2024 Early Hearing Detection & Intervention Conference
March 17-19, 2024 • Denver, CO
3/19/2024 | 11:00 AM - 11:25 AM | Supporting Family Relationships with Deaf Children: The Deaf Connections Program | Mineral A
Supporting Family Relationships with Deaf Children: The Deaf Connections Program
The Deaf Connections Program (DCP) is a new early intervention mentoring program for families of deaf and hard of hearing children offered by Willie Ross School for the Deaf. The program comprises deaf family mentor training grounded in restorative practice, family visits in the home and in community spaces regularly accessed by the family, and community events focused on connecting families to one another and to the deaf community. Mentors provide families with access to deaf community cultural wealth during visits guided by family questions, concerns, and needs. Close collaboration between the mentors and other EI providers on the family’s team capitalizes on the strengths and work of each team member and allows significant program individualization for each family.
This presentation will describe the development of the DCP and the pilot application of the program for families in Western Massachusetts. Impetus for program creation, program goals and guiding values, planning and creation of DCP training protocol, recruitment and training of pilot family mentors, and matching of pilot mentors and families will be discussed. Vignettes of mentor and family experiences in the DCP, as well as pre- and post-measures of each family attitude toward deafness, deaf culture, and their child’s experience and future will be presented. Finally, qualitative outcomes of the DCP pilot for families, mentors, and local communities will be described and avenues for further DCP implementation will be explored.
- Participants will be able to describe three benefits of the Deaf Connections Program for participating families of DHH children.
- Participants will be able to name two factors that contribute to development of a strengths-based family perspective on their deaf child’s experience.
- Participants will be able to describe three benefits of collaboration between deaf family mentors and other EI providers.
Presentation:
3478265_16292RhysMcGovern.pdf
Handouts:
Handout is not Available
Transcripts:
3478265_16292RhysMcGovern.docx
Presenters/Authors
Laurie Brown
(Co-Presenter), Willie Ross School for the Deaf, lbrown@wrsdeaf.org;
Laurie is a hearing program director and educator who has over 30 years teaching experience in schools for the deaf and public schools in New York, California, Connecticut and Massachusetts. As director of the outreach program for Willie Ross School for the Deaf, Laurie works to provide comprehensive educational support and early intervention services for students across Massachusetts and parts of Connecticut. Laurie is an enthusiastic advocate with a love for teaching and learning.
ASHA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
No relevant financial relationship exists.
Nonfinancial -
No relevant nonfinancial relationship exists.
AAA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
Financial relationship with Willie Ross School for the Deaf
EDHI Grant.
Nature: .
Nonfinancial -
No relevant nonfinancial relationship exists.
Rhys McGovern
(Primary Presenter,Author), Willie Ross School for the Deaf, rmcgovern@wrsdeaf.org;
Rhys is a hard of hearing, bilingual teacher and speech language pathologist who grew up in New England and has worked to improve deaf access and experience across the state of Massachusetts and internationally. Rhys completed a Masters of Science in Communication Sciences and Disorders at Emerson College in 2014, and has been supporting youth and families for over 15 years. A constant in Rhys’ personal and professional life is a love of learning and a love of teaching.
ASHA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
• Receives Grants for Employment,Other activities from EHDI Massachusetts.
• Receives Salary for Employment from Willie Ross School for the Deaf.
Nonfinancial -
No relevant nonfinancial relationship exists.
AAA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
Financial relationship with EHDI Massachusetts
Willie Ross School for the Deaf.
Nature: Grant recipients from EHDI Masssachusetts
Employees of Willie Ross School for the Deaf.
Nonfinancial -
No relevant nonfinancial relationship exists.