In addition to providing clinical services to children with hearing loss, PRC also offers counseling, therapy and training to parents to educate parents on their options, provide emotional support, improve the parent-child relationship and communication, and reinforce interventions in the home all to achieve the best possible outcomes for the child. Our goal is to be able to increase our outreach and provide these support programs free-of-charge to families in the Washington, DC region.
Approximately 1-3 of 1,000 children are born with a significant hearing loss, and an equal number will become Deaf before age 5. The majority of these children are born into families who have little or no experience with hearing loss. Hearing loss interrupts parent-child language, emotional bond and social interaction, causing a cascade of developmental challenges, including poor educational and vocational outcomes. Early intervention and parent engagement are critical to healthy development.
Potomac River Clinic is committed to providing early intervention, as well as parent support, which is critical to optimizing outcomes for the child. PRC offers programs free-of-charge led by our clinical staff with expertise in audiology, deaf education, speech-language and occupational therapies and psychology. Parent support groups, counseling and training help extend interventions into the home so children can become engaged with family, school and their community.
We build relationships with the families to provide a continuum of care through their child's lifetime with individualized support, as well as opportunities to connect with other parents, to learn about new technology, individualized education plans and how to advocate for their child. Families are empowered to support their child's auditory skills, spoken language and socio-emotional skills to help them achieve independence and reach their full potential as communicators and individuals.
