2018_summer_nl_fndc : simplebooklet.com

SUMMER CAMP 2018 SIGN UP YOUR CHILD FOR WEEKLY FUN ACTIVITIES WEEKLY ACTIVITIES TEEN EVENTS Week 1 July 8 to 12 Hornby Island Kids Youth Overnight Camp D HH Week 1 July 8 to 12 Overnight Camp Counsellor in Training at Hornby Island D HH Week 2 July 16 to 19 9 00 am to 3 00 pm Adventureland D HH Week 2 July 17 3 30 pm to 8 00 pm Teen Tuesday Bubble Soccer D HH Week 3 July 23 to 26 9 00 am to 3 00 pm Family Summer Immersion D HH Sib Week 4 July 31 3 30 pm to 8 00 pm Teen Tuesday Apex Warrior D HH Week 4 July 30 to August 2 9 00 am to 3 00 pm Mad Science D HH Week 4 August 2 9 00 am to 3 00 pm Teen Thursday Playland at the PNE D HH Ages 5 12 Fees 85 early bird 120 after July 9 Ages 13 18 Fees 30 early bird 65 after July 12 Week 5 August 7 to 9 9 00 am to 3 00 pm Splish Splash D HH Sib Coda Week 5 August 7 3 30 pm to 8 00 pm Teen Tuesday Photo Tour Walk D HH Ages 5 12 Fees 65 early bird 100 after July 17 Ages 13 18 Fees 30 early bird 65 after July 17 Week 6 August 13 to 16 9 00 am to 3 00 pm Spokes Gears D HH Week 5 August 9 9 00 am to 3 00 pm Teen Thursday Splashdown Park D HH Sib Coda Ages 5 12 Fees 85 early bird 120 after July 23 Ages 13 18 Fees 30 early bird 65 after July 19 D Deaf Sib Siblings Week 6 August 14 3 30 pm to 8 00 pm Teen Tuesday Youth Night D HH Ages 8 15 Fees 175 early bird 225 after June 15 Ages 5 12 Fees 85 early bird 120 after June 25 Ages 5 12 Fees 85 early bird 120 after July 2 FNDC 2 Summer 2018 HH Hard of Hearing Coda Children of Deaf Adult Ages 16 18 Fees 75 early bird 100 after June 15 Ages 13 18 Fees 30 early bird 65 after June 26 Ages 13 18 Fees 30 early bird 65 after July 10 Ages 13 18 Fees 30 early bird 65 after July 24 FOR MORE DETAILS OR TO REGISTER GO TO www fndc ca summercamp2018 DYT fndc ca

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PRESENTS FNDC FAMILY FISHING DAY Saturday September 8 2018 10 00 am to 2 00 pm Following the past success we are bringing back Family Fishing Day This event started as an idea by Rhys McCormick for community partnership in one of his graduate studies courses in 2015 We are happy to have him involved again this year to help assist with planning organization and support of this event On SATURDAY September 8 2018 we welcome families to join us for a visit at the Fraser Valley Trout Hatchery in Abbotsford We will be touring the Visitor s Centre and learning to identify some local BC fish as well as a learn a little about fish biology habitat and conservation COST 5 00 per person adults children Bring a packed lunch for your family Contact fndc fndc ca if cost is an issue ADDRESS Fraser Valley Trout Hatchery 34345 Vye Rd Abbotsford To REGISTER www fndc ca familyfishingday We will finish the day with some catch and will then release fish in the well stocked fish ponds on site All equipment will be provided Interpreters will be provided on site Deaf Youth Today Staff will also participate to make this event a fun family4 signing day FNDC Summer 2018 Photo from 2016 Peterson family enjoying the grand door prize they won a Sturgeon fishing trip

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May 2018 Dear FNDC members DYT camper families and newsletter subscribers Re MEMBERSHIP RENEWAL DATES All FNDC membership expired March 31 2018 We decided to change our membership dates to coincide with our Summer DYT Program It s that time of year for FNDC memberships July 1 2018 to June 30 2019 Our Board of Directors feel that families benefit greatly from our low cost Deaf Youth Today summer programs For this reason becoming a member of FNDC to show your belief in our organization is valued and vital As a non profit society we are required to have formal memberships Membership lets us know that you believe in what we are doing for deaf and hard of hearing children youth and their families in British Columbia FNDC has been the catalyst to many of the changes and services that families currently receive and benefit from We continue to inform and educate by writing letters consulting and information sharing to ensure that deaf hard of hearing children and their families have access to sign language classes counselling family support better TV movie theatre captioning government videos Video Relay Services improved literacy the right to qualified interpreters post secondary opportunities The list is endless and the work ongoing when it comes to access and inclusion for our deaf and hard of hearing children Your membership says you believe in what we are doing and is an indicator that you support us FNDC s Summer Program Deaf Youth Today DYT provides social recreational programs for deaf children leadership opportunities for deaf youth and is the leading employer of deaf students during the summer months We keep our costs to a minimum by working from home offices sharing a FNDC cellphone and applying for grants to employ deaf students as DYT summer staff We do this because we believe that parents make huge financial sacrifices ie gas costs significant travel time time off work driving your children daily to attend our DYT Summer Program Your membership fees and donations help us with the costs incurred in website maintenance workshop planning newsletter production and our DYT Summer Program We are extremely grateful for donations If you wish to receive our newsletter and ongoing email updates please make sure that you add fndc fndc ca to your safe sender s list and email address book To pay online www fndc ca membership To download form and mail in go to www fndc ca click about click become a member and download the form Thank you for your continued support Cecelia FNDC FAMILY NETWORK FOR DEAF CHILDREN PO Box 50075 South Slope RPO Burnaby BC V5J 5G3 T 604 684 1860 voice text message line Email fndc fndc ca Website www fndc ca FNDC 5 Summer 2018

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35 00 includes newsletters by MAIL updates by Email 10 00 includes newsletters updates by Email ONLY You may use this form or pay for your membership online at www fndc ca membership Voting Member Parent guardian of deaf hh child Non Voting Member Individual or organization Note voting members are parents legal guardians of a deaf hh child One vote per family Birth year of your deaf hh child __________ If you are unable to pay at this time please just let us know NAME ADDRESS CITY PROVINCE EMAIL POSTAL CODE TEL CELL Check if text only Note Please add fndc fndc ca to your safe sender s list You will receive our email information via MAILCHIMP Please add Mailchimp to your safe sender s list too You may donate using this form and mail to FNDC or you may also donate directly at www fndc ca donation I would like to make a charitable donation of ______________ income tax receipts will be issued for donations over 10 00 Thank you for your continued support Charitable Registration No 88622 5655 RR 0001 You may pay your membership using this form and mail to FNDC or you may also renew your membership online at www fndc ca Mastercard Cheque Visa PayPal CHARGE CARD EXPIRY MM SIGNATURE TOTAL AUTHORIZED PAYMENT Please make your cheque payable to FNDC Family Network for Deaf Children FNDC Family Network for Deaf Children PO Box 50075 South Slope RPO Burnaby BC V5J 5G3 Phone 604 684 1860 voice text message Email fndc fndc ca Website www fndc ca FNDC 6 Summer 2018 DD YYYY

