Ed465236 - Communication at Home and in the Community Helpful Strategies and Suggestions From Parents and Families With a Child Who Is Deaf-Blind

This brief booklet lists communication strategies identified at a 1999 national parent workshop by over 100 parents and family members of children with deaf-blindness called "Important Practices in Communication: Making It Happen at Home and in the Community." The booklet addresses four questions: (1) How can we facilitate and promote a child's individualized mode of communication? (2) How can we increase the number of people who can effectively communicate with our children? (3) How can we encourage others to respect our children and feel more comfortable interacting with them? and (4) How can parents support and promote communication when personal time and energy are limited? For each of these questions, strategies for the home and community are offered separately. Examples of the suggestions include: (1) Encourage every family member to take responsibility for including and communicating with the child; (2) Network with the deaf community; (3) Model interactions with your child while in the community; (4) Expand the number of children you encourage to interact with your child; (5) Check senior programs, big brother/sister programs for possible communication partners; (7) Whenever possible, redirect family and friends to communicate directly with the child; (8) Promote awareness programs in the community; and (9) Pay attention to your child's mental and emotional health needs.