Deaf / Hard of Hearing

According to the CDC about 2 to 3 out of every 1,000 children in the United States are born with a detectable level of hearing loss in one or both ears. More than 90% of deaf children are born to hearing parents.

Not all hearing loss is the same.

There are:

Three types of hearing loss:
- conductive
- mixed
- sensorineural
Four types of degrees of hearing loss (severity of hearing loss):
- mild
- moderate
- severe
- profound

Deaf and Hard of Hearing individuals use American Sign Language to communicate with other Deaf individuals and hearing individuals. ASL (American Sign Language) is a grammatically complete and visual language with no vocal component. ASL is not a universal language, but there are other sign languages in different countries such as BSL (British Sign Language) and CSL (Chinese Sign Language).

One way to support your Deaf clients is to learn the basics of ASL such as their alphabet. One form of assistive technology is smartphones. If you have a smartphone there are multiple apps (including free ones) to support you in the process of learning.

Click on a link below to navigate back to any Module.

Introduction to Person-Centered Planning
Module 1: Strengths-Based, Culturally Informed, Person-Centered Planning
Module 2: Rights, Choices, and Control
Module 3: Dignity of Risk and Right to Fail
Module 4: Cultivating Connections Inside and Outside the System
Module 5: Partnership, Teamwork, Facilitation, and Coordination
Module 6: Assistive Technology & Remote Monitoring
Module 7: Person-Centered Plan Documentation, Implementation, and Monitoring
Wrapping up the course
OPTIONAL: Disability Populations Overview