Wisconsin’s Wisconsin’s Innovative Parent Innovative Parent Support ActivitiesSupport Activities

The Power of ParentsThe Power of Parents““My daughter is eight years old and for the My daughter is eight years old and for the first time I don’t feel alone.”first time I don’t feel alone.”

““I have learned the power that parents I have learned the power that parents can have when they come together. I feel can have when they come together. I feel like we have become the like we have become the collective backbone for our collective backbone for our children and together we can make children and together we can make great differences in WI.” great differences in WI.”

Parents know what they needParents know what they need Parents know their child bestParents know their child best Professionals have a valuable Professionals have a valuable

perspective, but parents need to perspective, but parents need to have ownership and leadershiphave ownership and leadership

Parent connections are pricelessParent connections are priceless More heads are better than oneMore heads are better than one Parent participation in all aspects Parent participation in all aspects

of programmingof programming

Underlying Values for Underlying Values for Parent Support Parent Support ActivitiesActivities

Research that Research that supportssupports

the importance of the importance of parentsparents

Essential Role Models Essential Role Models – studies suggest that parent-to-parent support studies suggest that parent-to-parent support

encourages parents and provides parents with encourages parents and provides parents with role models as they discover their capabilities role models as they discover their capabilities as parents and families with a deaf/ hard of as parents and families with a deaf/ hard of hearing child.hearing child. (Eleweke & Rodda, 2000; Jackson, (Eleweke & Rodda, 2000; Jackson, Becker, & Schmitendorf, 2002). Becker, & Schmitendorf, 2002).

Social AcceptanceSocial Acceptance – The results indicated that parents who had The results indicated that parents who had

contact with other parents of children who contact with other parents of children who were deaf showed greater emotional bonds were deaf showed greater emotional bonds with their child, better acceptance of their with their child, better acceptance of their child, and improved responsiveness during child, and improved responsiveness during interactions.interactions.

(Gregory, Bishop, & Shelton, 1995; Seligman & Darling, (Gregory, Bishop, & Shelton, 1995; Seligman & Darling, 1997)1997)

Parenting Competency and Parenting Competency and EfficacyEfficacy– Parent mentors are uniquely suited to Parent mentors are uniquely suited to

provide peer support because they are provide peer support because they are peerspeers—not professionals. This in turn —not professionals. This in turn increases families feelings of competency increases families feelings of competency parenting a deaf, hard of hearing, or parenting a deaf, hard of hearing, or deafblind child. deafblind child.

(Bodner-Johnson, 2001) (Bodner-Johnson, 2001)

Research that supportsResearch that supports the importance of the importance of

parentsparents

Impetus: Parent Impetus: Parent SummitSummit

January 17, 2003January 17, 2003

Parent to Parent Network Parent to Parent Network SummitSummit– Invitational conference 3-5 families Invitational conference 3-5 families

of children 0-8 years per DHFS of children 0-8 years per DHFS regionregion

– Provided a forum for families with Provided a forum for families with young deaf and hard of hearing young deaf and hard of hearing children to make recommendations children to make recommendations that has provided the foundation that has provided the foundation for a statewide parent network planfor a statewide parent network plan

Summit Summit RecommendationRecommendation

ss

Parent ConferenceParent Conference Unbiased information in one place available Unbiased information in one place available

early after diagnosisearly after diagnosis Direct Parent to Parent SupportDirect Parent to Parent Support Parent ConnectionsParent Connections

At the same time, a new program (WESPDHH At the same time, a new program (WESPDHH Outreach) was being established. Summit Outreach) was being established. Summit

recommendations were carried forth, recommendations were carried forth, because personnel and financial resources because personnel and financial resources

were in place.were in place.

Parent ConferenceParent Conference

5 tremendously successful years!5 tremendously successful years! Conference is FOR parents and is planned BY Conference is FOR parents and is planned BY

parentsparents Parent friendships and networks are visibly Parent friendships and networks are visibly

established!established! Deaf and hard of hearing adult role modelsDeaf and hard of hearing adult role models Mentoring between older and younger deaf, hard Mentoring between older and younger deaf, hard

of hearing and deafblind kidsof hearing and deafblind kids Variety of childcare activitiesVariety of childcare activities Entertainment for the whole familyEntertainment for the whole family Advanced and beginning level workshops for Advanced and beginning level workshops for

parents with children of all agesparents with children of all ages Vendors, exhibits and hands-on technology roomVendors, exhibits and hands-on technology room Spanish-speaking family outreach effortsSpanish-speaking family outreach efforts Deafblind/deafplus workshopsDeafblind/deafplus workshops

Parent Conference FUNParent Conference FUN

Parent Conference Parent Conference EntertainmentEntertainment

Unbiased information in one Unbiased information in one place early after diagnosisplace early after diagnosis

Parent NotebookParent Notebook– Celebrating your ChildCelebrating your Child– Supporting your FamilySupporting your Family

– Knowing the InformationKnowing the Information

– Exploring the PossibilitiesExploring the Possibilities

– Keeping TrackKeeping Track

– Looking AheadLooking Ahead

Guide-By-Your-Side Guide-By-Your-Side ProgramProgram

Direct Parent to Parent SupportDirect Parent to Parent Support – – available to anyavailable to anyfamily with a child who has been newly diagnosedfamily with a child who has been newly diagnosed

with a hearing loss. Free of charge. with a hearing loss. Free of charge. GOALSGOALS

