Finding Local Advocates and Resources for your Deaf and Hard of Hearing Child

Every state manages its own educational system, under the oversight of its state Board of Education. Due to varying implementations from state to state, it is sometimes difficult to find the “expert” (or experts) in your state that can help you navigate the system to find appropriate assistance for your deaf or hard of hearing child.

Within every state, there are a few individuals or offices who focus on assisting parents of deaf and hard of hearing children. The challenge is that job titles will vary, and they may be in different places in the state structure.

Here are a few places you can search to find information on what may be available in your state:

• State Agencies – many (most?) states have a state agency that serves as a consumer-facing group. These are sometimes embedded in the state government structure, and sometimes are quasi-independent but state-funded. You can search the list of state agencies through the National Association of State Agencies for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, here: https://nasadhh.org/ The state roster is here: https://nasadhh.org/state-agency/
  When you contact these agencies, ask them for the individual or office that serves parents of deaf and hard of hearing children.
• Schools for the Deaf and hard of hearing – sometimes the best resource is a school or program that serves other children like yours. The organizing body for these schools and programs is CEASD (Conference of Educational Administrators of Schools and Programs for the Deaf). https://www.ceasd.org/ Not every state has a school, and not every school/program is a member of CEASD, but this is a good place to start.
  When you contact the school or program, ask for the individual or office that handles outreach and/or support for parents of deaf and hard of hearing children.
• State Board of Education – some states have an individual or office within their State Board of Education that provides oversight for deaf and hard of hearing children and students within the state. You can find this office by using a search engine “ board of education special education”. In Maryland, for example, you would go here: https://elevates.marylandpublicschools.org/other-resources-for-families-of-children-who-are-deaf-or-hard-of-hearing/
• American Society for Deaf Children (https://deafchildren.org/) is a nonprofit organization committed to helping deaf and hard of hearing children. They have an extensive parent network, and may be able to connect you with other parents who are local to you, who can share their experience, saving you significant amounts of time.