Parent and Professional Perspectives of Ohio's Early Intervention System for Families with Children Who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing: A Community Collaborative Approach
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Date
2018-04
Authors
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Journal ISSN
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Publisher
Ohio State University. Office of Outreach and Engagement
Abstract
The Children's Hearing and Language Development Resource Network [CHLDRN] of Ohio is a community collaborative initiative that aims to discover the strengths and gaps of our early intervention (EI) system for families with children who are deaf or hard of hearing. CHLDRN of Ohio includes diverse stakeholders such as parents, audiologists, EI providers and administrators, and speech-language pathologists located across the state. To gather firsthand perspectives from families and professionals, in-person focus groups have been held statewide, led by a facilitator who asked open-ended questions. Surveys will complement the rich qualitative data gathered via the focus groups by asking more focused, quantitative data. Surveys for audiologists, early intervention providers and parents have been adapted with permission from the National Center for Hearing Assessment and Management's EI SNAPSHOT program. Recommendations for strengthening the EI system will be driven by the data gathered.
Description
The Joint Commission on Infant Hearing (JCIH, 2007) recommends that infants are screened for hearing loss by one month, diagnosed by three months, and begin to receive early intervention by six months. Through timely and appropriate early intervention, children who are deaf or hard of hearing (DHH) can develop language on par with their normal-hearing peers. Although universal newborn hearing screening makes the JCIH's timeline possible, barriers and challenges still exist. The Children's Hearing and Language Development Resource Network [CHLDRN] of Ohio is a community collaborative initiative that aims to discover both the strengths of our early intervention system for families with children who are DHH as well as the challenges that families and professionals encounter along the way. With members from across the state, CHLDRN of Ohio includes diverse stakeholders, such as parents, audiologists, early intervention providers and administrators, and speech-language pathologists. Furthermore, CHLDRN of Ohio seeks to be inclusive of all communication options, united by a shared commitment to facilitating optimal outcomes for all children. A tiered approach to our organizational structure allows for different levels of participation, with a steering committee that guides the overall direction of the collaborative as well as core, regional, and review groups. To gather firsthand perspectives from both families and professionals, two complementary methodologies will be utilized. In-person focus groups have been held across the state, led by a facilitator in which open-ended questions were posed to attendees. To complement the rich qualitative data gathered via the focus groups, CHLDRN of Ohio will also utilize surveys to gather more focused, quantitative data. Surveys for audiologists, early intervention providers and parents have been adapted with permission from the National Center for Hearing Assessment and Management's EI SNAPSHOT (Early Intervention for children who are deaf or hard of hearing: Systematic Nationwide Analysis of Program Strengths, Hurdles, Opportunities, and Trends). Recommendations for strengthening the early intervention system will be driven by the data gathered. Our intended audience includes professionals, academics, and community members who work with special populations as well as individuals who work in policy and government.
AUTHOR AFFILIATION: Jessa Reed, Postdoctoral Researcher, Department of Otolaryngology and Project Manager, Chldrn of Ohio, Ohio State Wexner Medical Center, and the Children's Hearing and Language Development Resource Network of Ohio, Jessica.Reed2@osumc.edu (Corresponding Author).
AUTHOR AFFILIATION: Jessa Reed, Postdoctoral Researcher, Department of Otolaryngology and Project Manager, Chldrn of Ohio, Ohio State Wexner Medical Center, and the Children's Hearing and Language Development Resource Network of Ohio, Jessica.Reed2@osumc.edu (Corresponding Author).
Keywords
community collaborative, early intervention, hearing loss
Citation
Engaged Scholars, v. 6 (2018).