2024 Early Hearing Detection & Intervention Conference
March 17-19, 2024 • Denver, CO
3/19/2024 | 10:10 AM - 10:35 AM | North Carolina’s Homegrown Parent-to-Parent Support Programs | Mineral Hall D/E
North Carolina’s Homegrown Parent-to-Parent Support Programs
According to the Family Leadership in Language and Learning (FL3) national family needs assessment survey and a NC statewide family support survey conducted in 2018, families with children who are deaf or hard of hearing (DHH) report that the most valuable source of support comes from families with a shared experience of having a DHH child. Fostering parent-to-parent support is a priority area for NC-EHDI. In 2002, two parents that had a newly identified child with hearing loss met in a doctor’s office and having that contact with another parent going through a similar experience, was the beginning of the first HITCH-UP parent-to-parent support group in central North Carolina. Since that time, new HITCH-UP groups and a couple of spin-off groups, Real COHL and Triunfa Caracol Latino have been started in both English and Spanish across the state. Each group is unique, but all have the same goals of offering mutual support, educational opportunities, social events, and learning from each other how to advocate effectively for their children. These support groups welcome all families with DHH children, regardless of their chosen mode of communication. This panel presentation will share the history and evolution of HITCH-UP and the spin-off support groups, the different personalities and formats the groups have taken, the challenges of creating and sustaining a homegrown parent-to-parent support group, collaboration with the EHDI Program, the future of NC Parent-to-parent support groups and the many successful events and activities offered by these groups that were created by parents for parents.
- Participants will be able to discuss the importance of parent-to-parent support for families of children who are deaf or hard of hearing (DHH).
- Participants will be able to describe challenges to running a homegrown parent-to-parent support program.
- Participants will be able to describe some of the events and activities that the parent-to-parent support program has found helpful in supporting families.
Presentation:
3478265_16354JudeWilliams.pdf
Handouts:
Handout is not Available
Transcripts:
CART transcripts are NOT YET available, but will be posted shortly after the conference
Presenters/Authors
Marcia Fort
(Primary Presenter,Co-Presenter,Co-Author), NC DHHS, marcia.fort@dhhs.nc.gov;
Dr. Fort is the Genetics and Newborn Screening Unit Manager in the Whole Child Health Section of the North Carolina Division of Child and Family Well-Being and serves as the NC EHDI Coordinator. Marcia has worked with the NC EHDI program since 2002. Dr. Fort has 32 years of experience as a pediatric audiologist in hospital, private practice, ENT office and public school settings.
ASHA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
No relevant financial relationship exists.
Nonfinancial -
No relevant nonfinancial relationship exists.
AAA DISCLOSURE:
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No relevant financial relationship exists.
Nonfinancial -
No relevant nonfinancial relationship exists.
Jude Williams
(Author), NC Division of Child and Family Well-Being, Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Program, jude.williams@dhhs.nc.gov;
Jude has worked with the NC-EHDI Program for 13.5 years. Jude has her BS in Biology and MPH in Health Behavior/Health Education.
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.
Keila Armas-Velasquez
(Co-Presenter,Co-Author), NC DHHS, Keila.armasvelasquez@dhhs.nc.gov;
Keila Armas-Velasquez is originally from Guatemala and is the mother of a deaf/hard of hearing son. She works as the Hispanic Parent Consultant for the North Carolina Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Program.
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.
Alaine Jacobs
(Co-Presenter), NC DCFW EHDI Program, alaine.munn07@gmail.com;
Alaine Jacobs is a mom of 3 children, a wife, and an entrepreneur. Two of her three kids were born Deaf and wear cochlear implants. Alaine has been working for over a year with her local parent support group to support parents of deaf/ hard of hearing children in central North Carolina. Additionally Alaine provides support to parents of deaf/ hard of hearing children worldwide through her podcast Raising Deaf Kids. Alaine loves supporting and coaching parents to help their children thrive! In her free time Alaine likes to travel with her husband and go hiking with her family.
ASHA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
No relevant financial relationship exists.
Nonfinancial -
No relevant nonfinancial relationship exists.
AAA DISCLOSURE:
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Financial relationship with .
Nature: .
Nonfinancial -
Non-Financial relationship with .
Nature: .
Leslie Rhodes
(Co-Presenter), NC DHHS Division of Child and Family Well-Being Parent Partner, llt629@gmail.com;
Leslie is a proud mother of twins, and her journey as a parent took an extraordinary turn when one of her twins was born with severe to profound hearing loss. This experience ignited her passion for advocacy, leading her to champion the cause of families navigating the challenges of children with severe to profound hearing loss.
Armed with a degree in Business Administration from Meredith College, she brings a strategic and compassionate approach to advocacy. Leslie's goal is to create a supportive community for families facing similar journeys, fostering understanding, and empowering them with resources.
Outside of her advocacy role, she finds solace in the great outdoors. She and her husband, along with their twins and fur baby, embark on camping adventures, creating cherished moments, and strengthening family bonds.
Join her in the pursuit of a more inclusive and supportive world, where the unique stories of each family, especially those with hearing-impaired children, are celebrated and embraced.
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.