Building Bridges: Parents and Professionals as Allies

This presentation will bring illumination and provide practical strategies for family/professional relationships and needed partnerships to ensure healthy outcomes as families move through screening, identification, early intervention, and family-to-family support.   What does effective collaboration look like between families and professionals in the ‘real world’ and often ambiguous process of ensuring an effective EHDDI system?   How can service providers make an impact on families who are often seen as challenging or under involved? Topics will be explored from the lens of ‘lived experiences’ as the presenter shares her own stories, and that of other families and parent leaders that have created positive impact on the families in the early years.

Janet DesGeorges is co-founder and Executive Director of Hands & Voices Headquarters.  Janet has presented to groups worldwide about the experiences of families as they journey through life with a child with deafness or hearing loss. Ms. DesGeorges is the author on the chapter for Family Support in the “NCHAM e-Book,” the co-author of the book “Educational Advocacy for Students who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing: The Hands & Voices Guidebook,” and many other publications. Ms. DesGeorges received a program certificate from the MCH Public Health Leadership Institute in 2011 at the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill.  Janet lives in Boulder, Colorado with her husband Joe and is mom to three daughters, including Sara, a young adult who is deaf/hard of hearing.

Disclosure: Janet DesGeorges has no financial or conflicts of interest in relation to this presentation. The WSELC webinar is funded by the Washington State Department of Health EHDDI program.