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Autism or Hearing Difference Tweezing out the Differences By Kristi Riley From http handsandvoices org deafhardofhearingchildren autism or hearing difference tweezing out the differences May 4 2018 One of the big questions researchers have in the D HH and autism world is how do you tell the difference between hearing loss symptoms and autism symptoms As a mom of a child with a severe hearing difference and a child with both mild autism and a mild hearing difference I have gotten to see first hand what some of these differences may look like I am in the process of earning my doctorate degree in clinical audiology at the University of Wisconsin Madison I am also a family trainee in the Wisconsin LEND Program Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities at the Waisman Center where I have learned about different developmental disabilities in children I was recently trained through LEND on how to administer the ADOS I have friends who are D HH and friends who are on the autism spectrum I can tell you for certainty that narrowing down the symptoms of hearing loss and the symptoms of autism is no walk in the park and requires the subjective feedback from both parents who know the child best and the objective analysis of trained professionals In 2012 when my daughter Lauralee was born she failed her newborn hearing screening Right away we were whisked into bimonthly audiology appointments Being music teachers at the time my husband Justin and I were concerned not only about her ability to enjoy music but her ability to gain access to language and literacy If you can t hear you can t speak If you can t speak you can t read If you can t read then just about every subject that crosses your path is affected Who cares about aspirations of Julliard Learning to talk read then write affects every single subject in school Lauralee was not officially diagnosed until 6 months old She did not get her first pair of hearing aids until she was 11 months old We were worried about her language development Lauralee has always been very alert and interactive She has always made good eye contact and loved to play She is goofy and is such a joy to be around Even though she did gain the stereotypical mama and dada babble in the first few months she mostly talked with her facial expressions I decided to get the Signing Time DVDs and she and I soaked up sign language It was like we had our own secret language I always felt like we had a deep connection Sometimes I seriously questioned whether she was truly deaf or if it was all a big mistake In 2014 right after I started my path to audiology we had our son Oliver He was such a beautiful baby and I was ecstatic to find out he passed his newborn hearing screening Even though he had a short NICU stay after he was born he ultimately seemed healthy in every way When we brought him home right away I noticed he was a little different from Lauralee He was fussier and cried a lot I chalked it up to being a different personality Besides I was a fussy kid too I ll never forget at around 7 weeks I was holding Oliver in my lap attempting to do face time He would not look at me nor smile He seemed so disconnected I would force my face into his gaze until I got a reaction But ultimately I did not connect with him like Lauralee I felt guilty When Oliver was about 3 or 4 months old I started subbing at a local daycare Oliver stayed in the infant room while Lauralee was in the 2 year old room Lauralee was immediately the favorite friend Kids would follow her around because she was so expressive and out going She caught up academically and knew all her letters and sounds by the time she was 3 Oliver on the other hand was making minimal progress He had little ticks like twinkle hands when he was curious leg tensing and screaming when he was excited and head shaking when he was bored He did not learn to sit until he was over 10 months old When Oliver was around 12 months old I contacted birth to 3 about my concerns He started receiving OT services right away Weeks went by and Oliver did not learn to walk He resisted every idea the therapist had One night while crying my eyes out my husband told me about this place called the Wisconsin Early Autism Project I doubted autism because Oliver was gaining language and had okay eye contact but I went along with the idea just in case Two summers ago I realized Oliver was saying what a lot Sometimes he would ignore me all together He had not yet started autism therapy and I wondered if it was his hearing On a last ditch effort to prove it was NOT autism but something else I asked my professor if we could test him She agreed Testing day was a nightmare and an absolute embarrassment Oliver screamed bloody murder in the sound booth and was ultimately untrainable We waited six months and got a few frequencies We waited another couple of months and got a few more frequencies my professor is amazing Ultimately it looked like Oliver DID have a mild hearing loss in one ear which newborn screenings do not catch YESSS We confirmed objectively through ABR over the summer Even though he had a mild loss my professor made the point that the loss would not affect his language development nor his behavior The autism diagnosis stuck Darn FNDC 7 Summer 2018

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I have finally come to terms with Oliver s diagnosis I don t know why it took me so long Maybe because there is a stigma about autism or a stigma about children with poor behavior Lauralee made me feel like an amazing mom Oliver challenges me every step of the way Looking back there s no doubt Oliver has the right diagnosis And to tell you the truth he s a good little boy Both autism disorder and hearing disorders are a spectrum Every case is different Someone could have the exact same audiogram as Lauralee but be affected more There is so many intricate connections between the peripheral hearing system and the cortical synapses in the brain where hearing and cognition happen that something could go haywire at any point along the auditory pathway Some one could have mild autism like Oliver but have a completely different set of abilities or behaviors affecting everyday life Because of all these factors it s hard to truly come up with a set of symptoms that separate autism and hearing differences Maybe rather than separating the disabilities as two separate entities maybe hearing loss is a symptom of autism Autism on a basic level is caused by sensory wiring differences in the brain There have been several studies showing the autistic auditory pathway is wired differently from the neuro typical pathway Perhaps hearing differences whether peripheral or cortical are a common symptom of autism But the social insufficiencies that are commonly associated with autism do not translate to a person with deafness People who are deaf but given adequate language access through sign or otherwise develop socially normal Yes a person may have to grab their attention differently but ultimately a deaf person is very socially aware Autism can make a person seem deaf because they lack social cues like eye contact and quick verbal responses Neuro typical people with deafness do not lack these social differences when given the chance to communicate You can see it clearly in my children but we are only one example on the entire spectrum JUST RELEASED by Gallaudet University Press A Bilingual Introduction Deborah Chen Pichler Marlon Kuntze Diane Lillo Martin Ronice M ller de Quadros and Marianne Rossi Stumpf This video textbook offers an accessible introduction to first second and bilingual language acquisition focusing on sign languages as the primary frame of reference Signed entirely in American Sign Language with accompanying slides and an optional English voice over this video text provides an innovative approach that is accessible to both ASL dominant and English dominant users Note from Deborah Chen Pichler Please let people know that our online video textbook that I mentioned in Vancouver Sign Language Acquisition by Deaf and Hearing Children A Bilingual Introduction is finally being released by Gallaudet University Press It is in ASL with English voice over and covers basic information about how various groups learn ASL deaf kids Kodas hearing adults interpreters etc A sample is available at https signlanguageacquisition com with ordering information Summer Celebration Victoria Island Deaf Hard of Hearing Centre IDHHC Victoria July 14th 2018 12pm 3pm Event to celebrate communities deaf hard of hearing deafened communities Families welcomed Annual BBQ event and opportunity to socialize with one another Location Centennial Park 7450 7526 Wallace Dr Saanichton Link www idhhc ca Contact info Leslee Scott leslee idhhc ca FNDC 8 Summer 2018

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Apple brings Everyone Can Code to schools serving blind and deaf students nationwide FROM https www apple com newsroom 2018 05 apple brings everyone can code to schools serving blind and deaf students MAY 17 2018 Tim Cook and Nyle DiMarco react to a robot dance sequence created by a student using Swift Playgrounds Apple is teaming up with leading educators for blind and deaf communities across the US to bring accessible coding to their schools Beginning this fall schools supporting students with vision hearing or other assistive needs will start teaching the Everyone Can Code https www apple com everyone can code curricula for Swift https www apple com swift Apple s powerful and intuitive programming language Students from the Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired take part in a Swift Playgrounds session Apple created the comprehensive Everyone Can Code curricula so students from kindergarten to college and beyond can learn and write code using Swift With teacher guides and lessons students learn the basics on iPad with Swift Playgrounds https www apple com swift playgrounds which lets you use real code to solve puzzles and control characters with just a tap to App Development with Swift to help aspiring app developers build their first iOS apps Apple s mission is to make products as accessible as possible said Tim Cook Apple s CEO We created Everyone Can Code because we believe all students deserve an opportunity to learn the language of technology We hope to bring Everyone Can Code to even more schools around the world serving students with disabilities Students can learn to write code using Swift through Apple s Everyone Can Code curricula The schools will tailor lessons using Apple s groundbreaking accessibility technology which has changed the lives of millions of people with vision hearing physical motor cognitive or other assistive needs Apple collaborated with engineers educators and programmers from various accessibility FNDC 9 Summer 2018

