Janet DesGeorges

Janet DesGeorges lives in Boulder, Colorado with her husband Joe and is mom to three daughters, including Sara, a now young adult, who is deaf/hard of hearing. She is a co-founder and Executive Director of Hands & Voices Headquarters. Janet has presented to groups worldwide about the experiences of families as they journey through life with a child with deafness or hearing loss. Ms. DesGeorges is the author on the chapter for Family Support in the NCHAM e-Book, the co-author of the book Educational Advocacy for Students who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing: The Hands & Voices Guidebook, and many other publications.

Janet currently serves as a trainer for the Hands & Voices Advocacy, Support and Training (ASTra) Program. As an educational advocate, Janet believes in the principles and guiding philosophies of Hands & Voices towards a parent-driven, professionally collaborative approach when supporting families in the education years. Professionals and parents can partner together to achieve appropriate outcomes for children who are deaf or hard of hearing.

Presentation(s)

Educational Excellence: What do we need to ensure success?

There is a huge diversity of educational needs among students who are deaf/hard of hearing. What is the ‘thing’ that leads to success? Unique considerations for students will be addressed, including educational placement, modality/language needs, and proficiency of staff. This session will explore the unique characteristics of supporting children who are deaf/hard of hearing, while examining the core components that lead to success for ALL children.

Objectives:

The participant will be able to:

• Describe at least four elements of effective advocacy in education.
• Explain the importance of parental involvement in their deaf child's education.
• Discuss specific elements of special considerations in the IDEA related to Deaf/HH Children's education

Whole Child, Whole Parents, Whole Team: What it takes to Make Work – Superheroes!

The deaf/hard of hearing and language journey is comprised of key individuals that lend support to the family, the child with hearing loss and each other. Building a strong team creates a culture of support which requires taking into account each person’s social and emotional perspective. A variety of perspectives, experiences and interactions between parents, professionals and the child with hearing loss will be shared. This presentation will recognize the Superhero powers and characteristics that parents and children carry with them throughout their journey.

Objectives: 

The participant will be able to:

• Describe the value of partnerships in deaf education.
• Explain the behaviors and roles on a student's IEP planning team.
• Identify a variety of perspectives, experiences and interactions between parents, professionals and the child with hearing loss.