Enhancing support for early identified deaf children and their families using Deaf and hard of hearing professionals.

Family support is widely accepted as a critical component of successful early intervention. The effectiveness of family support can be enhanced when Deaf and hard of hearing professionals are involved in every aspect of the development and delivery of services. Families and professionals who embed Deaf and hard of hearing adults in their multi-disciplinary teams can gain a unique perspective and awareness as everyone works to support the child’s growth and development. The examples given will be drawn from the findings of past research as well as from real life experience as a practitioner. The data from the Deaf Role Models project in the UK, including the impact on those deaf people employed as role models, will be discussed. Understanding the importance of involvement from Deaf and hard of hearing people in working with deaf children and their families will be valuable to families as well as to those professionals working with them.