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communities to make Everyone Can Code as accessible as possible and will work in close coordination with schools to augment the curricula as needed This will include providing additional tools and resources such as tactile maps to enhance the understanding of coding environments for non visual learners Initial list of participating schools California School for the Blind Fremont CA California School for the Deaf Fremont CA District 75 Citywide Programs New York City Department of Education New York NY Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind St Augustine FL Hadley Institute for the Blind and Visually Impaired Winnetka IL Perkins School for the Blind Watertown MA Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired Austin TX Texas School for the Deaf Austin TX Our students were tremendously excited at our first Everyone Can Code session earlier this year said Bill Daugherty superintendent at the Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired in Austin There are more than 10 400 students with visual impairments Students can learn to write code using Swift through in Texas and the develApple s Everyone Can Code curricula opment of this curricula is going to be a big step in opening up coding opportunities for our students and those across the nation Students at the California School for the Deaf in Fremont California use Skoog connected to iPad during a coding workshop California School for the Deaf superintendent Clark Brooke said We re thrilled to kick off the partnership with Apple This program is a great way to bring to life the ideas and imagination of our Deaf students through coding while also building a foundation for future careers in software development and technology Julie Tye president and CEO of the Hadley Institute for the Blind and Visually Impaired added As the largest educator within the visually impaired community Hadley knows firsthand how important Apple s technology is in making daily living easier and more enjoyable Now partnering with Apple we are excited to help even more people learn how to code Whether for fun or future employment learning the language of technology can offer tremendous opportunity to everyone The Everyone Can Code curricula is compatible with VoiceOver the most advanced screen reading technology iOS makes it easy to access features like VoiceOver and Switch Control by triple clicking the for people who are blind or low vision Home button or side button on iPhone X VoiceOver is a gesture based screen reader that describes nearly everything happening on your screen and is the most popular screen reading technology of any mobile technology platform1 With VoiceOver integration Swift Playgrounds can take students step by step through learning Swift all without needing to see the screen Students from Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired use code they wrote through Swift Playgrounds to pilot Parrot drones Accessibility features for people who are deaf or hard of hearing include FaceTime for capturing every gesture and facial expression Type to Siri closed captions LED Flash for Alerts Mono Audio and Made for iPhone hearing aids iPad and Everyone Can Code can also be used by students with physical motor limitations through Apple s built in Switch Control which enables switches joysticks and other adaptive devices to control what is on your screen Hello I am a sign language linguist at Gallaudet University studying how hearing people learn ASL as a second language especially in the family context I am currently interviewing hearing parents with deaf children or ASL instructors who work with these families Interviews are informal can be by phone or video conference and focus on your personal experiences Each participating family or ASL instructor will receive a US 20 amazon com gift card after the interview as a small thank you for your time If you are interested or would like to ask more about this project please contact me at Deborah Pichler Gallaudet edu I look forward to hearing from you FNDC 10 Summer 2018

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A first of its kind program in Ontario will help police officers and deaf people communicate From https www cbc ca amp 1 4670434 cmp rss __twitter_impression true May 22 2018 The Ontario Association of the Deaf OAD has partnered with the Ontario Police Service to provide members of the deaf community with visor cards a guide that makes communicating with police more accessible CBC It is for that reason that Hamen believes a program that raises awareness between police officers and members of the deaf mute and the hearing impaired community is vital Let s say you re deaf or mute and you re pulled over by a police officer How do you quickly communicate that you may have different needs than another person An individual who is not disabled and sees a person with a wheelchair can identify right away that person has a disability he said whereas deaf individuals don t have that visibility A new program aimed at mending the communication gap between officers and members of the deaf mute and hard of hearing communities is working to ensure that kind of vital information isn t lost in translation A program like this that can really help officers communicate more with deaf individuals and improve their understanding of the experiences of deaf individuals Hamen added The Ontario Association of the Deaf OAD has partnered with the Ontario Police Service to provide members of the community with visor cards a quick reference guide that aids officers in accommodating deaf individuals OPP first police service to endorse visor cards A visor card indicates that a person is deaf or hard of hearing It also includes images of what a police officer might say or need from a deaf person and guides alternative methods of communicating like writing lip reading or texting According to American Sign Language ASL employment specialist David Hamen the visor program is a necessary and long overdue tool Ontario Provincial Police Sgt Kerry Schmidt says his police service is the first in Ontario to endorse visor cards for individuals who are deaf and is happy to be on board These cards have been produced and created by the OAD and we are happy to be a part of that project to allow a more consistent and fluid communication between members of the deaf and members of the police said Schmidt There s awareness now too the police service knows as well that these cards are available and that they are out there This relationship between the deaf community and police is necessary to avoid situations that can turn dangerous says Hamen Accessibility is key In this day and age deaf people have an invisible disability expressed Hamen who communicated with CBC Toronto via a sign language interpreter If a cop is to stop a deaf individual the deaf individual might not know either in the car or in the street that the police said Freeze put your hands up and the deaf individual has not heard Guns have been pulled on deaf individuals and deaths have been associated with this It is so sad and so unfortunate Hamen said In the case that a deaf individual is pulled over by a police officer the visor card should allow the driver to identify that they have a hearing disability and encourage an efficient flow of communication he said I am hoping this will set an example for a safe way to communicate with deaf people and the idea will spread Many deaf individuals or deaf and hard of hearing individuals are anxious with police when they are pulled over because of the communication issue David Hamen The OAD will distribute the visor cards to deaf individuals who also have an Ontario Driver s Licence during their two day Mayfest festival beginning on May 11 at the Mattamy Athletic Centre in downtown Toronto Many deaf individuals or deaf and hard of hearing individuals are anxious with police when they are pulled over because of the communication issue Hamen said Speechreading Instructor Training will be offered Aug 30 Sept 3 2018 in Chilliwack There is room for more potential instructors for this training class If you have taken speechreading classes have experience with audiology speech pathology or Deaf education you might be well qualified to take this 5 day Speechreading Instructor training to teach Let s Talk LT This program was developed by experienced hard of hearing speechreading instructors throughout Canada through the Canadian Hard of Hearing Association CHHA There is a growing demand for speech reading training among adults and seniors experiencing hearing loss Leslee Scott is CHHA s Western Instructor to provide instructional training for this program If you are interested and available to take this training on Aug 30 Sept 3 2019 please contact Leslee at leslee idhhc ca FNDC 11 Summer 2018

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7 Great Children s Books About Deafness From http blog ai media tv blog 7 childrens books about deafness Books with deaf or hard of hearing characters are a great way to expose children to diversity through literature Here s a list of 7 of our favorite children s books which show the world of Deaf culture and what it means to have a Deaf identity A Place for Grace A Place for Grace is about a small dog named Grace who finds out she s too small to become a seeing eye dog Grace then meets Charlie who is deaf After seeing Grace save a boy from getting hit by a car Charlie believes Grace would make a great hearing dog for people who are deaf So Charlie decides to help Grace become his own hearing dog River of Hands Deaf Heritage Stories River of Hands contains four stories written by young Deaf authors and Deaf illustrators through a project by the Canadian Cultural Society of the Deaf The four stories A Fishy Story ZZZZZZ BUT and Unlucky Charm introduce Deaf characters in a fun way The book includes instructions on some American Sign Language ASL signs quirky illustrations and information about Deaf culture Shay and Ivy Beyond the Kingdom Shay and Ivy Beyond the Kingdom is written by Sheena McFeely the creator of ASL Nook The book is based off McFeely s daughters Shaylee and Ivy The story follows the characters Shay and Ivy as they dream about being princesses at an imaginary ball But Shay starts to think about possibilities outside of their imaginary kingdom Shay and Ivy begin imagining themselves as fearless pilots scientists and astronauts The book includes illustrations of the characters signing to each other and sends a lovely message about the importance of being yourself FNDC 12 Summer 2018

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Dina the Deaf Dinosaur This book tells the story of a dinosaur named Dina who is deaf Dina decides to run away from home because her parents won t let her learn sign language After running away Dina befriends an Owl named Otto a Mole named Moliere and a Chipmunk named Camilla Dina the Deaf Dinosaur draws on feelings that the author Carole Addabbo experienced as a child Addabbo has been deaf since birth and is a sign language teacher A Birthday for Ben A Birthday for Ben written by Kate Gaynor and illustrated by Karen Quirke introduces deafness to young readers Ben is turning 7 and doesn t want to have a birthday party but when his friends surprise him he realises how easy it can be for everyone to join in The story shows difficulties that a child who is deaf may face and how it is important to include everyone in games and activities Hands Hearts This story follows a mother and daughter as they spend a day at the beach The mother and daughter swim dance build sandcastles and communicate through American Sign Language The book teaches the reader how to learn 15 ASL signs and includes instructional sidebars on how to learn the sign The book is also beautifully illustrated and shows the special bond between a mother and child Dad and Me in the Morning Dad and Me in the Morning is a story about a young boy and his father that wake early one morning to watch the sunrise on the beach The young boy wakes up to his flashing visual alarm clock puts on his hearing aids and goes to wake his father The two communicate through signing lipreading and squeezing each other s hands The book has beautiful watercolour illustrations and a great little story about the relationship between a father and son FNDC 13 Summer 2018

