Three themes were identified in the area of “information gathering”, a first step in the decision-making process for families.
Theme 3: Roles of “initiators and “receivers” are assumed in information gathering.
Information that families used to make decisions was organized by how it was gathered. We coded the act of information gathering based on who initiated or “drove” the interaction, noting that often multiple parties were involved (e.g., a professional provided the brochure but the parent read it). Some information gathering activities were parent-driven, such as use of the Internet and observations of one’s child. Other parent-initiated strategies involved using resources provided by professionals, such as a parent who used posted information …show more content…
Families used a variety of sources of information in their decision-making, with five categories being identified: (a) Information from the internet; (b) Information from written materials; (c) Information that families gain from observations of their child or other children; (d) Information from a system or center, such as a referral; and (e) Information from a person, such as a parent, professional, or deaf adult.
Four families, all those with greater economic resources, mentioned using the Internet to gather both general and specific information. For example, they described “googling around” immediately following the hearing screening referral as well as researching particular therapy approaches or a local early intervention program. Families also used the Internet to gather information not provided by professionals, such as information about visual technology, advocacy issues, or connecting with other families of children who are deaf or hard of hearing. While the Internet provided a wealth of information for families gathering information, one parent expressed a need for other supportive relationships: “it was just me and the internet…alone and to the
Theme 3: Roles of “initiators and “receivers” are assumed in information gathering.
Information that families used to make decisions was organized by how it was gathered. We coded the act of information gathering based on who initiated or “drove” the interaction, noting that often multiple parties were involved (e.g., a professional provided the brochure but the parent read it). Some information gathering activities were parent-driven, such as use of the Internet and observations of one’s child. Other parent-initiated strategies involved using resources provided by professionals, such as a parent who used posted information …show more content…
Families used a variety of sources of information in their decision-making, with five categories being identified: (a) Information from the internet; (b) Information from written materials; (c) Information that families gain from observations of their child or other children; (d) Information from a system or center, such as a referral; and (e) Information from a person, such as a parent, professional, or deaf adult.
Four families, all those with greater economic resources, mentioned using the Internet to gather both general and specific information. For example, they described “googling around” immediately following the hearing screening referral as well as researching particular therapy approaches or a local early intervention program. Families also used the Internet to gather information not provided by professionals, such as information about visual technology, advocacy issues, or connecting with other families of children who are deaf or hard of hearing. While the Internet provided a wealth of information for families gathering information, one parent expressed a need for other supportive relationships: “it was just me and the internet…alone and to the