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Language and Learning

If you are just starting the early intervention process, you probably have many questions. Here, you will find answers to the questions parents often ask about programs and services available to families of children who are deaf or hard of hearing.

Find resources to help you get started with education, support in your community, and other helpful links in these sections.

Main Goals of Early Intervention

Goal #1

The first goal is to guide and support the family in promoting the baby's early development. You will learn ways to encourage your child's language and communication skills through your everyday interactions and routines. Getting involved early can help prevent delays for the child down the road.

Goal #2

The second goal is to help families get the support they need. Each family is unique, and your family-infant teacher will help you to clarify what supports will be most helpful to you. Supports can be informal (e.g., visiting with a trusted friend, talking to another parent of a child who is deaf or hard of hearing). They can also be formal (e.g., attending a parent workshop; meeting with Deaf adults). Family supports aid in learning new skills and adjusting to being parents of a child who is deaf or hard of hearing.

Early Intervention Checklist

Questions	Actions
1. Do I think that my baby might need a hearing check?	Call my doctor now! Find an audiologist familiar with testing babies. Share this resource with your physician.
2. Have I been told that my baby is deaf or hard of hearing?	Call my school district and ask for services. If you are having difficulty locating resources in the public school, talk with your audiologist or physician about other community programs. Ask to meet with another parent, if you feel that would be helpful at this time.
3. Are new people being added to my baby's intervention team?	Find out who they are from the services coordinator and write down their names, phone numbers, addresses, and e-mail addresses.
4. Is my family beginning to talk about goals for the baby and for us?	Write them down and share them with the family-infant teacher.
5. Am I beginning to notice so many little kinds of progress that I forget them by the end of the day?	Start a diary and write just a few words about each one.
6. Have I found a pediatrician, an Ear, Nose and Throat doctor and an audiologist who really understand my baby and listens to me?	Keep up the relationship. Organize records that tell me about my child. Keep a record of appointments and what the appointment was for. Bring written questions that you may have for them. You may find a question-prompt list helpful. Keep a notebook containing all of your child's records: medical, educational, and therapy sessions.
7. Have I found support for my family and myself?	Families often find contact with other families who have children who are deaf or hard of hearing especially helpful. Ask your family-infant teacher about supports like this.
8. Do I have a support contact list of: professionals that my baby is seeing? organizations (local & national) that can provide help & resources? parent support groups/individual parents in my area that can provide me & my family support? adults who are deaf or hard of hearing who can offer support?	Develop these lists with support from the family-infant teacher and your services coordinator. Keep a notebook of all these important contacts.

For more information visit: http://www.handsandvoices.org/fl3/resources/8reasons-ehdi.html