TEAMING FOR EARLY EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMING

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TEAMING FOR EARLY EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMING

• Debra Cushner and Debra Nussbaum
• Laurent Clerc National Deaf Education Center
• Kendall Demonstration Elementary School

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I feel like we are part of a family
Dawn, mother, Spring 2000
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What would we want for our family?

• Information
• Family support
• Sense of community
• People with experience
• More information
• People who share all of our options
• Good listeners
• Depth of resources
• People who understand our family
• People who challenge us to think from a variety
  of perspectives
• One-on-one time with professionals
• What would you want???

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Our program

• Looks at families and schools in partnership
• Is based on research in early childhood education
• Integrates current trends in deaf education
• Evolves to meet the ever changing needs of
  families and children

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Program Components

• Home based
• Center based
• Extended programming
• Support Services

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Home Based

• Address family needs on an individual basis
• Include extended family members and caregivers
• Offer flexible hours and meeting places

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Center Based

• Family-child play group
• Integration of support services
• ASL storytime
• Open discussions
• Presentations on family selected topics
• Additional opportunities for getting together

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Extended Programming

• Sign Language classes
• Shared Reading Project
• Coordination with Gallaudet University programs
• Collaboration with additional sites

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Support Services

• Audiology
• Communication Skill Development
• sign language
• listening/speech
• Physical Therapy
• Occupational Therapy
• Nursing
• Counseling
• Psychology

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Program Goals

• Establish nurturing environment
• Provide an interactive learning environment
• Provide ongoing access to professionals
• Develop confidence

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My hearing children and my family love it its
good for us to know that there are other children
like Gilly Mary, mother, Spring 1999
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Goal 1 Establish a nurturing environment

• Welcoming atmosphere
• Open to family and friends
• Natural opportunities for interaction

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Nicholas gets to see the other children and that
helpsit creates a nice bond for all of the
kids. Joe,
father, Spring, 1999
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Goal 2 Provide Interactive Learning Environment

• Families learn through interacting with
• their own child
• other children
• deaf role models
• professionals
• Children learn through interacting with
• deaf and hearing children of various ages
• a variety of adults
• Professionals learn through interacting with
• children within the context of their family
• other professionals as part of a team

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I really like it I really like the coming
together of all of the specialists
Lisa, mother, Spring,1999

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Goal 3 Access to professionals

• Available in a family centered atmosphere
• Ongoing opportunities for interaction
• Information sharing in a natural environment
• Opportunities to observe services provided by a
  variety of professionals
• Take advantage of teachable moments

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Goal 4 Develop Confidence

• Opportunities to try new strategies and apply new
  knowledge in a comfortable environment
• Families supporting families
• Opportunities to observe what comes next

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Its important to get family feedback to make
sure we are on the right path. Debbie,
teacher, Spring 2000
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Pulling it all together

• Family and school in partnership to
• assess needs
• make choices
• set goals
• document progress
• facilitate achievement of goals