practices - Gallaudet University

ecommended
practices
in family
involvement
CATEGORY: FAMILIES FROM DIVERSE CULTURES
Recommendation: The program is accepting of different
cultures. It finds ways to involve parents and caregivers from
different cultures in ways that meet the families’ needs. A
nonjudgmental attitude and openness are important, especially
in terms of making cultural connections. Trust is built through
one-to-one connections. Coordination of language services for
spoken, signed, and written information is needed to ensure
appropriate delivery of information to families that do not use
English.
Practice in Action: From Arizona, program coordinator
Kile notes the Arizona School for the Deaf has a history of
working with students with different cultural and linguistic
backgrounds because many Hispanic and Native American
families live in that state. Parent advisors, part of the Parent
Outreach Program, provide support and information in the
families’ homes, Kile says. “Training in multicultural awareness
and cultural sensitivity is vital for parent advisors and our own
staff,” she adds. At the same time, staff members are
encouraged to recognize their own cultural backgrounds and
outlooks and how these might affect their interactions with
families. “We look for parent advisors who represent the various
cultures served by the program and who speak the languages of
the families in the programs,” says Kile. “This speeds the
bonding process between parent and professional and
strengthens the ongoing relationship between them.”
The initial time of diagnosis can be intensely stressful and
families need to speak to someone in their primary language,
she notes. The families choose the language they prefer to use
during home visits, and, whenever possible, native language
users are selected to meet with the family.
Hawaii is uniquely multicultural and the classes offered
through Hawaii Services on Deafness reflect Hawaii’s unique
multicultural environment. “Many families already speak three
languages,” says executive director Reimers, “and when they
learn American Sign Language they are adding a fourth
language.” Island families often have mixed cultural
backgrounds which they learn to blend with deaf culture.
Families are encouraged to explore their culture’s attitudes
toward individuals with disabilities. They develop a greater
identity and appreciation of deaf culture as a part of the larger
family heritage, and deaf children develop a greater sense of
themselves as members of both deaf and hearing worlds.
WINTER 2002 ODYSSEY
11