{"id":1199,"date":"2012-08-15T14:39:21","date_gmt":"2012-08-15T14:39:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.speechbuddy.com\/blog\/?p=1199"},"modified":"2023-11-08T10:19:38","modified_gmt":"2023-11-08T18:19:38","slug":"hearing-loss-support-groups","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.speechbuddy.com\/blog\/hearing-loss\/hearing-loss-support-groups\/","title":{"rendered":"Hearing Loss Support Groups"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Parent<\/a>

Image source: Webmd.com<\/p><\/div>\n

Support groups have a reputation for being those things held in dusty old buildings with creaky metal chairs and bad coffee, in which people stand around crying and hugging each other. You probably have this image in your head because you\u2019ve seen \u201cFight Club.\u201d But support groups are quite often so much more, even if they lack the hip stylings of Edward Norton and Helena Bonham Carter. They are dynamic groups of people who come together to affect positive change \u2013 and yes, to offer each other encouragement and emotional support. You don\u2019t need to face your child\u2019s hearing loss diagnosis alone. Even if you think you have a handle on everything, emotionally speaking, disability support groups can provide assistance with legal advocacy and so much more.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

What Can a Support\/Advocacy Group Do for You? <\/strong><\/p>\n

Emotional Support<\/span><\/p>\n

Leaning on your family and friends in difficult times is important. But quite often, it can be frustrating because they may not fully understand what you, your partner, and your child are dealing with. A support group for parents of children with hearing loss is comprised of people who have all faced that diagnosis. They understand how overwhelming it can be. Other parents in a support group can help you to move past the initial emotional barrage so that you can focus on taking the next steps to help your child.<\/p>\n

\"Parent<\/a>

Image source: Iaccenter.com<\/p><\/div>\n

Networking<\/span><\/p>\n

Support and advocacy groups are also a great networking tool. You\u2019ll meet people who have likely been to several specialists for their children \u2013 from audiologists to speech-language pathologists (SLPs). Talk to them about which professionals they would recommend and which techniques and strategies helped their children. Use the knowledge of the group members to learn about your family\u2019s rights and which legal services you are entitled to. Get the scoop on state or local programs to help Deaf or hard-of-hearing children.<\/p>\n

Legal Support<\/span><\/p>\n

Support groups can empower you to become an effective advocate for your child. Many or all of the other parents in the group have likely been through the Individual Family Service Plan (IFSP) and the Individualized Education Program (IEP) processes. They can give you advice on how to navigate the system. If you feel that the school district is not offering adequate services, approaching the school district as a group rather than as an individual can also carry more weight.<\/p>\n

\"Finding<\/a>

Image source: Matrixparents.org<\/p><\/div>\n

Finding a Support Group<\/strong><\/p>\n

The quickest way to find anything these days is to Google it. Some support groups are online. Failing that, check with your child\u2019s professional team about local resources. Ask his teachers if they know of any local groups. If your child is not yet in school, call the local school district and ask. Check with your place of worship for faith-based support groups, if that applies to you.<\/p>\n

Resources<\/strong><\/p>\n

Here are a few resources to help you get started. Some of them offer information and\/or search tools for local organizations.<\/p>\n

American Society for Deaf Children<\/a><\/p>\n

American Tinnitus Association<\/a><\/p>\n

Boys Town National Research Hospital<\/a><\/p>\n

Center for Hearing and Communication<\/p>\n

NIDCD Information Clearinghouse<\/a><\/p>\n

Hearing Loss Association of America<\/a><\/p>\n \n \n \n \"Parent's<\/a>\n <\/span>\n <\/span>\n \n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Support groups have a reputation for being those things held in dusty old buildings with creaky metal chairs and bad coffee, in which people stand around crying and hugging each other. You probably have this image in your head because you\u2019ve seen \u201cFight Club.\u201d But support groups are quite often so much more, even if […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[631],"tags":[705,707,704,703,706,124],"class_list":["post-1199","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-hearing-loss","tag-advocacy-groups","tag-benefits-of-support-groups","tag-deaf-support-groups","tag-hearing-loss-support-groups","tag-parent-advocates","tag-support-groups-for-parents"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.speechbuddy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1199","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.speechbuddy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.speechbuddy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.speechbuddy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.speechbuddy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1199"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/www.speechbuddy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1199\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11872,"href":"https:\/\/www.speechbuddy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1199\/revisions\/11872"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.speechbuddy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1199"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.speechbuddy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1199"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.speechbuddy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1199"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}