BC Hands & Voices

Guide By Your Side Program Expands to Include Deaf Hard of Hearing Guides

Posted on August 28, 2016 by BC H&V

by Kim Shauer

My name is Kim Shauer and I’m a mom of two terrific daughters, Ashley (11) & Julia (8). Julia was born with a chromosomal condition, which began a journey I had never anticipated – into hearing loss and many other services for our family: see Julia’s Story. We thrived on parent-to-parent support in those early days (and still do!) so I was thrilled to become a Parent Guide with the Hands & Voices Guide By Your Side Program six years ago. This led into coordinating the Guide By Your Side Program’s parent guide support for parents whose babies are identified with hearing loss through the BC Early Hearing Program’s newborn hearing screening.

Guide By Your Side Parent Guides 2016

Catherine, Amy, Lisa, Simrit, Shannon, Terri, Sarah “Charlie”, Kim, Joy

I remember having a lot of questions in the early days. I wondered what it was like for my daughter to wear hearing aids and how she was going to be able to do certain things that I had taken for granted, being a hearing person myself. Early on, I had the opportunity to meet both Deaf and hard of hearing adults who made me feel hopeful about all of the things people who are deaf and hard of hearing can do (pretty much everything!). However, I wasn’t sure if could ask the personal questions I really wanted to ask: What was it like growing up with a hearing loss? How were you treated at school? What’s the best/worst thing for you about having a hearing loss?

It wasn’t until a few years later through my connections at Hands & Voices that I took the opportunity to ask some of these questions that remained inside me. Having those answered enhanced my knowledge and helped me feel less anxious and more hopeful. I realized how important it is for parents to be able to ask those questions safely and with permission right from the start. Fast forward to my recent involvement with the expansion of the Hands & Voices Guide By Your Side Program to include Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH) Guide role models on our team. I was so excited to promote opportunities for every parent to ask their questions sooner!

Addition of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Guides to Guide By Your Side May 2016

Jesse, Christy, Monique, Bowen

Guide By Your Side support from both Parent and DHH Guide role models is now offered to every family and is the first program of its kind offered in Canada.

There are families who express “I don’t feel ready yet” at first, and others who react with “Yes, give me every resource you have available!”, and we respect that families have different needs at different times. Most importantly, when parents do connect with a DHH Guide, they’ve told us it is positive and have said “I know my child will be okay” and “I was very happy with the support and really grateful”. One family recently commented “Thank you so much passing the request to the DHH Guide. I just received a very kind email from Christy today. Her tremendous experience must be an important asset to us.”

If you have any questions or feedback for our program, I can be reached at (604) 612-9193 or kshauer@cw.bc.ca.

A little history: BC Early Hearing Program Deaf and Hard of Hearing Advisory Group Recommendations

The expansion of the Hands and Voices Guide By Your Side Program took a few years to happen. In 2013, BCEHP established the BCEHP Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH) Advisory Group*. This group includes representatives from the three primary parent organizations for parents of deaf and hard of hearing children, as well as DHH individuals who represent a range of communication and language choices and who provide support to parents of school-age DHH children in their professional lives. After reviewing recommendations from other jurisdictions and other DHH role model programs, this group recommended the addition of DHH Guide role models to the BCEHP Hands and Voices Guide By Your Side Program.

A two phase approach was taken to achieve the goal of DHH infusion and ensure BCEHP’s program aligns with the Joint Committee on Infant Hearing (JCIH) and best practice as defined by International Consensus. Phase one was development of the video “Nice To Meet You,” which is available on PHSA Youtube and the BCEHP website. Implementation of phase two began in May 2016, when DHH Guides started “meeting” families alongside Parent Guides through our Guide By Your Side Program. BCEHP Service Coordinators now present the opportunity for Parent Guides and DHH Guide role models to contact parents in the early stages after learning their baby is deaf/hard of hearing. Guides initially introduce themselves to parents in pairs or as a team by email. Locally and in some communities outside of the Lower Mainland, there will also be opportunities to meet DHH Guide role models at family and workshop events. To stay informed about these and other opportunities, parents can sign up for our monthly email notification “Information for Families (Hands & Voices Guide By Your Side & BCEHP)” by emailing me at kshauer@cw.bc.ca.

