State Leaders Summit : Making a Commitment to Systems Change in Deaf Education

May 7, 8 & 9, 2007, Columbia , MD

Name of Facilitator - Presenter Diana Poeppelmeyer
E-mail Address Diana.poeppelmeyer@tsd.state.tx.us

Name of Recorder Nancy Grosz Sager
E-mail Address nsager@cde.ca.gov

Getting all key players linked so there is no gap
Improving lost to follow up (both in identification process and in getting to early intervention)
Making sure parents have access to information about options
Service provision by generic early interventionists/lack of qualified people/certification requirements for EI not specific to DHH
How to prepare teachers for EI
How do parents make informed decision
First person parent sees becomes decision maker - biases are there
Parents are expected to make decisions right away without information
Collaboration with Part C
Access to DHH specialists limited
EI is competitive! (in all ways, including funding)
Oral failure model
Recognizing that parents go through "physical" process
Parents need to be able to change their minds - decisions need to be more fluid
Getting away from "This" or "that" mentality
Controversy exposes itself when method is exclusionary

Establish a statewide 0-3 Task Force
Develop a Decision Making Tree to assist parents
Have Document re: continuum of options- unified message
Analyze brochures that are available for neutrality
Use technology (i.e., Videophones) to give parents access to deaf adults
Hire outside marketers
Provide education for general public (i.e., ads on TV - grassroots effort to educate public)
Establish a single point of entry to early intervention
Investigate Mary Koch materials
Expect one month's progress for one month's time
Do language assessments every 3 months
Develop standards of practice (research based) - help relieve parents of decision making
Encourage parents to do both (sign and oral)
Teacher training include "counseling" piece - how to give parents information and support them
Schools for the Deaf have recognized that they must meet the diversity of kids
Work with medical profession - collaboration - get the doctors in school
Change communication "options' to communication "opportunities