EARLY HEARING DETECTION AND INTERVENTION VIRTUAL CONFERENCE
MARCH 2-5, 2021

(Virtually the same conference, without elevators, airplane tickets, or hotel room keys)

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3/14/2022  |   10:05 AM - 10:30 AM   |  Lifelines: Supporting Parents and Caregivers of Children Newly Identified as D/HH   |  Room 8

Lifelines: Supporting Parents and Caregivers of Children Newly Identified as D/HH

Ask any parent of a D/HH child, What lifelines helped you through the start of your journey as a parent of a D/HH child?, and they will name individuals, groups, or orgs without skipping a beat. Lifeline relationships offer guidance and support when it is needed the most - from the moment of identification to the start of intervention - and eventually help families to embrace the joy of raising a DHH child. In this interactive presentation, participants will map, unpack, and explore the lifelines that help caregivers and their D/HH children from the moment of identification through the early stages of their journey. Whether participants are parents or service providers, everyone can think of themselves as both having lifelines and being someone’s lifeline, too. Spotlighting these lifeline relationships pulls back the curtain on parents’ and service providers' powerful and interconnected stories, and how sharing these stories can become a critical resource for families whose children are newly identified. Participants will learn about an anthology (in progress) that addresses the timeless questions, challenges, and concerns of families from the moment their child is identified as D/HH. This anthology combines parents’ first-hand experiences of finding answers to their questions with best practices outlined by a multidisciplinary field of experts to produce a resource for parents in need of compassion as well as professionals in a position to offer compassionate care.

  • To map and identify the lifelines at the start of your journey as either a parent, caregiver, or service provider of a D/HH child
  • To imagine how the story of these lifelines can support other parents, caregivers, and service providers of D/HH children at the start of their journey
  • To learn about a resource in development that captures these stories and how to get involved

Presentation:
This presentation has not yet been uploaded.

Handouts:
Handout is not Available

Transcripts:
CART transcripts are NOT YET available, but will be posted shortly after the conference


Presenters/Authors

Amy Szarkowski (Virtual), Children's Center for Communication/Beverly School for the Deaf, Amy.Szarkowski@childrens.harvard.edu;
Amy Szarkowski, PhD, is the Director of The Institute and The Clinic at the Children's Center for Communication/ Beverly School for the Deaf (CCCBSD), and faculty for LEND (Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and related Disabilities), at Boston Children's Hospital. Dr. Szarkowski holds an academic appointment as Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. She is also an adjunct instructor for the Infants, Toddlers and Families (ITF) Interdisciplinary program at Gallaudet University.


ASHA DISCLOSURE:

Financial -
No relevant financial relationship exist.

Nonfinancial -
• Has a Professional (Research Committee Co-Chair) relationship for Volunteer membership on advisory committee or review panels.
• Has a Professional (Advisory Board) relationship for Volunteer membership on advisory committee or review panels.

Nicole Hutchinson (), The River School, nhutchinson@riverschool.net;
Nicole Hutchinson holds a BA in Linguistics: American Sign Language from the University of California, San Diego and a MA in Deaf Education: Family-Centered Early Education from Gallaudet University. She holds teaching licenses in Deaf Education, Early Childhood Education, and Early Childhood Special Education. At The River School, Nicole coordinates the Parent-Infant Program for deaf and hard of hearing infants, toddlers and their families and teaches in a preschool classroom. Outside of The River School, she is co-chair of the Early Intervention Committee for the DC Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Advisory Board


ASHA DISCLOSURE:

Financial -

Nonfinancial -

Christiane Connors (InPerson), NA, christianeconnors@gmail.com;
Christiane Connors, Ed.D., is an educator, researcher, and school administrator with a longstanding commitment to social justice curriculum and instruction. She is also the parent of a Deaf and Hard of Hearing (D/HH) child. Christiane is working to strengthen support for parents of D/HH children at the very start of their journey by spotlighting the lifeline relationships between parents’ and service providers, and collecting their stories in an anthology for families with newly identified D/HH children. She was born and raised in Hawaii and lives in Washington, DC. She holds an Ed.D. in Curriculum and Instruction from George Washington University, a M.A. in Anthropology and Development from University of Sussex in England, and a B.A. from Georgetown University.


ASHA DISCLOSURE:

Financial -

Nonfinancial -