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ABSTRACT INFORMATION
Title: 'The Impact of Spiritual Life on the Family' Track: 7 - Family Perspectives and Support Keyword(s): Faith, healing, hearing loss, family Learning Objectives: respect families that desire faith or prayer based discernment while working through their best options. Abstract: Presentation Track: Family Perspectives and Support  Presenters: Janet DesGeorges and Stephanie Olson  The Impact of Spiritual Life on the Family Journey  The impact of a family’s faith, religion, and spiritual reflections in response to the identification, acceptance, decisions, and beliefs about deafness and hearing loss is often a primary driving force for families, and yet may or may not be communicated to those who are providing support. In the parent-to-parent support model, these conversations do often emerge.  Families in the EHDI system may express a desire to delay early intervention services and opt for faith/prayer based intervention.   The necessary skills and self – reflection of providing support in this context will be explored. Learning to define the boundaries of ‘where these conversations go'  while having the freedom to be with a family where they are at, will also be addressed. Participants in this session will have the opportunity to share their own strategies and stories in keeping with ‘the wisdom among us'.  Janet DesGeorges  Stephanie Olson Janet DesGeorges Executive Director Hands & Voices janet@handsandvoices.org 303-492-6283 Sent from my iPad Presentation: This presentation has not yet been uploaded or the speaker has opted not to make the presentation available online. Handouts: Handout is not Available
PRESENTER(S) / AUTHOR(S) INFORMATION
Stephanie Olson - POC Children's Hospital Colorado      Credentials: B.A.      Other Affiliations: Hands and Voices       Stephanie Olson, B.A. is a Family Consultant for Children's Hospital Colorado and works along side audiologists, speech pathologists and ENT's in providing resources and support to families. She has worked in early intervention through the Colorado Home Intervention Program, taught in the preschool and special education classroom. Stephanie brings these experiences to the multi-disciplinary teams that she works with to better serve families. Stephanie is involved with Hands & Voices Colorado and and on staff with Hands & Voices Headquarters and the Dhh Guide Program. Stephanie has had the opportunity to connect with families, children and professionals nationally and internationally through a medical mission trip,presentations, conferences.       ASHA DISCLOSURE: Financial - No relevant financial relationship exist. Nonfinancial - No relevant nonfinancial relationship exist. Stephanie Olson - Co-Presenter,POC Children's Hospital      Credentials: B.A.      Other Affiliations: Children's Hospital Colorado       Stephanie Olson works as a Family Consultant for the Bill Daniels Center for Children’s Hearing at the Children’s Hospital of Denver and the Colorado Home Intervention Program. She draws from her experiences as a D/HH woman. With degrees in special education and social work, Stephanie’s background as a preschool director and as a teacher for students with special needs has helped her to develop positive relationships with those she serves. During 2009, she was part of a team from Children’s Hospital in Denver that traveled to London, South Africa, Brazil and New Zealand and presented on best practices for addressing auditory neuropathy. Stephanie was identified with a hearing loss at the age of three. In her presentations and her work, Stephanie brings her unique perspective which has been shared with parents and professionals nationally and internationally.       ASHA DISCLOSURE: Financial - Nonfinancial - Janet DesGeorges - Co-Presenter Hands & Voices, Headquarters      Credentials: N/A       Janet DesGeorges lives in Boulder, Colorado and is mom to Sara, who is hard of hearing. She is a co-founder of Hands & Voices, serving as the Executive Director since September 2011, and as the E.D. of the Flagship chapter of Hands & Voices in Colorado for 10 years prior to that. Ms. DesGeorges is the author on the chapter for Family Support in the NCHAM e-Book, the co-author of the book Educational Advocacy for Students who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing: The Hands & Voices Guidebook, and many other publications. Ms. DesGeorges received a program certificate from the MCH Public Health Leadership Institute in 2011 at the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill. Her areas of interest include Leadership Development for parents; Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Systems; Parent/Professional partnerships in Quality Improvement processes.       ASHA DISCLOSURE: Financial - No relevant financial relationship exist. Nonfinancial - No relevant nonfinancial relationship exist.