunch Bunch program at the Australian and New Zealand Teacher of the Deaf conference held in Melbourne this year, where participants were overwhelmingly impressed with this popular, comprehensive program for older children. With many thanks to the Victorian Women’s Trust, we were able to develop our Mums Matter evenings, providing a much-needed relaxation evening for these hard-working mothers.

Better Start for Children with Disabilities The “Better Start for Children with Disabilities” Federal funding initiative commenced on 1July, 2011. Consultation with parents through surveys, parent forums and individual discussions resulted in the introduction of a new range of services and programs, as well as the strengthening of our existing small groups.

In response to parent requests, we are pleased to announce our Speech Pathology Clinic specifically for 4-7 year olds with a particular focus on articulation and our “Set for School” program specifically for children transitioning to school in 2012. An occupational therapy service is also available as part of Taralye’s “Better Start for Children with Disabilities” program. Finally, we plan to provide a group program focused on the parent-child bond for families dealing with a new diagnosis.

The early intervention team continues to strive for services and programs that are relevant and accessible to families. To that end, our team members are very pleased to undergo professional development, in order to offer “1-2-3

Early Intervention Program

Magic” to parents in 2011/2012. This behaviour management course was developed by psychologists to provide parents with skills to encourage child self-management.

With GratitudeMany recurrent programs and new initiatives in early intervention are reliant on philanthropic donations and we would particularly like to acknowledge the generosity of the Baker Foundation, Bendigo Bank’s Community Grants program, the City of Whitehorse, the Collier Foundation, the Deafness Foundation, the Feilman Family Foundation, the Flora & Frank Leith Charitable Trust, The Freemasons Charitable Trust, the Grosvenor Foundation, The Honda Foundation, The Jack Brockhoff Foundation, the Lord Mayor’s Charitable Foundation and Youth in Philanthropy program, the Limb Family Foundation, Rotary Club of Box Hill, the William Angliss Charitable Fund, the Victorian Foundation for the Promotion of Oral Education of the Deaf and the ACCIH Foundation.

It is through Taralye’s skilled and enthusiastic early intervention team that we continue to offer a high standard of service and program delivery. We acknowledge and thank our team members - Judy Bainbridge, Jenni Bird, Julia Downes, Heather Elkhuizen, Sally Fleming, Lois Grant, Martine Henderson, Sharon Klieve, Maura McCabe, Beth Minton, Jean Moores-Chadwick, Ursula Piper, Trudi Sayers, Danelle Shuttleworth, Marisa Skok and Rebecca Vanderspek.

Ellen Panjari Manager, Early Intervention


more about services for people with a hearing loss. All key stakeholders in the field were represented, providing a valuable networking opportunity for Taralye.

Taralye is continuing to develop a decentralised approach to service delivery with the appointment of a staff member in the Gippsland region. This position is being generously funded by the R.M. Ansett Trust. Sue-Ellen Jackson resides in Gippsland and has more than twenty years experience in early childhood development. She also has extensive knowledge of services, support networks, agencies and allied health professionals in the region and works part time for the local TAFE educating early childhood students.

A Flexible ProgramFamilies accessing early intervention in rural and regional Victoria receive a very flexible program. The nature of support is guided by the changing needs and circumstances of each family. Families can receive support directly at home, or at their local early intervention centre, playgroup, child care centre, or kindergarten. Staff respond to the needs and priorities of the families through guidance and support in all areas of child development. A collaborative network of professional support around the family is fostered

through strong partnerships with community programs and the provision of in-service and professional development to educators and health professionals.

With GratitudeWe are extremely thankful to The Andrews Foundation, the Ray & Joyce Uebergang Foundation, the H.V. McKay Charitable Trust and the Bush Inn Hotel, Geelong for their financial support of the Rural and Regional Program.

Amanda Bowker Manager, Rural and Regional Program

“When Ava was diagnosed with mild to moderate hearing loss at 15 months it came as an enormous shock. Within days Taralye staff were on board providing support through the initial period of adjustment, helping make sense of it all. Over the past six months Amanda has become a familiar and welcome part of our lives – giving us reassurance and guidance as well as practical ideas and strategies. Joining in with the new Geelong Taralye playgroup has meant the opportunity to share the journey with other parents and for Ava to interact with other children with a hearing deficit.”

Tammy Burke

The Year in ReviewThe past year has seen exciting opportunities for families living in rural and regional Victoria, with new developments expanding and enhancing Taralye services across the state. Taralye is supporting families in Geelong, Warrnambool, Ballarat, Mildura, Wangaratta, and Gippsland. In particular, the number of families accessing our service within the Barwon South West region has significantly increased over the past year due to referrals from the Victorian Infant Hearing Screening Program and a number of families with hearing impaired children relocating into the area from Melbourne and interstate.

