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ABSTRACT INFORMATION
Title: 'Once is Not Enough'
Track: 7-EHDI Workforce Issues
Audience: Primary Audience:
Secondary Audience:
Tertiary Audeince:
Keyword(s): parents, grieving/emotions, professionals training
Learning Objectives: Participants will be able to list the stages of grief and the impact of each on parent follow through. Participants will be able to determine at which stage a parent is at any given point in time.

Abstract:

Discovering their child is deaf or hard of hearing and coming to terms with it are part of a major life cycle task for many families (Turnbull, Turnbull, Erwin, Soodak & Shogren, 2010). The emotions of grief—shock, denial, guilt, anger, shame, depression and acceptance—may be experienced by these families much the same as the emotions experienced with a loved one dies. Although not all families experience grief, those that do may not experience the various stages in any proscribed sequence. Additionally, the stages of grief may be experienced again and again throughout the child’s lifetime. The emotional “status” of a parent will directly influence their ability to respond to the information, recommendations, and directions of professionals. It is critical that professionals attend to the emotional status of a parent each time they meet. Additionally, because men and women grieve differently professionals must realize that parents may be in conflict with one another because of their emotional differences. Most professionals have not been trained to evaluate, understand and respond to the emotions of parents and to adjust their information, recommendations and directions accordingly. This session will address how to assess the emotional state of parents at a given point in time; what to do when parents/caregivers are at different emotional places; why it is important for professionals to consider a parent’s emotional state BEFORE diving into their (the professionals’) agendas; and how to ensure successful parent/professional partnerships.
Handouts: Handout is not Available
SPEAKER INFORMATION
PRESENTER(S):
Joni Alberg - Oberkotter Foundation
     Credentials: Ph.D.
     Other Affiliations: Adjunct Faculty, Department of Allied Health Sciences, Speech and Hearing Sciences, UNC-Chapel Hill
      Joni Alberg. Joni joined the Oberkotter Foundation as Family Support Programs Officer on October 1, 2014. Previously, she served as Executive Director of BEGINNINGS For Parents of Children Who Are Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Inc. in NC from 1999 until October 2014. BEGINNINGS provides emotional support, information, and technical assistance to parents throughout North Carolina who have children from birth through age 21 with a hearing loss. Joni holds B.S. and M.S. degrees in Special Education from Florida State University and a Ph.D. in Special Education from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Dr. Alberg has more than 30 years professional experience as a special education teacher, administrator, researcher and business executive.
 
AUTHOR(S):
Joni Alberg - Oberkotter Foundation
     Credentials: Ph.D.
     Other Affiliations: Adjunct Faculty, Department of Allied Health Sciences, Speech and Hearing Sciences, UNC-Chapel Hill
      BIO: Joni Alberg. Joni joined the Oberkotter Foundation as Family Support Programs Officer on October 1, 2014. Previously, she served as Executive Director of BEGINNINGS For Parents of Children Who Are Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Inc. in NC from 1999 until October 2014. BEGINNINGS provides emotional support, information, and technical assistance to parents throughout North Carolina who have children from birth through age 21 with a hearing loss. Joni holds B.S. and M.S. degrees in Special Education from Florida State University and a Ph.D. in Special Education from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Dr. Alberg has more than 30 years professional experience as a special education teacher, administrator, researcher and business executive.