SCSD’s Deaf and Hard of Hearing/American Sign Language (DHH/ASL) Educational Outreach Program hosted a community gathering at Wakulla Springs State Park for families of children who are Deaf and hard of hearing. The DHH/ASL Educational Outreach Program was established to support families in the FSU and Tallahassee communities with Deaf and hard-of-hearing children.

“Our ‘So Long, Summer!’ September event at Wakulla Springs was our kick-off event for this school year! In addition to families getting to connect for swimming, snacks, and end-of-summer fun, our students facilitated activities to promote language development, particularly specialized signs with a ‘back to school’ theme,” said DHH/ASL Coordinator and FSU Teaching Faculty Kristen Guynes.

This Fall semester, Kristen Guynes, alongside fellow DHH/ASL Coordinator Casey Guynes, prioritized hosting monthly community bonding events for families with Deaf and hard-of-hearing children to connect with each other, speech professionals, and others in the Deaf population. Kristen and Casey both emphasized the significance of bringing together these families and offering support and guidance since, oftentimes, the first Deaf person these hearing parents have ever met is their child.

“With deafness being considered statistically ‘low-incidence,’ it is not uncommon for children and their families to have very limited access to each other unless it is specifically facilitated,” Kristen said.

From an academic perspective, the students who attended this gathering gained hands-on experience working with Deaf and hard-of-hearing children and their families, contributing to the growth of speech and language professionals who can provide specialized services for the Deaf community. Students who volunteered at this gathering included undergraduate and graduate students from various fields, including communication science and disorders, music therapy, psychology, and pre-medical studies.

“We provide direct academic and language support for families who otherwise have limited access to specialized DHH services in this area, particularly through the incorporation of American Sign Language,” said Kristen.

Later this fall semester, the DHH/ASL Educational Outreach Program will also be hosting a day at Aunt Louise’s Farm, a Fall Festival at FSU, and a trip to Tallahassee’s Winter Fest with Tree Lighting in December.