KDH Research And Communication, Inc. SBIR Phase II Award, July 2018

KDH Research andampCommunicationKDHRCsubmits this Phase II Small Business Innovation ResearchSBIRapplication to expand and fully evaluate Cochlear Implant UniversityCIUCIU is an onlineselfadvocacy skills building resource for high school and college students with cochlear implantsCIsagedand their parentsCIU seeks to develop high school and college studentsself advocacy knowledge and skills to support a successful academic and social transition into higher educationThe need for CIU is greatIncreasing numbers of students with cochlear implants are entering higher education and experience myriad academic and social challenges compared to their hearing peersThese challenges in turn predict higher risk for dropout ratespoor academic and social outcomesand may lead to underemployment or unemploymentThere is a lack of self advocacy programs specific to students with CIs and the higher education transitionTo address this gap and to meet calls to action for evidence based programs to help students develop a core set of self advocacy skills to support a successful higher education transitionKDHRC developed and evaluated the CIU prototypeIn collaboration with the AG Bellour Phase I efforts yielded a strong prototype with supportive feasibility results and solid partnerships on which we base our Phase II approachLeading hearing loss advocacy organizationsAlexander Graham Bell AssociationAG Belland the Hearing Loss Association of AmericaHLAAprovide support for evaluationrecruitmentand commercialization of the finished program throughout Phase II and beyondIn Phase IIwe will develop additional interactive contentfilm video vignettesand finalize CIUThenwe will conduct a well powered and methodologically strong four weekthree condition controlled randomized trial to test CIU s effectivenessOur market research suggests a significant need and eager marketand support from myriad stakeholders committed to CIU scientific rigor and rapid dissemination further substantiate CIU s importance and commercial potential Increasing numbers of students with cochlear implants are entering higher education and may experience myriad academic and social challenges compared to their hearing peersThese challenges in turn predict higher risk for dropout ratespoor academic and social outcomesand may lead to underemployment or unemploymentCIUan onlineself advocacy skills building resource for high school and college students with cochlear implantsCIsagedand their parentsseeks to develop studentsself advocacy knowledge and skills to support a successful academic and social transition into higher education