*Note: The DHH Advisory is different from the Sign Language Advisory, who developed the standards for sign language instruction with families with infants. BCEHP funds the first two years of sign language instruction, after that MCFD funding is used. Please contact your Service Coordinator with BCEHP or your early intervention provider if you are looking for sign language instruction for your family.

The nitty gritty: support and research for families to have Deaf and Hard of Hearing Role Models

Joint Committee on Infant Hearing (JCIH) Position Statement 2013:
- Goal 11: All Children who are Deaf/HH and their families should have access to support, mentorship, and guidance from individuals who are Deaf/HH.
Best Practices for Family Centered Early Intervention for Children who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing: An International Consensus Statement (Journal of Deaf Education and Deaf Studies 2013)
- Best Practice Principle 4: Families are connected to support systems so they can accrue the necessary knowledge and experiences that can enable them to function effectively on behalf of their deaf/hh children.
- In addition to support from qualified professionals, FCEI recommends parent to parent support and support from Deaf and Hard of Hearing individuals.
Research by Dr. Alys Young (Univ. of Manchester), evaluating outcomes from U.K. Deaf Role Model Program. Benefits to parents included:
- Parents felt reassured, more positive about their child’s deafness and more confident about the future.
- Parents felt they were better able to see the potential of their child.
- Parents could ask “curious” questions that they had not been able to ask of professionals.
National Centre for Hearing Assessment and Management (NCHAM serves at the (U.S.) National Resource Centre for the implementation and improvement of comprehensive and effective EHDI systems.) NCHAM e book (2014) A Resource Guide for Early Hearing Detection and Intervention, Chapter 10 by Dr. Marilyn Sass-Lehrer.
- “Deaf and hard of hearing adults provide an important source of support that can strengthen the family’s sense of well-being and the child’s social-emotional development (Hintermair, 2000, 2006 Meadow-Orlans et al., 2003.”
- “Families who have had regular interactions with deaf or hard of hearing adults demonstrate better communication with their children and a more realistic understanding of what it means to be deaf or hard of hearing than those who have not.”

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Experiences Traveling with a Deaf Child

Posted on July 28, 2016 by BC H&V

By Joy Santos

Traveling was a huge part of my childhood, and it is something that I would like for my daughter, Teanna, to experience in hers. We make travel plans as much as we can, be it quick weekend getaways, camping and road trips, or a well deserved longer vacation. At first it felt daunting. I worried about things all parents worry about when going away. How do I keep my child entertained? What will I need to bring? What safety measures need to be put in place? My daughter’s Deafness added an extra element that I felt I needed to learn about and prepare for.

Our very first trip was a weekend of camping when Teanna was 3½ years old. Since she had never been camping, I felt it was important to let her know what we would be doing and what to expect, as well as make sure that she knew and understood the safety rules. She had only been identified as Deaf and received a cochlear implant (CI) the previous year, and we were both also learning American Sign Language (ASL) together.

To prepare for this trip, I explained what we were doing to her as best as I could in ASL. Her language and vocabulary were quite limited at the time, as was my Sign Language, so I gave her the basics – “camping,” “outside,” “fire,” “hot,” and of course “marshmallow”! I supplemented these with pictures I found on the internet of what a campsite setup would look like outdoors, what a campfire looks like, and bugs we might see. We also had a lot of camping practice in the living room, and watched YouTube videos on how to build a campfire while discussing safety with using it.