1. To provide an understanding of the unique needs of young children who are deaf or hard of hearing

2. To provide unbiased information regarding communication options and link families to resources available locally, regionally, and statewide

3. To provide parents with the opportunity to establish a supportive relationship with an experienced parent

4. To ensure that families are linked to their county Birth to 3 Program or local school district

5. To ensure that families are connected to other parent to parent resources

GBYS Follow-Through GBYS Follow-Through ProgramProgram

Parent ConnectionsParent Connections

Wisconsin Families for Hands and Wisconsin Families for Hands and VoicesVoices– Co-sponsorship of Distant PalsCo-sponsorship of Distant Pals– Trainings in “A is for Access”Trainings in “A is for Access”– Parent Scholarships for Parent Parent Scholarships for Parent

ConferenceConference Wisconsin Chapter – A.G. BellWisconsin Chapter – A.G. Bell Statewide ListserveStatewide Listserve

– http://http://groups.yahoo.com/group/groups.yahoo.com/group/DeafHHChildParentNetworkWI/DeafHHChildParentNetworkWI/

Provides a Deaf Mentor to any family with Provides a Deaf Mentor to any family with a child who is deaf or hard of hearing and a child who is deaf or hard of hearing and under the age of 6 within the home setting under the age of 6 within the home setting to:to:

•Teach the family American Sign Teach the family American Sign Language Language

• Model interactions with the child Model interactions with the child • Share aspects of Deaf CultureShare aspects of Deaf Culture

Deaf Mentor Project Deaf Mentor Project

•Parent Liaison, WESPDHH-OutreachParent Liaison, WESPDHH-Outreach•Coordination of Guide-By-Your-Side Program Coordination of Guide-By-Your-Side Program •Oversight of Statewide Parent ConferenceOversight of Statewide Parent Conference•Coordination of Distant Pals ProgramCoordination of Distant Pals Program

•Parent Conference – Planning Committee Parent Conference – Planning Committee participationparticipation•Representation-Governor’s Council for the Representation-Governor’s Council for the Deaf and Hard of Deaf and Hard of HearingHearing•Representation-State Superintendent’s Deaf/Representation-State Superintendent’s Deaf/Hard of Hearing Advisory CouncilHard of Hearing Advisory Council•Co-Chair of CDC Parent to Parent CommitteeCo-Chair of CDC Parent to Parent Committee•EHDI Planning Committee Parent Rep.EHDI Planning Committee Parent Rep.

Parent Leadership Parent Leadership OpportunitiesOpportunities

A pen-pal program that connects A pen-pal program that connects children who are deaf/hard of hearing children who are deaf/hard of hearing throughout the state of WI and throughout the state of WI and provides them with peer relationships provides them with peer relationships and healthy role modelsand healthy role models

School to school program where School to school program where teachers sign their students upteachers sign their students up

Home to home program where Home to home program where parents and kids sign up parents and kids sign up

Distant Pals ProgramDistant Pals Program

Future plans…Future plans… Coffee clutches for families Coffee clutches for families

with newly diagnosed kids so with newly diagnosed kids so they can meet other families they can meet other families

2008 Parent Conference 2008 Parent Conference planning committeeplanning committee

Spanish/Hmong/American Spanish/Hmong/American Indian Parent Guide Indian Parent Guide Recruitment Recruitment

In-home programming to In-home programming to support families with an support families with an auditory/oral approach auditory/oral approach

Increased opportunities for Increased opportunities for parents to meet adult deaf and parents to meet adult deaf and hard of hearing role models hard of hearing role models through the Guide-through the Guide-By-Your-Side ProgramBy-Your-Side Program

•Wisconsin Dept. of Public Instruction (DPI)Wisconsin Dept. of Public Instruction (DPI)

•Wisconsin Dept. of Health and Family ServicesWisconsin Dept. of Health and Family Services

•WI Sound Beginnings (EHDI program)WI Sound Beginnings (EHDI program)

•WI Birth to 3 ProgramWI Birth to 3 Program

•Office for the Deaf and Hard of HearingOffice for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing

•Regional Centers for Children with Special Health Care Regional Centers for Children with Special Health Care Needs Needs

•Wisconsin Families for Hands & VoicesWisconsin Families for Hands & Voices

•WI Personnel Development Project (University of WI)WI Personnel Development Project (University of WI)

•Community Physicians, Audiologists, etc.Community Physicians, Audiologists, etc.

•StakeholdersStakeholders

Collaborations….Collaborations….

Questions?Questions?

For more information, please contact:For more information, please contact:

Laurie Nelson, Parent LiaisonLaurie Nelson, Parent LiaisonWisconsin Educational Services Program for Wisconsin Educational Services Program for

the Deaf/Hard of Hearing – Outreachthe Deaf/Hard of Hearing – Outreach125 S. Webster Street125 S. Webster Street

P.O. Box 7841P.O. Box 7841Madison, WI 53707-7841Madison, WI 53707-7841

608-266-6438 608-266-6438 laurie.nelson@wesp-dhh.wi.govlaurie.nelson@wesp-dhh.wi.gov