2023 Early Hearing Detection & Intervention Conference
March 5-7, 2023 • Cincinnati, OH
4/15/2014 | 1:45 PM - 2:15 PM | For Better or Worse: Could Having a Deaf/Hard of Hearing Child Enhance the Parental Relationship? | City Terrace 7 | 7
For Better or Worse: Could Having a Deaf/Hard of Hearing Child Enhance the Parental Relationship?
Ninety-five percent of all DHH babies are born into hearing families. While early identification is ideal, it also occurs at a time when parents are at the height of all that comes with a newborn. Families with no prior experience or perspective with hearing loss or deafness are challenged with stresses and issues unimagined prior to their child's identification. Parents come to grips with the news from different perspectives and expectations. As the family moves ahead, they will need new tools, information and perspectives as they navigate a world of diagnosis, prognosis, communication, specialists, and technologies and for some families, financial difficulties. The stresses of these factors can become stresses in the family and between the parents.
The session will ask if and how it would be possible for early intervention to positively or negatively impact the parent’s relationship? Participants in this session will take time to share strategies and ways that they have gently asked questions and provided support to families when the relationship between parents may be perceived as strained.
This presentation aims to support families and parents as they dive into their new and unexpected normal. Through personal and anecdotal evidence the presenters aim to bring the parents and providers new tools and perspectives to better equip them in their lives together.
- have more understanding of the stress having a deaf/hh child can have on the parental relationship.
- identify some tools parents and EI providers can use to alleviate stress in a relationship.
Presentation:
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Handouts:
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Transcripts:
CART transcripts are NOT YET available, but will be posted shortly after the conference
Presenters/Authors
Helen Cotton Leiser
(Primary Presenter,Co-Presenter), Hands & Voices, helen@handsandvoicesor.org;
Helen is the parent of two deaf children. Through her years advocating for her girls and using technology, she has become quite versed on the realities of being a hearing parent raising two deaf children. In her role with Hands & Voices in Oregon and with HQ, she has had the privilege of speaking with, and learning from hundreds of families and professionals across the country. Providing the resources for our deaf and hard of children to achieve their personal successes is paramount to Helen.
ASHA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
Nonfinancial -
Stephanie Olson
(Co-Presenter), Hands & Voices, Headquarters, stephanie@handsandvoices.org;
Stephanie Olson currently works as the Co-Director of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Infusion with Hands & Voices Headquarters and is the Family Consultant at Children’s Hospital Colorado. She previously worked for the Colorado Home Intervention Program as a family facilitator. During 2009, she was part of a team from Children’s Hospital Colorado that traveled to London, South Africa, Brazil and New Zealand and presented on best practices in supporting families. Stephanie has presented at the International Family-Centered Early Intervention (FCEI) Austria, in 2012, 2014,2016, and 2018. She participated in the U.S. and Russian cultural exchange in 2015 and 2016 with Hands & Voices to increase the understanding and impact of Deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals in the parenting journey and professionals who work with those families.
ASHA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
No relevant financial relationship exist.
Nonfinancial -
No relevant nonfinancial relationship exist.