Deaf parents as sources of positive development and resilience for deaf infants

Abstract

In this chapter, we explore the idea that deaf parents may play a particularly important role in the lives of deaf infants and provide evidence to support this particularly in relation to social-emotional development. Consistent with the overall theme of this volume, we assert that deaf parents might well be considered protective factors in the lives of young deaf children and that hearing parents, as well as early intervention professionals, can benefit from the knowledge gained through observing and understanding the many intuitively appropriate behaviors incorporated by deaf parents into their daily interactions with deaf children. The chapter begins with a brief discussion of risk and resiliency, specifically in relation to several important aspects of infant development: temperament, emotional regulation, and attachment to significant caregivers. Sameroff's (Hum Dev, 18:65-79, 1975) Transactional Model is then introduced to emphasize the reciprocal nature of early parent-child interactions and to draw attention to the contributions made by each participating member - in this case, parent and infant - of the interacting dyad. For purposes of illustrating these concepts and to focus on the role of deaf parents, two vignettes are included, which describe hypothetical interactions between a deaf infant and either a deaf or hearing parent. The theory of Intuitive Parenting (Papoušek & Papoušek, Psychobiology of the human newborn, pp. 367-390, 1982; Papoušek & Papoušek, Handbook of infant development, 2nd ed., pp. 669-720, 1987) is included as a means of explaining the many nonconscious behaviors often used by both deaf and hearing parents to facilitate communication with a prelingual infant. Prior to a discussion of implications and conclusions, the chapter also addresses the importance of social support for parents of deaf infants and the child's later development of empathy and literacy skills. © 2011 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC.