Creating the Ability to Connect

Dr. Judy Rich, a professor of practice in speech, language and hearing at The University of Texas at Dallas Callier Center, has been elected president of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.

The Callier Center for Communication Disorders received nearly $103,000 from over 100 individuals for its evergreen fund, a critical resource that enables clinical care for children with communication disorders. Gifts will help cover the cost of treatment for children with autism, hearing loss, speech-language disorders and other communication disorders.

Callier Center Executive Director Dr. Angela Shoup officially received the Ludwig A. Michael MD Callier Center Executive Directorship at the ceremony.

The 10th anniversary event, held April 19, benefited patients in need through the Callier Care Fund and recognized recipients of the Ruth and Ken Altshuler Callier Care Award.

Dr. Judy Rich, a professor of practice in speech, language and hearing at The University of Texas at Dallas Callier Center, has been elected president of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.

Dr. Kenneth Altshuler, who died Jan. 6 at the age of 91, and his wife, Ruth, provided the inspiration and initial gift to start the Callier Care Fund, which is used to assist patients who experience financial barriers to accessing needed speech and hearing services.

Dr. Lisa Goffman, the Nelle C. Johnston Chair in Communication Disorders in Children, is pursuing answers that could lead to earlier diagnosis and enhanced treatment of developmental language disorder, which affects approximately 7% of 5-year-old children.

Waterproof smartphone cases can make it more difficult for people with hearing loss to hear phone conversations, according to Dr. Linda Thibodeau and Sarah Fray AuD'19.

It is with great sadness to share that our beloved Dr. Ken Altshuler passed away on January 6 at the age of 91.

Dr. Issa Panahi and his team have created smartphone-based apps, including a recent one that uses artificial intelligence, to remove background noise and improve speech perception.

As Callier Center executive director from 2006 to 2020, Dr. Thomas Campbell led the center through an era of expansion that advanced Callier’s treatment, training and research mission, furthering Callier’s capacity and ability to transform the lives of those with communication disorders.

Thanks to a generous gift from Callier advocate Jean Ann Brock, Callier launched the Social Communication Mentoring Program, an innovative initiative charged with implementing and managing Callier’s research participant registry.

Karen Toliver honors her late father, Allen Rupert, a pioneer in hearing research and one of UT Dallas’ founding professors, by establishing a fellowship to help students earn their education and become audiologists.

The Oberkotter Foundation has awarded nearly $400,000 in grant funding to support Callier’s Early Intervention for Infant Hearing Loss Project. Through this project, Callier aims to put hearing aids on babies before 6 months of age.

Three of the Lacertes’ grandchildren have received speech-language services at the Callier Center. The Lacertes’ experience led them to establish the Joyce and Larry Lacerte Pediatric Patient Care Endowment.

Researchers at the Callier Center and Center for Children and Families have joined with colleagues from across the country to investigate how father-child interactions influence language development and literacy achievement in low-income ethnic-minority communities.

Dr. Steven Small, dean of the School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, welcomed a group of new tenured and tenure-track faculty members and implemented a reorganized departmental structure designed to align the school with elite institutions across the country.

Angela Shoup BS’89, MS’92, PhD’94 has been selected as the new executive director of the Callier Center.

Dr. Thomas Campbell will retire at the end of August, leaving behind a 14-year success story of improved patient care, nationally ranked student education and a vigorous research enterprise.

Learn how Callier is providing telehealth services to patients, as well as facilitating the clinical experience needed by graduate students to complete their degrees.

The Crystal Charity Ball selected Callier to receive $997,996 to benefit the Pediatric Special Connections Project.

U.S. News & World Report ranked UT Dallas’ audiology program No. 2 (tied with the University of Iowa) and the speech-language pathology program No. 10 (tied with UT Austin).

After a recent program expansion, the Callier Center is one of the few facilities in North Texas that has the capability to provide a full battery of tests for problems associated with dizziness, balance or uncontrollable eye movements.

Stefanie and Aaron Conley established a planned gift of $150,000 to be used by the Callier Center director to propel Callier’s mission and leave a lasting impact.

Callier researchers aim to enhance the listening experience of hearing-impaired children and adults who attend musical and theater events in Dallas.

Through her research, Elena Keltner aims to help treat adults with word-finding difficulties caused by stroke, brain injury or other communication disorders.

At age 3, Isabella Gonzalez put her ear to the TV speakers to hear cartoons. When her family’s insurance denied coverage for hearing services, generous donors bridged the gap.

To commemorate its 50th year, Northwood Woman’s Club selected the Callier Center as its sole beneficiary and raised $250,000, which was matched by other gift funds at the Callier Center to create a $500,000 endowment.

In 2016, the Crystal Charity Ball awarded the Callier Center a grant for $630,000 to provide hearing evaluations, hearing aids and three years of follow-up services to approximately 360 children from low-income families. Through Crystal Charity’s generosity…

The Callier Center gives a voice to people who don’t have one, and the research of Dr. Jun Wang is a core part of that mission. Wang is developing a silent speech processor, in which a person’s lips and tongue movements will be recognized by a sensor and then translated into spoken words. When completed,...

At age 15, David Tolstyka suffered from an autoimmune inner ear disease. Within three months, he went from normal hearing to profound bilateral deafness. “There’s an existential dread to losing a sense,” Tolstyka said. “It’s something that no one can prepare for.” Tolstyka underwent cochlear implant surgery in Michigan. When his family moved to Texas,...

Two-and-a-half-year-old Addy DeWolfe loves to sing “Wheels on the Bus,” but when she was born, she failed her newborn hearing screening and was later diagnosed with permanent hearing loss in both ears. “The day we found out she was deaf, I was pretty devastated,” said Jennifer DeWolfe, Addy’s mother. At 14 months old, Addy received...

To honor longtime Callier champions The Meadows Foundation and Ruth and Dr. Ken Altshuler, the clinical wings located inside the Callier Center Expansion at The University of Texas at Dallas were recently named the Meadows Foundation Wing and the Altshuler Wing. “Al Meadows invested in Callier from the beginning…

A collaboration between Callier and RoboKind, Robots4Autism™ uses a humanoid robot to deliver research-based lessons that teach social behaviors to children with autism.

The people at the Callier Center make me feel like I don't need to go through difficult times anymore.

When I was in second grade, when I first got hearing aids, I could finally hear the teacher...Thank you Callier. You are my HEAR O.

Before, I felt abnormal. I didn't feel like who I was. Coming here, it was more like God sent me here. This is what I needed.

Because of Callier, I can hear, and they just keep my super ears [hearing aids] going, so I don’t miss a thing.

Kourtnei received a bone-conducting hearing aid and benefited from hearing services.

I used to go to Callier two times a week, and we used to do speech class. Two years ago, they said I’m done, because I have perfect speech.

Diagnosed with permanent hearing loss, Jackson has cochlear implants that he calls his “magic ears.”

Watch the video of Cochlear Implant Camp, where children who have cochlear implants receive listening and speech-language therapy while participating in fun camp activities.

Learn about the relationship between The Meadows Foundation and the Callier Center that dates back to the formation of both organizations.