Raising a Child Who is Deaf or Hard of Hearing
We believe that for children and families to achieve their fullest potential, it is important to complement Intervention services with support for the well-being of all family members.
A unique feature of BCFHRS is the accessibility to our Family Support Parents (FSP) on staff. With their own children who are deaf and hard of hearing at differing stages of life, these parents can speak directly about their own experiences. We also have other parents of children who are deaf and hard of hearing, working in various roles at our centres. This combined group of parents is available not only to support BCFHRS families but also to share their real-world experiences.
Our Role Models
Contact our family support parents when
- You would like to make a Parent-to-Parent (P2P) connection.
- You would like to find out about workshops and events in your area.
- You have questions about your child that is deaf or hard of hearing and aren’t sure where to find the answers.
- You need help advocating in the community on behalf of your child.
- You just need to talk to someone about having a child that is deaf or hard of hearing in your family.
Common Questions
Parents of infants and young children who are deaf and hard of hearing commonly ask the following questions:
- What can my child access through hearing?
- What can my child access through seeing?
- Will my child be able to communicate?
- Will sign language be helpful?
- What will my baby’s speech sound like?
- How do I know which communication method to choose?
- Is there proof that one method is better than the other?
- How will I know which method will work with my baby?
How to Connect
BCFHRS families can request to make a connection with another family in the P2P network at any time. Connections can be made in many ways: shared home language, shared culture, similarly aged children or living in the same city; to name just a few potential ways to connect. Some families choose to speak on the phone to one another; others to email, video conference or even get together in person. Whatever the reason and method of connection, there is tremendous value in parents finding other parents, in similar circumstances, to share and engage with.
Becoming an advocate for your child is important, but can also be challenging. Our Family Support Parents, in tandem with your Early Interventionist, can guide you through the process of becoming your child’s best and strongest advocate.
Resources for Families
Between our Learning Place platform, our My Turn to Learn published resource guide (available in many languages), and an extensive library available to all of our families across the province and beyond, we do everything we can to provide our families with the tools they need.
Learn More