In response to demand in Geelong, staff time servicing this region has increased. We have also established a monthly playgroup in Geelong, and are grateful to Noah’s Ark for providing such an ideal and central location for families to meet. Taralye staff members Martine Henderson, Ursula Piper, and Dr Ruth Nicholls provided the families with local support and expertise. The playgroup provides a valuable opportunity for rural families and children to meet, share experiences and support one another. We are particularly thankful to the Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal (FRRR) for underwriting this critical input. Taralye was also involved in the planning and delivery of the first Geelong Deafness and Hearing Loss Expo, held in August 2011 at the Geelong West Town Hall. The Expo was well attended by many local people and professionals interested in finding out

Rural and Regional Program


Learning Through Play Taralye’s Early Childhood Program incorporates the Early Learning Program for 2- and 3-year-olds, and the 3-year-old and 4-year-old kindergartens. The Early Childhood Program provides a nurturing space for children to develop their communicative, imaginative, creative, social, physical, intellectual, and independence skills. Research indicates that children’s play is the most effective vehicle for promoting young children’s learning. Edward Miller and Joan Almon (2009) report that children who engage in socio-dramatic play have greater language skills, increased social skills, more empathy, more imagination and a greater capacity to understand others than non-players (“Crisis in

Kindergarten: Why Children

Need

Play in School”). Through spontaneous play, children are faced with opportunities for experimentation and manipulation that are essential for early childhood development. By offering “open-ended” learning experiences in our program, the children are able to concentrate on exploring and manipulating each experience with no fixed result. This allows each child to learn at their own rate.

Our reflective, inclusive program is an important tool for effective play-based learning. It is our belief that the children are valuable and capable contributors to our days together. The children can play, explore and develop their own ideas and understanding of their world in a safe and friendly learning environment. Our teachers use free play time to observe and document the children’s explorations and discoveries. Reflections and documentation at the end of each session allow staff to reflect on the session and identify where the children’s interests lie; these interests

are then integrated into future learning experiences.

Early Learning Program The Early Learning Program hosted 82 children in 2011. Of this number, sixteen have a hearing impairment. This year the Early Learning Program underwent a review in light of recently implemented and proposed Federal and State Government policies which impact on the early childhood intervention sector. These policies include the introduction of universal hearing screening at birth, the development of the Victorian Early Years Learning Framework, the introduction of the “Better Start for Children with Disabilities” Federal funding initiative and the introduction of a National Quality Framework for Early Education and Care. The aim of our review was to ensure that our programs remain responsive to the needs of families while our practices comply with government standards.

In 2012, the ELP will trial an integrated program for 2- and 3- year-olds instead of continuing with separate programs. A one-hour lunchtime program will also be trialled two days per week. Additionally, the number of early

learning sessions/week will be slightly reduced as

Taralye increases the range

Early Childhood Program


of Better Start program options for families with hearing impaired children. New national regulations stipulate that from 1 January 2012 a staff-to-child ratio of 1:4 is required, which will result in some of our group sizes reducing, while others will require additional staff.

Kindergarten ProgramIn 2011 Taralye provided a kindergarten program to 130 children, including 17 children with hearing impairment. All children in our program are encouraged to develop into confident, independent and responsible children, able to make positive decisions. It is our aim that when children leave for school, they are equipped and ready for the challenges the next phase of their life will bring.

As part of our focus on oral language development and inclusion, the kindergarten encourages interactions between hearing impaired and hearing children in small and large group play settings, where age-appropriate language is modelled and extended through individual sessions with Early Intervention Coordinators. An Inclusion Aide in the classroom supports each child with hearing impairment to in access the program, while providing a strong link between early intervention and the kindergarten program.

Our kindergarten team has dedicated a great deal of time to working on the seven areas of the National Quality Framework for Early Childhood Education and Care: 1) education program and practice; 2) children’s health and safety; 3) physical environment; 4)staffing arrangements; 5) relationships with children; 6) collaborative partnerships with families and communities; and 7) leadership and service management. Part of this initiative includes working towards 15 hours of kindergarten/week for every 4-year-old by 2013. For Taralye, like many other kindergartens, this means a gradual reduction in the number of available kindergarten places.

With GratitudeParents, grandparents and special friends are frequent visitors to our kindergarten and provide wonderful support to our programs as they share their time, wisdom, special talents and skills with the children. During the year we have hosted many students on placement, work experience and community service students, as well as visiting teachers.

