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Maine’s Family Centered Exploration of Communication

Opportunities

Karen Hopkins M.Ed Kristen Shorey M.Ed

Pam Lovejoy MA

Maine Educational Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing

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Learning Objectives

● Participants will be able to explain the process of presenting an overview of and in depth information on the continuum of communication opportunities available to families of children who are deaf or hard of hearing.

● Participants will be able to identify the value in providing unbiased and complete information and the continuum of opportunities early in the intervention process.

● Participants will be able to explain how to use ongoing language

assessments to evaluate progress and to review families’ knowledge base of communication opportunities through a semiannual communication plan.

Maine Educational Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing

MECDHH is the state deaf education agency that provides early intervention through Grade 12 programming for deaf and hard of hearing children throughout Maine.

Early Childhood and Family Services

Provides information, support, and resources statewide to any child 0-5 who is deaf or hard of hearing and their family

• Early Intervention

• Daycare and Preschool Consultation, Direct Service, and Coaching

• Transition support ~

Early Intervention to Part B

Preschool to Kindergarten

Highly qualified supportive team of early intervention professionals

◦ Early Childhood Deaf Educators ◦ Teachers of the Deaf

ASL Trained Orally Trained

◦ Speech Language Pathologists ◦ ASLTA professionals ◦ Deaf Mentors ◦ Special Educators ◦ Cued Language Providers ◦ Educational Audiologist ◦ Deaf/Hearing Team

Memorandum of Understanding with Maine’s Part C

Collaborative Approach to Early Intervention

All children who are deaf or hard of hearing will have a full team of early interventionists supporting their family:

• Teacher of the Deaf

• Infant Mental Health Specialist

• Occupational Therapist

• Physical Therapist

• Service Coordinator

• Social Worker

• Special Educator

• Speech Language Pathologist

Early Intervention in Maine

Maine utilizes a blend of the Primary Service Provider/Coaching (Shelden & Rush, 2001) and Routines-Based Early Intervention (McWilliam, 2010) models.

“To develop one family-centered communication

opportunities exploration process for families who have deaf or hard of hearing children throughout Maine.”

Purpose

Routines

9

ASL

Communication Opportunities

Listening and Spoken Language

Deaf

Cued Language

LSL

Therapy

Early Intervention

choices appointments

Sign

IFSP

Home Visits

Cochlear Implants

Hard of Hearing

Deaf Culture

therapy

routines

outcomes audiologist

Deaf Mentor

American Sign Language

Options IEP

Visual strategies

Auditory strategies

Deaf Culture

Sign Support

appointments

LSLS

Schools for the Deaf

Oral

Auditory Verbal

VIsual

assessments

evaluations appointments

ABR

OAE

goals resources

Deaf FAMILY

Process

Expectations

Feelings

Opinions

Information

Dialogue Respect

Rapport Trust

Collaboration Decisions

Moeller, Brown

6 Visit Process

After intake, evaluations, and the initial IFSP, families begin their process with an early interventionist who supports the family through the initial exploration of communication opportunities while honoring the early bonding process of families with their babies.

6 Visit Process

Early Visits 1-3: Relationships and What do you know, what do you want to know?

•Early interactions

•Audiological testing

•Anatomy, types of hearing loss and hearing levels

•Language and early communication strategies

•Overview of all communication opportunities

•Variety of available resources

•Overview of hearing assistive technology (i.e. hearing aids, cochlear implants, bone anchored devices)

•Maine Hands and Voices, Guide by Your Side and Deaf Role Models

6 Visit Process, Continued

Next Visits 4-6 ~ Depth…

•Demonstrate, compare and contrast communication opportunities family has expressed interest in exploring

•Variety of professionals specific to each communication opportunity

•Joint visits or consultation with professionals for more in depth information

•Child specific hearing assistive technology and equipment management

•Child specific resources regarding hearing levels

•Review outcomes and complete the communication plan

Our Process Document

MECDHH Webinars

http://www.mecdhh.org/resources/webinars/webinar-archive-list/

Earliest Interactions

Webs

Consistency of Delivery

Joint Visits

As families look deeper into various communication opportunities, we bring in specialists to explain from their perspective. This provides families the opportunity to journey through different options and explore.

Team of Providers

Reflecting Together

It is important to allow time for families to explore...reflect...change...question…

Empathic Responses

•Reflecting back ~ It sounds as if …

•Extending, clarifying ~ Tell me more.

•Questioning open ended ~ What did you think?

•Summarizing, synthesizing ~ It appears that …

Empathic Responses ~ continued

•Checking perception ~ You seem to be…

•Acknowledging ~ I can appreciate that.

•Encouraging expression ~ How did you feel?

•Being quiet

Listening and Talking, E. Cole, 1992 A.G.Bell

Communication Plan

• Reviews everything discussed in the past 6 sessions

• Ensures families have all options presented to them

• Leads to chosen Primary Service Provider

• Leads to Family Training Opportunities

• Accountability of early interventionist

• Family writes in their own handwriting

• Review child’s language progress and current plan

• Renew communication plan based on assessment data and parent choice

Communication Worksheet and Plan

Assessments

National Early Childhood Assessment Project (NECAP) Language Assessment •Provides state data on language development for children who are Deaf or hard of hearing

•Will share findings and use assessments in conjunction with the PSP to support the families outcomes

MEISR (Measure of Engagement, Independence and Social Relationships)

SKI-HI Language Development Scale

Promoting Strengths

Listen ~ Don’t tell

Think with them ~ Not for them

Give information ~ Don’t insist they use it

Develop options ~ Not ultimatums

Promoting Strengths ~ continued

Look for the positive ~ Not the negative

Don’t say “you’re wrong” ~ Determine why they feel they are right

Congratulate their success ~ Don’t ask for applause

Follow their agenda ~ Not yours

PJ McWilliam, 1996

A final thought from a parent...

“What we really want, really need as parents, is opportunities to contact other families with deaf children, help in making regular contact with adults who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing, information that is accurate, honest, unbiased and fair, and then the emotional support to make decisions…..”

Thank You!

Karen Hopkins, M.Ed Director of Early Childhood Education and Family Services Karen.hopkins@mecdhh.org (207) 781-6335 Kristen Shorey, M.Ed Early Childhood Consultant kristen.shorey@mecdhh.org (207) 852-1653 Pam Lovejoy, MA Early Childhood Consultant pam.lovejoy@mecdhh.org (207) 756-0089