About This Webinar:

During this webinar, Maura Heffernan, Public School Outreach Consultant and Patty Cook, Kids Like ME program Coordinator from MECDHH will provide an overview of the Kids Like ME program. The program serves children who are deaf and hard of hearing in grades K-12 statewide and facilitates the development of social and self-advocacy skills while encouraging self-esteem.

The participants will be able to:

• Learn what the Kids Like Me program is.
• Recognize the importance of meeting and interacting with other individuals who are deaf and hard of hearing.
• Recognize the positive impact it plays in students’ lives.

About the Presenters:

Patty Cook has been dedicated to working with students who are deaf and hard of hearing and their families at Maine Educational   Center for the Deaf for the past 31 years.  She has worked as the Kids Like ME program Coordinator for the past 10 years. In addition she provides Diversity Awareness training to public school classes with the WISE (WE Increase Sensitivity and Educate) Diversity Awareness program. She also coordinates and runs Family Fun Days and Family Learning Days statewide throughout the year giving families the opportunity to get together.

Maura Heffernan received an undergraduate degree in Communication Dis- orders from University of Massachusetts, Master's degree in Deaf Education from Boston University and is currently working on her Master’s degree in Literacy Education. She began her career working at schools for the deaf. More recently she has spent several years as a teacher of the deaf in public schools in southern Maine supporting mainstream programs for students who are deaf and hard of hearing.