This article presents practical guidelines for parents dealing with the issue of sex education for hearing-impaired children. Promoting positive parental attitudes, these guidelines provide information on children's sexual growth and development, suggest ways to initiate and respond to sexual issues, and identify sex education resources.…

This article addresses the disabled child's particular vulnerability to child abuse and exploitation. Roles for schools and parents are described in detail along with specific signs of abuse. Stressed is the need to provide disabled children with accurate information on sexual abuse and with the necessary skills to protect themselves. (Author/VW)

The author describes the concerns and needs of siblings of hearing-impaired children, offering practical suggestions for parents, educators, and mental health and community service workers. Examples of successful programs for siblings that provide emotional support, training and information about their siblings' disability, and effective…

Based on the experiences of hundreds of families who have mainstreamed their hearing-impaired children in the last decade, the effects of P.L. 94-142 are described. Stressed is the parent's role as case manager in providing both broad direction and day-to-day monitoring. Suggestions for preparing for mainstreaming are given. (Author/VW)

It is suggested that professionals can help families cope with a child who is hearing-impaired by being sensitive to their emotional needs, both at the time of diagnosis and thereafter. Listening and informing skills are discussed with emphasis on improving the ongoing parent-professional relationship. (Author/VW)

The history and structural evolution of VOICE for Hearing-Impaired Children is described. Located in Toronto, Ontario, VOICE is the largest parent-support group of its kind in North America. Through its chapters and associated parents groups, it has implemented social and educational policy advocacy and various service delivery models. (Author/VW)

A practitioner reflects on 30 years of work with parents of hearing-impaired children. She describes her own personal experiences, education, and professional development working directly with parents and babies, as a university professor, and as a school principal. She stresses the importance of parental participation for effective oral…

The author provides parents with information and suggestions about ways to alleviate strains placed on the natural attachment (bonding) process when their child has a hearing impairment. Strategies to foster the child's communicative and behavioral development are presented and the roles of parental responsivity, letting go, and fathers are…

A mother describes her family's experiences with her third child, a profoundly hearing-impaired male. Topics of focus include the child's special problems with communication, transportation, and work. Emphasis is on enhancing the disabled child's independence and providing equipment (e.g., communication devices, automobiles) and personal skills to…

The article explores the effects of societal changes on parenting, offering suggestions for how professionals can better meet the needs of families with hearing-impaired children. Problems specific to working parents, single parenthood, and low-income families are discussed. Alternatives to traditional programming and parent-run support systems…

The article presents sociocultural information about Black and Hispanic families and the implications for intervention programs for parents of hearing-impaired minority children. Discussion addresses the importance of the extended family and community in providing care, differing belief systems about handicaps, and anxieties in adjusting to a new…