I reiterated that while she is allowed to play and explore, she should always be near enough so that I could see her, and she can see me. I felt it was a good idea to enforce safety rules visually by incorporating them into her play i.e., scenarios with dolls and finger puppets. We also practised her physically looking back regularly to make sure I was still in her sight, if she chose to wander off and play. When it came time to go, she was definitely prepared, and I felt confident that she understood the safety rules.

Sure enough, when we arrived at the campsite, she already seemed to be familiar with what to expect. She was excited to see the fire pit, and helped collect twigs and dry leaves for kindling. She knew to stay a safe distance from it once it was lit, and enjoyed her first campfire roasted marshmallow. Overall, I felt that the camping trip was a success!

Fast forward to now; Teanna is 8 years old. Since then, we have been on a few plane rides, a cruise, travelled by train, and, of course, have gone on numerous camping and road trips. To this day, I still prepare her visually ahead of time, and always enforce safety measures.

This includes usually letting travel crew/staff know that she is Deaf as a safety precaution. If an alarm goes off, for example, and she does not have her CI on, she will not hear it. Also, the staff then knew that they need to show her where to go and what to do in the case an emergency, such as an evacuation, as opposed to telling her. I do the same for ride attendants at theme parks for the same reasons. I have not encountered anyone who was not accommodating to us. One time, a flight attendant even brought a safety demo kit to us so Teanna could see the oxygen mask and life jacket up close, and physically walked around the plane to show her where the emergency exits were located.

What to pack (these are our essentials for a child with cochlear implants but much of this applies to other hearing technologies as well):

Extra cochlear implant batteries
Cochlear implant battery charger
Waterproof airtight container: something to store cochlear implants and batteries. A plastic food container works well.
A container of silica gel beads: you can buy these in loose form from hardware stores or online, or you can save the packets of desiccant you find inside packaging. This is useful for keeping cochlear implants dry.
A hat to protect gear from the elements, and keep it secure. We like using Nammu hats, which can be purchased online at http://www.nammuhats.com.
A whistle. I taught Teanna to use a whistle should she ever get lost, is unable to see me, or in an emergency situation. I feel this would be quite useful in places like a busy airport or train station where we could easily lose each other.
Any other equipment to keep cochlear implants secure and dry e.g., clips, headbands, waterproof casing.

ASL Interpreting / Access / Discounts

20150930_222721 So far, we have only been able to take advantage of ASL interpreters provided for us, as well as Disability discounts, during our travels to the United States. For example, we were provided interpreters for the duration of our cruise with Disney Cruise Lines. They were there to interpret the performances we attended, as well as any interactions Teanna had with other passengers (for example, with other children at the kid’s club) or crew, such as during our dinner seating or any organized children’s activities. This helped immensely with her autonomy, and it allowed me the peace of mind that made for a relaxing vacation.

Theme parks and attractions in the USA typically provide ASL interpreters if they are given notice ahead of time – two to three weeks will usually suffice. Websites typically have information on how to arrange this, or you can call the park or attraction directly. We were provided an interpreter for a few hours when we visited Universal Studios Hollywood. She interpreted the tram ride that toured the studios, as well as the performances. We also received the added perk of a passes that allowed us priority access to some rides.

There are often discounts towards admission for a person with a disability and their companion. I have had to take the initiative to ask for these, though, since sometimes Teanna’s disability is not apparent. We have used this for park admission, as well as train tickets with Amtrak in the USA while booking online.

I sometimes felt a little apprehensive to ask for these “perks” but I have learned that it never hurt and, in fact, has been of great benefit to us. I was quite blown way by interpreter being provided for us despite Teanna being a young child. Having these advantages made our travels that much more worthwhile, and Teanna enjoys the experiences and newfound knowledge. At Universal Studios, for example, she was very keen to learn about special effects. Because the show was interpreted, she was fully able to grasp all the information, as well as have the independence to ask questions and have them answered in the language she is most fluent in.

I look forward to more adventures with my little one, as well as learning about Deaf Culture around the world!