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CBC RADIO interview with Jim Roots Executive Director of Canadian Association of the Deaf From CBC RADIO June 1 2018 http www cbc ca radio thesundayedition integrating deaf canadians into the workplace is easier than employers realize says advocate 1 4687689 Integrating deaf Canadians into the workplace is easier than employers realize says advocate The unemployment rate for deaf Canadians is 40 because most employers have trouble imagining how a deaf person would function on the job Jim Roots Executive Director of the Canadian Association of the Deaf says modern technology has removed barriers to workplace communication For example if there s an emergency in the workplace such as a fire they are not sure how they would communicate that to their employee That s one small example of the greater problem ME You ve described the greater problem as a crisis in unemployment for deaf people JR It s a perpetual ongoing crisis Yes that s how I would categorize it This is a transcript of our interview with Jim Roots Executive Director of the Canadian Association of the Deaf an advocacy group of and for people who cannot hear He spoke with Michael Enright from the CBC studios in Ottawa with the assistance of Roxanne Whiting an American Sign Language interpreter ME How do you respond to people who just can t comprehend how a deaf person would integrate in their workplace What do you know that they don t the rest of us don t JR Well if we look back 30 even 35 or 40 years ago there were significant communication barriers at that time It was very difficult to overcome those barriers But with the advancement of technology it s an even playing field now To give you some examples in the past where a deaf person couldn t pick up the phone and communicate with their employer or co workers or what have you That was a prerequisite at that time in a white collar job for example the ability to communicate over the phone But with technology now you don t need that You can text You can e mail And if a phone is required there s now a video relay service and that increases efficiency and the ability to communicate over the telephone for deaf Canadians So those types of barriers should not be present today but a lot of employers don t realize that For the past few years the national unemployment rate in Canada has been hovering at around six or seven per cent But for one segment of the population deaf Canadians it is 40 per cent and it has been at that level for several decades Four out of every ten Canadians who cannot hear want to work but no one will hire them The vast majority of deaf people who are working have short term contracts or are self employed The ability to communicate is central to workplaces sometimes with a client or a customer sometimes at formal meetings and often between colleagues Most people in a hiring position cannot imagine how a deaf person would manage Jim Roots believes there is no practical reason to reject job candidates because they are deaf He says employers deny them the opportunity to work because of their own ignorance and wrong assumptions Michael Enright Now Jim you told a parliamentary committee that employers are more comfortable hiring people with just about any other kind of disability other than deafness Why is that Jim Roots That s right Because most employers assume that there will be problems communicating with their deaf employees They can t imagine how communication can occur or happen So I think there s a bit of nervousness as well with the risks involved for lack of communication ME As I said in the intro you ve said that a lot of this is caused by the ignorance of employers and the people in the hearing community How do we the people in the hearing community view the deaf JR Well often they think that deaf people don t have language or that sign language is a monkey gestural type of language and it s not a valid language and so therefore they can t communicate Often the first question I get asked is Can you lip read And it s a myth and a fallacy that most deaf people know how to lip read Most deaf people don t There s many other ways to communicate So that s one example ME You also said at one point that people in the hearing community tend to patronize the deaf JR That s right Patronization is really stemming from attitudinal views You know those poor deaf people don t worry about what s happening right now I will make that decision for you I will help you From a person who is born deaf for example the hearing adults in that child s world will make decisions on behalf of that child whether they get a hearing aid or a cochlear implant if they ll learn sign language if they ll go to a school for the deaf or if they ll be mainstreamed The deaf child doesn t make that decision at that point it s the hearing adults And most hearing people pity deaf people They consider us a disabled group and they think we can t do things independently because we cannot hear but that s where they re wrong We can do those things for ourselves FNDC 15 Summer 2018

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ME Is that what you mean when you talk about the medicalization of deafness JR Yeah I guess what that means is viewing the deaf person as something that needs to be fixed Deafness needs to be eradicated or removed the view of deafness being an illness and trying to make it better And so trying to find a cure if you will In society in terms of interpreting deafness you respect the person as being deaf and then find alternative means to communicate with that person because a deaf person isn t sick You can t actually catch deafness it s not contagious ME Do you consider deafness a disability a physical disability JR It depends on who you ask If you ask somebody within the deaf community they would say No I m a linguistically cultural minority That s how I would view myself If you re not within the deaf community then you do view deafness as a disability JR But really the deaf person s literacy skills haven t improved too much from that last statistic but I think that they re sort of on a more even playing field now I think in general the hearing population s literacy levels have dropped I m in the top one per cent being at a skill level of literacy and I ve tried to read some comments on your website at cbc ca and sometimes I m having difficulty understanding what people are saying and commenting because the English is so poorly written And then later I ll read some texts between myself and some other deaf individuals and their level of English is exactly what I ve just read from comments online ME In terms of education what are the barriers for people finishing high school or going on to university I was reading one statistic that your organization put out in the entire country there are only three or four deaf university professors ME When hiring a deaf person would the employer also have to hire an ASL interpreter like Roxanne JR Not necessarily A deaf applicant should identify themselves requiring an interpreter for the interview for example to be considered for the position But in the past deaf people might not self identify as being deaf at that point But now I think most deaf people are very proud of their identity their cultural identity of being a deaf person So they would make that request for an interpreter or other accommodation that they would need for the interview and going forward in the workplace Being deaf to them is just like someone saying I have blonde hair You know it s just it s who they are ME Are there advantages to hiring someone who is deaf or do employers usually say it s too much trouble JR I think a lot of times employers don t take that next step to figure out what the advantages might be They just assume it ll be too much trouble Sometimes when they look over the resume and they see that that the applicant went to a school for the deaf they volunteered with deaf organizations maybe they worked in a deaf service agency they think You don t have any real world experience outside of the deaf community And so they don t even consider their resume or the experience that they bring to the table ME Are there particular lines of work or occupations jobs in which the deaf excel JR Currently this generation of deaf youth are quite skilled in gaming video gaming developing CGIs and that realm of technology because deaf people are very visual We re seeing a lot of deaf people excel in that area of technology ME Your organization Jim estimates that about 65 per cent of the deaf may be functionally illiterate That must be a problem as far as employment is concerned JR Well not necessarily If you pay attention to Twitter you ll know that two thirds of the hearing population are also functionally illiterate ME LAUGHING That s a good point FNDC 16 Summer 2018 JR That s right It s very difficult today for deaf students to enter universities or colleges primarily for financial reasons If they don t have money they can t go to university They ll try to apply for scholarships If their high school achievement wasn t satisfactory then they don t get the scholarship therefore they can t pursue their education ME When a deaf person is applying for a job do they reveal their deafness on the application form or later And if they do what are the chances of being interviewed JR Really it varies It s a decision that deaf people struggle with when they re applying Sometimes they include it in the cover letter Sometimes they wait until they re asked for an interview and then they make a request for an interpreter at that point Sometimes they feel that the employer might perceive them as not being honest because they haven t self identified right from the beginning so that creates another level of issue So there s no hard or fast rule for a deaf person They just use their intuition for each situation ME At one point I think Jim you said that the only place deaf people can find jobs is within their own community that the outside community won t hire them What kind of jobs are we talking about here Where are they working Who s doing the hiring JR Most are working for deaf service agencies deaf institutions deaf associations A few of them may work for organizations that service people with other types of disabilities Many of them teach sign language They re not wealthy by any means in these types of positions One third of deaf Canadians earn less than fifteen thousand dollars a year so it s quite small

