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This document describes some of the factors
influencing the educational placement choices made by parents for
their children who are deaf. It shares both the personal responses
of parents and the overall conclusions drawn from a study that sought
to discover the specific kinds of information and support that parents
need. The study:
- traced the placement decisions of parents from the time their
child's hearing loss was first documented to the transition periods
into elementary and middle school;
- identified the resources parents utilized in making these decisions;
and
- explored the various parenting styles that emerged as families
made educational choices.
The goal of this work is to increase understanding
among educators, other professional service providers, and families
about the concerns of parents and the information they need in making
educational placement decisions for children who are deaf. Research
addressing the factors that contribute to the placement choices
made by parents, and describing the resources they utilize, remains
extremely limited. Educators and professional service providers
as well as other parents can greatly benefit from information that
focuses on the personal experiences and concerns of parents facing
the task of making choices about their child's education.
To gather information, the author utilized
questionnaires, and a total of 25 parent interviews conducted in
predetermined rural areas of Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, North
Carolina, and Tennessee. This research sample included parents who
had chosen a wide range of communication options, as well as educational
placements, for their children. Parents who participated in the
study responded to questions on the following topics:
- the resources available to families with children who are deaf;
- their role on the Multidisciplinary
Team; and
- the positive and negative influences that had an impact on the
quality of educational services their children received.
(Please note: underlined terms are defined in the Glossary
in the Appendix.)
Parents' responses to questions on these topics — many of
them shared here — can assist school systems in building better
parent-professional relationships, increase support for other parents
of children who are deaf, and translate to suggestions for how Local
Education Agencies (LEA) can better serve families with children
who are deaf. The information shared here can assist professionals
in understanding the support needs of families and may act as a
catalyst for strengthening networking systems among parents, professionals,
and other service providers. Finally, parents faced with making
their first educational placement decision or those in the midst
of a transition period, (i.e., elementary school to middle school)
can benefit from the past experiences and valuable insights of other
parents with children who are deaf.
Pseudonyms and general terms are used for names, school systems,
and places throughout this document to ensure anonymity.
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