The internationally renowned AG Bell Academy for Listening and Spoken Language in Washington DC has appointed a leading Australian teacher of the deaf to its board of directors.
Ms Trudy Smith has been a teacher of the deaf since 1988 but is now Continuing Professional Education manager at NextSense Institute in Sydney and adjunct lecturer at Macquarie University.
The AG Bell Academy is an independent subsidiary of the Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, and the global accrediting body for certified Listening and Spoken Language Specialists (LSLS) in early intervention or education.
Smith has provided training, mentoring, coaching and support to education and health professionals working with children and families with hearing loss in more than 25 countries.
“In my role on the AG Bell Academy board, I will be sharing the Australian perspective, particularly promoting recognition of what we mean by early screening, diagnosis, fitting with devices, and entry into early intervention,” she said in a media release on 4 September 2025.
“Here in Australia, we benefit from a world-leading newborn hearing screening pathway, and I will be bringing that perspective to my discussions.”
Remote attendance while remaining at NextSense
Academy board chair, Dr Jenna Voss, said she nominated Smith “because I knew her unique expertise would be an incredible asset”.
Smith will remain in her NextSense role and work on the academy board remotely, attending two board meetings a year remotely and traveling to Washington DC once a year.
She said her appointment was further recognition of the international standing of the NextSense Institute and the skills and knowledge of its people.
NextSense provides continuing professional education for education and health professionals who support people who are deaf, hard of hearing, blind or have low vision.
“It’s an honour, and lovely recognition of the work that I’ve done in this field over the last 25-plus years,” Smith said.
“I’ve been lucky enough to work here in Australia and around the world, coaching and guiding teachers, therapists and families. This has provided an insight into the cultural and global differences in access to early intervention hearing devices and parental support.”
Dr Voss said Smith’s Australian perspective and broad global network would be invaluable as the academy worked to expand the LSLS certification globally.
“Trudy’s lived experience and extensive research on teachers of the deaf gives her a deep understanding of the needs of future applicants and will be a tremendous asset to the board,” Dr Voss said. “I am confident she will bring so much to the Academy’s mission, and I can’t wait to see all that the board accomplishes with her service.”
Family-centred early intervention
NextSense Institute Director, Professor Greg Leigh, said Trudy’s appointment strengthened her ability to contribute to developing professional excellence, “particularly in family-centred early intervention, with the aim of providing equitable access for children and their families worldwide”.
“The role complements Trudy’s existing position on the AG Bell Global Matters Committee and Professional Council and reflects her ongoing commitment to supporting families and professionals here in Australia and around the world,” Prof Leigh said.
“The AG Bell Academy values lifelong learning and professional excellence, which aligns with NextSense’s mission.”
Family-centered early intervention centres families in all aspects of their child’s development, Dr Smith said.
“It’s about ensuring informed parent choice,” she said. “We’re ensuring parents are provided with accessible and non-biased information to support decision making for their child.
“Quality family-centred early intervention prioritises an equal partnership between families and early intervention providers, building on the strengths of parents and ensuring that families are the natural language teachers for their children.”
Smith is a past chairperson of the National Association of Australian Teachers of the Deaf and immediate past president of the Educators of Deaf Students Association NSW.
She became a Listening and Spoken Language Specialist from the AG Bell Academy in 2007, where she also gained her Certified Auditory Verbal Therapist qualification.
In her early career, she spent several years working in inclusive classroom settings before becoming an advisory visiting teacher in hearing impairment for Mount Isa and Longreach districts.
She worked as an auditory verbal therapist, supporting children and families in rural and remote settings, was statewide education advisor, hearing impairment for the Department of Education in Queensland for three years and worked as a global rehabilitation manager at MED-EL from 2016-2017.
Smith has been CPE manager at NextSense Institute for 11 years in two stints, from 2010 to 2016, returning in 2018.
