Working with Professionals
Developing the Right Attitude

Go in with a positive attitude. Veteran parents will tell you that your attitude often sets the stage for how professionals perceive you and interact with you. Don't walk in with guns blazing, but go in expecting the best. You will have enough battles to fight in the years to come without having to look for them. Learn to be assertive when you need to be, but don't walk through the door expecting a fight.

~"As my daughter grew and professionals got to know me better, a mutual respect developed. At first I found that I had to be much more assertive. As time went on, we developed a comfortable working relationship and began to work much better as a team."

~"Over the years my wife and I have learned so many new things about raising children and education for deaf children. However, we would not have learned what we have unless we were willing to admit that we didn't have all the answers. We are so very thankful for the doctors, professionals, teachers, sign language instructor, etc. who took the time to explain everything."

~"Parents must share information with professionals to help them understand their children better, but parents must also listen and learn along the way."

~"Be aggressive. Go with your gut and make yourself understood, but still be humble enough to see the perspective of the professionals and work together to meet the needs of your child."

~"I learned that it is not always a bad thing to be wrong. As a parent, we have to go with our gut instinct. Many times our instincts are right, but sometimes they aren't. When that happens we need to be willing to admit it and change directions."

Parent Interview #1

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