I often have many families ask me “What would you do?” when I begin the conversation about language and communication outcomes for their children who have hearing differences. The answer is always, “It depends…” You see there is no ONE WAY to learn communication for ANY child. The same is true for children with hearing differences.
Learning to communicate through a formal language system takes time. It takes hard work. It takes intentional, focused effort. For some families, this process comes naturally. For others, this process requires more effort.
I am so thankful for the colleagues in our field that help families understand everything they need to know for making communication outcomes decisions for their children.
Check out two of my favorite programs:
BEGINNINGS
This program was established to provide emotional support and access to information as a central resource for families with deaf or hard of hearing children, age birth through 21. BEGINNINGS provides an impartial approach to meeting the diverse needs of these families and the professionals who serve them. These services are also available to deaf parents who have hearing children. The mission of BEGINNINGS is to inform and empower parents as they make decisions about their child. In addition, BEGINNINGS is committed to providing technical assistance to professionals who work with these families to help the children achieve full participation in society. You can find them at http://ncbegin.org
Hands & Voices
This program is a non-profit, parent-driven organization dedicated to supporting families of children who are deaf or hard of hearing. They are non-biased about communication methodologies and believe that families can make the best choices for their child if they have access to good information and support. Check them out at http://www.handsandvoices.org and find a local chapter in your area!
Do you have a program that you know about that helps support families in making informed decisions about communication outcomes for their children? Tell us about them!! We would love to hear from you.
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