The Early Childhood Program could not function without our wonderful Parents and Friends Committee. This enables parents to be actively involved in providing quality programs both now and in the future. We are also very grateful for generous financial and pro bono support received throughout the year from various sponsors and trusts. We are particularly grateful to The Miller Foundation, The Feilman Family Foundation and ExxonMobil Australia.

It is through our dedicated staff that we are able to offer such a high quality, well-known and regarded Early Childhood Program. In the Early Learning Program, we were sorry to say goodbye to Alison Wyllie in 2011. Fiona Gaskell adeptly stepped in to fill this role for the balance of the year. Kirsten McFadzean and Kristy Lockwood were welcomed as new members of the team in 2011 and Paula Viola has been our entrusted inclusion aide for many years now. Our thanks are also extended to dedicated kindergarten teachers Julie Archer, Jane Chrystie, Clare Gooding and Meg Kentell, to kindergarten assistants Anne-Marie Anderson, Jenny Borg, Rita Gibb, and Elspeth Stanton, and to our inclusion aides Bronwyn Baker, Rose Russo and Meredith Wilson.

Deborah Exton Director, Kindergarten and Early Learning Program

The Naismith FamilyMelanie and Rob suspected their son Aaron may have hearing loss when at 2 years of age his language was not what it should be. Reassurance from their paediatrician that his hearing was fine meant Aaron was 3 years old before he was diagnosed with moderate to severe bilateral hearing loss and fitted with hearing aids. This late diagnosis, coupled with articulation difficulties caused by a delayed-diagnosis of velo-cardio-facial syndrome when he was 5 means Aaron has had to work particularly hard to develop his speech and language abilities.

The Naismiths came to Taralye in 2009, and Aaron has enjoyed weekly individual sessions with an early intervention coordinator as well as Little Book Club and, this year, the Lunch Bunch, while continuing to see a speech therapist. Aaron’s determination to produce speech clarity, coupled with corrective surgery, has resulted in impressive strides in his speech and language abilities. He has been attending a local kindergarten and, with supportive teachers and visits from Taralye staff, he has been eager to actively participate. Melanie expresses gratitude for Taralye’s services, particularly providing support for her, assisting with coordinating Aaron’s multiple appointments, and enabling them to access the new federal funding program, “Better Start for Children with Disabilities.” “If we weren’t at Taralye, we probably wouldn’t even know of this opportunity,” Melanie says. The “Better Start” funding provides access to more specialists who can assist Aaron.

Aaron is eager to start school next year, at his older sister’s primary school where the sociable and outgoing 6-year-old has many friends. “He is ready to start school and we are feeling very positive about that,” Melanie says. “Knowing he has special needs means we must be ready to respond to his changing needs as they arise. But for now, we’re excited he’s ready for that next step.”



Audiology and Otology ProgramTaralye’s Audiology and Otology Clinic is the only specialist paediatric audiology clinic in the Eastern Metropolitan Region, providing an exemplary diagnostic service to the community of the region and beyond.

The clinic provided approximately 6000 occasions of service in 2010/2011.

The clinic also works closely with the Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital and approximately 700 consultations with hospital Ear Nose and Throat (ENT) surgeons were conducted at Taralye during the year.

The Year in ReviewThe audiology clinic is a designated diagnostic centre for the Victorian Infant Hearing Screening Program (VIHSP) which is now screening 97% of newborns in Victoria. Referrals from VIHSP to Taralye’s Audiology and Otology Clinic have increased significantly this year with 63 neonates being referred compared to 40 neonates for the same period last year.

Referrals were also received from medical practitioners, Maternal and Child Health Nurses, midwives, speech pathologists, external audiologists and parents. Of these referrals, 6 children under the age of 12 months and 9 children between the ages of 12 months and 7 years of age were diagnosed with sensorineural hearing loss.

In total, 19 children with a bilateral sensorineural hearing loss were referred to Australian Hearing for hearing aid fitting. Thirteen children with a unilateral sensorineural or unilateral permanent conductive hearing loss are receiving ongoing monitoring.

Over the past 12 months the clinic has received an increase in referrals from paediatricians and external audiologists for children with challenging behaviours or special needs. This is a testament to the recognised paediatric skills of the audiology team.

The audiology team provided a very successful in-service to the Maternal and Child Health Nurses from the City of Whitehorse during Taralye Week in June 2011. Clinical supervision was provided to Masters of Clinical Audiology students from the University of Melbourne. Information and observation sessions were also provided to medical students, Maternal and Child Health Nursing students, teachers of the deaf, work experience students and prospective audiology students.

With GratitudeWe are grateful to the early intervention team led by Ellen Panjari for their willingness to engage with and support the families of the newborn babies when receiving a diagnosis of deafness.