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My Unilateral World; Hearing with One Ear

Posted on June 25, 2016 by BC H&V

By Lisa Cable

I was born with a unilateral, profound hearing loss. While the specific cause of my hearing loss has never been determined, it is clear that it’s genetic. My mother’s brother, mother & grandmother were all the same as me.

When I was born, newborn screening didn’t yet exist. However, because unilateral hearing loss ran in the family, my mother knew what tell-tale signs to look for, such as one-sided head-turning towards sounds. As I got a little bit older, she became aware that I might have inherited this trait. Taking me for audiological testing, she was able to have the professionals confirm what she suspected was in fact true.

Back in the 70’s, there was little that was done in the way of early intervention or listening equipment for children with a unilateral hearing loss. But, given that my mother had grown up with her mother and brother, she was familiar with ways to help me.

In the years before I entered school, my mother ensured that I was having my hearing regularly tested, to monitor the ear that I was using to listen with. She also had my speech development monitored and worked hard to expose me to lots of spoken language.

Once I was in school, my mother would always meet with my teachers before school started to ensure that I was setup to succeed in the classroom. Some of the things she discussed were where I should sit to best hear the teacher, ways for the teacher to optimise communication with me, and problem solving tips for when I struggled to hear in a certain environment or situation.

As an adult, I usually forget about my hearing loss. It’s part of who I am, and I’ve never known any different. In fact, I sometimes even forget which ear I can hear out of and which one I can’t. The two hardest things for me to deal with are localization of sound and background noise.

Localization of sound means figuring out where a sound or voice is coming from. A perfect example of this happened recently when I was in Toys’R’Us with my family. There was a special event going on so it was really noisy. I was in an aisle and could hear someone calling my name. But it took me looking around frantically for about 30 seconds before I saw my aunt standing about 6 feet in front of me. With all the noise echoing around the store I just couldn’t figure out where the voice was coming from. While it can be a bit frustrating at times, it certainly is not at all detrimental to my quality of life!

The other issue is background noise. Busy social events or noisy parties are the worst. If someone is standing in front of me or on the side I can’t hear from, and attempting to talk to me I just can’t hear them. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve learned just to be honest and say “I can’t hear you, would you mind moving over here so that I can?”. Or if it’s easy enough, I just position myself to hear better. People are never upset and would prefer that I can hear them, rather than me pretending to hear and having a very stilted conversation.

Very recently, I went for some audiological testing. As an adult, I have only had my hearing tested once in my 20’s. As I now approach 40, I’ve felt that I am struggling more to hear – especially with background noise and situations where people are on the side of my deaf ear. With my kids, I find I’m often telling them I can’t hear them because they’re yelling at me from another room or walking away as they talk to me. There’s also a lot of extra noise when they have friends over and my frustration levels are getting high. Interestingly, the results of these recent tests show no changes in either of my ears, but I am looking at trying out some hearing equipment to alleviate some of the struggles that I’m having.

Because there has never been any stimulation of the auditory nerve in my deaf ear, trying to put a hearing aid on it now just won’t work. So I am looking at trying out the Phonak Cros II, an amplification device for people with unilateral hearing. On my deaf ear, I will wear a device that simply acts as a microphone to collect sound from that side. This will then transmit those sounds to a hearing aid that I will wear in my hearing ear. I’m told it won’t help with localization of sound, but will allow me to hear speech and sounds that I would normally miss on my deaf side. I’m sure it will be an adjustment but I will let you all know how it goes!

Despite my recent struggles, there are upsides to a unilateral hearing loss. The best is that I sleep amazingly well. When I go to bed, I sleep on my hearing ear; it is instantly quiet and I’m not bothered by any noise around me. It’s fantastic!

