Experiences of the First Signs service: Findings from the 2016 survey of parents and whānau First Signs is funded by the Ministry of Education and provided by Deaf Aotearoa to families with deaf and hard of hearing children. With First Signs, Deaf adults work alongside families. By June 2016, 102 children had been part of the service. The First Signs survey, carried out between January and June 2016, was intended for those who had received the service for six months or more. Twenty two families completed the survey. (Note that findings may not be representative of all First Signs users.) The 22 respondents were located throughout NZ Mothers provided almost all of the responses About two-thirds had received the service for six months or more Most communicated with their child using a mixture of NZSL and spoken language Most considered their level of NZSL to be between “I can talk about and understand some things” to “I can’t really sign at all” Most agreed First Signs had helped with family communication goals Most were satisfied with the First Signs service 75% had a plan to use NZSL in their ECE centre 75% had a plan to use NZSL in the home

Overall, 19 of the 22 respondents were satisfied with First Signs What worked well Ideas for improvement Have facilitators work in ECE centres, and provide NZSL training for ECE teachers: Define specific and measurable goals that will allow parents to see signing knowledge grow Tell us what signing resources families and ECE centres are entitled to Improve liaison between Deaf Aotearoa and AODC - to avoid working at cross purposes in ECE centres Train childcare teachers in NZSL Wider ranging and more structured NZSL classes: Have regular sessions, eg, weekly in ECE centres Loan resources Give adults concentrated learning time Provide a guide for parents and tutors of expectations by age or proficiency Provide lesson plan ideas Supportive and patient facilitators, who tailored sessions to the families’ and children’s needs. First Signs has been a great way to improve my NZSL and communication skills with deaf. I am so thankful for the commitment and support we receive for our daughter and her NZSL is improving every day. Give clear guidance on what happens for children over 5 years. Great facilitator - very warm and caring attitude. Our first signs facilitator is a perfect match for our centre. Children love him and he works well with adults.