Thank you to Mr Markus Dahm, ENT consultant to the clinic and Dr Libby Rose, ENT surgeon from the Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital for their support. Thank you also to the highly skilled audiology team – Robyn Horner, Margaret Howells, Rosslyn Johnston, Lisa Kennedy, Jennie Madders and Donna Morris – for their continued dedication.

Thank you to our reception and administrative staff – Carolyn Berton, Janine Carroll, Robyn Johnson and Vivienne McCarthy – who provided excellent support throughout the year to our busy clinic.

Judy Rogers Director, Audiology and Otology

“[I appreciate the] friendly staff who have great interpersonal skills in working, especially with my (special needs) son.”

Parent


Chief Executive OfficerTherese Kelly, BSc (Hons) Dip Aud MAudSA (CCP) AAICD

Chief Financial OfficerNoel Cousins, BBus (Acc) MBus

Development ManagerKevin Gray, BEc (Hons) CA FCIS

Executive StaffAmanda Bowker, BA Ed (Hons) Post Grad Dip Ed Stud (HI)

Carolyn Berton, Assoc Dip Bus

Deborah Exton, Dip T (IECD)

Pauline Nott, BAppSc (Speech Pathology) Dip Aud MEd PhD

Ellen Panjari, Dip T (Prim) Grad Dip Spec Ed (HI)

Judy Rogers, BA Dip Aud MAudSA (CCP)

Medical ConsultantsVasuki Anpalahan, FRACS (Eng) FRACS

Quentin Bailey, MA MB FRACS DLO

Markus Dahm, FRACS PhD MD

Elizabeth Rose, MB BS FRACS

AudiologyRobyn Horner, BSc MClin Aud MAudSA (CCP)

Margaret Howells, BSc Dip Aud Dip Ed Psych

Rosslyn Johnston, BSc (Hons) Dip Aud MAudSA (CCP)

Lisa Kennedy, BSc Dip Aud MAudSA (CCP)

Jennie Madders, BSc Dip Aud MAudSA (CCP) MBA

Donna Morris, BBSc Dip Aud MAudSA (CCP)

Early InterventionJudy Bainbridge, Dip T (Early Childhood) BEd (Early Childhood) Post Grad Dip Ed Studies (HI)

Jenni Bird, Dip T (IECD) Grad Dip Spec Ed (Early Childhood) BEd (HI)

Julia Downes, BSpPath

Heather Elkhuizen, MEd (LIHI) Dip T (IECD) BEd (Early Childhood)

Sally Fleming, BEd B Early Childhood

Lois Grant, BSc MCIinAud MAudSA (CCP) MEd

Nerissa Hede, BSc (Human Communication Science)

Martine Henderson, BSW BSS

Sue-Ellen Jackson, B Early Childhood Ass Dip Social Sci - Child Care Cert IV (Training & Assessment)

Sharon Klieve, BEd MEd (HI) Grad Dip A (Ling)

Maura McCabe, BEd (Prim), Grad Dip Spec Ed (HI) MEd (HI) Cert AVT

Beth Minton, BSpPath

Jean Moores-Chadwick, BEd (Science) (Performing Arts) Grad Dip Special Ed (HI)

Ursula Piper, BA SpPath

Trudi Sayers, BOT Grad Dip Ed (Prim) Dip Ed Stud (HI)

Danelle Shuttleworth, BAppSc (Speech Pathology)

Marisa Skok, BSc (Hons) Dip Aud MAudSA MEd Psych MEd (HI) Dip Ed LSLS Cert AVT

Jenny Tuck, BApp Sc (OT)

Rebecca Vanderspek, BSW

Early Learning Fiona Gaskell, Dip Comm Services (Child Care)

Kristy Lockwood

Kirsten McFadzean, Cert III (Children’s Services) Assoc Dip Bus

Paula Viola, Cert III (Children’s Services)

Alison Wyllie, Dip (Children’s Services) (resigned March 2011)

KindergartenAnne-Marie Anderson, Cert III (Children’s Services)

Julie Archer, BEd (Early Childhood) (resigned June 2011)

Bronwyn Baker, BA

Jennifer Borg, Cert III (Children’s Services) Cert Ed (Integration Aide)

Jane Chrystie, BEd (Early Childhood)

Rita Gibb, Cert III (Children’s Services)

Clare Gooding, BA Grad Dip (Early Childhood)

Meg Kentell, BEd (Early Childhood) BA Dip Bus (Personnel Mngt & Employee Relations)

Rose Russo, Cert III (Children’s Services)

Elspeth Stanton, Cert III (Children’s Services)

