CORAL attends the Convention of the Mexican Association of Communication, Audiology, Otoneurology y Phoniatrics


March 16 - 19, the XV National AMCAOF Convention (Mexican Association of Communication, Audiology, Otoneurology y Phoniatrics) was held in Guanajuato. Our Coordinator of Hearing and Speech Education, Mariana Mejia and Audiologist, Dr. Norma Velasco, had the opportunity to attend and spend 4 days in this beautiful city as well as update and reaffirm their knowledge in their fields.

Presenters touched on various rehabilitation issues, from children with hearing loss to aphasic people to stuttering. Dr. Lilian Flores, rehabilitation consultant for Cochlear Americas for all of Latin America, gave a very interesting workshop which discussed the theories of mind development in children with hearing loss. It emphasized a concept that has emerged thanks to advances in knowledge about human anatomy, which is that we do not listen with our ears but with our brains. This concept states that if children do not receive audiological information starting at a young age, they will not be able to develop normal listening skills. Dr. Lilian also spoke of the importance of the therapist´s role of accompanying and training the parent to be the individual in charge of the rehabilitation of their own child, helping the other adult to develop the skills necessary to encourage communication, allowing the acquisition of natural language.

The medical field also offered a variety of very interesting topics presented by different doctors and released the advances in technology in the area of audiology as speech therapy and neuropsychology. Dr. James Hall, a clinical professor in the department of communication disorders at the University of Florida in Gainesville, gave a very practical workshop which indicated how the studies of tympanometry and acoustic reflexes help us complete the diagnostic audiological of a very detailed way. He also gave many ideas or suggestions on how to make a diagnosis by evoked potentials in a more efficient, fast and accurate.

It was a pleasure also to see our colleagues and friends, both clinicians and those in the area of sales and services, to further strengthen these relations, improve our work and also to feel that EVERYONE in this country are working hard to change future of people with a communication disorder, especially children and people with hearing loss.

On 16, 17, 18 and 19 March, was held in the city of Guanajuato, the XV National Congress of the AMCAOF (Mexican Association of Communication, Audiology, and Phoniatrics Otoneurology). Our Education Coordinator in Hearing and Speech, Mariana Mejia and our Audiologist, Dr. Norma Velasco, had the opportunity to attend and spend 4 days in this beautiful city as well as update and reaffirm their knowledge in the area.

In therapy sessions, touched various rehabilitation issues for children with hearing loss to aphasic people or those suffering from stuttering (stuttering). Dr. Lilian Flores rehabilitation counselor Cochlear Americas for Latin America, gave a very interesting workshop which discussed the development of theory of mind in children with hearing loss, emphasizing a concept that has emerged thanks to advances in knowledge of human anatomy, which is what we do not listen with their ears but with the brain. This concept or phrase refers to that if our children do not receive early audiological information, can not develop their listening skills as normal. Dr. Lilian, also spoke of the importance that the therapist only accompany and train the parent to be he who takes in charge the rehabilitation of their child and develop the skills necessary to encourage communication that allows the acquisition of natural language.

The medical field was represented through a variety of interesting topics and different doctors and specialists informed about the latest technological advances in audiology, speech therapy and neuropsychology. Dr. James Hall, a clinical professor in the department of communication disorders at the University of Florida at Gainesville, gave a very practical workshop which indicated how tympanometry studies and acoustic reflexes help us complete the audiological diagnosis in a very detailed way. He also gave many ideas or suggestions for making a diagnosis through evoked potentials in a more efficient, accurate and timely manner.

It was a pleasure also to see our colleagues and friends -- both those working in clinical and therapeutic settings as well as in sales -- to further strengthen our relationships, improve our work and also to feel that we are all working hard to improve the futures of people with communication disorders, especially children and people with hearing loss.