I was very lucky growing up to have a mother that recognized early on the importance of monitoring and intervention in regards to my speech and listening. Also, my parents never framed my hearing loss as a negative thing, it was just part of who I am, in the same way as my uncle and my grandmother. These wonderful examples have served me well as I am now a parent to two beautiful children: my son, Ryder, who has natural hearing and my daughter, Lily, who is bilaterally profoundly deaf. Lily loves that she has a mom with hearing loss, and I love that both my kids are unique and special in their own way…just like me. 🙂

This article has also been translated into Punjabi, Traditional & Simplified Chinese.

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Summer Get-Together 2016

Posted on June 20, 2016 by BC H&V

Join us for a play day!

Whether it’s your first time coming to an event or you never miss a chance to socialize and catch up.

Tuesday, August 16th, 2016 11:00am – 2:00 pm Grimston Park 19th Street at 7th Avenue New Westminster (close to 22nd Street Skytrain Station)
Look for the orange & blue balloons! ASL Interpreter Available

This park has a beautiful playground and wading pool. Bring a picnic lunch, swimwear, towels and blanket. RSVP is not required, but please watch our Facebook page for notice of cancellation if it’s raining.

Visit our Facebook Page & Website: https://www.facebook.com/handsandvoicesBC Contact: info@bchandsandvoices.com

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Ipad Apps for Speech, Vocabulary and Auditory Development

Posted on May 15, 2016 by BC H&V

By Catherine Kalchbrenner

Ipads and other tablets have become an everyday household device. With prudent selection of appropriate apps, they can be a useful tool to support learning in our children but, unguided, they can be little more than a distraction device. I wanted to make screen time more meaningful than random games for my hard of hearing child. With this in mind, I set to researching apps that could build my child’s vocabulary and exercise her auditory memory.

I came across a great resource from the Alexander Bell Convention in 2014. As well as some great suggestions for apps, it offers detailed information and advice. Encouragingly, it reports research results that literacy apps can augment literacy development in children. While the presentation is geared towards professionals, as a parent of a hard of hearing child, I found it really insightful.

NOTE- The following link is unfortunately no longer active.
http://www.agbell.org/uploadedFiles/Connect/Meetings/2014_Convention/Hands-On%20Apps%20and%20the%20iPad.pdf

What it lacked, however, was links to the suggested apps in the apple store or clear icon pictures to be sure of the app in question. With full credit going to the presenters at the Convention, I expanded the list to make this go-to menu of apps. I hope it will be a useful tool for parents and professionals alike.

Speech:

Articulation Station- Little Bee Speech
https://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/articulation-station/id467415882?mt=8

Articulation Scenes
by Smarty Ears
https://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/articulation-scenes/id498857302?mt=8

ArtikPix- Expressive Solutions
https://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/artikpix/id383022107?mt=8

SpeechBox for Articulation Speech Therapy- By Jonah Bonah Learning LLC
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/speechbox-for-speech-therapy/id568581305

Artic Practice- Learning Fundamentals Inc
https://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/artic-practice/id520874877?mt=8

Pocket Artic- Synapse Apps
https://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/pocket-artic/id359179209?mt=8

Auditory Skill Development

Hear Coach- Starkey
https://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/hear-coach/id489515928?mt=8

My Playhome- Playhome Software ltd
https://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/my-playhome-lite/id451155849?mt=8

My Scene- MyFirstApp
https://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/my-scene/id421838043?mt=8

Auditory Workout
Outdoor Fun
Both By Virtual Speech Centre Inc.
https://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/auditory-workout/id518697520?mt=8
https://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/outdoor-fun/id492097086?mt=8

My Tiny Farm Animals- Toddler’s Seek & Find Activity Book for Kids
My Little Town- Toddler’s Seek & Find Activity Book for Kids
Both by wonderkind GmbH
https://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/my-tiny-farm-animals-toddlers/id987463825?mt=8
https://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/my-little-town-toddlers-seek/id490922806?mt=8

Fun with Directions HD Lite- Hamaguchi Apps for Speech, Language & Auditory Development
There are a couple of versions of this App.
https://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/fun-with-directions-hd-lite/id478249055?mt=8

