Family Counseling
Clark (1982) provides several excellent guidelines to assist in counseling parents of hearing-impaired children. We summarize them as follows:
1. The intake procedure. Parent an opportunity for the audiologist to obtain a case history and determine the exact needs of the parents. An interpersonal relationship is established.
2. The diagnostic interview. Confirm the degree and quality of the hearing loss and provide only general information, so that the family will not be overwhelmed. Family members are given an opportunity to express their reactions.
3. Subsequent counseling. Provide more in-depth counseling so that the family can have a more complete understand of the problem and of the habilitative-educational process. The counseling audiologist must provide enough time for the family to assimilate what it has learned and what it is experiencing
4. Fostering an interpersonal relationship. Be open to the continuing concerns, feelings, and attitudes of the family. Nonjudgmental listening should be practiced by paying more attention to what the family need and less to what the audiologist wants to discuss.
5. Three major questions asked. Following Luterman (1976,1979), the parents are asked three types of questions: (a) The request for further information, (b) confirmation from the parents of educational and habilitative procedure proposed by the audiologist, and (c) content questions with affectual components.
6. Facilitating questioning by parents. Provide and open atmosphere so that parents will not feel intimidated but free to ask anything they wish. An empathic and authentic attitude by the counselor is a must.
7. Dealing with the grief process. Be prepared to cope with the wide range of feelings inherent in mourning and helping the family understand that what they are experiencing is not abnormal.
8. Shaping expectations. Provide an honest picture of the implications of the hearing loss and a realistic assessment of what can be expected in the future.
9. Ongoing opportunities for counseling. Continued counseling may be necessary so that parents may work through their feeling and be given the opportunity to have more of their questions and concern answered.