Family Resource Group May '26
Deaf/Hard of Hearing Edition
School is winding down and we are looking forward to summer break. Celebrate the successes of this past year and look forward to the new opportunities for next year.
As always, if you have any questions or feedback, please feel free to contact me at any time. We also invite the teachers, therapists and school staff who work with your child to register to receive a copy of the newsletter as well. There is a question on the registration page for professionals so that we can contact them. Please pass this on to everyone that supports your child.
Erin Campion
Family Resource Group (FRG) Editor
from the National Deaf Center:
Preparing for Graduation & Commencement
Commencement brings families, guests, and community members to campus—many of whom may also need communication access. A little preparation now can make a big difference in creating an inclusive celebration for everyone.
Resources and reminders for commencement planning:
Ensuring interpreter access for parents, families, and visitors
Work with committee to plan communication access
Provide clear accommodation info, contacts, and timelines
OnDemand Webinar: Commencement for All: Making Graduation Accessible
If your team is hosting multiple ceremonies or large crowds, consider building in extra buffer time for scheduling and confirming services.
Advocacy Launch
The newly launched AG Bell Advocacy page brings together resources designed to meet you where you are and grow with you through every age and stage. Whether you are a parent, professional, self-advocate, or educator, you will find what you need to support advocacy development from early childhood through adulthood.
Explore the new Advocacy Toolkit, built to support self-advocacy at every stage of life, and discover how to leverage these resources for personal growth and community impact.
Grammar Laboratory, a new tool developed by an ASL instructor at Rochester Institute of Technology’s National Technical Institute for the Deaf, uses the live feedback capabilities of AI to personalize English lessons.
"To better meet these distinct needs, Grammar Lab combines the personalization and live feedback capabilities of AI with alternative materials made by human experts. Finton created videos of herself signing an explanation of English grammar rules, like when to use the articles “a,” “an” and “the.” The video explains not just what the rule is in English, but also how it relates to conventions of ASL, a distinction not always explored in English education, Finton said.
This option is especially important for DHH students, as some struggle with contextual understanding necessary to answer the question, rather than the grammar skill itself."
Getting Started
Resources for Parents and Caregivers of Infants and Young Children with Hearing Loss The Getting Started brochure was designed to support families and professionals to increase their knowledge and understanding about hearing, hearing loss, and supports that are available in Pennsylvania.
Family Leadership Toolkit
Pennsylvania recognizes parents and caregivers as a child’s first and most influential teachers, as well as essential partners in building strong, responsive systems for families and communities within the Family Leadership Toolkit.
High School Toolkit
Career Exploration Fact Sheets provide information about professional roles within the field of Special Education.
Find answers to questions such as:
~ What do special education professionals do on a daily basis?
~ What skills do these roles require?
~ What programs are available?