Bag Game- All4myChild
https://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/bag-game/id499757601?mt=8

A Who am I- Nth Fusion LLC
https://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/a-who-am-i-animal-game/id409292877?mt=8

Vocabulary Apps

italkatMoog: The First 100 words- The Moog Centre of Deaf Education
https://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/italkatmoog-first-100-words/id533456276?mt=8

My First 1000 Words: Flashcards & Games By Alligator Apps- Innovative Mobile Apps
https://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/my-first-1-000-words-flashcards/id449740734?mt=8

Do you have any favourite apps to add to this list? Leave us a comment below!

Posted in Advocacy, Articles, Families to Families, Resources | Comments Off

Fun Family Picnic 2016

Posted on April 21, 2016 by BC H&V

WHO: BC Hands & Voices, Guide By Your Side, BC Early Hearing Program, CHHA BC Parents’ Branch, Family & Community Services, Family Network for Deaf Children – Deaf Youth Today (DYT)

WHAT: An event for deaf/hard of hearing children, their siblings and parents and children with their Deaf/hard of hearing parents (CODA). Join us for a fun day! We will provide:
• Hot dog lunch
• Entertainment and games for the kids
• An opportunity to mix and mingle with other families and with youth/young adults who are deaf or hard of hearing.
Please bring with you:
• a salad, fruit or vegetable plate or dessert to share (note: no freezer/fridge/oven)
• lawn chairs or blanket to sit on
Rain or Shine! Free admission! Donations gratefully accepted at the event.

WHEN: Saturday June 18th, 11:00 am to 3:00 pm

WHERE: Victory Hill/ Provincial Deaf & Hard of Hearing Services 4334 Victory St., Burnaby BC

CONTACT/ RSVP: info@CHHAparents.com Pre-registration is required so we know how many people to expect.
PLEASE REGISTER ONLINE by June 14th at www.CHHAparents.com
Special Note– Families of children with Atresia and Microtia – let’s meet up at the picnic!
If you are interested in meeting up with other families of children with Atresia and Microtia, please contact Catherine Kalchbrenner: ckalchbrenner@cw.bc.ca who will collect names, and make a point of introducing families to one another during the picnic.

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Social Skills Research at Western Washington University

Posted on March 21, 2016 by BC H&V

Would you and your child like to be a part of an important social skills research project at Western Washington University?

This research is being conducted by Kimberly Peters, Ph.D., CCC-SLP/A, Department Chair & Associate Professor and Aural Rehabilitation Clinic Director at Western Washington University. Ms. Peters also has a son who uses bi-lateral cochlear implants.

They’re looking at social cognition (theory of mind) and language skills in preschool aged, early identified children who are deaf or hard of hearing who use either hearing aids or cochlear implants.

Please see the following PDF for more information.

Note- Ms. Peters is available to come up to Vancouver to conduct the research so there would be no need to travel to Bellingham.

Edited to add: The study does not have approval to include kids with conductive loss/who use BAHA right now, but they may expand our recruitment criteria. BCHV will let everyone know if we hear otherwise.

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Coffee Night Gems: Hearing Levels, Decision Making & Hearing Aid Funding

Posted on March 10, 2016 by BC H&V

By Kim Shauer

Do any of these statements ring true for you? We didn’t expect this. Our baby makes appropriate sounds back to us. How can you tell me our baby has a hearing loss when they so clearly seem to hear me? Are hearing aids necessary? Why does my baby seem to respond to me the same whether the hearing aids are on or off? How do we know we are making the right decisions this early? We know the first set of hearing aids is free, but how much will the next ones cost us?

These were some of the questions parents had for Jenny Hatton, Audiologist for the BCEHP, who was on hand at a recent BC Hands & Voices Parent Coffee Night, “Bring Your Own Audiogram”. If you’ve ever had similar thoughts, please read on…

Identification

“We didn’t expect this” is a common reaction from parents now that newborn screening and follow-up occurs within the first few months of life. Jenny shared that audiology has changed how parent counselling happens. In the past, kids were usually 2-3 year olds before being identified as deaf or hard of hearing. By that age, parents had often figured out for themselves that their child had reduced hearing, so audiologists were often confirming what was already suspected. This is usually not the case with early identification, where parents are often shocked and in disbelief at the news.

Mild/Moderate Hearing Levels

The parents of babies with recently identified hearing loss who attended the Coffee Night are certainly not alone in their “confessions“ – wondering if their child can “do fine” without wearing hearing aids, or by having them on only for appointments with their early interventionists. I remember the same thoughts crossed my mind for my own daughter after I found out about her hearing loss. Her hearing levels are in the sever range, so I can only imagine how much these thoughts can play a part in everyday decisions, like deciding to put your baby/toddler’s hearing aids on, when your child has hearing levels in the mild-moderate range (particularly when they just pull them straight off again!).

Jenny’s explanation was really helpful; she described how many children in the mild-moderate range have pockets of good hearing and can detect many sounds but they will not be getting all the information from all frequencies to fully develop speech. One parent of a toddler with mild-moderate levels shared her exact experience with this. Early on, she felt her daughter was hearing just fine but the effects of her hearing loss on her spoken word has become more apparent now that her daughter is older. For example, she now notices that her daughter seems to be missing certain sounds (k, d, s, and many endings on words) and prefers to sign certain words that she is not yet able to produce (e.g., words starting with “d” such as “dog “). Mom comments that “this makes sense now, as she wasn’t hearing that sound without her hearing aids being worn consistently”. An experience in the sound booth gave another ‘aha’ moment to a parent, and encouraged them to try the hearing aids again on their child; the parent clearly heard a tone, but it was obvious in that moment that her child on her lap did not.

Decision Making

In the midst of grief, and being a new mom experiencing all the life changes that can entail, a parent expressed her wish that she’d had some kind of decision making checklist to guide her in choosing an Early Intervention program and communication options.

The Decision Guide for Communication Choices (http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/hearingloss/freematerials/Decision-Guide.pdf) is a tool that has been developed by parents for parents, with the guidance and support of professionals who work with children who are deaf or hard of hearing. This guide walks parents through the steps of making communication choices and decisions for their child and family. Although developed in the U.S., much of it is relevant and can be applied by us parents here in Canada. Another useful guide is the Question Guide For Parents produced by the BC Early Hearing Program

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These can be used along with other resources such as Communication Considerations A-Z (http://www.handsandvoices.org/comcon/). Keep in mind that decisions are not set in stone, and these resources can be useful to refer back to as new decisions arise and others are re-evaluated.

We want parents to know that it shouldn’t feel like you are picking a forever future for your baby (you are just getting to know them after all!). It’s important to get started, though, to meet other families, and start receiving early language services and support. Early intervention programs, professionals and your Guide By Your Side will all support you along the way as you learn what works for your child and family, and support you in changing programs if you choose.

Hearing Aid Funding

Another parent wondered how long their baby’s first pair of hearing aids last might last (about 4-5 years depending on wear & tear) and what possible funding sources there are for the next hearing aids. Parent organizations in BC, including BC Hands and Voices, are advocating for better hearing aid funding coverage for school-aged children and young adults in our province. In the meantime, here are some current organizations parents can apply to when it is time to replace your child’s hearing aids. Please note eligibility criteria vary by organization.

http://www.presidentschoice.ca/en_CA/community/pccc.html

http://www.variety.bc.ca/

https://www.cknworphansfund.com/

http://www.mcadamsfoundation.ca/

http://www.bcjobsdaughters.org/about/hike/

All in all it was an informative evening, and everyone went away feeling that they’d gleaned some gems from the conversation. We hope you’ll join us for the next Parent Coffee Night on Monday 25th April 2016 –http://www.bchandsandvoices.com/post/parent-coffee-night-monday/

