Dear Colleagues,

Happy 2019!
Welcome to the Division for Communication, Language, and Deaf/Hard of Hearing (DCD). We are the official division of the Council for Exceptional Children that serves and supports professionals interested in the education of children with special communication needs.   
2018 Was a Great Year!
It has been an honor to serve this first year of my two-year term with you. This year has offered me rich opportunities to learn, collaborate, and participate in various organizational meetings where I have met endearing friends. 

DCD Successes to Celebrate: 

  • New name – we were formerly known as the Division for Communicative Disabilities and Deafness (DCDD)
  • New website look and address dcdcec.org (You can still visit us with the old address)
  • Newly revised DHH Specialty Sets for the CEC Standards
  • New Position Papers
  • Code of Ethical Conduct for Teachers of Students who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing
  • DCD position papers were referenced in the newly revised NASDSE book
  • A growing state DCDD chapter in Michigan
  • A new board member dedicated to our online presence (a warm welcome to Susie Tiggs from my home state of Texas)
  • New position for our board member, Debra Lively – She was elected as President -Elect for CEC Interdivisional Caucus (IDC)
We invite you to get to know our leadership and our mission. Our board is comprised of loyal and dedicated individuals who are invested in our mission.  They are committed to the strategic plan and success of our organization. They give of their talents freely and they are some of the finest people I have had the pleasure to know.

We are currently building our Constituent Committees and are looking for committed DCD members who are interested. We invite you to this excellent opportunity to work alongside our board members and other enthusiasts desiring to support our efforts.  If you are looking to advance professionally, visit our website for more information on DCD committees.
Our DCD community is rich with members!  Currently, our membership spans thirty-five states in the United States, and Washington D.C., with four provinces in Canada, and members in Jamaica and the Federated States of Micronesia.  Additionally, we have newsletter and website readers reaching various points across the globe. 

There are members waiting to meet you and share experiences with you. Personally, this is one of my favorite benefits to belonging to this organization – meeting and communicating with people from various parts of our amazing world. 

(FYI – In case you are wondering, Illinois currently has the most DCD members!)
We offer resources for your professional growth.  Have you read our journal,  Communications Disorder Quarterly ? Have you seen our  DHH Bibliography by our board member, David Conway? We have an interactive resource page where you are able to search our database for this  DHH Bibliography. A nd for school professionals we are adding field specific resources to that database, too! It is our hope that the resources will help feed your professional interest to ensure all children receive appropriate support for developmental and educational growth.
We believe our growing Position Statements will inspire you to take action and advocate for our students and our profession. Did you know DCD annually sends board members to the CEC Legislative Summit to advocate on Capitol Hill? 

Our special projects can assist your efforts to keep the children we serve safe. The new  CEC Policy on Maltreatment began in our division.  Our thanks go out to Harold Johnson, a DCD Past President, for beginning this effort with his passionate pursuit to draw attention to the safety needs of our children and youth.
Your Support
We thank you for your membership and support.  Our new 2019 Strategic Plan will be on the website shortly following our board meeting this month in Indiana at the CEC Convention & Expo where we look forward to seeing and meeting many of you. Please join us at our social and of course all of our valuable sponsored sessions in Indianapolis. 

In order to have another successful year, we need your help.  Renew your membership or become a new member.  Invite others to become members. Join a committee, host an event, start a state chapter, and become a solution maker! Within you is the power to realize potential and be a change agent.  Let’s move forward together!

On behalf of everyone at DCD, thank you for a great year, and we look forward to a great 2019!


Suzanne Raschke
DCD, President 2018, 2019
DCD Board
(formerly known as DCDD)

President, Suzanne Raschke
President Elect, Caron Mellblom-Nishioka
Past President, Rebecca Jackson
Treasurer, Stan Dublinske
Secretary, David Conway
Committee for Severe and Multiple Disabilities, Susan Bruce
Committee for Infants, Toddlers & Preschoolers, Debra Lively
Committee for Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Anna Paulson
Committee for Speech, Language Learning Disabilities, Diane Paul
Ad Hoc Committee on Knowledge and Skills, Kevin Miller
Committee on Membership, Mary Gavin
Online Communications Committee, Susan Tiggs
DCD | dcdcec.org