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ME There s another statistic I mean that one is frightening enough but apparently there is 0 1 per cent of the federal civil service are deaf people and most of them are temporary and most of them are in menial positions maintenance and janitorial work and that kind of thing JR That s right The federal government should be ashamed of themselves They ve fallen short here Within the federal government if you want a good job you need to be bilingual English and French That s common knowledge If you ve grown up deaf you ve struggled to pick up written language in English or French depending on where you were born You may become fluent in ASL American Sign Language and LSQ the Langue des signes du Qu bec the French Sign Language equivalent in Quebec But the federal government doesn t recognize ASL or LSQ as being languages and being recognized as fluency So that s another barrier for people entering the civil service with the federal government ME Tell me Jim about what was called the National Deaf Jobs Strategy What was that all about JR That was back in 1998 through to 2003 It was a five year project There were a few different programs that we had running at that time It was to create jobs find jobs and create additional opportunities for deaf people across the country For example in one of the programs we trained people to become video producers videographers In other program we had people trained to become resource development officers There was a series of targeted jobs if you will and I believe that we had a total of four or five programs We received funding from the federal government We had monies from the Opportunity Fund and that was dedicated for one program Then we had social development partnerships programs funding to fund something else and so on and so forth ME It sounds it sounds like it was quite successful in its own way Why wasn t it renewed JR It was successful At the time I guess what happened was Stephen Harper became prime minister And what happened once he took office is that all the funding that was available for national projects was taken off the table except for one the Opportunities Fund that I mentioned earlier There was a national call for proposals at the time and that was suspended It was put on hold And throughout all of his years as prime minister in office there was no opportunity to apply for that funding and that was one of the biggest reasons Another reason is that I think maybe we were an embarrassment to the government because we said If you give us the money we ll create a hundred new jobs for people who are deaf in this country And the federal government didn t have any funds directed to creating jobs for deaf people themselves They hadn t hired any deaf people in the federal government and their employment rate in terms of hiring people from the deaf community was zero And ours was at one hundred ME We ve talked about how government can get involved in all this What about the private sector What about private employers What is their responsibility JR Well we do have the Employment Equity Act and I don t think it s been very successful at all It doesn t have any enforcement behind it any teeth if you will to enforce it ME What is it supposed to do JR It s from the 1980s It was supposed to encourage contractors within the federal government to encourage them to hire more people with disabilities not only people with disabilities but women visible minorities what we called back then Indigenous groups and I m not sure what the appropriate term is now is it racialized minorities But at the time that program was put in place to address the gaps within those communities and there was funding available with targets to hire a certain number of people within those groups ME Are you having conversations now with the current government There s an election coming along in about 16 months Do you have any leverage to get the government to improve the employment situation for the deaf JR We re very very hopeful that the federal accessibility legislation will get the ball rolling again in our favour We hope that that might be introduced in parliament later in June and if it does get tabled in parliament it would become effective in 2019 and we re very very hopeful We have very high hopes for that legislation But coming back to the point any legislation any programs any policy has to have enforcement And we ve advised the federal government while they are drafting this legislation that there must be strong enforcement that s part of this policy It has to be external monitoring and run by people who themselves have disabilities ME I understand that one of your recommendations Jim is that the federal government adopt American Sign Language or ASL as an official language along with French and English Why would you want that and how would it work JR That s right Because currently there s no enforcement as I mentioned for language Section 15 in the Charter of Rights is very weak So if American Sign Language and LSQ were both recognized as official languages in Canada then we d have some protection for our language rights ME Let me ask you Jim before any of these policies can be enacted or enforced and before governments can come on side doesn t there have to be a change in attitudes in the hearing community in the way that we look upon the deaf or think about the deaf One quote that you made jumped out at me you said that deafness is only a horrible calamity if hearing people make it so JR Exactly ME I guess the idea was that it made more sense to kill programs for the deaf so that we could buy another helicopter or two JR LAUGHING Well I guess if you put it that way ME How do you change attitudes then JR Well if we look to the U S before the Americans with Disabilities Act was enacted deaf people were in the same sort of position we are here today They weren t looked at very favourably and not given lots of opportunities After the ADA was passed people started to realize okay we have an FNDC 17 Summer 2018

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obligation here We have to respect what s coming from the deaf community They have their own language We have to respect that it s a language in its own right We ve got to try and merge this community with everyday society The result of that One example is captioning Prior to the ADA it was a fight to get captioning added to television programming There was no captioning Deaf people couldn t watch the news or watch movies After the ADA was put in place captioning started being included in VHS tapes and television programming and there was a budget set aside for it specifically Then over time that really changed a lot of the attitudes towards deaf people in the United States So that s just one example and I suspect the same thing would happen here in Canada Once people realize that we have to accommodate and incorporate and include deaf people within our everyday society over time attitudes will change once they see what deaf people can bring to the table But first those language rights have to be recognized and that we re included deaf person there s other people within your workplace right now that have communication challenges or preferences and providing accommodation to the deaf person might highlight and might improve communication for everybody in your workplace ME That s a good point Jim thank you JR I just wanted to add that one movie it was called A Quiet Place hearing people went in to watch this movie about a deaf girl It s a very recent production and they were communicating in sign language ME Right That s right It was a horror film JR Yes that s right it was But signing would make them safe And so everybody benefited ME Yeah Good point ME Is there a final thought or some kind of message from you to people who might never consider hiring a deaf person What should that person know JR That deaf people are just like just like you The only difference is how we communicate and even how we communicate now is changing We have text we have emails we have video relay service We re able to communicate just like anybody else We re all part of the same community You know we re all part of the world We re all part of it The only difference is how we communicate JR And when people were leaving the theater people were saying You know what I never thought about that You know sign language is really cool I never thought about sign language in that way Sign language benefits everyone and in many many ways ME That s terrific Jim thank you very much for joining us this morning It s an important topic and it s nice to meet you on the radio If you think about communicating with a deaf person one on one on the job you ll find that once you provide that accommodation and not only for the DEAFBLIND INTERVENOR EDUCATION ASSISTANT Continuing The Maple Ridge Pitt Meadows School District SD42 is looking for a qualified Education Assistant with Deafblind Intervention Certification to work at Kanaka Creek Elementary school effective September 1 2018 This position involves working with a student who has dual sensory loss hearing and vision resulting in significant difficulties in orientation mobility and accessing environmental information QUALIFICATIONS Successful completion of Grade 12 plus the Special Education Teaching Assistant program or equivalent plus successful experience working with individuals with special needs Successful completion of the Deafblind Intervenor Training Program through the Provincial Outreach Program for Students with Deafblindness Be adept at managing amplification equipment and have proficiency in ASL with the ability to adjust to the signing educational and communication levels of the student Skills will be used regarding personal care and lifting Rate of pay 27 97 per hour 4 premium to the hourly wage Please note that Kanaka Creek Elementary works on a Balanced Calendar Interested applicants may apply by email to applicants sd42 ca or submit their package in person by fax or mail to the District Education office noted below ATTN HUMAN RESOURCES DEPT Complete Packages should include District Application form at http www sd42 ca assets media merged application form revised MARCH 2018 pdf Cover Letter Resume with all required supporting documentation For more information about our School District please visit http www sd42 ca our district FNDC 18 Summer 2018

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Family and Community Services Provincial Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services PDHHS For families who have school aged deaf hard of hearing and deafblind children LEADERSHIP WEEK Friendship Advocacy FUN CULTURE IDENTITY Team buildingDiversity DEAFHOOD GAMES Inclusion Self Reflection MORE This week is in collaboration with Deaf Youth Today Are you a youth between the ages of 15 24 Are you Deaf or Hard of Hearing Are you ready to apply for work Are you ready to learn different skills in working with people Are you ready to be a leader Are you ready for some fun Come to our leadership week We will have workshops and fun activities for you to learn different skills for the future and meet other youths Location Provincial Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services 4334 Victory Street Burnaby BC House 2 Boardroom Dates Sunday June 24 from 4 PM 7 30 PM BBQ dinner provided Monday June 25 Wednesday June 27 from 10 AM 5 PM Bring your own bag lunch RSVP Confirm your attendance by emailing us at Erin Bentley gov bc ca Registration deadline June 15 2018 Who For Deaf Hard of Hearing Youths from ages 15 24 Interpreters will be provided for those who prefer listening and speaking P 604 775 4008 E Erin Bentley gov bc ca Provincial Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services www gov bc ca deafandhardofhearing FNDC 19 Summer 2018

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Supporting greater inclusion for people with disabilities From https news gov bc ca releases 2018SDPR0042 001057 Tuesday May 29 2018 Two programs that help people with disabilities connect with services and supports in their communities will be expanding through new funding from the Province We know how important it is for people with disabilities to be connected to the services and resources they need said Shane Simpson Minister of Social Development and Poverty Reduction This funding will help these organizations reach more people and create positive changes for people living with a disability and their families British Columbia Aboriginal Network on Disability Society BCANDS Canada s first and only stand alone organization serving Indigenous peoples with disabilities is receiving 180 000 to expand its navigation supports for Indigenous peoples with disabilities This new funding will assist the society to expand our urban disability case management services enabling us to reach more individuals and families in relation to addressing their disability related needs and priorities said Neil Belanger executive director of BCANDS This includes housing accessing disability and health related services employment disabilityrelated equipment and technology Inclusion BC is receiving 270 000 to hire community inclusion advocates to advocate for youth with developmental disabilities and their families We all play a vital part in supporting and empowering people to live good lives in their communities said Faith Bodnar executive director of Inclusion BC This funding will help us ensure Inclusion BC is working proactively and that our support systems are empowered to respond to the needs and hopes of those we serve As the first AccessAbility Week in B C is being celebrated May 27 through June 2 2018 the provincial government is recognizing disability organizations like BCANDS and Inclusion BC and the individuals with disabilities and their families who work to reduce barriers to give British Columbians of all abilities a better chance to succeed FNDC 21 Summer 2018

