EARLY HEARING DETECTION AND INTERVENTION VIRTUAL CONFERENCE
MARCH 2-5, 2021
(Virtually the same conference, without elevators, airplane tickets, or hotel room keys)
3/15/2022 | 2:30 PM - 3:00 PM | What about me? Supporting the needs of siblings of children who are Deaf/Hard of Hearing | Room 8
What about me? Supporting the needs of siblings of children who are Deaf/Hard of Hearing
“Mommy, I want to have something special like Lily”. An innocent request of a hearing child reflecting on their sibling who is deaf or hard of hearing (D/HH). Does this sound familiar? Does it touch a raw spot? As parents we can get caught up in making appointments, checking on technology and facilitating language acquisition for our child who is D/HH. At times, we may unintentionally underestimate the emotional needs of our children with typical hearing. This session will discuss the range of feelings/needs siblings might have. Participants will also dive into why it is important to explain hearing loss to our hearing children and how to be intentional with our attention to siblings. Time will be spent discussing/sharing successful strategies for helping siblings feel included and “special” and how parent leaders can incorporate the needs of siblings into family support activities.
- Identify the unique needs of siblings.
- Identify ways to be intentional with our attention.
- Open discussion on sharing what's worked for other families.
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Presenters/Authors
Jessica Havard
(Virtual), CHILDREN'S REHABILITAION SERVICE, jessica.havard@rehab.alabama.gov;
Jessica serves as the Alabama state Parent Consultant for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. She has two children, Ethan and Lily. It is because of her struggles getting services for her daughter that brought her to serve as a Parent Consultant. After Lily’s diagnosis many choices had to be made regarding language and technology. And it seemed no matter what choice she made it wasn’t the “right” choice. This feeling of defeat is what gave Jessica the desire to make a positive difference for other parents by supporting them during a time when they may feel lost and alone.
In addition to the State Parent Consultant Specialist for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Jessica is the co-founder and co-director of the Alabama Hands & Voices chapter. An organization dedicated to supporting families of children who are Deaf/Hard of Hearing without bias towards communication and technology choices. Their motto is “What works for your child is what makes the choice right”.
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