People who took the survey discuss different groups of people who need resources. These groups include families, professionals, and deaf and hard of hearing students with disabilities. Families with deaf and hard of hearing children need resources, but they face difficulties in getting them. They need resources so they can support their children. Professionals who work with families and their deaf and hard of hearing children also have challenges in getting resources. They need resources to help improve their skills and to help families. Deaf and hard of hearing students with disabilities need resources that are made for them. However, it is challenging to find these resources.

Families, their deaf or hard of hearing children, and the professionals who work with them need different types of resources to support them. These resources are organized into four subcategories:

• 1. Early Intervention: Families need to be able to access early intervention resources. The resources should be thorough, including information and personnel such as teachers and service providers.
• 2. Funding: Funding needs to increase and be shared more effectively.
• 3. Language and Communication: There is a need for more language and communication resources to support deaf and hard of hearing students and their families as well as the professionals working with them.
• 4. Technology: There is a need for more and accessible technology, including hearing assistive technology, digital educational resources, and communication technology.

People who took the survey talk about how resources need to improve. There are six subcategories for resource improvement.

• 1. Unbiased Information: Information should be fair and shared with everyone.
• 2. Resource Equity: Resources should be shared with everyone.
• 3. Effective Legislation and Mandates: Laws about resources should support resource-sharing and make sure resources are available to everyone.
• 4. Qualified Professionals: Professionals who work with deaf or hard of hearing children should have the right skills and training.
• 5. Well-Designed Resources: Resources should be designed to meet the specific needs of deaf and hard of hearing students and their families and professionals who work with them.
• 6. Time Optimization: The time to find and learn about resources need to be reduced.

Families with deaf and hard of hearing children need different kinds of resources. They include information, technology, and services. Families need information on how to help their children grow and succeed. This includes information on how to get resources that will help their children. This includes how to use insurance to get resources. Technology, such as cochlear implants, hearing aids, and videophones, can help deaf and hard of hearing children with their communication needs.

Families also need access to professionals like counselors, and communication and language services like sign language classes. Families also need to work with professionals and be a part of decision-making process. They need to interact with deaf adults and connect with other families for support and to share resources. Families could get support from health centers, organizations, and religious groups. They may also need childcare and ways to get to appointments and meetings. At the same time, there are challenges for families to get resources. Sometimes they do not know what they need or how to find help. Other times, they may not have enough money to get the resources or services they need. Some other families need resources to be in a different language. Different families may face different challenges. These challenges can make it harder for them to get the help they need.

Professionals who work with families and their deaf or hard of hearing children need resources. These resources include training and educational materials. If professionals have these resources, they can do a better job of supporting deaf and hard of hearing students and their families. Sometimes professionals have a hard time working with families because they do not have enough information or resources. It would also be helpful for professionals to work together and share their resources with each other. Additionally, some professionals, including Deaf leaders, need more support. They may feel they have too much to do and not enough help. They may also not know about all the resources that are available to them.

Deaf and hard of hearing students with disabilities and their families need more resources and services that are specifically for them. Some of the resources that are available are mostly for deaf and hard of hearing students without disabilities. This means that the resources might not be as helpful for deaf and hard of hearing students with disabilities because they may have different needs.

It can be challenging for families of deaf and hard of hearing children to get the early hearing detection and intervention (EHDI) resources they need. This is true even though there are laws that say they should get these resources. Also, it can be hard to find these resources. Sometimes early intervention resources are limited or not helpful. Some of these resources may support certain beliefs about language and communication instead of just providing information and options. Some families want the resources to be better for them and their children; they aren’t satisfied with the information being provided to them. There also aren’t enough professionals who know about working with deaf and hard of hearing children and their families, especially when the children are very young. There should be more deaf professionals providing support. Sometimes professionals who are supposed to help cannot because of rules or other challenges. All of this can make it harder for deaf and hard of hearing students to learn language.

Funding is really important to help families of deaf and hard of hearing children as well as the professionals and schools that work with them. Funds should be used in the best way possible to provide support (e.g., to find ASL classes, transportation, child care). Some families have a hard time getting funds due to challenges such as not having health insurance. Schools also receive different amounts of funds and use them in different ways. This affects how they support deaf and hard of hearing students. Some people who took the survey said that there are not enough funds for families and professionals. They also said that funds are not being used effectively to support deaf and hard of hearing students.

