Volume 15, Number 1, Spring 2020AUTHOR:
ABSTRACT Understanding the experiences and perceptions of children and their families as they are served in school settings is of great importance. Families present with dynamic, moving parts which must be taken into consideration when weighing best practices for assessment and intervention. In instances of serving children and families from backgrounds vastly different from that of the clinician, context for these experiences and perceptions can provide valuable information which may offer direction for the implementation of services (Mindel & John, 2018). A clinician’s reference for a family’s cultural and linguistic background is of even more importance when hearing impairment is a factor. Even when language barriers are addressed between the family and clinician, issues in communication may continue to persist. It is not uncommon for child refugees who are deaf to have limited or even no exposure to spoken, written, and/or signed language, which further compromises communication efforts (Akamatsu & Cole, 2000; Sivunen, N., 2019). Lack of education on deaf issues and strategies for communication is also cited by Akamatsu and Cole (2000) as a limitation for most families of a refugee child who is deaf. The current qualitative case study examines the experiences of a high-school Karenni student with a profound bilateral hearing loss who arrived in the United States with their family as refugees from Burma (Myanmar). The current study provides insight into the experiences of this student who is profoundly deaf as well as perspectives of their family as they have navigated the communication, educational, social, and cultural facets of life in the United States. Aspects such as the role of the family in decision-making and modes of communication are also examined as the family tries to remain connected through Karenni language and culture, American Sign Language, and English. DOI: DOWNLOAD FULL ARTICLE |