At every age and stage of life, community is vital for the growth and wellbeing of each individual. However, community means something different to each of us across different stages of life.
Like all teenagers on the journey to independence and autonomy, young people who are deaf and hard of hearing want to develop their own community of peers.
A great way for deaf teens to plug into their peers is through the pursuit of their passions, such as sports, hobbies and the arts.
Community and culture
Cultural wealth and connectedness enhance the resilience of deaf and hard of hearing teens. Adolescence is the period when a child’s identity is developing and evolving. During the identity development period, deaf and hard of hearing teens need to build resilience as deaf individuals living in a society where the majority of people are hearing.
Ethnic cultural minorities develop protective factors and resilience from their cultural communities. This is also true of the Deaf community. It is at this stage of life that a young deaf and hard of hearing person may look to cultural role models in the Deaf Community.
As deaf and hard of hearing teens boldly establish their own community, they will, of course, still need the community of extended family and other supports around them.
The school community
Helping your young deaf teen stay engaged and connected to their school community will assist not only with academic achievement, but also with life skills in building social and knowledge networks. Such skills will be essential for fully realising potential beyond school, whether that is in further education or in the workforce.
Parents will still need to be connected to other parents who are on the journey of raising a deaf or hard of hearing teen.
How we help
At HEARO we can support and empower deaf and hard of hearing adolescents and their parents to build rich networks with teachers, professionals, peers and other families.
This will enhance social connectedness and developmental outcomes.
Sign up for one of our services below to further strengthen the sense of community around you and your teen.
•Providing tailored support for every stage of your child’s unique communication journey
•A unique program that pairs new parents of children with hearing loss with more experienced parents
Useful links
Here are some links for developing community for deaf and hard of hearing teens: