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Bengal Health Chat with Dr. Kristina Blaiser of ISU Speech Language Pathology

Idaho is one of several states that doesn’t require hearing screenings for newborns. This can mean that deaf or hard of hearing babies don’t get immediate access to the care that could help improve their condition or even reverse their hearing loss. Dr. Kristina Blaiser and Kat Ross explain how important family support is in early intervention, along with a project they developed to bring families and providers across Idaho together in order to respond to the needs of families with children who are deaf and hard of hearing.

Guest Bio:
Kristina Blaiser, Ph.D., CCC-SLP

Associate Professor, Speech Language Pathology

Research Interests

Program evaluation and assessment of children who are deaf/hard-of-hearing, family coaching, and telehealth models of service delivery.

Sample Publications

Shannahan, M. & Blaiser, K. (2018). Language sample practices with children who are Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing. Language Speech-Hearing Services in the Schools, 49(4), 950-964.

Blaiser, K. & Nevins, M.E. (2017). Practioner reflection that enhances Interprofessional collaborative practices for serving children who are Deaf/Hard-of-Hearing. Perspectives of the ASHA Special Interest Groups, August 2017, Vol. 2 (SIG 9), 3-9. doi:10.1044/persp2.SIG9.3

Behl, D.D., Blaiser, K., Cook, G., Barrett, T., Callow-Heusser, C., Brooks, B.M., Dawson, P., Quigley, S., & White, K. (2017). A multisite study evaluating the benefits of early intervention via telepractice. Infants & Young Children, 30 (2), 147-161.

Bio

The Idaho State University HATCH (Helping Adults Talk to Children) Lab on the Meridian campus is under the direction of Dr. Blaiser. The HATCH lab aims to ensure that families have access to high-quality services regardless of their geographic location. Research relates to early intervention and assessment practices with children who are deaf/hard-of-hearing. In addition, the lab staff explores the systematic use of technology to facilitate adult learning such as integrating tele-intervention (TI) into the delivery of early intervention services. For example, the use of telehealth technology to optimize clinical outcomes. Since 2015, faculty and students (graduate and undergraduate) from the HATCH lab received more than $300,000 of external funding, co-authored seven publications, and presented at 40 international and national meetings.

Dr. Blaiser earned her Doctor of Philosophy in Speech-Language Hearing Sciences from the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN. She also holds a Master of Arts in Communication Disorders and Speech Sciences from the same college.

Teresa Conner, dean for the College of Health at Idaho State University oversees College of Health administration and operations through facilitating strategic and facilities planning. Conner also supports a robust research profile, promotes faculty development in teaching, scholarship, and service, as well as builds and maintains collaborative relationships within the COH, community organizations, business and industry, civic and government, and educational systems.