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An estimated 40-60 percent of children who are DHH have additional health challenges outside of their hearing. These additional diagnoses, from mental health challenges to cerebral palsy and beyond, often complicate the “usual” ways of working with a child and family. Parents of children who are Deaf with Disabilities need a different type and level of support than the approach to which many teachers and professionals may be accustomed. This presentation, from a first-hand parent perspective, outlines four key areas where professionals need to FLIP the script when working with parents of young children who are Deaf with Disabilities.
"An estimated 40-60 percent of children who are Deaf or hard of hearing have additional health challenges outside of their hearing. (https://www.handsandvoices.org/resources/dhh-plus.html) These additional diagnoses, from mental health challenges to autism to cerebral palsy and beyond, often complicate the standard processes of education, not only for the child but for the family as a whole.
Parents of children who are Deaf with Disabilities need a different type and level of support than the approach to which many DHH teachers and professionals may be accustomed. This presentation, from a first-hand parent perspective, outlines four key areas where teachers need to FLIP the script when working with parents of children who are Deaf with Disabilities:
-Flexibility: Teachers must be flexible in their scheduling and approach while families need to know that they have the freedom to be flexible when it comes to making choices like communication mode for their child. If something is not working, families must know that they can make a change to find the right fit.
-Language: Teachers should never assume that certain labels or language are acceptable to a family or child. Additionally, teachers must be careful to avoid language that may inadvertently make parents feel defeated and derail progress at home.
-Integration: For children who are Deaf with Disabilities and their families, nearly every aspect of learning, development, and even daily life is connected. Teachers should strive to integrate a variety of therapies, subjects, and modalities into their treatment and interventions.
-Priorities: For parents of children who are Deaf with Disabilities, the metaphor of spinning multiple plates is about as close to literal as it gets. Often, the child’s hearing is NOT the main health priority for a family. Teachers must strike a delicate balance of making hearing a priority when it needs to be while recognizing that it simply must take a back seat to other needs at times.
As a result of this presentation,
-Participants will reflect on ways they must change their current practices to better meet the needs of parents of children who are Deaf with Disabilities in order for them to achieve at their highest potential, both now and in the future.
-Participants will gain a deeper understanding of the unique challenges parents face when raising a young child who is Deaf with Disabilities.
-Participants will leave with a simple framework to display or refer back to as they work with families in their professional settings."
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