FAMILY CENTER

 

Ohio Valley Voices’ Family Center serves children birth to three years old and their families.  Starting early is critical for positive outcomes for children with hearing loss. Ohio Valley Voices believes strongly in working with young families of deaf children to ensure a positive life long outcome for their child. 

Getting started early is the key to success, and at Ohio Valley Voices we support an early intervention model. It is important for families of children with hearing impairment to receive a solid foundation through education. We believe that knowledge is power, and help to provide the knowledge about hearing loss and language to every family that enters our doors.

 

Parent Education and Support

It is well documented that children with disabilities have a better probability of success if the parents are simultaneously educated and supported. Parent education is a central focus at The Family Center. Parents benefit from weekly educational sessions focusing on language development and understanding hearing impairment. Parents have weekly meetings with a staff member to discuss the individual needs of their children. Each family enrolled in the Family Center participates in the Parent Support Groups. These support groups help each parent successfully navigate their way through the emotional experience of having a child with a hearing impairment.

 

Parent Infant Program

The Parent Infant Program at Ohio Valley Voices is designed to provide family focused support to infants (birth to 18 months) with hearing loss and their families. Through a variety of programs parents are supported in their decision to promote spoken language with their child. The sessions offered are specifically designed to best meet the needs of each individual family.

Toddler Program

The Toddler Program serves toddlers (18 months to 3 years) and their families. The Toddler Program meets up to five half-day sessions a week. The primary components of the Toddler Program are center-based classroom and individual therapy. These programs give children an early start on learning spoken language. Children participate in a classroom setting with other toddlers, lead by an experienced early childhood education teacher. The classroom emphasizes oral language learning and promotes socialization. The daily individual therapy sessions are designed to accelerate oral language learning.