Posted in Articles, Coffee Night, Families to Families, Technology | Tagged Early Intervention, hearing aids, hearing equipment, hearing loss | Comments Off

“BC Parents of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children Aged 0-5”, a new Facebook Group

Posted on February 15, 2016 by BC H&V

by Brianne Braun

A little over a year ago, we welcomed Aurelia, a beautiful, red-haired, baby girl into our family. Although my husband Dan is Deaf, our son Argyle was born hearing, so we were surprised when it turned out that Aurelia was born deaf. This started us down the brand new path of raising a deaf child.

As we started to navigate through the world of early intervention services, we felt the need to have greater connection with other parents. I checked into what was currently available and noticed that there wasn’t an online forum specifically for parents with young deaf or hard of hearing children. That got me thinking about setting something up…

The result is a Facebook group called “BC Parents of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children Aged 0-5”, and it currently has almost 40 members from around the province. This is a closed group, so it’s a safe place for families to connect with each other, share their experiences, ask questions and receive support from other parents who are on similar journeys. There is also an Events section, which highlights activities taking place throughout the province that families might be interested in.

The group doesn’t advocate for any particular philosophy or communication approach. It doesn’t matter with which of the three early intervention agencies you register, all parents or guardians of young deaf and hard of hearing children are welcome. Please consider joining, and help to spread the word to other families around the province. We all look forward to meeting you!

How to Join
You can search on Facebook for the group name “BC Parents of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children Aged 0-5” or you can just click the direct link below:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/853918531357842/

Once you’re on the page, you simply click on the ‘Join Group’ button.
If you have any questions, or difficulties joining, you can contact me via email at bcdhhkids@gmail.com.

Editor’s Note:

The “BC Parents of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children Aged 0-5” Facebook group is an independent forum that is not directly affiliated with BC Hands & Voices. That said, we serve the same community and there is a strong overlap in our membership (and philosophy). We are happy to spread the word about this social media group to you!

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AGM & Parent Workshop

Posted on January 29, 2016 by BC H&V

Parent Workshop & AGM

Monday, March 7, 2016

7:00 – 9:00 pm

BC Family Hearing Resource Centre

15220 92^nd Ave., Surrey

“Birds & Bees” Basics for Parents of Young Children 7:00-8:30 pm

with sexual health expert Saleema Noon

We’re delighted to host Saleema Noon, leading sexual health educator in our province. Renowned for her work in our schools, and a familiar face in our media, Saleema will tackle this serious topic in a way that is fun, light-hearted and current.

Does the thought of talking about sex with your children stress you out? Don’t worry, you’re in good company!

In this open and informational session, parents will explore sexual health, and understand why we should be discussing this with our children at a young age. We’ll discover why it’s especially important for our deaf and hard of hearing kids to be well-educated in this area.

Attendees will be given inclusive and practical information on how to talk to your kids in a way that they will understand and remember: you will discover how to easily overcome embarrassment when talking about sexual health; learn words, concepts and signs that are easy to use; and leave well equipped to clearly answer the questions children ask.

The workshop is light hearted, but delivers the straight goods on how parents can empower their children to become well-informed, confident and safe.

BC Hands & Voices Annual General Meeting 8:30-9:00 pm

Please join us after the workshop for a short AGM, where we will share what BC Hands & Voices has accomplished over the past year. This is also a great opportunity to update your membership ($20 per family). American Sign Language interpreters will be provided.

For more information please email info@bchandsandvoices.com

AGM Saleema Noon Workshop PDF

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“BC Parents of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children Aged 0-5”, a new Facebook Group

AGM & Parent Workshop

“Birds & Bees” Basics for Parents of Young Children 7:00-8:30 pm

with sexual health expert Saleema Noon

H&V Mission (ASL)

Guide By Your Side Program (ASL)

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