CHECK OUT THE VIDEO FROM OUR 2018 EVENT!
2018 was a great success! Thank you to all our attendees and a very special thank you to our sponsors for making the Family Matters event possible!
An event for Deaf and Hard of Hearing children and their families
SATURDAY, MARCH 16, 2019
Location
Lansing Community College - West Campus
Lansing, Michigan
Registration starts at 8:30 am
Event takes place 9:30 am to 4:00 pm
Registration is Now Closed for 2018
CART and SIGN LANGUAGE interpreters will be available during every session!
ABOUT THE EVENT
Join us for a one day workshop for the entire family. Kids who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing, as well as their parents and siblings, are invited to attend. Activities are planned for children of all ages. Parent sessions are designed for both oral and manual communication modes, for children of very young ages through teens. Meals will be provided and snacks will be offered throughout the day. Childcare for infants and toddlers will be available on-site.
WHAT FAMILIES ARE SAYING ABOUT THE WORKSHOP
"We look forward to the conference every year! We always take home 2-3 key take-a-ways every year that are actionable. We appreciate learning from other families and professionals. The tips we take away have been truly instrumental to giving our daughter the tools she needs to have access to language and communication. Thank you!!!"
"Our granddaughter is 5 years old and has a hearing loss. We are learning so much about how to deal with the issues surrounding this. This seminar was so helpful in our understanding that using all the tools for DHH children is important for their long term growth and success in life. Thank you."
"This conference allowed my family to meet and connect with other families and learn about how they have overcome challenges. We learned about the importance of developing language with our Deaf child and are taking home resources to help us in the future."
"It’s a time to connect with other families to realize that you are not alone. To learn new ways to interact with our children and families. Thank you so much for the opportunities to get new tools to help us support our children to be the best that they can be."
"Our daughter looks forward to this every year. (We do too!) She counts down the days until she gets to see “kids like me.” She is the only child with hearing loss in her school, and craves spending time with other kids that have hearing loss. We learn so much each year we attend. We can’t wait to share with other families who couldn’t attend. We’ve made lifelong friendships with other families that understand what we go through."
"This conference means a lot to my family. I am so grateful to have the opportunity to be here. I feel this has helped me and my family understand more and have so much more information and help than we had before. I love the support and being around others that can relate. I know my daughter enjoys interacting with the other children that can relate too. Really grateful to be able to have something like this and will come next year! We really enjoy it! Thank you for all that you do to make this!"
"We look forward to the Family Matters Conference not just as parents, but for our children. Our son doesn’t have anyone else close by that is Deaf or Hard of Hearing. This helps his confidence. We are able to learn and grow so much as a family all thanks to everyone who helps put on this event every year!"
"My husband and I left feeling so refreshed and energized. We had moments that we cried and moments that gave us more hope than we had ever had before. We were in awe of this community of people that we A, had no idea existed and B, how much we and our children needed them. It was a wonderful feeling when our son said he made lots of new friends. “Friends just like me mom!” Our eyes were opened in so many ways. This was just such a great experience for us, and we can’t wait to have more!"
About the Organizers
University of Michigan Pediatric Audiology
The Pediatric Audiology team at University of Michigan Health System is dedicated to creating a caring and collaborative culture to improve outcomes for children who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing. We provide outreach and information resources to connect families of children who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing to education, peer-support, and other support services. It is our goal to help foster mutually beneficial partnerships between families, educators, and health care professionals.
MICHIGAN HANDS & VOICES
Michigan Hands & Voices is a chapter of the nationwide non-profit organization dedicated to supporting families of children who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing, as well as the professionals who serve them. We are a parent-driven, parent/professional collaborative group that is unbiased toward communication modes and methods. We are parents, teachers, audiologists, and interpreters — just to name a few! We provide parent support through our Guide By Your Side™ (GBYS) and ASTra Advocacy Support & Training programs.
DEAFBLIND CENTRAL
Michigan’s Training & Resource Project is a comprehensive statewide technical assistance project. We provide information, training, and support for families and/or professionals who are impacted by or associated with a child who has a combined vision and hearing loss. Services are provided year-round, free of charge, and can be accessed until the student has left his or her educational setting. At DB Central we maintain the belief that people who are DeafBlind should share equally in the respect, opportunity, and life enjoyment afforded all people. We are committed to advancing the recognition of the unique needs of people who are DeafBlind. This is accomplished by promoting individualized instruction and family centered planning processes.