Working
with Professionals Learning
To Become An Advocate For Your Child
Learning
to become an advocate for our children is one of the most
important actions we can take to help them with their hearing
loss.
~"As
I learned more, I became more assertive and learned how
to be a better advocate for my child. I learned not to
be intimidated by professionals, especially those who
had a lot of book knowledge, but knew nothing about my
child personally."
~"Over
time we have learned to be more aggressive and proactive
with doctors, and we refuse to be made to feel ignorant
or incapable just because we don't know the medical terms."
~"The
way I deal with professionals has changed because now
I'm more aware of the learning process and how my child
is doing."
~"I
realize now that if I want to do things a certain way,
I have to say so. If I want to know something, I have
to ask. I am my child's advocate and must act as such."
~"I
understand things better now. I'm not hesitant to ask
questions, I have expectations. I try to work as part
of a team."
~"We
went from knowing nothing about premature infants and
hospital procedures and hearing loss, to the point where
now we want to understand everything the doctors and specialists
are sharing with us.."
~"I
no longer feel like the ignorant one who is ready to jump
at whatever advice the professionals offer. I have learned
that there are many opinions, and that many professionals
lack a certain understanding that parents have, simply
because the child is their own. I have learned to stand
up for my opinions and beliefs and the things that I know
to be true in my daughter's life, and not let the opinions
of professionals undermine me."
Standing in the Gap Between Child
and Professional Very
quickly, most of us come to understand that we are the ones
who will be standing in the gap between our child and the
professionals. Because we love our children and want the
best possible services for them, this is not something we
have to think about doing, we just do it.
Welcomed Input
Fortunately, many professionals welcome input from parents
and are grateful to be able to work with an involved parent
to figure out what is best for the child. The hard part
comes when we are faced with having to challenge the opinion
or advice of a professional. It can be very intimidating
to walk into a room full of professionals. An important
thing to remember is that you are part of the team and you
deserve the respect and consideration of those working with
your child.
Learning
to become an advocate for our children is one of the most
important actions we can take to help them with their hearing
loss. 
Very
quickly, most of us come to understand that we are the ones
who will be standing in the gap between our child and the
professionals. Because we love our children and want the
best possible services for them, this is not something we
have to think about doing, we just do it. 
