Children and Youth with Special Health Needs (CYSHN)

Next Steps: After Diagnosis

Hearing Level / Hearing Loss

Family Support:

Hearing loss is a family affair.

When a child has been identified as deaf or hard of hearing, parents often find themselves in a new role. There may have been no other person in their family with a history of hearing loss and there may not be any other families in their area who share this experience. Families are faced with many decisions such as what type of communication method to use or what early intervention services will be best suited for their child. Fortunately, there are resources, tools, and information available to support them.

This section reveals that every family is different and family culture influences the decisions made as babies learn and grow. Parents find themselves in an advocate role as a parent or family member of a child with hearing loss. The process of setting goals for their children as well as the family allows choices with where they want to go in life and allows families to focus on the steps.

Information on this web site was obtained from the Infant Hearing Guide developed in a cooperative project between the University of Arkansas for Medical Science, Arkansas Children's Hospital and the University of Arkansas RRTC and we would like to acknowledge their work.

THIS INFORMATION DOES NOT PROVIDE MEDICAL ADVICE. All content, including text, graphics, images and information are for general informational purposes only. You are encouraged to talk with your doctor or other health care professional with regard to information contained on this web site. After reading this information, you are encouraged to review the information carefully with your doctor or other healthcare provider. The Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. NEVER DISREGARD PROFESSIONAL MEDICAL ADVICE, OR DELAY IN SEEKING IT, BECAUSE OF SOMETHING YOU HAVE READ ON THIS web site.
Updated Wednesday, 25-Jul-2012 16:51:23 CDT