Early Intervention / Deaf Coach Services
Deaf Coaching Services for Families
Definition: What is a Deaf Coach?
A Deaf Coach is a deaf adult who is fluent in sign language and has the skills to work with hearing caregivers, parents, and families with deaf, deafblind, deafplus, and hard of hearing children. The Deaf Coach collaborates with various early intervention specialists and/or regional center representatives to coordinate and provide services, reinforcing the language goals of the child and the family.
Services provided by the Deaf Coach
...And many more!
Expectations of the COACH (deaf coach)
DCS screens Deaf coaches for their fluency in American Sign Language (ASL), their ability to communicate and develop rapport with families, teaching skills and their comfort in interacting with young children. Deaf Coaches are supportive of each family’s choice of communication and respectful of each family’s values. DCS seeks Deaf coaches who have completed a college education or possess professional experience providing ASL instruction, and involvement in working with youth. We employ deaf coaches who support all types of communication needs. Deaf coaches are non-judgmental, neutral, and respectful to parents’ choices. All deaf coaches are screened via a background check. Deaf coaches are expected to participate in specific required trainings during staff meetings.
Benefits of Deaf Coach Services:
- Increase family communication at home
- Support the child’s language development
- Increase the family’s ability to support their child academically and emotionally
- Be a resource to answer questions and consult on concerns
- Break down communication barriers between the child and family
- Create new opportunity for the child to grow academically, personally, and socially successful
- Teach language and social activity at child’s early age
DEAF COACH SERVICES CURRICULUMS:
Deaf Coaches provide essential tools and resources for families and their children. DCS utilizes specialized curriculums developed for use by deaf coaches which incorporates a variety of resources designed to promote maximum benefits for the child and family.
A variate of curriculums are either used for deaf coach training, and also, reviewed and maintained for our deaf coaches to use during their services. The list below lists some of these variates:
- ASL For Families – A series of 37 topics to help families learn ASL for use in everyday environments and routines
- Early Visual Communication Strategies – A series of 18 topics summarizing strategies to focus on the child’s visual environment so the child is able to shift toward acquiring language
- Deaf Culture – Designed to introduce families to Deaf Culture and the Deaf Community
- SB 210 Milestones – Language Milestones were developed by the SB 210 committee for children who are Deaf or hard of hearing, birth to five years of age. The Deaf Coach will support their families and the early intervention specialist by ensuring their children are making the progress necessary to be ready for kindergarten. More information can be found at https://www.cde.ca.gov/sp/ss/dh/sb210langmilestones.asp
Who may be interested:
Families with deaf and hard of hearing infants or young children under age 3 who want the benefits of providing a linguistically and culturally rich environment for their child to enhance language development.acquisition.
Families who want to explore all possible options to support their child’s future success. Families who seek the opportunity to learn a variety of firsthand experiences and challenges faced by deaf children and adults in a safe environment.
Setting up Deaf Coaching for Families:
Your local Deaf Coach Agency can provide services on a contract basis with individual schools or school districts. For more information about Deaf Coach services, contact Marla Marks at deafcoachservices@dcsofsd.org
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