Moral dilemma
Students Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing
Family-centered intervention is critical to providing appropriate
support for the child, and parents are key members of the
multidisciplinary team. The involvement of the family is essential for
children who are deaf or hard of hearing because families support
and reinforce early communication skills with the child. You are
working with the parents of Tony, a preschool child who is deaf.
Tony has been “?? tted with hearing aids, but even with ampli”?? cation
his residual hearing is very limited. The professionals on the team
feel that he should receive a cochlear implant. Tony””?s mother is
very worried about the risks of surgery and the fact that this would
destroy any residual hearing Tony has, thus making later use of
hearing aids impossible. She also feels strongly that they should
accept Tony the way he is. You think that Tony””?s father is more open
to the idea of the implant for Tony because he is worried about how
his son will “?? t in to the hearing world.
How can you bridge the gap between the professionals and the
parents? How can you support the mother and the father as they
wrestle with this decision? What stress does the di””? erence in beliefs
place on the family? And how do you as a professional know when
to push for what you feel the child needs, in spite of the stress this
might cause, and when to back o””? .
Please choose this book recource only Educating Exceptional Children.