Families of Deaf Children With Co-Occurring Disabilities

Families Of Deaf Children With Co-Occurring Disabilities

In the field of deaf education, it is commonly known that ninety-five percent of deaf children are born to hearing parents (Marschark, 2007). According to the World Health Organization (WHO), approximately 360 million individuals including adults and children have some form of hearing loss (Leigh & Andrews, 2017). What is lesser known is that according to the WHO, 15% of the world's population has co-occurring disabilities (Thomas, 2019). These co-occurring disabilities range from birth trauma, syndromes, prematurity, viruses such as Cytomegalovirus (CMV) along with other illnesses.

In a world where information can be accessed in seconds, there is minimal information and research regarding bilingual deaf children with co-occurring disabilities and the impact on the families, especially bilingual families. A deaf child with co-occurring disabilities might be bilingual, but not in the traditional sense one might assume. Receptive language may be accessible in an alternate form such as American Sign Language (ASL). When expressive language cannot be reciprocated in ASL, then other alternate means of communication could include, tactile, Total Communication, Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS), alternate sign systems, or a form of Augmentative Communication (Bruce & Borders 2015).

One of the main challenges for a family who communicates in a spoken language is to learn and utilize a system of communication with a deaf child with co-occurring disabilities in order for language and communication to be fluid and consistent. The effects of having a deaf child with co-occurring disabilities are challenging for families, but when families are from other countries and live in a country that is not indicative of their homeland and language, the challenges are exponential (Bowen, 2016). Families have to learn to evolve, adapt, and understand the complexities of deafness and existing co-occurring disabilities; they also have to work through understanding cultural acceptance and how their culture compliments a new culture.

Families face a myriad of educational options for their deaf child with co-occurring disabilities, including the implications of the co-occurring disabilities and how they affect communication. Terminology, childcare, and knowing where to obtain available resources are challenging for families who need guidance and support from a range of professionals (Bowen, 2016). These professionals can include counselors, medical personnel, occupational therapists, physical therapists, speech language pathologists, early interventions specialists, deaf education teachers, cultural liaison, and interpreters. The team of professionals, including experienced parents, provide support through navigating a system that is not native friendly which can cause an array of stressors. These stressors may include financial hardships, childcare, language barriers, cultural barriers, and lack of resources and support (Bowen, 2016). Families understanding the aforementioned will have a positive impact on the deaf child with co-occurring disabilities regarding bilingual language, social-emotional development, and access to education. It is also critical for families to understand how two or more cultures can co-exist in one family; this will provide the family with a roadmap regarding their journey with their deaf child with co-occurring disabilities.

Families who have a different verbal language from the one in the current environment need to understand language options for the deaf child which requires the support of professionals including Deaf and Hard of Hearing teachers, Deaf mentors, counselors, cultural support, and support speech language pathologists. Mentoring by one or more mentors provides support in a range of needs (Young, 2018). The critical factor to moving forward successfully is that the team of professionals must be on the same page in order for non-native speaking families to have fluid services and avoid varied agendas (Bowen, 2016).