Getting the news that your child is Deaf or Hard of Hearing can bring upon a variety of emotions such as happiness, anxiety, or confusion. For many, their child will be the first Deaf person they meet, which can mean there are a lot of questions and unknowns. In fact, about 90% of Deaf children are born to hearing parents. For others, they’re welcoming yet another Deaf person into the family.
For a while, parents had very little access to any information on how to help their child succeed and flourish while being Deaf. Even doctors were not equipped to fully educate and help the parents make informed decisions. For a long period of time, the information that did exist was very biased and did not give the parents options and an objective viewpoint on having a Deaf child. Many believed that children who are Deaf should be forced to only speak and lip-read, and have no exposure to sign language. Since the early 60s, with the help of technology and advocacy, access to quality information has become more readily available. There are now many resources on hearing aids, cochlear implants, or having neither. There’s also more information on Deaf education and support systems within the classroom. Nyle Dimarco, a Deaf model and advocate, started the Nyle Dimarco foundation, which provides resources and information for parents who have a Deaf child.
One of the biggest fears for hearing parents with a Deaf child is a communication barrier. Although many parents may never have been exposed to sign language before, it shouldn’t be a deterrent to learning since the parents and baby can learn sign language at the same time. Not to mention, learning sign language at a young age, regardless if the baby is Deaf or not, it has shown to help with development (Michigan State University). Below is a video of Chrissy Trubiz who is a social media influencer talking with her mom about her experiences growing up and how that was for her parents, especially when it came to learning ASL.
Another beneficial thing that parents can do is to find groups of either Deaf adults with some insight or other parents of Deaf children that can help to guide them through the process. As we mentioned in our Bridging the Gap Between the Deaf and Hearing Community blog, the first step in learning more about Deaf culture and their community is to reach out and ask questions. Additionally, there are so many Deaf and Hard of Hearing social media content creators with excellent insight and first-hand experiences on what it’s like to be Deaf or Hard of Hearing and how to best interact and support someone who is Deaf. Some great content creators are Chrissy Marshall, Scarlet Watters, and Phelan Conheady.
Having a Deaf or Hard of Hearing child can definitely come with a lot of unknowns, but luckily we live in the information age with a wide variety of supports and knowledge.
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