The fundamental framework for Deaf/Hard-of-Hearing children: A model from the child’s perspective. 

Deaf and hard-of-hearing (DHH) children deserve to acquire functional language
skills at the same rate as their hearing peers. Newborn hearing screenings assist
in the early identification of decreased hearing levels in children at birth, leading
stakeholders to make decisions about communication and language within the
first weeks of the child’s life. While trained and educated to present the most
evidence-based information, the professionals involved in supporting parents,
caregivers, and families with the care of their DHH child may influence the
decision-making process by presenting information to families rather than
engaging them in meaningful dialogue, explaining conceptual knowledge, and
answering questions, with consideration given to the child’s perspective.
This paper describes the Fundamental Framework, a model created to facilitate
meaningful collaboration between families and professionals regarding preferred
language choice. The Fundamental Framework is a theoretical model influenced
by the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF)
model and the ‘F-words’ in Childhood Disability by Rosenbaum and Gorter in 2011
with the following specific aims: 1) to facilitate meaningful collaboration between
professionals (e.g., pediatricians, speech-language pathologists, audiologists, etc.) and the families of DHH children 2) to assist in fostering a strong language
foundation for DHH children, critical for their overall optimal development 3) to
enhance client-centered assessment of preferred language options and 4) to de-emphasize the historical approach of “fixing” decreased hearing levels in children.