| Description |
An estimated 40-60 percent of children who are DHH have additional health challenges outside of their hearing. Families of these Deaf+ children require a different approach in order to be effectively engaged in their child’s education. Despite the challenge Deaf+ families face, families want to be involved, and student outcomes improve when they are.
This presentation, from the first-hand, dual perspective of a parent and educator, outlines a variety of ways that teachers and programs can engage with families of Deaf+ children and promote positive working relationships between school and home, including:
-Minimizing barriers: Schools can often unknowingly establish and perpetuate barriers to Deaf+ families’ full participation and inclusion in the educational environment. Various physical and metaphorical barriers will be identified with strategies to minimize or overcome them.
-Collaborative communication: Teachers often have a communication system in place, but they may find that they get little communication in return. Various strategies will be highlighted to optimize two-way communication, so teachers don’t just feel like they are communicating at parents, but communicating with them.
-Establishing and maintaining connection: Having a Deaf+ child requires parents to allow people into their children’s lives at a heightened level. Whether you realize it or not, you are more than just the teacher/administrator/provider to many Deaf+ families. Strategies will be proposed that will promote a connection between the educator and family while still allowing the educator to maintain boundaries and avoid overwhelm.
As a result of this presentation,
-Participants will reflect on ways their current practices might create unintentional barriers and consider ways to minimize them.
-Participants will identify at least one strategy they can implement this year that can promote strong communication with rather than at the families they work with.
-Participants will determine ways to connect with families in a way that honors their own self-care and boundaries.
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