Dr. Uma Soman is an educator of deaf or hard of hearing students and a Listening and Spoken
Language Specialist Certified Auditory-Verbal Educator (LSLS Cert. AVEd). She brings 25
years of experience with deaf and hard-of-hearing (DHH) children and their families to three
ventures that create pathways for DHH children to reach their full potential.
As Founder and CEO of SparkMinds, Inc. she created an app that gives parents personalized
daily guidance for turning everyday moments such as meals, play, car rides, and story time into intentional listening and language opportunities. As Co-Founder and Director of Listening Together, a global nonprofit, Dr. Soman implements a “train the trainer” model that educates and empowers parents of DHH children and professionals at the grassroots level to foster local
leadership. As Grant Faculty in Butler University’s Master of Arts in Deaf Education program, she helps prepare the next generation of teachers of deaf and hard of hearing children. Since 2009, Dr. Soman has prepared professionals in deaf education, speech-language pathology, and audiology through graduate programs at Fontbonne University and Vanderbilt University, and she mentors professionals seeking LSLS certification in the USA, South Africa, and India. A sought-after speaker, she presents at national and international conferences on language and literacy development, working with bilingual and multilingual families, and family-
centered intervention.
Language Specialist Certified Auditory-Verbal Educator (LSLS Cert. AVEd). She brings 25
years of experience with deaf and hard-of-hearing (DHH) children and their families to three
ventures that create pathways for DHH children to reach their full potential.
As Founder and CEO of SparkMinds, Inc. she created an app that gives parents personalized
daily guidance for turning everyday moments such as meals, play, car rides, and story time into intentional listening and language opportunities. As Co-Founder and Director of Listening Together, a global nonprofit, Dr. Soman implements a “train the trainer” model that educates and empowers parents of DHH children and professionals at the grassroots level to foster local
leadership. As Grant Faculty in Butler University’s Master of Arts in Deaf Education program, she helps prepare the next generation of teachers of deaf and hard of hearing children. Since 2009, Dr. Soman has prepared professionals in deaf education, speech-language pathology, and audiology through graduate programs at Fontbonne University and Vanderbilt University, and she mentors professionals seeking LSLS certification in the USA, South Africa, and India. A sought-after speaker, she presents at national and international conferences on language and literacy development, working with bilingual and multilingual families, and family-
centered intervention.