EARLY HEARING DETECTION AND INTERVENTION VIRTUAL CONFERENCE
MARCH 2-5, 2021
(Virtually the same conference, without elevators, airplane tickets, or hotel room keys)
Family Resilience in Families with Young Children who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing
This presentation shares the results of a study of the perceptions of family resilience in seven families with young children who are deaf or hard of hearing who attended a retreat hosted by The Care Project. The Care Project provides support for families with children who are deaf or hard of hearing and assists families through the grieving process to a place of hope that they can effectively parent a child who has a hearing loss. Quantitative data was obtained using the Family Resilience Assessment Scale (FRAS), and qualitative data were obtained through semi-structured interviews with the parents. Statistical analysis of the FRAS scores will be presented, and attendees will have the opportunity to reflect on specific themes evident in the semi-structured interviews.
The FRAS scores were high for all parents. This indicates that parents in this study felt a substantial level of resilience. In their interviews, parents expressed that the concept of resilience was important for professionals to consider when providing services for families with children who are deaf or hard of hearing. The parents expressed they are resilient and have been able to meet the challenges they have been faced with. Families also disclosed that The Care Project “made a big difference.” They were excited to learn and to meet other parents with children who are deaf or hard of hearing and felt that the experience was “invaluable.”
The findings of this study affirm that family resilience is a rich and valuable topic when considering the experiences of families with young children who are deaf or hard of hearing. Thus, acknowledging and supporting the experiences of families with children who are deaf or hard of hearing as they adapt to the life-changing event of the diagnosis of hearing loss are central in creating collaborative early intervention partnerships.
- Define Resilience as defined by the researcher for this study
- Describe why resilience is an important concept to families with young children who are deaf or hard of hearing
- Discuss the implications of parent-to-parent support groups on families’ perceptions of their resilience
Poster:
23278_13525SarahAllen.pdf
Presenter: Sarah Allen
Dr. Sarah Allen is an assistant professor at UAMS. She graduated with her Au.D. from Texas Tech Health Sciences Center and with her Ph.D. from The University of North Carolina Greensboro. Her research interests include pediatric audiology, family advocacy, and professional issues.
ASHA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
No relevant financial relationship exist.
Nonfinancial -
No relevant nonfinancial relationship exist.
Mary V. Compton has been a speech-language pathologist and teacher of students who are deaf and hard of hearing for 40 years in Massachusetts, New Jersey, Virginia and North Carolina. Her publications encompass over 50 articles and online media. She has received 6 million dollars in federal funding for early intervention, teacher and interpreting personnel projects for deaf children, youth and their parents. Her professional service includes serving as president of College Educators: Deaf and Hard of Hearing and as a member of the inaugural National Leadership Consortium in Sensory Disabilities. In collaboration with colleagues from multiple professions, Dr. Compton has given over 75 presentations at national and international meetings. Her recent research focuses on interprofessional practice and interprofessional education in speech-language pathology and hearing loss habilitation and rehabilitation. She is currently a Research Associate in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders at the University of North Carolina Greensboro.
ASHA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
Nonfinancial -
Johnnie Sexton Au.D. has worked with children who are deaf and hard of hearing for 40+ years. With the passage of the Newborn Hearing Screening mandate in North Carolina, he designed the early intervention system for audiology in North Carolina. He has devoted his energy in the past 8 years to redefining counseling for families with children who have hearing challenges and the professionals who provide services for them. He owns a private practice specializing in educational audiology services and has established the nonprofit agency, The CARE Project, Inc., serving as Executive Director, for the advancement of family, professional and preprofessional training opportunities in counseling.
ASHA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
Nonfinancial -