1. Georgia State University Series: Part 1, Presentation 6 July 2001

2. Family Sensitivity

3. Do not assume you know what someone else is feeling.

4. Important Factors  Privacy  Honesty  Clear Information  Listening  Time  Planning

5. Privacy  Keep discussion in a private room  Move away from other patients and staff  Insure parents are given private time if needed

6. Honesty  Provide only honest answers to questions  Say you know or you don’t know  Offer to get the answer for them  Do not give false hope

7. Clarity of Information  Use basic terms  Provide info in writing  Explain until information is understood to the best of their ability  Follow-up to determine if understood

8. Listen  Use eyes and ears  Is the question being asked for “emotional support” or to “gather information.”  Provide the information and then sit and “listen” for response –Listening and waiting are NOT the same thing

9. Criers generally adapt better to sad situations. Crying can lead to less denial.

10. Respond to sadness/anger  Listen  Allow silence  Mirror persons posture  Allow time  Acknowledge feeling  Have Kleenex available  Remain calm Let them know you are listening, “use sponges” by saying “uh-huh” or anything else to acknowledge what they are saying.

11. Time  Plan according to the news being delivered  Watch the time  Give warning that time is drawing to a close  Offer to call and check on parents later  Call them

12. Plan  Have a flexible plan available  Base plan on parent’s needs –What will Early Interventionist do next –What will parent do next

13. Denial serves a purpose – it is protective.

14. Reactions  Denial  Anxiety  Depression  Guilt  Acceptance

15. Denial Some parents may deny the fact their child has a hearing loss. Sometimes this stage manifests itself when parents insist that their child communicate orally or through sign language, when the child may be better suited to a different method of communication or learning.

16. Anxiety Parents learn things like "the average deaf high school graduate reads at fourth grade level" and worry about their child's future academic abilities and employability. They worry that their child may not be able to communicate with hearing children in the neighborhood and have friends.

17. Guilt Parents may feel that their child's hearing loss is the result of something that they did, or did not do.

18. Depression Some parents ask themselves, "Why us? why our child?"

19. Anger Some parents think, "It's not fair! This is not fair to us or to our child! We/our child does not deserve this!"

20. Acceptance Parents learn about deafness and hearing loss. They become acquainted with others in the Deaf / HOH community, and see that their child can have a normal, fulfilling life. It becomes clear that their deaf or HOH child can have a good future as a productive adult regardless of the communication mode that is chosen, or how severe the child's hearing loss is.

21. Parent’s Wish List for Audiologists as provided by www.ibwebs.com

22. Information  Audiologists be more forthcoming  Provide books, pamphlets, phone numbers,support group info  Discuss funding options  Discuss info regarding aural habilitation  Discuss ear mold modifications benefits  Discuss new technology  Give all pertinent info you have regarding hearing aids

23. Communication  Give us choices in communication options  Give us choices in amplification options  Let the parent make the final decision  Respect the choices the family makes

24. Additional Wishes  Help our children learn to test in a sound booth  If you don’t want to work with kids refer us to someone who does  Listen to the child and the parent  Discuss loaner aids  If you do not recommend something than say it.  Keep up to date on testing children  Please be patient when testing our children