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Main Surrey Centre 15220 92nd Ave Surrey BC V3R 2T8 PH 604 584 2827 FAX 604 584 2800 Toll Free 1 877 584 2827 Email Info bcfamilyhearing com Vancouver Satellite Centre 262 3665 Kingsway Vancouver BC V5R 5W2 PH 604 428 7949 FAX 604 428 7950 Email info bcfamilyhearing com Victoria Satellite Centre 320 702 Fort Street Victoria BC V8W 1H2 PH 778 265 8909 FAX 778 265 8908 Email vicinfo bcfamilyhearing com Check out what s in store WHEN Monday June 25th 9 30 11 30am WHO Everyone Bring along grandparents and siblings to the park WHERE Fleetwood Park 80th Avenue between 156th 160th Surrey WHAT TO BRING A snack to share with the group blanket to sit on hats sunscreen swimsuits towels if you wish to use the water park Please request if you require an interpreter Please RSVP by Wednesday June 20th so we know who to watch out for Email info bcfamilyhearing com or call 604 584 2827 If it is raining we will meet at the Surrey Centre instead 9 30am to 1 00pm daily at BC Family Hearing Resource Centre Come for one two or all three days Three days of fun with children who are deaf and hardof hearing and their families Parent participation is required Lunches snacks are provided Event is rain or shine WHEN Thursday July 12th 10 00am 12 00pm WHO Everyone Bring along grandparents and siblings WHERE New Brighton Park 93 New Brighton Road Vancouver Look for the blue yellow balloons WHAT TO BRING Snacks lunch water to drink blanket to sit on hats sunscreen Bring swimsuits towels if you wish to use the pool after the get together An ASL interpreter will be present at this event Please RSVP by Friday July 7th so we know who to watch out for Email info bcfamilyhearing com or call 604 584 2827 If it is raining we will meet at the Vancouver Centre instead FNDC 22 Summer 2018 All three days will be held at our Surrey Centre 15220 92nd Avenue Surrey PRE REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED this is not a drop in program Registration deadline July 20th Online registration at https goo gl 38BDjm ASL Interpreters will be on site for all 3 days THURSDAY One Man Circus FRIDAY Info Fair Entertainers Dilly Bubble Gum SATURDAY Children s Musician Will Stroet

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Siblings of Children with Hearing Loss From http www raisingandeducatingdeafchildren org 2017 10 16 siblings of children with hearing loss The issue What we don t know While much attention is given to many aspects of the development of deaf and hard of hearing DHH children little has been given to their siblings Siblings of children who are DHH develop within the context of the entire family and so they may be impacted by the needs of their DHH sibling and way their family and environment respond to a DHH child While there is a tendency to view having a sibling with any kind of special needs including being DHH as a risk factor it should not be assumed that the impact on the typically developing sibling is negative There is much we don t know about the siblings of DHH children While it is clear that hearing siblings of DHH children may be at risk it is not clear in which circumstances they are at greater or less risk of having negative developmental outcomes across a range of domains including psychologically socially emotionally and academically Therefore there is no clear pathway for professionals working with DHH children to reliably screen or identify siblings who may be at risk for negative outcomes Further there are no evidence based interventions to support siblings of DHH children although interventions do exist for siblings of children with other complex needs such as chronic illness or developmental disability Another unknown is the longevity of these differences in sibling relationships and outcomes as research has so far only been conducted with children not young adults What we know There is limited research concerning sibling of DHH children although these is more concerning the siblings of children with range of special needs including children who have disabilities or are chronically ill Positive outcomes Siblings of children with special needs can be more caring and compassionate more sensitive to the needs of others show greater independence and be more mature for their age that their peers For those with DHH siblings who sign we know exposure to a second language can offer cognitive benefits Negative outcomes Some studies have reported children feeling burdened by their siblings with special needs are resentful of them and the attention they receive worry about their sibling and have increased feelings of selfdoubt Siblings also tend to be aware that they get less attention from their parents are concerned about the impact that having a child with special needs has on their parents and often take on more parent like role toward their sibling Such children may also be more worried about the future of their siblings with special needs and negative reactions from people towards their sibling may causing annoyance distress and or anxiety Difficulties such as these may stress family relationships and an increased risk of internalizing and externalizing behaviors Implications Family centred practices need to consider the whole family including siblings Siblings especially those who attend the same school can have additional insights that are not known by parents Professionals should keep in mind the importance of siblings as both part of the family fabric and as individuals in their own right Siblings have unique roles within their families and their needs and perspectives deserve attention not only for as a means for working towards successful outcomes for the DHH child Siblings of DHH children are vulnerable to negative outcomes in some circumstances therefore professionals must understand the range of emotions and experiences which siblings may feel be alert to the impact this may have on their development and outcomes and be ready to address these issues when they are identified Posted on Oct 10 2017 by Kathryn Crowe Center for Education Research Partnerships Rochester Institute of Technology and School of Teacher Education Charles Sturt University Australia kccerp rit edu smcleod csu edu au jacqui glenray com au Further reading Variable outcomes Studies have reported different results with regard to siblings psychosocial adjustment prosocial behavior social competence self perception self esteem and self worth School performance has also been seen to be variably impacted with some studies reporting similar academic performance to peers while others found younger siblings were more likely to receive special education services and have more academic difficulties compared to older siblings Family dynamics DHH children and their siblings develop within complex family relationships Factors that have been associated with differences in relationships between siblings with and without special needs include birth order number of children age of children age difference between children and family cohesion A range of parenting styles have been shown to differentially impact on DHH children and their siblings Authoritarian mothers demanding not responsive expecting obedience were more verbally and physically hostile to their hearing children compared to their DHH children while authoritative mothers demanding but highly responsive warm supportive tended to treat all their children more similarly regardless of their hearing status Antonopoulou K Hadjikakou K Stampoltzis A Nicolaou N 2012 Parenting styles of mothers with deaf or hard of hearing children and hearing siblings Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education 17 306 318 Lobato D J Kao B T 2005 Brief report Family based group intervention for young siblings of children with chronic illness and developmental disability Journal of Pediatric Psychology 30 678 682 Marschark M 2018 Raising and educating a deaf child 3rd ed New York NY Oxford University Press Vermaes I P R van Susante A M J van Bakel H J A 2012 Psychological functioning of siblings in families of children with chronic health conditions A meta analysis Journal of Pediatric Psychology 37 166 184 Woolfe T Want S C Siegal M 2003 Siblings and theory of mind in deaf native signing children Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education 8 340 347 FNDC 23 Summer 2018

