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coping with diagnosis: parent views
how do we decide?
successes...great and small
what does the future hold?
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How do we Decide?
The Key to Making Good Decisions

The key to making good decision for your child is knowing all of the options that are available, educating ourselves about those options, and not being pressured into making a decision until we have enough information to feel comfortable to do so.

~"Before making decisions for your child, be sure to get all of the information you can from reliable sources. Make the decision based on the best information you can get at the time, and don't look back."

~"The key to making good decisions is information. Get this information from books, from other parents, from deaf adults, from wherever you can get it."

~"For us, the key was always taking the time to educate ourselves. Sometimes that meant not making a decision right away. Most of the time an extra day or two will not make a difference, and to make a good decision you often need a little more time to do the research and feel good about the decision you make."

~"Ask experts around you questions and become informed. Play an active role in your child's education. Don't be afraid to push for what you believe is best for your child."

Father and Son~"Knowing all of your options and talking with as many people as possible that have chosen different things and seeing what their outcomes were is key to making good decisions."

~"Some of the keys for making good decisions are education, loving concern, and prayer for wisdom! Don't be left in the dark about your child's condition, and don't assume that your child is exactly like another child with the same disability. Two children might have entirely different options before them, as there are so many factors to consider. You need to find what is best for your child, since you are the closest one to him. Don't try to put that responsibility on others."

~"Keep the goal in mind. My goal was to have a literate, normal kid. My decisions were based on what I would do if my child could hear, and to best teach English to my child."

~"The key to making good decisions is being informed and educated."

Parent Interview #1

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Parent Interview #2

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Parent Interview #3

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