An Iowa law is creating life-changing opportunities for families with children who are deaf or hard of hearing. House File 604 was signed into law in late May, 2022 to promote both American Sign Language (ASL) and English access for these children, especially for those eight years old and younger.
Three mentoring programs are offered for Iowa families, coordinated by a new state-funded family support mentoring coordinator, Anne-Michelle Pedersen. Pedersen, a teacher of the deaf for nearly 20 years, is anxious for the programs to help develop language skills and resources for families of children who are deaf or hard of hearing.
The three programs offer a variety of communication modes and consider both spoken and/or american Sign Language.
“I’m eager to see, in the long-term, what difference the program will make in closing language gaps,” said Pedersen. “It’s my passion for the mentors to meet these families where they are at and guide them to appropriate language development for their children.”
“When hearing parents learn their child is deaf or hard of hearing, there can be a time of grief when they need to process,” she said. Finding language resources for a child might not be the first thing on a parent’s mind when they are in this stage. However, this is a critical window for language development, according to Pedersen.
“Exposure to language by the time a child is three years old is crucial,” she said. “Iowa’s mentoring law has an additional benefit- it emphasizes language development for children until they are eight years old and families may be served by mentors until the child is 21.”
Three mentoring program offered to Iowa families
Inspire to Empower mentors may be deaf, hard of hearing or deafblind. Families matched with Inspire to Empower mentors learn about options with hearing technology, communication modes, educational settings, social interaction and perspectives of living in a hearing world.
Deaf Mentors help families who want to build or expand a child’s ASL skills, learn about Deaf culture and the Deaf community. Deaf Mentors identify as culturally Deaf* and provide guidance and support drawing from their experiences.
Family-to-Family mentors may be hearing, deaf or culturally Deaf. These mentors have experience raising their own children who are deaf or hard of hearing and can offer support and advice to families with their unique experiences and shared challenges.
Pedersen stresses the importance for families to have choice in how services are provided. Families may change mentors depending on their child’s needs and their family’s journey. All programs are free, and meeting with mentors may occur in-person or virtually.
Families interested in being matched with a mentor and individuals who are interested in part-time positions as mentors may contact Pedersen at annemichelle.pedersen@iaedb.org.
*A person who identifies as Deaf (uses a capital “D”) indicates they identify with the Deaf community and culture. Deaf individuals use American Sign Language as their primary communication mode.