Meredith Wilson, Cert III (Children’s Services) RN Div 1 Hospital

Research, Assessment and EducationMargaret Charlton, BA Hons (Clin) Dip Soc Studs B Spec Ed MEd Psych MAPS CEDP COHP

Elizabeth Cronin, BSpPath MSPAA

Rhonda DeStefano, Dip Electrotechnology in Renewable Energy Technology

Janice Millard, Ass Dip App Sc BA LIS

Ruth Nicholls, BSpPath(Hons) PhD MSPAA CPSP

Australian Hearing (Taralye Liaison)Anne Archibald, BSc (Hons) MAudSA (CCP)

Suzi Nottas, BSc (Hons) Dip Aud MAudSA (CCP)

Cochlear Implant Clinic (Taralye Liaison)Denise Courtenay, MSpPath

AdministrationAleena Brake, Cert III (Bus Admin) (resigned Dec 2010)

Janine Carroll

Robyn Johnson

Gail Lewis

Vivienne McCarthy

DevelopmentDiane Jackson

Susan Maury, BA English/Writing Concentration (cum laude) MSc Org Behaviour (Merit)

Lorraine Miller, BComm CA

Building Maintenance Sam Dempster

Geoff Kotz

Our Staff



Parent, Professional and Public Education OCTOBER 2010Amanda Bowker Listening environment, acoustics and troubleshooting hearing aids (Warrnambool)

Dr Pauline Nott, Rebecca VanderspekGuest Speakers: Armstrong, Gaudion, Hockridge and Pigato families‘Life after Taralye’

NOVEMBER 2010Margaret Charlton Aetiologies and outcomes in implanted children with autism spectrum disorderOral presentation at the 2nd National College of Educational and Developmental Psychologists Australian Psychological Society Educational Psychology Conference (Melbourne)

FEBRUARY 2011Amanda Bowker, Julia Downes, Sally Fleming, Dr Ruth Nicholls, Dr Pauline NottInclusion for littlies with hearing loss (Blackburn, Geelong)

Dr Pauline NottUsing a validated diary technique to monitor early language milestones in young children with severe-profound hearing lossAn online Victorian Deaf Education Institute Masterclass

MARCH 2011Amanda BowkerListening environment, acoustics and troubleshooting hearing aids (Ocean Grove)

Amanda Bowker, Julia Downes, Sally Fleming, Lois Grant, Sue-Ellen Jackson, Sharon Klieve, Jean Moores-Chadwick, Dr Ruth Nicholls, Dr Pauline Nott, Ellen Panjari

Inclusion for littlies with hearing loss (Ballarat, Bendigo, Broadmeadows,

Pakenham)

Kevin Gray, Therese KellyPresentation to Rotary

Club of Box Hill

APRIL 2011Amanda Bowker, Heather ElkhuizenInclusion workshop (Wangaratta)Presentation to early childhood intervention professionals

Amanda BowkerListening environment, acoustics and troubleshooting hearing aids (Camperdown, Terang)

Dr Pauline NottEarly lexical development in young children with severe-profound hearing lossOral presentation at the 6th Australasian Newborn Hearing Screening conference (Perth)

MAY 2011‘Mums are aMazing’A pamper night for mothers of children with hearing loss

JUNE 2011Taralye staffOpen Week at Taralye: Poster displays, tours and oral presentations

Robyn Horner, Margaret Howells, Rosslyn Johnston, Lisa Kennedy, Jennie Madders, Donna Morris, Judy RogersHearing assessment and management of infants and children Presentation to Maternal Child Health Nurses

Margaret CharltonAetiologies and outcomes in implanted children with autism spectrum disorderOral presentation to Aurora staff

Early Intervention TeamGuest Speakers: Australian Hearing, Cochlear Implant Clinic, Phonak, Word of Mouth Technology Forum for parents and caregivers

Disseminating Our Expertise

“[We express our] appreciation for the wonderful information session you provided

for us recently. The opportunity to meet you all and learn more about the important work you do

was highly valued by our staff.”Judi McCabe – Acting Coordinator,

Maternal and Child Health, City of Whitehorse


JULY 2011Margaret CharltonAutism spectrum disorder in hearing impaired children, a common and complex impairment: Aetiologies, outcomes and guidelines for identification and early intervention Guest speaker presentation at Australian and New Zealand Conference for Educators of the Deaf (Melbourne)

Ellen PanjariReflecting on family centred practice: continuing the discussion on cultural diversityGuest speaker presentation at Australian and New Zealand Conference for Educators of the Deaf (Melbourne)

Jenni Bird, Dr Pauline NottLunch Bunch – master chef for preschoolers with hearing lossOral presentation at Australian and New Zealand Conference for Educators of the Deaf (Melbourne)

