The Parent-Infant Program

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	HSDC’s Parent-Infant Program (PIP) serves families with infants and toddlers who are Deaf or hard of hearing and live in King and Snohomish Counties. The goal of the program is to provide parents, siblings, extended family members, and care-givers with educational and emotional support so they can create an environment that promotes the development of their child.
	Evaluations & Assessments		Home Visits
	Our trained staff will use a number of specialized tools to asses your child's communication, cognition and listening skills.		These sessions take place either at home, childcare, or a combination of both. Sessions focus on promoting the natural development of your child’s communication and development in the areas of language, speech, and auditory development.
	Parent Support Groups		Infant/Toddler Playgroups
	Parent support groups provide an opportunity for families to discuss any concerns and experiences with other parents. A counselor, who is also a teacher of the Deaf and specializes in working with families with Deaf and hard of hearing children, facilitates these groups.		Playgroups provide an opportunity for Deaf and hard of hearing children, their siblings, and adults to interact in a language-rich setting with an emphasis on visual and auditory communication in group and individual activities.
	Individual & Family Counseling		Transition to Preschool
	The program offers private sessions with a licensed marriage and family therapist who specializes in working with Deaf, hard of hearing and Deaf-Blind children, adults, and their families.		Six months before your child’s third birthday we will begin to prepare for the transition to school. Together we will develop the transition plan which will include such activities as: contacting your home school district to make your child a “Focus of Concern”, covering information about your legal rights, learning about I.E.P.s (Individualized Educational Plans), and observing/evaluating one or more of the school programs available..
	Lending Library		About Our Staff
	The Parent-Infant Program also has a number of resources to offer families through its lending library of of books, videos and CD’s that focus on Deaf awareness, enhancing communication, and issues facing Deaf children and their families.		Our professional staff hold Master’s degrees and Washington State Certification with specialized training in one or more of the following: Audiology, Deaf Education, Deaf/Blind Education, Early Childhood Education, Language Acquisition, Sensory Disabilities, Family Counseling, Speech-Language Pathology.
	Sign Language Classes		PIP News
	Weekly evening classes are available for families in the Parent-Infant Program. These classes are also open to extended family members and friends.		Read the success story of one PIP family!