Name: Workshop: Deep Dive into the Listening Inventory For Education (LIFE): Assessing Real-World Listening Challenges to Support Self-Advocacy
Start: 2026-09-15T08:30:00-0400
End: 2026-09-15T09:30:00-0400

Workshop: Deep Dive into the Listening Inventory For Education (LIFE): Assessing Real-World Listening Challenges to Support Self-Advocacy

Tuesday September 15, 2026 8:30am - 9:30am EDT

502 East Event Centre

Session Description:
Master the Listening Inventory For Education (LIFE) suite of assessment tools for evaluating functional listening challenges in DHH students with hearing technology. Learn administration of teacher and student versions, interpret results across educational environments; develop data-driven goals and accommodations; and monitor progress toward improved listening access and self-advocacy.

Session Abstract:
This comprehensive session focuses exclusively on the Listening Inventory For Education (LIFE) suite—a set of inventory-based assessment tools designed to identify real-world listening challenges faced by students who are deaf or hard of hearing and use hearing aids, cochlear implants, or other assistive listening technology. Unlike performance-based auditory assessments, LIFE captures ecological validity through systematic rating of listening difficulties across authentic educational environments and situations.

Participants will gain expertise in all LIFE components: the teacher rating scale that captures educator observations of student listening across diverse settings (classroom instruction, small groups, lunch, recess, assemblies), the student self-assessment version that provides the student's perspective on their own listening challenges and communication experiences, and the preschool version designed for early childhood contexts. Teachers will learn when each version is most appropriate and how to use multiple versions together for comprehensive assessment.

The presentation addresses systematic implementation including training general education teachers and related service providers to complete ratings accurately, interviewing students for self-assessment versions, gathering data across multiple environments and stakeholders, and ensuring cultural and linguistic accessibility. Participants will practice analyzing LIFE profiles to identify patterns—such as specific situations causing greatest difficulty, discrepancies between teacher and student perceptions, and how listening challenges vary across acoustic environments.
Significant emphasis will be placed on translating LIFE results into actionable outcomes: writing measurable IEP goals addressing identified listening barriers, recommending specific accommodations and assistive listening systems, communicating findings to audiologists for technology optimization, and using LIFE for progress monitoring after interventions. The session includes strategies for making LIFE data meaningful to families, administrators, and students themselves.

Session Goals:

At the end of this session, participants will describe the purpose, structure, and administration procedures for all components of the Listening Inventory For Education (LIFE) suite, including the teacher rating scale, and student self-assessment.
At the end of this session, participants will identify strategies for implementing LIFE assessments across diverse educational environments, interpreting results to identify specific listening challenges, and collaborating with stakeholders to gather comprehensive data about students' functional listening needs.
At the end of this session, participants will list decision-making factors for building a practical assessment toolkit that balances psychometric quality, age/grade range coverage, budget constraints, and time efficiency for their program needs.

Speakers

Brenda Wellen, M.S.

Executive Director, Supporting Success for Children with Hearing Loss

Brenda is a semi-retired Teacher of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing in San Angelo, Texas. She received her Bachelor's Degree in English at Angelo State University and earned her Master's Degree in Communication Sciences with a specialty in Deaf Education at Texas Woman's University... Read More →

Tuesday September 15, 2026 8:30am - 9:30am EDT
502 East Event Centre 502 E Carmel Dr, Carmel, IN 46032, USA

Deaf/Hard of Hearing

INSAIL 2026

Brenda Wellen, M.S.

Get help with the event

INSAIL 2026

Brenda Wellen, M.S.

Log in to save this to your schedule, view media, leave feedback and see who's attending!

Get help with the event