AUGUST 2011Dr Pauline Nott, Ellen PanjariGuest Speaker: Kathy Walker (Early Life Foundations)Social skills and resilienceForum for parents and caregivers

Therese KellyPresentation to Templestowe View Club

Amanda Bowker, Therese KellyHearing Awareness Week Oral and poster presentations (Geelong)

Dr Pauline NottTaralye early intervention servicesPoster presentation at Early Childhood Management Services Conference (Melbourne)

SEPTEMBER 2011Margaret CharltonAutism spectrum disorder in children with hearing loss: a high incidence and complex impairmentOral presentation at the Asia Pacific Autism Conference (Perth)

Clinical and Educational SupervisionTaralye hosted placements for graduate and postgraduate students from the following tertiary institutes:Box Hill TAFE, Deakin University, Monash University, Northern Melbourne Institute of TAFE, RMIT University, University of Melbourne

Disciplines studied by students: Audiology, Early Childhood Education, Maternal and Child Health, Medicine, Psychology, Special Education, Speech Pathology

Work ExperienceTaralye hosted students from the following schools for work experience:Diamond Valley Secondary College, Luther College, Mater Christi College, Nunawading Christian College, Our Lady of Sion College, Sacred Heart College, Wesley College

“I was most impressed with how your organisation thrives on teamwork. Throughout my placement, your staff members were never too busy to stop and explain to me what they were doing or to offer advice. I really enjoyed the warm, friendly family-like environment ….The smiles on the children’s faces prove that the programs that are being put in place to foster healthy and happy development are definitely working….Many thanks to Taralye for providing me with such great learning opportunities.”

Danielle De Melis – Year 10, Our Lady of Sion College

The Duncan FamilyLilla’s hearing loss manifested itself in regular bouts of vomiting as an infant and young baby. While paediatricians assured parents Sophie and Mark that there was no cause for alarm, they remained concerned. But it was not until Lilla was 9 months old that she received a hearing test and the audiologists informed her stunned parents that Lilla was profoundly deaf. The cause of Lilla’s deafness is dysplasia of the inner ear, a condition which leaves critical areas malformed or even missing. This was causing Lilla extreme vertigo and dizziness, resulting in an inability to sit or stand.

Sophie praises Taralye staff with critical support at this juncture. “Lois has been fantastic – amazing. Without her, Lilla would not have received her cochlear implant.” Lilla received her implant at 18 months of age and her parents credit the cochlear implant with reducing Lilla’s vertigo, allowing her to sit, stand and now walk, although it still takes incredible concentration for her to do so. “The doctors told us she wouldn’t walk until she was 2 years old, but she was walking at 20 months. We are really pleased.”

The Duncans receive biweekly visits from Lois in their home, where they formulate an action plan for the family to work on until the next visit. In addition, Lilla and Sophie attend a Taralye playgroup specifically for families of babies and children with hearing loss, which provides them with valuable social support. “The social aspect for both Lilla and me is really great. The mums are very close, and we learn so much from each other.” Lilla also enjoys attending Parent-Child Mother Goose sessions, where she is starting to respond to music with more confident movement, including stamping her feet and using her hands.

Lilla is now 21/2 years old, and her parents take each day as it comes. “We have a long way to go but every week she is doing more, including pointing and making sounds. She will get there in her own time.”



Parents and Friends and organised by parent volunteers. The social events often take weeks of planning and much time on the behalf of the individual coordinators; a big thank you is owed to Karen Vitiritti (Mums and Kids), Honor Cuthbertson (Easter Picnic), Chantel Myers-Hately and Jodie Black (Dads and Kids) and Kate Welte (Christmas Picnic) for all of the hard work and time in ensuring that these events were a success.

Our first major fundraising event of the year was Trivia Night, which again proved to be a popular event. This year Carol Daicic organised a truly spectacular event that raised

$5,279. This event was very closely followed by the much anticipated

Bush Dance. This event is directly associated with the children’s curriculum – learning about the Australian bush and animals – and concludes with a dance at the event, which is performed by the children. This year’s Bush Dance was not only great fun for parents and children, but also resulted

in $5,518 being raised for Taralye.

Our biggest fundraiser of the year, Market Day, raised an

amazing profit of nearly $22,000. Market Day is truly a community

event, and we continue to be thankful to the many individuals, local businesses and stall holders who support Market Day – many of whom provide pro bono services, donations, and gifts. This event takes many months to organise and a very big thank you must go to Mandy Wilkinson, Chantel Myers-Hately, Rita Gibb, Sarah Fulton, Jodie Black, Kellie McCarthy and Di Jackson (staff) for their countless hours of preparation which ensured that this event ran smoothly and effortlessly. We also thank our parents who bake, run stalls, and sell raffle tickets, as without their efforts Market Day would not be possible.