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Seeking Compassionate Fluent Signers to join our team in Duncan Vancouver Island BC in the Fall of 2018 We think this job that comes with a house in Duncan BC is a perfect job for a Deaf or Hearing fluent signer who is planning to retire to Vancouver Island or move here for any reason We want to reach signing support workers visual language interpreters or retired interpreters teachers or retired teachers of the Deaf or a compassionate Deaf person or hearing can sign person who has learned to sign from their Deaf parent or Deaf sibling We are a team dedicated to supporting a Deaf individual to live a good life at home and in the community We have openings coming up for one or two fluent signers who share our values of caring relationships compassionate communication supported inter dependence mutual respect shared laughter and equality Duncan is a vibrant rural community half way between Nanaimo and Victoria We may hire one person for both positions 30 hours per week or we may hire two different people 15 hours per week each To apply email us to tell us about yourself and how you might be a good match for our team Email lindadiana hill gmail com as soon as possible with a cover letter resume and list of references Position 1 Signing Good Neighbour Live In Support Worker You and your family will live in the upper half of a two story duplex in exchange for you providing 1 hour of direct support per day plus being home at night 15 hours total The preferred date for you to move in to your new home is sometime after August 1 2018 and sometime before March 1 2019 our current signing good neighbour is being very flexible so that we can find just the right person The duties are support the individual who lives in the ground floor suite by stopping by for a neighbourly check in each morning and evening and by occasionally helping the individual to manage anxiety stay organized and solve problems 7 hours of direct support per week to provide safety and security you are paid 7 on call hours per week and you agree to be home at night or to arrange for another member of the team to stay overnight in your home when you are away to communicate with team members through emails phone calls and occasional meetings less than 1 hour per week In this rent exchange arrangement you are paid a salary of 1100 per month equivalent to 17 00 per hour for 64 hours per month and you pay rent of 1100 per month including heat and utilities Your home is a well maintained 3 bedroom 1100 square foot second floor suite with a large sundeck in a nice neighbourhood 4 km from downtown Duncan You share a driveway laundry storage room and a large yard with the individual you support who lives on the ground floor This arrangement is set up to be healthy comfortable and enjoyable for everyone involved You will be supporting a very nice person within a live in caregiver arrangement that is a fair exchange with clear boundaries and a clear job description The signing good neighbour has two days off from these duties each month and has three weeks of paid vacation time each year We are very proud that during the 15 years of hiring signing good neighbours each good neighbour has stayed with the team for an average of five years The preferred date for you to move in to your new home is sometime after August 1 and sometime before March 1 2019 our current signing good neighbour is being very flexible so that we can find just the right person Position 2 Signing Home and Community Support Worker You will provide up to 15 hours per week of tactful compassionate home and community support 1 2 3 or 4 afternoons per week including some weekends You will assist the individual in anxiety management and activities of daily living You will support communication between this individual and Hearing people who don t sign On weekends you will help to plan and enjoyably carry out social and recreational activities in both the Deaf and Hearing communities and possibly with your family and friends The pay ranges from 14 to 17 depending on your training and experience The next step is to email us to tell us about yourself and how you might be a good match for our team and when you would be available to start Email lindadiana hill gmail com as soon as possible with a cover letter resume and list of references FNDC 24 Summer 2018

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Executive Functioning and Deaf Children The issue Executive functioning EF is a term used increasingly in educational clinical and other settings to explain why some children seem to be able to focus work consistently and finish things while other children struggle to put in consistent effort and stay on task EF refers to mental abilities that are responsible for actively purposefully regulating thought behavior and emotion in order to stay on task and achieve goals It can be thought of as the brain s oversight and self control processing to be sure that thoughts and behaviors occur according to plan Therefore EF is important for many areas of daily functioning Deaf children might have fewer opportunities to develop EF skills because they have less exposure to auditory experience and language early in life Cochlear Implants CIs alone may not fully resolve this issue because reduced hearing and language experiences have already occurred before implantation and because CIs do not fully restore normal hearing Because early hearing and language experiences provide valuable learning and practice of EF skills about one third of children with CIs may show EF delays On the other hand more than half of children with CIs do not have EF delays in many cases because they have found ways to develop EF that supplement early auditory and language deprivation What we know EF is not just one mental function or ability but rather is a group of abilities that work together to regulate and direct thinking and behavior Three core abilities that make up EF are inhibition holding back on behavior so that it can be carefully considered working memory holding and updating information in memory even when other mental processes are happening and flexibility shifting attention or mindset in order to better achieve goals Other abilities involved in EF are planning organization controlled attention initiating and sustaining mental effort self monitoring and emotional control These abilities are involved in guiding social behavior as well as formal and informal learning Like any human trait EF varies from person to person and a range of EF skill is seen across the population At the low end of this range people with poor EF encounter problems with attention concentration self control impulsivity hyperactivity distractibility and carrying out plans Some types of disorders such as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder ADHD are characterized by deficits in EF Also exposure to or deprivation from some kinds of experiences and learning including auditory experience language and environmental experiences also can increase or decrease the risk of EF delays For example children need to learn EF at home and school and they benefit from practice reinforcement and encouragement of EF from adults and by setting up the environment to shape and encourage positive EF For example demonstrating organization planning and self monitoring as children complete tasks can provide children with EF practice opportunities However the effectiveness of some learning treatment programs for EF is still being tested Some treatments to improve EF might produce temporary results or might only help the child in one specific situation One factor that might be important in producing a long lasting broad improvement in EF is the amount of practice involved in learning EF Programs that teach EF skills in a few weeks probably need to be accompanied by ongoing practice for months or even years for the improvements to continue Additionally programs that teach EF using a variety of methods from practice in a simulated setting e g on a computer to application in real world situations are more likely to be effective Good EF coaching programs have these characteristics with a period of learning from the coach and an extended period of practice and application in the real world Embedding the child in a family environment that promotes EF also provides extensive teaching and practice of EF skills Implications EF is important for maintaining focus carrying out plans finishing tasks and achieving goals at home school and in other environments Although many deaf children with CIs are at risk for EF delays even more children with CIs are able to compensate for early hearing and language deprivation and achieve normal EF By identifying what EF is measuring it in individual children and providing education and treatments to improve it we can improve quality of life success and goal attainment Posted on April 2 2018 by William G Kronenberger Indiana University School of Medicine wkronenb iupui edu Further reading Figueras B Edwards L Langdon D 2008 Executive function and language in deaf children Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education 13 362 377 Kronenberger W G Colson B G Henning S Pisoni D B 2014 Executive functioning and speech language skills following long term use of cochlear implants Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education 19 456 470 Kronenberger W G Pisoni D B in press Neurocognitive functioning in deaf children with cochlear implants In H Knoors M Marschark Eds Evidence based practice in deaf education New York NY Oxford University Press Pisoni D B Conway C M Kronenberger W Henning S Anaya E 2010 Executive function cognitive control and sequence learning in deaf children with cochlear implants In M Marschark P E Spencer Eds The Oxford handbook of deaf studies language and education Vol 2 pp 439 457 New York NY Oxford University Press What we don t know We are learning more about how to improve EF in children by integrating EF learning and EF practice experiences into education and home settings FNDC 25 Summer 2018

