This workshop will serve as a primer for psychologists who do not specialise in supporting children who are deaf or hard of hearing (DHH). Given that being DHH is one of the most common childhood conditions and that the number of people with reduced hearing increases as individuals age, all psychologists are likely to encounter DHH individuals through the course of their careers. This workshop will address psychological considerations for supporting DHH individuals, especially children, across a variety of domains: 1) Social-emotional development and peer relationships; 2) Visual processing and learning; and 3) Access needs and what happens when those needs are not met. Join us for this engaging workshop to build your awareness of the unique presentation and needs of individuals who are DHH and grow your skills in providing high quality psychological support for this diverse population.

Learning objectives: Upon completion of this workshop, participants will be able to:

1. Describe a minimum of three ways that reduced hearing can influence social skills and peer relationships.
2. Draw a diagram depicting typical visual and language processing in the brain and be able to describe at least one way that being DHH can alter the brain’s processing of information.
3. Write a recommendation that could be used to support a learner who is DHH to address their access needs.