As always, Picture Plates have continued to be popular with our families, and we were again involved with the Whitehorse Community Chest Door Knock Appeals. Thanks to Jenny Simmons and Kate Bonda for coordinating the Picture Plates and Sandy Allison for organising our Door Knock volunteers.

In October we held our two last fundraising events of the year – Billie Cards and Ladies’ Afternoon of High Tea and Fashion. I thank Kellie McCarthy and Heidi Lombard for their efforts.

With GratitudeNone of these events would be possible without our wonderful Group Representatives who are the backbone of the Parents and Friends. These parents attend meetings and communicate all information back to their groups. They organise all of our social and fundraising events at a grass roots level, and it is they who are largely responsible for our community engagement. It is with great appreciation I thank Chantel Myers-Hately, Bridget Morcom, Melanie Worsam, Janette Mannix, Carly Hall, Sarah Fulton, Verity Daniels, Heidi Clarris, Nat Reine, Kate Welte, Sharon Bridgman, Rod Vance and Melissa Richardson.

Lastly, I would like to thank Vice President Sandy Allison, Treasurer Kellie McCarthy, Fundraising Queen Jodie Black, and Minutes Secretary Karen Vitiritti. Running the Parents and Friends is a group effort; without their dedication we would not be able to achieve so much.

Karen Whelan

President, Parents and Friends Committee 2011

TARALYE PARENTS AND FRIENDSPresident: Karen WhelanVice President: Sandy AllisonTreasurer: Kellie McCarthy

Parents and Friends Committee

The Year in ReviewThis year the Parent and Friends have organised four social and five fundraising events. We began the year with numerous social events that provide new and existing parents and children with the opportunity to meet others within the Taralye community and strengthen relationships. In Term 1 we hosted the Mums & Kids Afternoon Tea and the Easter Picnic, while the Dads & Kids Afternoon and the popular Christmas Picnic ran in Term 4. These social events are largely funded by the

The 2011 Parents and Friends Committee is a dedicated and tireless group of parents who are incredibly passionate about Taralye. The Parents and Friends Committee embodies the strong community spirit that Taralye is known for through their active engagement in supporting Taralye programs. This year the Committee has organised a wide range of social and fundraising events, raising in excess of $33,000. This is an amazing effort and truly reflective of our dedicated group of parents.


Taralye remains highly appreciative of the deep, ongoing support it receives from a wide variety of sources. The small fundraising team works hard to actively engage individuals, organisations, trusts and foundations in this life-changing work. The team is motivated by a desire to create awareness for the needs of children within Victoria with hearing loss while providing the resources Taralye needs to strengthen and expand its intervention service strategies.

2011 was a watershed year for support received from trusts and foundations, realising more than $450,000. Private, family-held trusts provided the majority of these funds, reflecting a deliberate intentionality to partner in Taralye’s mission; for this we are truly grateful.

Many organisations also provided both volunteers and funds in support of Taralye. We were the fortunate recipients of Deloitte’s IMPACT Day, a global initiative by the consulting firm to provide a day’s leave to staff who wish to volunteer. Deloitte volunteers spent a productive day at our centre in Blackburn, attending to a wide range of tasks.

Once again, Taralye was a beneficiary of the Whitehorse Charity Golf Day, an initiative of the Rotary Club of Box Hill Central. We are particularly grateful to Caltex Australia, which fielded several teams for this event.

Special events continue to be a cornerstone of our fundraising campaigns. The annual Caulfield Race Day was well attended in May and raised both important awareness and valuable funds. Our thanks go to our compere Tony Robinson and guest speaker Sarah Hockridge whose contributions greatly added to the success of the day. The year also marked the start of a new initiative, with a small group of committed individuals finding sponsorship to trek part of the Great Wall of China. Plans are already underway for a trip to Machu Picchu in June 2012.

We acknowledge the strong support we receive from individuals, many of

whom provide valuable volunteer support.

We also raised $13,080

from the

Christmas campaign, $31,957 from the annual tax time campaign, $11,351 from the sale of Entertainment Books, $3,982 from sales of merchandise and raffle tickets at the reception desk, mobile phone recycling raised $4,715, and small change boxes realised $2,004. Of special mention is our roof replacement campaign which raised $57,954. In total, the generosity of individuals raised a staggering $125,043. Thank you for your continued support!

I wish to acknowledge the hard work of development team members Kevin Gray, Di Jackson and Susan Maury. Together we look forward to another year of strong community support.

