The Deaf Baby Instruction Manual

A Guide for Parents of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children from Birth Through Kindergarten

Will Fertman (Autor)

Buch | Softcover

288 Seiten

2026
Bloomsbury Academic (Verlag)
979-8-7651-8937-5 (ISBN)

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A friendly yet direct guide for parents of deaf or hard of hearing children, covering basic challenges, essential facts, and tips from the experts, leaving parents fully prepared to support their child.

A direct and approachable guide for parents of deaf or hard of hearing children.

About 90% of all deaf or hard of hearing (DHH) children are born to parents with typical hearing, so for many moms and dads, their baby will be the first DHH person they’ve ever met.

In The Deaf Baby Instruction Manual, Will Fertman provides the essential information parents need to support their kids from birth through kindergarten and beyond. Fertman not only draws on his own experiences as the father of a deaf child but also includes insight and advice from the experts: Deaf educators and researchers who have both the topic knowledge and first-hand experience growing up DHH. The manual begins with a quick-start guide to get parents oriented with the basics, and then dives into day-to-day caregiving, family dynamics, medical and educational topics, and parental self-care. Fertman tackles complex issues—from learning sign language and navigating IEPs to considering cochlear implants and avoiding language deprivation—with honesty and humor, breaking out key information into FAQs for easy reference and adding dad jokes along the way.

The first years of a deaf or hard of hearing child’s life are critical to their later success, and The Deaf Baby Instruction Manual gives families Deaf-approved, research-supported dos and don’ts, empowering them to raise happy, healthy kids.

Will Fertman is a writer and full-time father living in Northern California. In 2018, Will’s second son was identified with profound bilateral sensorineural hearing loss in the hospital’s newborn hearing screen. Will has since co-authored articles on caring for deaf and hard of hearing children for the CDC’s pediatric deafness response group EHDI, where he serves on the interagency parent-to-parent advisory panel.

Acknowledgements
Foreword by Dr. Kim Ofori-Sanzo and Dr. Wyatte Hall
Introduction: Congratulations, it’s a Deaf Baby!
A Note on the Text

PART 1: DEAF BABY QUICK START GUIDE
You’re Going to be Fine
Frequently Asked Questions
What Should I Do Next?

PART 2: DAY TO DAY WITH YOUR DEAF BABY
How to Sign with a Baby
Getting Attention
Danger Alert! AKA Sign Names
Baby Care Basics
Shopping
Your Accessible Home
Going Out
Strollers, Carriers and Car Seats
Playgrounds
Playgroups, Finding and Making
Errands
The Beach and the Pool
The Wilderness
Snow and Cold
Museums, Concerts and Events
Reading to Your Deaf Child
Children’s Books and ASL Media

PART 3: FAMILY
Dinner Table Syndrome: Not as Delicious as it Sounds
Siblings
Parents and Partners
Extended Family
Testers and Doubters
Cutting Ties
Family Heritage
Home Culture / Deaf Culture
Religion

PART 4: DOCTORS, TEACHERS AND ASSHOLES
Deaf Ed is not a Guy
A Long and Boring History of Deaf Education in the US
What’s the Deal with Natural Languages and What’s the Problem with Sign Systems?
What’s the Deal with Augmentive and Alternative Communication (AAC?)
Early Intervention, Special Education, and IDEA
IFSP, IEP, 504, WTF?
IFSP and IEP Quick Start Guide
IFSPs in yet More Excruciating Detail
Assessments, Services and Goals for IFSPs and IEPs
504 Plans: If You Really Loved Me, You Wouldn’t Hurt Me
Dealing With Bad Professionals
Schools, Preschools, Daycares, and Sitters
Evaluating DHH Programs and Schools
Deaf Educational Philosophies
Mainstreaming
Educational Interpreters Under IFSP, IEP, and 504 Plans
School Placement, FAPE and the Problem With LRE
Tough Love vs. Enough Love—Avoiding the Moonshot Mentality
Interpreters, Hiring and Firing
Medical Issues
Audiograms and the “Hearing Loss” Diagnosis
Health Concerns and Medical Testing
Hearing Devices Quick Start Guide
Cochlear Implant FAQ
Cis Now and Later
Hearing Aid, CROS and BAHA FAQ
Fucking Magnets, How Do They Work?
How the Hell am I Going to Pay for All This?

PART 5: DEALING WITH IT
Anger
Last Story Before Bed

Glossary
Index
About the Author

Erscheint lt. Verlag	16.4.2026
Vorwort	Wyatte Hall PhD, Kimberly Ofori-Sanzo
Zusatzinfo	7 bw photos
Verlagsort	New York
Sprache	englisch
Maße	152 x 229 mm
Themenwelt	Sachbuch/Ratgeber ► Gesundheit / Leben / Psychologie ► Familie / Erziehung
Themenwelt	Sozialwissenschaften ► Pädagogik ► Sonder-, Heil- und Förderpädagogik
ISBN-13	979-8-7651-8937-5 / 9798765189375
Zustand	Neuware