Since 2003 CORAL has had the pleasure of being advised each year by Kathy Hobson, a therapist in New York State, who specializes in providing care for deaf children.

Kathy spends two weeks each year guiding the professionals at CORAL in international standards for providing care to deaf children. On a voluntary basis and with enthusiasm, Kathy has shared her experience and knowledge in the field. Her ideas always help us assess our work from a new perspective. Over the years, her advice has led us to restructure our goals so that our therapy program now revolves around creating communication links between the parents and children.

This year we are very proud to have received numerous positive comments from Kathy regarding changes we have recently implemented. She said the children were happier and more relaxed and displayed improved abilities to learn. We were also honored to have Kathy as a special guest in our new project "Therapy in the Home."

Kathy graduated from Syracuse University with a degree in Special Education, and holds a Masters in Pre-School Education for Deaf Children from Gallaudet University in Washington, DC. She is certified as a special education teacher and teacher of deaf children in the state of New York. Since 1980, Kathy has worked with babies on up to individuals 21 years old with hearing disabilities and other special needs. However, most of her work experience is in early intervention and preschool deaf child.

Thank you Kathy for all the support! You are an essential part of what CORAL is today. We hope to see you again in 2011!