Families and their deaf or hard of hearing children need more language and communication resources. Some of these resources include language and communication therapy, teaching materials for sign language, teaching materials for learning in two languages, K-12 American Sign Language Content Standards, and tests to see how well children can communicate. Other resources available include videos with sign language and online resources. There is a need for more resources to help with reading and writing, especially for deaf and hard of hearing students who need extra help. These resources should be made available to families who are learning how to communicate with their deaf or hard of hearing children.

Families, their deaf or hard of hearing children, and the professionals who work with them face challenges when it comes to technology resources. It may be hard for them to get hearing assistive technology and related support. Hearing assistive technology needs to cost less. Deaf and hard of hearing children need to wear hearing assistive technology more often, and they need to be taken care of better. There is a need for more people who know how to use and take care of hearing assistive technology devices. Also, there is a need for other technology resources (e.g., digital educational resources, videophones) in the classroom. Professionals and schools also need help learning about and using technology.

Some people have certain beliefs about language and communication that may influence how they develop and share resources. This means that some families and their deaf or hard of hearing children, the professionals who work with them, and schools might not get all the resources and support they need to make good choices.

Resources are not always shared with everyone who needs them. Some people may face challenges in getting the resources they need. This includes deaf and hard of hearing students and their families as well as the professionals who work with them. Resources differ in how they are given; for example, some schools and programs get more resources than others. This is also true for locations and states. Some resources include interpreters, professionals with the needed skills and training, and deaf adults. Some families have a hard time getting the resources they need. Some families do not have a lot of money or live in places where it is harder to get resources. Some families do not have health insurance or are not U.S. citizens. If resources are not widely available to anyone who needs them, then deaf and hard of hearing students have a harder time getting the support they need. It may help to set up places where families can go to get resources. Also, many people do not know a lot about deaf or hard of hearing people; more widespread knowledge about this population may result in the creation of more and better resources for them. Overall, it is hard for families with deaf or hard of hearing children to get resources because those resources are shared differently and in a variety of ways depending on where they are located.

Laws and rules need to be better for deaf and hard of hearing students, their families, and the professionals who work with them. The laws need to be clearer, followed more closely, and checked by different groups of people. Deaf and hard of hearing people need to work together with lawmakers. It is important for lawmakers to develop a better sense of what it is like to be deaf or hard of hearing through these interactions.

The laws need to change to provide more resources, such as hearing assistive technology and funding. Schools need more resources to help deaf and hard of hearing students, and teachers need to be paid more. Documented accommodations are not always followed (e.g., ASL as an accommodation on tests). Deaf and hard of hearing students and their families need more resources and fewer challenges in getting resources.

There is a need for more professionals with specific skills and training to help deaf and hard of hearing students and their families. This includes teachers, audiologists, mentors, interpreters, deaf professionals, and early intervention providers. It is important to have professionals who are experienced in working with deaf and hard of hearing students and their families who come from different cultures and/or speak different languages.

There are challenges in finding enough professionals with the needed skills and training to work with deaf and hard of hearing students and their families. Some professionals are retiring and are not being replaced by new professionals. Also, not all professionals have the right certifications, which can make it hard for them to find jobs. As there are not enough professionals, the ones who are working with deaf and hard of hearing students may be very busy and not have time to help everyone who needs it. They may not be able to work together or talk to other professionals about how to best help their students. There are also more qualified professionals in some areas than in others, so it can be difficult for families and their deaf or hard of hearing children to get the support they need.

Resources need to be made better for deaf and hard of hearing students, their families, and the professionals who work with them. Services, programs, educational materials and equipment, and tests should be developed in a way that works best for these students and their families. Resources should focus on their overall growth, not just their hearing. If there are improvements, these students and their families can get better support. More research is also needed to ensure resources are as helpful as possible.

Time is important for deaf and hard of hearing students, their families, and the professionals who work with them. They need time to learn about and acquire resources and to figure out how to best support their deaf and hard of hearing children. Deaf and hard of hearing students need more time for learning language. Professionals also need more time to work with these students, to work with other professionals, and to develop and share resources for deaf and hard of hearing students and their families.