Transcript Viewing Early Intervention From Both Sides Of The Looking Glass

Viewing Early Intervention From Both
Sides Of The Looking Glass
The Value of Involving Deaf/Hard of Hearing
and Hearing Professionals
Jodee Crace, M. A. 1
Paula Pittman, Ph.D. 2
Indiana School for the Deaf 1
Indianapolis, IN
SKI-HI Institute 2
Logan, UT
Faculty Disclosure
In the past 12 months we have not had a
significant financial interest or other relationship
with the manufacturer of the product or
provider of the services that will be discussed in
our presentation.
This presentation will not include discussion of
pharmaceuticals or devices that have not been
approved by the FDA.
A Random Telephone Poll of 22 Early
Intervention Programs Reported:
• None of the Programs were Administered by Deaf or
Hard of Hearing Adults
• Four Programs had Deaf or Hard of Hearing Adults
Employed in Part or Full Time Positions
• Ten Programs Felt They Make Concerted Efforts to
Involve Deaf or Hard of Hearing Adults in Their
Programming
• All Pointed to the Lack of Funds or the Lack of
Qualified Professionals for the Limited or Absence of
Involvement of Deaf and/or Hard of Hearing Adults
• A Concern About Hiring Deaf or Hard of Hearing
Adults Who Would Negatively Influence Hearing
Parents was Expressed by 12 Respondents
Although Seldom Practiced,
Is There Value in Having
Deaf/Hard of Hearing
Professionals Involved in
Early Childhood Education?
Value of Deaf Adults
• Hintermair (2000) interviewed 317 parents and found
that those who reported having contact with deaf
adults also reported less depression, less isolation,
and increased interactional responsivity to their child.
Unfortunately, only 9.5 % of parents had frequent
contact with Deaf or HoH adults.
• In a study conducted by Watkins, Pittman, and
Walden (1998), parents who received services from a
Deaf Mentor reported less frustrations in
communicating and interacting with their child,
knowing and using six times as many signs with their
child than parents in the control group that did not
have access to Deaf adults on a regular basis.
Comment From a Teacher of the Deaf and
Hard of Hearing
“I can tell immediately when a preschooler comes
into my classroom if they and his/her family have
had the benefit of both a hearing Parent Advisor
and a Deaf Mentor because they walk in with
language, positive self esteem, value, and
attitude. The combination of a Deaf and Hearing
professional working together in partnership with
a hearing family creates a tangible
result…children who know who they are and
who have the language to express it and
families who accept their child and effectively
communicate with their child.”
Although Valuable, Creating
Effective Partnerships
Between Hearing and Deaf
and/or Hard of Hearing
Professionals Isn’t Always
Easy
“The meaning of two
personalities is like the
contact of two chemical
substances; if there is any
reaction, both are
transformed.”
Carl Jung
Gonzalez-Mena (2005) Points to Four
Characteristics That Lead to
Honoring Differences:
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Perceiving and Responding to Differences
Communicating Effectively Across Cultures
Working with Diversity Issues
Creating a Framework for Understanding
Differences
Programs with Successful
Partnerships Among Diverse
Populations Display:
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Individualism and Collectivism
Independence and Interdependence
Communitarianism
Dualistic or Holistic Thinking
Gonzalez-Mena, 2005
To Succeed, Programs Will Need to
Move From:
• Paternalism to Partnership
• Pathological Philosophy to Humanistic
Philosophy
• Homogenized to Culturally Diverse
• Monolingualism to Bilingualism
• Simple Access to Quality Access
Faith is taking the first step even
when you don’t see the whole
staircase.
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Survey Respondents:
5 Deaf
3 Teachers, 1 School Psychologist, 1 School
Social Worker
20 Hearing
5 Audiologists, 1 Developmental Educator, 2
Nursing Consultants, 1 Parent Advisor, 1 Parent
of Oral Deaf Adult, 1 Family Resource
Coordinator, 1 Interpreter Coordinator, 1 SLP, 3
Teachers, 2 Secretaries, 1 OT, 1 Communication
Teacher
Survey Findings:
Important Traits (Actions or Behaviors)
for Partnering/Collaborating:
Deaf Responses + Hearing Responses
Deaf Responses:
• Meet with Each Other
Often
• Role Modeling
Development
• Genuine Interest
• Open Mind
• Commitment
• Clear Understanding of
Diversity (Culture and
Language)
• “Win-Win”
• Support/Encourager
• Willing to Take in
Opinions
• Mutual Respect
• Share Common
Goals/Values
• Cultural Sensitivity
• Immersion in Deaf
Person’s Lives
Hearing Responses:
• Openness
• Ongoing Dialogue
• Agreement on
Communication Plan
• Respect Differing Opinions
• Human Relation Skills
• Value the Person’s Strengths
• Appreciation for All Aspects
of Human Development
• “Win-Win”
• Respect for Deaf Person’s
Identity
• Cultural Sensitivity
• Don’t Take Things
Personally
• Make Time to Plan
• Agree on “Roles”
• Equals
• Genuine Effort in Making
Relationship Work
• Desire for Self
Improvement
Comment From A Hearing Early
Interventionist Who Partners with a
Deaf Adult
“Diane makes my job so much easier because she
answers the questions that I cannot even begin
to answer…questions about living life as a Deaf
person, about living in the Deaf and Hearing
Worlds, about growing up Deaf in a Hearing
Family. I can describe an audiogram, and I can
help families develop their child’s residual
hearing and stimulate language, but I can’t
describe what it’s like to be Deaf.”