Noel Cousins Chief Financial Officer

Community Support



Board MembersChairman: Prof Richard Dowell, BSc MSc Dip Aud PhD FAudSA(CC)

Ms Carolyn Armstrong, BEd (Early Childhood) Ass Dip App Soc Sc Cert App Soc Sc

Ms Marilyn Dann, MEd BA TTCTD TPTC

Mrs Joan Hale

Adj Prof Paul Hockridge, BBus LLM FCA FCPA FTIA

Mr Nicholas Morrison, BSc MAcc CPA CIA MIIA (Aust)

Mrs Chantel Myers-Hately, Dip (Children’s Services)

Mrs Christina Stripp, BA (Hons)

Ms Kim Tsai, BComm DipEd CA

Prof Melissa Wake, MBChB FRACP Grad Dip Epi & Biostats MD

Honorary Life MembersMr Quentin Bailey, MA MB FRACS DLO

Mrs Pam Bunney, BSc (Hons) Dip Ed

Mrs Janet Calvert-Jones, AM

Mrs Joan Hale

Dame Elisabeth Murdoch, AC DBE Hon LLD

Council MembersMs Naomi Baulch, BEd MEd Post Grad Dip Student Welfare Grad Cert ICT Ed

Assoc Prof Peter Blamey, BSc (Hons) AIA PhD

Assoc Prof Margaret Brown, BA Cert TOD MEd PhD

Mr James Calvert-Jones

Mr John Calvert-Jones, AM

Prof Graeme Clark, AO FAA FTSE MBBS MS PhD Hon MD FRCS FRACS

Assoc Prof Robert Cowan, MSc PhD Dip Aud Cert Hlth Econ Cert Mgmt Aud SA

Mr Bayne Floyd

Mrs Annie Grindrod, BA Grad Dip Child Lit

Mr Robert Jones, BBus MTax ASA

Mrs Lisa MacLennan

Mrs Lucille Morgan

Ms Donna O’Mara, BBus DipEd

Mr Matthew Pearce

Ms Angela Pound

Mrs Anne Pringle, BEd (SpEd) MEd St

Assoc Prof Brian Pyman, MB FRACS DLO

Prof Field W Rickards, BSc (Hons) MEd PhD

Dr Julia Sarant, BSc Dip Aud PhD

Mr Andrew Sypkes, BComm Grad Dip Finance MBA

Mr David Wilson, BA Grad Dip Bus AAIBF

AffiliationsAG Bell Association

Audiology Australia

Australian Hearing

Bionic Ear Institute

Clarke School for the Deaf

Cochlear Implant Clinic

Deafness Forum of Australia

Deafness Foundation (Victoria)

Early Childhood Intervention Association (Victorian Chapter)

Essendon Diagnostic Audiology

First Voice

HEARing Cooperative Research Centre (supporting party)

Kindergarten Parents Victoria

Mildura Kids Club

Monash University

MPower

National Acoustic Laboratories

Noah’s Ark

Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital

University of Birmingham

University of Melbourne

Victorian Committee for the Promotion of Oral Education of the Deaf

Victorian Infant Hearing Screening Program

Western Bulldogs Football Club

Advisory Council for Children with Impaired Hearing

About TaralyeIn 1968 a group of families and early childhood education professionals formed The Advisory Council for Children with Impaired Hearing (ACCIH). This group—consisting of Mrs Nancy John MBE, Dame Elisabeth Murdoch AC DBE, Mrs Frances Derham MBE, Mrs. Ethleen King CBE, Mr and Mrs Worrall Jones, Mr John Calvert-Jones AM, and Mrs Janet Calvert-Jones AM—believed deaf children should have access to the same educational opportunities as hearing children.

Taralye refers to the centre in Blackburn opened by the Advisory Council in 1979. It is now an internationally recognised early intervention centre providing inclusive oral language programs for deaf children and their families.

The Advisory Council for Children with Impaired Hearing continues to advocate for oral education services for deaf children throughout Victoria.

Our VisionTo be the leading model for oral language development in deaf children.

Our MissionIn partnership with families, other providers and the community to improve the linguistic, educational and social outcomes of deaf children by promoting early diagnosis and response to hearing loss through innovative early childhood intervention services, research and advocacy.

137 Blackburn Road

Blackburn, Victoria 3130

(Melways 62 A1)

Postal address: PO Box 113, Blackburn, Victoria 3130

Phone: +613 9877 1300 Facsimile: +613 9877 1922

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.taralye.vic.edu.au

43rd annual report - taralye · screening conference in perth in april 2011. the presentation...

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