Standard 31: Family Training and Support

The involvement of families as equal partners and active participants is critical to the success of students who are D/HH as well as to the success of the program. Family involvement creates a reciprocal relationship between families and the program or school. IDEA defines parent participation for the IEP process (34 CFR 300.322). Within Part C, families are integral to every step of the IFSP process. The US Departments of Health and Human Services and Education provided a joint policy statement in 2016 with recommendations to early childhood systems and programs on family engagement, which stress the numerous indicators and best practices that support the quality of school-family partnership and successful student achievement.

In addition to the IFSP/IEP Plan process, the team provides training, counseling, and/or support services to the family so that they can best support their child's academic and social success. Family counseling and training can be offered as a related service: “assisting parents in understanding the special needs of their child; providing parents with information about child development; and helping parents to acquire the necessary skills that will allow them to support the implementation of their child's IEP or IFSP.” (34CFR300.34(c)(8)(i))

In order for families to function as equal partners, they need knowledge and support to make effective informed decisions and to effectively participate in the IFSP/IEP/504 plans process. Families are empowered when they are part of the shared decision-making progress to make informed decisions when they receive comprehensive unbiased information from a variety of sources. (Joint Committee Infant Hearing guidelines, Goal 3). The professionals should use strategies to listen and empower families, called shared decision making, to participate in the meetings to get to a shared vision and value system to ensure the families are on-board with the plan for their child.

For families with infants and toddlers, the services focus on family involvement as it impacts positively on the infant or young child who is birth to 3 years of age. Family education includes, but is not limited to:

• Unbiased communication modes and methods
• Program and service options
• Speech and language development
• Typical child development
• Psycho-social development of children who are deaf/hard of hearing
• Meaningful communication access
• Assistive technology
• Family rights and responsibilities regarding special education laws and due process
• Communication Plan
• Social/recreational opportunities for children who are deaf/hard of hearing
• Opportunities for families to meet other families
• Opportunities to interact with adults who are deaf/hard of hearing

Communicating with families can be accomplished in a variety of ways such as: orientation to the facility, tours, schoolwide (as well as district and statewide) newsletters, long-range activity calendars, daily summaries of the child's day, routine phone calls, home visits, small groups, workshops for families, professional trainings to which families are invited, and at special events for families. Each family's preferred communication style and home language should be accommodated in these activities to allow for increased participation and interaction.

It is helpful for one staff member to be assigned the responsibility of facilitating family education. These duties also may be assumed by the program administrator, coordinator, or counselor. Family activities also may be conducted in coordination with state, area, and/or local family groups. The person in charge of coordinating family education has the following responsibilities:

• Support the families to enhance their resources to support their child/children
• Collaborate with family leadership within the area or state;
• Provide informational programs to accommodate families' priorities;
• Organize a support group for family members;
• Inform medical and educational professionals and families in the community about the identification and implications of hearing loss;
• Connect with a family/community library or resource center;
• Collaborate with other schools, agencies and organizations serving children who are deaf/hard of hearing and their families.
• Ensure regular, substantial communication, regarding the student progress

Research studies have shown that children make greater progress and maintain developmental and academic gains when families provide language for their child at home rather than depending solely on the instruction the child receives in his or her educational program. Because families play such a pivotal role in their child's development, it is important for families to use intervention strategies in daily interactions with their children. Effective parent-child interactions and communication among all members of the family is a fundamental component to support each child's development and educational potential.

Language development and communication become a central part of all family and community education. The program for children who are deaf/hard of hearing can provide ongoing, multi-level sign language instruction classes for families and community members should the families choose sign language as communication mode. Sign language classes can also be made available to the hearing students in any school with students who are D/ HH. At the secondary level, American Sign Language may also be offered for World Language credit as part of the general education curriculum for all students. In addition, instruction can be offered to families about the use of functional auditory skills to enhance speech development.

The program for students who are D/HH provides information to families and other community members regarding content and performance standards, grade-level expectations for achievement, and formal and informal assessments. This information includes (1) written materials regarding standards and expectations for all curriculum subject areas and (2) training convenient for families and community members during which the standards, expectations, assessments, and accountability process are discussed. Each teacher should be able to document the developmental or grade-level expectations, standards, and assessment results with families throughout the academic year.