Uma Soman is an educator of students who are deaf or hard of hearing (DHH) and a certified Listening and Spoken Language Specialist Auditory-Verbal Educator (LSLS Cert AVEd). She has been working with children who are DHH, their families, and professionals for 20 years in a variety of settings. She is our co-founder and directs our Parent Empowerment, Professional Development, and Public Awareness programs. She also serves as the treasurer on the board.Uma provides listening and spoken language intervention to children and families in the USA and India. She also provides mainstream support for children who are DHH and their families, and is available to consult with the mainstream school staff. Uma develops and teaches online courses in English, Hindi, and Marathi on various topics related to development of listening and spoken language in children who are deaf or hard of hearing. She also mentors teachers and therapists pursuing Listening and Spoken Language Specialist Certification in India and USA. Uma presents on a wide range of topics at national and international conferences. Uma received her Masters in Deaf Education from the Clarke School / Smith College program and earned her Doctorate in Hearing and Speech Sciences from Vanderbilt University in 2017. Uma was the recipient of the National Leadership Consortium in Sensory Disabilities Fellowship (NLCSD, 2010-2014). She serves on the board of AG Bell Academy for Listening and Spoken Language and was the co-chair the Global Matters Committee from 2017-2022.

Listening Together is a not for profit organization that supports the education and rehabilitation of children who are deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) around the world through parent empowerment, professional development, and public awareness. It is not affiliated with any companies that provide hearing loss related products of services.As Director of Professional Development, Uma develops and teaches courses on listening and spoken language intervention for speech language pathologists, audiologists, teacher of DHH students and mainstream teachers. She also mentors professionals pursuing Listening and Spoken Language Specialist Certification.

Uma is an assistant professor in the Communication Disorders and Deaf Education program at Fontbonne University in St. Louis, Missouri, USA. She teaches courses in language and literacy development to students in the deaf education and speech-language pathology program.

The primary responsibilities of the outreach coordinator include:- supporting students and parents who are transitioning from CAOS to mainstream educational environments.- providing direct and indirect services to students with hearing loss in mainstream settings- conducting research on a variety of topics related to student outcomes and efficacy of intervention- mentor professionals interested in pursuing Listening and Spoken Language Specialist certification

During my doctoral program, as a member of the Pediatric Auditory Development Research Lab, I investigated questions related to the impact of childhood hearing loss on development. I am/was the principal investigator for the following projects:1. Executive Function Profiles of Children with Hearing Loss2. Audiovisual Speech Perception in Adults with Hearing Loss3. Perception of Prosody in Children with Hearing Loss4. Professionals' Knowledge and Practice of Developing Perception of Suprasegmental Features of Speech

Designed and taught interdisciplinary class "Teaching Children with Hearing Loss to Listen and Speak" to graduate students in the fields of deaf education, speech-language pathology and audiology. Supervised practicum students in the Masters in Education of the Deaf program. Provided guest lectures on education and rehabilitation of children who have hearing loss for a variety of graduate and undergraduate courses.

Provided consultation services to school personnel serving children with hearing loss in counties around Nashville.Observed students, and implemented assessments to support individualized educational planning for students with hearing loss.

Planned and executed age appropriate language and academic lessons for students who are deaf or hard of hearing. Supervised practicum for undergraduate and graduate students who are pursuing a degree in Deaf Education. Mentored new professionals in the school.

Planned and executed age appropriate language and academic lessons for students who are deaf or hard of hearing.