Few volunteer experiences are as rewarding as volunteering with the Special Olympics.

For Kim Tillery (pictured at right), an associate professor who chairs SUNY Fredonia's Speech Pathology and Audiology Department, the experience also offers a unique training opportunity for her graduate students - including several future educators.

For six years, Tillery, Marc Wilcox (another SUNY Fredonia audiologist) and graduate students from the university's speech pathology department have performed hearing screenings as part of the Special Olympics' Healthy Athletes project to help participants improve their health and fitness. Tillery and Wilcox were part of the first group of professionals trained to perform the New York state hearing screenings.

"The whole philosophy is that a healthy athlete is a better athlete," Tillery said. The Special Olympics started the program more than 10 years ago. The New York Healthy Hearing program was launched three years later.

At summer, fall and winter games, athletes have an opportunity to receive medical screenings from professionals including dentists, ophthalmologists, chiropractors and dermatologists.

A typical "healthy hearing" screening lasts about three minutes per ear. Using specialized equipment, the students administer what is known as an otoacoustic emissions test.

"The equipment sends a tune into the ear system and a healthy cochlea will emit or provide the emission on a computer," Tillery explained.

If a problem is detected, the athlete goes on to two other stations for further tests.

The next step determines whether the problem involves the inner ear or the middle ear and whether the athlete needs to see a physician or audiologist.

"It's just been a tremendous gift for our students to be involved in this program," said Tillery.

And it's been a life-changing experience for Tillery, a member of United University Professions, NYSUT's affiliate at the State University of New York.

As a result of her work with the Healthy Athletes program, Tillery has been invited to accompany the American delegation to the October International Summer Special Olympics in Shanghai, China. There, she'll be training others to conduct screenings at the games.

"We expect to test 2,000 to 3,000 athletes," Tillery said. "For the first time ever, we received donated hearing aids that we will be able to fit on 80 athletes who really need them."

At the conclusion of the screening, every athlete at the games will receive a written report, which will be translated into 24 different languages.

"I would never have dreamt that I would be a part of something like this," Tillery said.

Training future educators

Eighty to 120 students apply annually to the two-year Master of Science in speech pathology program.

To maintain strict student-teacher ratios required for continued accreditation by the American Speech-Language Hearing Association, only 27 students are accepted each year.

A recent alumni survey found 99 percent of graduates will seek employment with a school district some time in their early career.

For the eight to 10 graduate students who volunteer at New York's Special Olympics games, the experience translates into plenty of hands-on training.

At any one of the Special Olympics held throughout the year, "We screen anywhere from 300 to 800 athletes," Tillery said. "It's a great experience for the students."

Tillery is already looking forward to the next international games, which are scheduled for Utah in 2009.

"To be able to do it, and also have students exposed to such a wonderful event," she said, "it's a tradition for us now."

- Clarisse Butler Banks