Parenting Skills Training for Parents of Deaf Children in Peru

The United States is quite arguably the one country in the world where being born deaf does not constitute a lifelong sentence of dependence. In America Deaf individuals can maximize their potential and have a chance to have a "normal" life. Unlike other disabilities, Deafness is unique because the handicapping effect of this diagnosis is not the inability to hear but the delay in language and concept formation. When a deaf child is born to a hearing family, the risk that the child does not meet critical milestones in language development becomes exponential. Language is the mediator for understanding the world, therefore, when language is delayed, only primitive tools are developed. Early detection and appropriate interventions can make the difference between the child's language progress or the Child's failure to reach language milestones. In other areas of the world, the lack of understanding about deafness and disabilities appears to be the rule rather than the exception. Study after study shows the adversities deaf people experience in developing countries. These adversities are clearly a result of a social context and the cultural attitudes of the host country. In these societies, families with a deaf child are trapped in a circle of misinformation that is impossible to break out without specialized help. In this program design an attempt is made to promote basic skills formation to families of deaf children in Peru. The skill training is provided to parents in a four day program where four areas of major interest will be address: Psychological Development, Linguistics, Education and Audiology. A camp for Deaf children will run parallel to this training. They will share activities with caregivers that will promote bonding and family cohesiveness. As a background to this discussion I discuss the current state of deaf societies in developing countries. A series of factors are covered, such as demography, attitudes, and resources in Latin America countries. Furthermore this paper will discuss the political context of Peru, the struggles of Peruvian families and services available to them. Finally, the psychological development of deaf individuals and parental needs are used as the theoretical framework for the training and camp experience. The method used in this program is set forth by delineating the intent of each of the programs and integrating the psychological framework with the program activities. The administrative aspects of the program are discussed in the Program Design section, including the eligibility criteria for the children and the caregivers, location, staffing, a complete schedule of activities for all programs, program budget, and method of evaluation. Finally this work culminates with a discussion of the program goals, effectiveness, and limitations.