Having a child with hearing loss is an experience people can only understand from having lived through it themselves. Parents of newly identified children can be overwhelmed at the idea of navigating this new world that they may have never realized existed. On top of that, they still must care for a newborn baby! It is important for families to connect with one another and share their experiences. Henderson, Johnson and Moodie (2014) suggest parents of children with hearing loss need to provide each other with empowerment (confidence and competence) by problem solving, engagement and decision-making within relationships with other parents who have been “in the trenches” raising a child who is deaf/hard of hearing.

The Washington DC metro area has a plethora of resources for families. We will be spotlighting a few of these resources over time so families can be aware of outlets that are available to them in order to understand they are not alone in their experiences.

Today’s Spotlight:  Hands & Voices

The DC/Maryland Chapter of Hands & Voices is a community resource for families of children who are deaf or hard of hearing, of all ages! Members include families who use either manual or oral communication (or both!), representing the variety of approaches to and experiences with hearing loss or deafness. Hands & Voices also has a program called Guide By Your Side which connects families with trained Parent Guides for parent support. Hands & Voices will be hosting a Donut Social this Sunday, September 30, 2018. It is open to DC, Maryland, and Virginia families. See the picture below for details.

References: 

Guide by Your Side. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.handsandvoices.org

Henderson, R., Johnson, A., & Moodie, S. (2014). Parent-to-Parent Support for Parents with Children who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing: A Conceptual Framework. American Journal of Audiology, (4):437-48.

Information about Hands & Voices. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.handsandvoices.org