Survey Findings:
Challenges that Created a Breakdown in
Developing Partnerships:
Deaf Responses + Hearing Responses
Deaf Responses:
• Expectation of
“Normalizing” Deaf Child
• Conflicting Expectations
• Majority vs Minority
Attitude
• Misinformation/Bias
• Unbalanced Sharing
• Role Modeling Burn Out
• Not Enough Deaf
Professionals
• Unhealthy Experiences in
Relating with Other People
• Elitism Attitude
• Medical Beliefs not
Correlated with
Education/Social Model
• Lack of Cultural
Understanding
• Lack of Language Skills
• Oppression
Hearing Responses:
• Dominating
• Intellectualism
• Not Seeking Deaf Inputs
or Involvement
• Poor Viewpoints
• Lack of Understanding (or
Experiences) in Culture,
Deaf Life, Language,
Learning, Diversity
• Content with Status Quo
• Lack of Deaf Professionals
• Disability (Need to Fix) Ability (Whole Child)
• Deaf People Carry
Baggage and Impose on
“Innocent” Hearing People
• Hearing Society is the Way
of Life/Normalization
• Poor Achievement Results
by Deaf
Comment From a Hard of Hearing Adult
Who Partners with a Hearing Adult
“I work with hearing parents who are interested in
learning about and understanding the world of Deaf
and Hard of Hearing people, our adaptations, our
challenges, our successes. But they also want to know
about issues that are best explained by a hearing
professional in deaf education because they deal with
Hearing values and Hearing culture. I am a Hard of
Hearing adult, not a professional in the field of deaf
education. I can share my life. Mary shares
information related to the many complexities of
deafness and deaf education. Parents need both!”
Survey Findings:
Open Comments:
Deaf Responses +
Hearing Responses
Hearing Responses
• Flexibility by Both
• Uniqueness as Personal
Growth
• Confidence as an
Individual; then
Confidence as a Partner
• Very Empowering
Experience
• Wonderful “SelfDiscovery”
• Identity Clarification
• “Ego” Aside and be
Empathetic
• Reversing the Statistics
• Upgrading Expectations
• Relying on Deaf Person’s
Experiences
• Journey
“The real voyage of discovery
consists not of seeking new
lands, but seeing with new
eyes”.
Marcel Proust
Many Programs Are
Making it Work….How?
Successful Partnering Resources
Friends for Young Deaf People (FYD)
* Deaf People Take the Lead in Shared Responsibility
* Positive Role Models
* Deaf and Hearing People Share in Activities which
Promote Effective Communication and SelfConfidence
* Deaf and Hearing People Train Together to Develop a
Variety of Personal, Leadership, and Work Skills
* Deaf People Overcome Disadvantage by Developing
Skills and Hearing People Become More Aware so
that Both Can Become Equal Partners with Equal
Opportunities
Successful Partnering Resources:
Bi-Bi Education – Indiana School
for the Deaf
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Long-Term Group Process (ongoing
dialogues)
Shared Responsibility, Shared Teamwork
Shared Vision, Shared Resources
Trainings in Cultural Sensitivity and
Communicaiton/Language (American Sign
Language and English)
Educational and Experimental
Discussions/Opportunities on Healthy
Empowerment
Successful Partnering Resources: Deaf
Mentor Project – SKI-HI Institute
• Hearing and Deaf Professionals Have Different but
Equal Roles
• Joint Visits Conducted on a Regular Basis
• Equal Value Given to ASL and English
• Regular Contact Between Professionals, Initiated
Equally
• Inservice Workshops Conducted Regularly with Highly
Skilled Interpreters – Hearing and Deaf Culture
• ASL Classes Offered at No Cost to Hearing
Professionals with Incentives for Improving SCPI
Scores
• Opportunities for Having Fun in Social Situations
Strategies For Creating Effective
Deaf/Hearing Partnerships
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Equality is Essential
Training, Training, Training
Roles Must be Clear and Comfortable
Create a Safe Environment Where
Communication can be Open and Honest
• Provide Opportunities for Professionals to
Learn about One Another’s
History/Background
Strategies For Creating Effective
Deaf/Hearing Partnerships, Cont.
• Provide Opportunities for Everyone to Learn about
Deaf and Hearing Culture
• Listen to One Another and Be Willing to Change
Ideas/Approaches
• Encourage Regular and Ongoing Communication
• Provide ASL Classes and Incentives for Improving
ASL Skills
• Provide Quality Inservice Training to Hearing and
Deaf/Hard of Hearing Adults to Ensure Effective
Partnering
Comment From a Hearing Parent
“Our Parent Advisor taught us about audiograms and
hearing aids, how to encourage our daughter’s
hearing ability and her opportunities to learn
language, and how to effectively use English with
her. Our Deaf Mentor took away our fear of what
our daughter’s life might be like, guided us into the
Deaf world, helped us understand Deaf culture,
taught us to effectively use ASL, and gave us insight
into our daughter’s life that helped us appreciate,
love, and accept her as a deaf person. We would
have been cheated if we hadn’t had the benefits of
both of these wonderful people in our lives.”