HPD Perspectives Magazine Summer/Fall 2019

20 | DR. PALLAVI PATEL COLLEGE OF HEALTH CARE SCIENCES POST-RETREAT ACTIVITIES • formal and informal events • state-specific events • National Early Hearing Detection and Intervention conferences • parental support group gatherings • virtual community access BENEFITS • an immersion experience for families • increased parental engagement • increased peer relation and socialization among children • ongoing efforts to maintain connectivity post-retreat • publicly available recorded testimonials (e.g. youtube.com/watch?v=Cd2QkQE2szw ) • facilitation of further evaluation of the ou- comes associated with this type of strategy for family support CARE PROJECT RESEARCH The CARE Project efficacy outcomes were captured through a pre- and post-survey questionnaire. It is based on a theoretical model for parent-to-parent support for parents of children who are deaf or hard of hearing proposed by Henderson, Johnson, and Moodie (2016).* The questionnaire consisted of 17 items across four broad categories. • Family Well-Being —family connectedness, interaction, adaptation, confidence • Child Well-Being —advocacy, confidence, goals, socialization • Knowledge —sharing, finding accurate information, decision-making confidence, interaction with other parents • Empowerment —confidence in communi- cation, ability to adapt, feeling empowered, decision-making confidence, participation * Henderson, R. J., Johnson, A. M., & Moodie, S. T. (2016) . Revised Conceptual Framework of Parent-to-Parent Support for Parents of Children Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing: A Modified Delphi Study. Am J Audiol, 25(6), 110–126 . PRELIMINARY RESULTS Initial results demonstrate significant improvements across all domains. This speaks to the efficacy of The CARE Project Family Retreat in filling a void and linking kindred spirits. Parents of children with hearing loss often report the sense of isolation follow- ing a diagnosis; however, there have been few reports of an effective intervention to meet this need. FAMILY WELL-BEING In the domain of family well-being, the elements of connectedness and interactions showed the greatest improvement from pre- to post-survey score. CHILD WELL-BEING In the domain of child well-being, the most notable increase was in peer relations and socialization. In a similar fashion, parents viewed the chance for children to interact with other children who wear technology for better auditory access as heartwarming. KNOWLEDGE In the domain of knowledge, the categories “gathering information” and “peer role model and mentor relation- ships” changed the most from pre- to post-event values. This speaks to the power of meeting people who are at a similar stage, one step ahead of those families who have recently received a diagnosis. EMPOWERMENT For the domain of empowerment, the greatest gain was seen in perceived confidence in communication. This could reflect both the parents’ sense of confi- dence in finding their own voice, as well as a sense of strength and confidence in their child’s develop- mental trajectory. NEXT STEPS Evaluation results provide evidence for the importance of the emotional journey addressed in a parent-to- parent venue. These results have been shared in mul- tiple groups, including the American Speech-Language Hearing Association (2017, 2018) and the Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Conference (2017–2019). A three-hour preconference seminar will be presented at the 2019 A.G. Bell International Listening Symposium in Madrid, Spain. For more information about The CARE Project, please email nnichols@nova.edu . o Nannette Nicholson is a professor in the Department of Audiology—Fort Lauderdale. continued from page 18 now hear this! ) ) )