About KidsWorld Deaf Net

KidsWorld Deaf Net, sponsored by the Clerc Center with support from the AT&T Foundation, is a national communication network with information for professionals and parents. It includes both a Virtual Library with E-Documents and Useful Links (organized into the categories of family involvement, literacy, and transition from school to postsecondary education and employment), and a Discussion Forum area that includes live chats with the E-Document authors and a forum for continued dialogue.

E-Documents offer an easy-to-read, non-technical look at a variety of topics that are helpful to parents, educators, service providers, and others involved in the education of children who are deaf or hard of hearing. E-Documents specifically focus on the students with special needs targeted by the Clerc Center: deaf and hard of hearing students who also are lower achieving academically, come from non-English speaking homes, have secondary disabilities, are from diverse cultures, or are from rural areas.The following titles are available for free downloading in HTML and PDF formats from the KidsWorld Deaf Net site, http://clerccenter2.gallaudet.edu/KidsWorldDeafNet/index.html

Cochlear Implants: Navigating a Forest of Information . . . One Tree at a Time

Implantes cocleares: Recorriendo un bosque de información... un árbol por vez

Debra Nussbaum, M.A., CCC-A

This document is designed to assist parents and educators in navigating the way through the extensive "forest" of information about cochlear implants. It additionally provides insights into topics where the Web has limited information, such as educational and communication considerations related to the diverse group of children with cochlear implants. Information is formatted into modules on a variety of topics including candidacy, the decision-making process, considerations for the use of sign language for children with cochlear implants, resources, and others. It is also available in Spanish.

Early Beginnings for Families with Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children: Myths and Facts of Early Intervention and Guidelines for Effective Services

Marilyn Sass-Lehrer, Ph.D.

Families in effective early intervention programs can expect positive results in their children's language, communication, and social development. With the support of early intervention, they can expect to develop positive attachments to their child and adapt quickly to their child's special communication needs. This document explores myths and facts about early intervention services and explores what parents and professionals can do to ensure effective services for young children with hearing loss and their families.

A Good Start: Suggestions for Visual Conversations with Deaf and Hard of Hearing Babies and Toddlers

Patricia Elizabeth Spencer, Ph.D.

Research confirms that deaf and hard of hearing babies learn language best in natural situations with people who care about them and know them well; both hearing and deaf parents have natural "instincts" about the kinds of behaviors to use with a baby, and deaf parents emphasize some kinds of communication behaviors more than most hearing parents do. This paper provides suggestions based on the above ideas so that babies are given support for a good start in language development.

A Look at the Decisions Hispanic Families Make After the Diagnosis of Deafness

Un estudio sobre las decisiones que toman las familias hispanas despus de un diagnostico de sordera

Annie Steinberg, M.D., Lisa Bain, M.A., Yuelin Li, Ph.D., Louise Montoya, M.A., N.C.C., C.S.C., and Vivian Ruperto, B.A.
The Children's Seashore House at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
(This is also available as a Sharing Results paper, see http://clerccenter2.gallaudet.edu/products/SR04.html.)

A Look at Rural Families Weighing Educational Options: Identifying the Factors that Influence Parents as They Make Educational Placement Decisions for Their Children Who Are Deaf

Vicki L. Wolfe, Ed.D.(This is also available as a Sharing Results paper, see http://clerccenter2.gallaudet.edu/products/SR02.html.)

We are Equal Partners: Recommended Practices for Involving Families in Their Child's Educational Program

Margaret Hallau, Ph.D., Editor (This is also available as a Sharing Results paper, see htt://clerccenter.gallaudet.edu/products/SR05.html.)

Keys to English Print: Phonics, Signs, Cued Speech, Fingerspelling, and Other Learning Strategies

By multiple authors

This collection, containing reformatted versions of fall 2003 Odyssey articles of the same names, includes discussions on Visible English, fingerspelling, Cued Speech, phonics and American Sign Language, Bridges programs, Manipulative Visual English, Reading Recovery, and others. From a variety of perspectives, the articles present some of the philosophies, techniques, and innovative strategies that are used throughout the United States to enable deaf and hard of hearing children to develop literacy skills.