FOR PARENTS
IEP support/advocacy, Parent Support and Family Therapy
Unlike blindness, being hearing impaired is an
invisible stressor that colors a deaf or hard of hearing person’s life
daily. Most invisible is the impact that
language delay has on a child’s school work and relationships with every
person in their life. Feelings of not being included or having friends
are the most common complaints I hear from children and teens. Even when
their academic performance is adequate, their performance can be better
when they feel better about themselves in their social world. As
such, should be an inherent part of your child’s emotional, social and
cognitive growth. With this perspective in mind, individual and/or
family counseling can be obtained privately or individually through the
I.E.P. process in the schools.
Under current ADA and IDEA special education laws,
any child with “special needs” in either mainstreamed or special
education classes can receive counseling services through their school. While
some schools may already be aware of this, other schools may need to be
educated about this legal right to services. As
a parent, you can request counseling services for your child with a
counselor who is a hearing impairment specialist. Most
schools will require an assessment by the school psychologist to
determine if counseling is necessary.
If your school does not have a counselor
(knowledgeable in hearing impairment/deafness and/or fluent in sign
language) who is able to provide this service to your child, then you
can request that the school provide you with an outside provider i.e.
Non Public Agent. An NPA is a professional who
has been evaluated and is certified by the State of California to
provide therapy or assessment.
|
