Parent Empowerment in Early Intervention Programmes of Children with Hearing Loss in Mumbai, India

Kasturi Arun Kulkarni , Varsha Shrikant Gathoo
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.5463/dcid.v28i2.550
Submitted: 2020-09-14 11:28:12
Published: 2017-08-22

Purpose: Since families are perceived to be active agents in the early intervention programmes of young children with disabilities, professionals ought to treat parents as equal partners and keep them informed and involved in various aspects of the intervention.  This study aimed to explore the areas in which parent empowerment is currently being facilitated in the early intervention centres for children with hearing loss.

Method: A qualitative research with conversational analysis was the approach used. Focus group discussions with the two primary stakeholders, namely parents and special educators, were held separately at five sites in Mumbai, to gather their views on the existing areas of empowerment. It was also decided to explore the felt needs of parents in this regard. Person triangulation was used to ascertain the credibility of the data.

Results: Conversational analysis yielded 4 themes with respect to parents: Parental knowledge, involvement, support and needs.

Conclusion and Implications: The study highlighted the gaps in parent empowerment in the programmes undertaken by early intervention centres.  A recommendation is made to develop a common framework for empowering parents. It is envisaged that such a framework will bridge the gap between what currently exists for parents, their felt needs, and current global practices.  This framework could also assist in measuring family empowerment outcomes.

Keywords

Early intervention programmes children with hearing impairment parent empowerment parental knowledge parental involvement parental support parental needs

Authors

Kasturi Arun Kulkarni

Kasturi Kulkarni holds a Masters degree in Sociology from IDOL, Mumbai University. She completed her M.Ed (Hearing Impairment) from Education Department, AYJNISHD(D), Mumbai. She holds NET in Education. At present, Kasturi Kulkarni is pursuing her Ph.D in Special Education from Department of Education, AYJNISHD(D) under the guidance of Dr. Varsha Gathoo and currently works as Assistant Professor, in CCYM’s Hashu Advani College of Special Education, Mumbai. Her research interests focus on emergent literacy skills , development of basic concepts in children, burnout & stress in special educators, emotional intelligence, parent empowerment and models of disability.

Varsha Shrikant Gathoo

Dr. Varsha Gathoo received her M.Sc in Child Development from Nagpur University. She completed her MS in Speech & Hearing and also has a degree in Education of children with hearing impairment from Washington University, St. Louis and Ph.D in Special Education from Ramakrishnan Mission Vivekanand University. She received the prestigious Rotary Ambassadorial Scholarship & the Fullbright Nehru Senior Research Fellowship from United States-India Education Foundation (USIEF). She is currently the Reader and Head of the Department of Education, Ali Yavar Jung National Institute of  Speech & Hearing Disabilities (Divyangjan), affiliated to the University of Mumbai. Her research interests are in school readiness, emergent literacy skills, teaching-learning styles, parent empowerment, development of curricular frameworks for young children with hearing impairment.

How to Cite

Kasturi Arun Kulkarni, Varsha Shrikant Gathoo (2017-08-22). Parent Empowerment in Early Intervention Programmes of Children with Hearing Loss in Mumbai, India. Disability, CBR & Inclusive Development, Vol. 28 No. 2 (2017): Summer 2017, 45-58. https://doi.org/10.5463/dcid.v28i2.550

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