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Psychological Issues among Children with Cochlear Implants From http www raisingandeducatingdeafchildren org 2016 04 01 psychological issues among children with cochlear implants The issue Hearing loss whether temporary or permanent mild or profound is known to potentially have an impact on the psychological well being of children Research has shown that a significant proportion of deaf children will experience behavioural emotional or learning difficulties at some point during childhood or adolescence Identity and self esteem issues are also more common than in hearing children Although cochlear implants CIs can give deaf children access to environmental and speech sounds the degree of benefit they receive from them varies enormously across children and they remain at risk of the same range of psychological difficulties as those without implants Factors that appear to be of great importance in vulnerability to psychological difficulties are children s level of communication and language competency and the ability of their families to communicate effectively with them What we know Research has found associations among communication skills language delay and behavioural problems particularly in the early years The less able a deaf or hard of hearing DHH child is able to understand and interact with the world around them the greater the likelihood of problems Throughout childhood and adolescence young people become increasingly aware of themselves in relation to their peers Differences can be perceived positively negatively or neutrally and it is this value judgement that results in a sense of self worth or self esteem DHH children have the additional task of incorporating their deafness into their self concept The issues are likely to be different for those children with a progressive loss and those deafened suddenly through meningitis or other illness injury In all cases the young person may compare themselves with hearing peers or deaf peers with or without CIs There are commonalities between autistic behaviours and behaviours displayed by many children with hearing loss which makes it difficult to diagnose Autism Spectrum Disorders ASD in children with hearing loss There is an overlap of symptomatology behaviours in the areas of communication joint attention play skills response to others verbal and nonverbal cues restricted behaviours and need for routine and delay or impairment in Theory of Mind Language outcomes seem to be as variable for children with ASD and CIs as they are for children with ASD and normal hearing Cognitively children with CIs have been found to differ from their hearing peers deaf peers who use hearing aids and deaf sign language users in a number of cognitive functions and in their learning outcomes Most notably they typically have very poor auditory working memory skills This means that they have difficulty retaining and then recalling information that is presented auditorily leading to difficulties with for example mental arithmetic or following instructions Working memory deficits are associated with poor reading skills and difficulties in developing language Other possible areas of difficulty include phonological processing deficits attention and FNDC 26 Summer 2018 executive functions e g planning and organising skills All of these have the potential to impact learning across all areas of the curriculum as well increasing the likelihood of behaviour problems and poor self esteem What we don t know Unlike speech and language outcomes psychological outcomes of children with CIs are comparatively poorly researched In particular there is no clear evidence base for the effectiveness of psychological interventions with this group and we do not know precisely what predicts good psychological outcomes Implications The follow up children with CIs receive from their implant teams mean that professionals working with them are ideally placed to monitor their development and be alert to potential concerns regarding psychological difficulties enabling prompt identification and appropriate intervention For younger children presenting with behavioural or emotional problems a behavioural approach is likely to be helpful working with parents to promote positive behaviours and to reduce challenging behaviours Intervention is likely to include similar strategies to those covered in evidencebased parenting programmes making adaptations to account for the child s hearing and language levels as necessary Older children presenting with behavioural emotional or identity difficulties may benefit from individual therapeutic input or family work A range of interventions may be offered including individual cognitive behaviour therapy family therapy and solution focused therapy Group intervention may also be appropriate particularly for children presenting with selfesteem or identity issues related to their hearing loss as it gives them the opportunity to meet other children or young people in a similar situation Cochlear implantation does not restore normal hearing and many implanted children do not develop and function in the same way as their hearing peers at home or in the classroom Continuing specialist educational support is therefore essential Posted on April 1 2016 Cochlear Implant Programme Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust Fionna Bathgate gosh nhs uk Lindsey Edwards gosh nhs uk Further reading Castellanos I Kronenberger W G Beer J Colson B G Henning S C Ditmars A Pisoni D B 2015 Concept formation skills in long term cochlear implant users Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education 20 27 40 Edwards L C 2007 Children with cochlear implants and complex needs A review of outcome research and psychological practice Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education 12 258 268 Wiefferink C H Rieffe C Ketelaar L De Raeve L Frijns J H M 2013 emotion understanding in deaf children with a cochlear implant Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education 19 175 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UN Convention on the Rights of the Child In Child Friendly Language Rights are things every child should have or be able to do All children have the same rights These rights are listed in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child Almost every country has agreed to these rights All the rights are connected to each other and all are equally important Sometimes we have to think about rights in terms of what is the best for children in a situation and what is critical to life and protection from harm As you grow you have more responsibility to make choices and exercise your rights Article 1 Everyone under 18 has these rights Article 2 All children have these rights no matter who they are where they live what their parents do what language they speak what their religion is whether they are a boy or girl what their culture is whether they have a disability whether they are rich or poor No child should be treated unfairly on any basis Article 3 All adults should do what is best for you When adults make decisions they should think about how their decisions will affect children Article 4 The government has a responsibility to make sure your rights are protected They must help your family to protect your rights and create an environment where you can grow and reach your potential Article 5 Your family has the responsibility to help you learn to exercise your rights and to ensure that your rights are protected Article 6 You have the right to be alive Article 7 You have the right to a name and this should be officially recognized by the government You have the right to a nationality to belong to a country Article 8 You have the right to an identity an official record of who you are No one should take this away from you Article 9 You have the right to live with your parent s unless it is bad for you You have the right to live with a family who cares for you Article 10 If you live in a different country than your parents do you have the right to be together in the same place Article 11 You have the right to be protected from kidnapping Article 12 You have the right to give your opinion and for adults to listen and take it seriously Article 13 You have the right to find out things and share what you think with others by talking drawing writing or in any other way unless it harms or offends other people Article 14 You have the right to choose your own religion and beliefs Your parents should help you decide what is right and wrong and what is best for you Article 15 You have the right to choose your own friends and join or set up groups as long as it isn t harmful to others Article 28 You have the right to a good quality education You should be encouraged to go to school to the highest level you can Article 40 You have the right to legal help and fair treatment in the justice system that respects your rights Article 16 You have the right to privacy Article 29 Your education should help you use and develop your talents and abilities It should also help you learn to live peacefully protect the environment and respect other people Article 41 If the laws of your country provide better protection of your rights than the articles in this Convention those laws should apply Article 17 You have the right to get information that is important to your well being from radio newspaper books computers and other sources Adults should make sure that the information you are getting is not harmful and help you find and understand the information you need Article 18 You have the right to be raised by your parent s if possible Article 19 You have the right to be protected from being hurt and mistreated in body or mind Article 20 You have the right to special care and help if you cannot live with your parents Article 21 You have the right to care and protection if you are adopted or in foster care Article 22 You have the right to special protection and help if you are a refugee if you have been forced to leave your home and live in another country as well as all the rights in this Convention Article 23 You have the right to special education and care if you have a disability as well as all the rights in this Convention so that you can live a full life Article 24 You have the right to the best health care possible safe water to drink nutritious food a clean and safe environment and information to help you stay well Article 25 If you live in care or in other situations away from home you have the right to have these living arrangements looked at regularly to see if they are the most appropriate Article 30 You have the right to practice your own culture language and religion or any you choose Minority and indigenous groups need special protection of this right Article 31 You have the right to play and rest Article 32 You have the right to protection from work that harms you and is bad for your health and education If you work you have the right to be safe and paid fairly Article 42 You have the right to know your rights Adults should know about these rights and help you learn about them too Articles 43 to 54 These articles explain how governments and international organizations like UNICEF will work to ensure children are protected with their rights Article 33 You have the right to protection from harmful drugs and from the drug trade Article 34 You have the right to be free from sexual abuse Article 35No one is allowed to kidnap or sell you Article 36 You have the right to protection from any kind of exploitation being taken advantage of Article 37 No one is allowed to punish you in a cruel or harmful way Article 38 You have the right to protection and freedom from war Children under 15 cannot be forced to go into the army or take part in war Article 39 You have the right to help if you ve been hurt neglected or badly treated Article 26 You have the right to help from the government if you are poor or in need Article 27 You have the right to food clothing a safe place to live and to have your basic needs met You should not be disadvantaged so that you can t do many of the things other kids can do FNDC 27 Summer 2018

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What is FNDC all about Family Network for Deaf Children FNDC is a parent run non profit charitable organization supporting families with deaf and hard of hearing children that use sign language or are interested in learning sign language Even though technology and methodology have changed over the years we seek the wisdom of parents professionals and Deaf HH adults so that common themes of access equity and a sense of belonging continue to be highlighted in areas such as social recreation leadership education employment general services and community involvement What is Deaf Youth Today Deaf Youth Today DYT is FNDC s summer social recreational program and is committed to providing recreational experience and leadership opportunities for deaf and hard of hearing youth in British Columbia that use sign language for all or part of their communication or who are interested in learning sign language FNDC Board of Directors Hester Hussey Mentor Advisor Colleen Peterson Board President colleen fndc ca Nicki Horton Director Karen Jackson Director Charlie Coyle Director Joy Santos Director Gwen Wong Director Laura Batista Director Leigh Chan Director Dan Braun Director Bobbi Taylor Director Membership Paid Membership is open to those who support the goals of our Organization Join Our E Mail List for free Join our email list for free and receive The Board of Directors are parents of deaf children FNDC Staff Cecelia Klassen Executive Director cecelia fndc ca Bella Poato Executive Assistant accounting fndc ca Jason Berube Website Designer Developer webmaster fndc ca FNDC General Inquiry fndc fndc ca DYT Staff DYT Coordinator Sarah Taylor sarah fndc ca DYT Hornby Island Coordinator Terry Maloney terry fndc ca DYT General Inquiries dyt fndc ca Our membership is open to individuals schools and organizations Parents guardians of deaf and hard of hearing children are eligible to vote Our newsletter which is published four times a year Email Updates regarding upcoming workshops and courses children youth programs as well as community updates Contact Us Contact us below and be added to our email list or to request a membership form Family Network for Deaf Children P O Box 50075 South Slope RPO Burnaby BC V5J 5G3 604 684 1860 voice text message www fndc ca website fndc fndc ca e mail FNDC is a non profit society S 33351 that was founded in March 1995 to bring together families of deaf children in British Columbia who share common concerns Federal Registered Charity Number 88622 5655 RR0001 Deaf Youth Today DYT is a program administered by FNDC