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Testimonials from parents receiving advocacy support
“Hands &Voices is clearly a pillar of the deaf and hard of hearing community and a significant part of my life. After learning that our youngest daughter was single-side deaf, I faced the same emotions any parent would experience; fear, distress, and unfamiliarity. I cannot express how fortunate I feel that I was provided with a remarkable Guide-by-Your-Side. She put me at ease with her calm demeanor while explaining how her and her deaf son overcame many of the obstacles they encountered. She then followed-up by suggesting ways that I could help my daughter overcome similar challenges. Our biggest challenge has been working with our daughter’s school and once again Hands and Voices immediately gave us the education and support needed.” |
“I cannot thank you enough for the support and quick education you gave me last week. Since then, I’ve been able to learn the basics (at a minimum) on how to best advocate for my son. I have been able to make decisions for moving forward and request things for him that I didn’t even know existed. We’re still working through a few details like the qualifications of the deaf educator (listening and spoken language person in their minds) but overall the corporation is working with me so far (thankfully). Once again, thank you! Having people like you available for advice is a tremendous blessing to those of us just starting the journey. I know you have a busy schedule and am forever appreciative of you taking time out for my family. I’ll be sure to pay it forward whenever possible.” |
“Hands &Voices was right by my side during mediation, taught me about Special Education Laws, went to IEP meetings and made me a stronger parent. I now have the knowledge and courage I need to ensure my child has the proper education that meets her specific needs. She never passed judgment of our mode of communication. We started out using Signing Exact English, now we’ve found what works for her. Thank you, Hands and Voices, with all of my heart.” |
Comments from individuals who have been trained in ASTra
- I enjoyed hearing what resources HV has/my role as parent-my rights-how the laws work-how it affects my child’s rights and about tests and assessments.
- I learned a lot of great info on how to ask for additional supports such as assessments and how to ask with confidence.
- Good stories to help me think about what else is possible or what to ask for/strategies to use-specific examples of how to address issues that the majority of families face.
- Every speaker had a wealth of new information to share/personal stories to use as examples.
- I learned how to ask questions, be prepared, how to prepare/how to better prepare for IEP/goal writing/ appropriate special considerations to include on IEP.
- Thank you for the information on how to work though the hurdle talk/ideas,solutions,tips for resolution.
