2024 Early Hearing Detection & Intervention Conference
March 17-19, 2024 • Denver, CO
3/18/2024 | 3:10 PM - 3:35 PM | Words Matter: The impact of the words we choose | Capitol 5
Words Matter: The impact of the words we choose
“Words convey tremendous power” (Aguilar, 2020, p. 93). Cultural and social perspectives impact our word choices, in turn our word choices have an impact on others. When a family receives news that their child is identified as deaf or hard of hearing, they may experience a range of emotional reactions such as being overwhelmed, disbelief, shock, questioning, or confusion (Benedict, 2011; St. John et al., 2016). Who delivers the news and how they do so is a family’s first opportunity to understand the possibilities and expectations for their child (St. John et al., 2016). Terminology used by professionals may make a lasting impression on their child and the family’s understanding of what it means to be deaf.
“Terms like hearing loss, hearing impairment, and hearing level have different values or interpretations assigned to them depending on one’s cultural perspective” (JCIH, 2019b, p. 3). This presentation will outline current findings around the manner that families learn about their child’s identification as deaf or hard of hearing. Attendees will engage in a conversation about the words we use in conversation and in print. Participants will have the opportunity to think about their use of words related to being deaf and the impact word choices might have on parents’ perspectives on their child’s abilities. Participants will leave with strategies to examine terminology used in the EHDI community, tools to examine materials shared with community partners, and tips for next steps.
- Participants will identify words related to being deaf used within their community.
- Participants will analyze the impact word choices might have on parents’ perspective on their child’s abilities.
- Participants will take home strategies to evaluate the resources shared within their EHDI community.
Presentation:
3478265_16329EmilyWojahn Small.pdf
Handouts:
3478265_16329EmilyWojahn Small.pdf
Transcripts:
3478265_16329EmilyWojahn Small.docx
Presenters/Authors
Emily Wojahn Small
(Primary Presenter,Co-Presenter), Gallaudet University, emily.wojahn@gallaudet.edu;
Emily (Wojahn) Small, M.A, is a teacher of the deaf, with a focus on early intervention. She has experience teaching preschool and kindergarten in Hawaii and Colorado using a bilingual (ASL/English) approach and was a Colorado Regional Hearing Resource Coordinator (CO-HEAR) for the Colorado Home Intervention Program (CHIP). Emily recently became the EHDI program coordinator for DC. She has completed the Infants, Toddlers and Families (ITF) interdisciplinary certificate program at Gallaudet and is currently a second year PhD candidate there. Emily’s passions include helping families make informed decisions around communication with and education for their child and promoting a love of reading among all children.
ASHA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
No relevant financial relationship exists.
Nonfinancial -
No relevant nonfinancial relationship exists.
AAA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
No relevant financial relationship exists.
Nonfinancial -
No relevant nonfinancial relationship exists.
Nicole Hutchinson
(Co-Presenter), Maryland/DC Hands & Voices, nbhutchinson@gmail.com;
Nicole Hutchinson is a teacher of the deaf with a focus on early intervention. She has 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.
Nicole’s passion is family support programs for Deaf and hard of hearing (D/HH) children and their families. She is an advocate for early language access and providing unbiased information to families to support them as they make decisions for their D/HH child.
Nicole has worked with DHH infants, toddlers and their families for 15 years. She was formerly at The River School in Washington DC, where she coordinated the Parent-Infant Program for D/HH infants, toddlers & their families, and taught preschool for 12 years.
Nicole currently works at Kendall Demonstration Elementary School in Washington, DC in the Parent-Infant Program. She also serves as a board member of the Maryland/DC Hands & Voices chapter and volunteers with the Washington DC EHDI stakeholders group.
ASHA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
No relevant financial relationship exists.
Nonfinancial -
No relevant nonfinancial relationship exists.
AAA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
No relevant financial relationship exists.
Nonfinancial -
No relevant nonfinancial relationship exists.