The CHIP Model
Community Based	The Early Literacy Initiative (ELI)
Family Centered Assessment	Eligibility
Communication Approaches	Service Coordination
Transition Program	Program Support
In-Home Sign Language Instruction	Deaf Adult Role Models
Bilingual Providers	Unilateral Hearing Loss
Universal Newborn Hearing Screening (UNHS)	Auditory Neuropathy
FAMILY Centered Philosophy

Communication Approaches

Communication must be viewed as more than a method. Communication is a complex process which involves many facets. It is a growing, changing, dynamic process.

CHIP respects the right of each family to choose the method of communication that best meets the needs of their child. Choosing a method of communication involves input from parents, from professionals, and from objective assessment data. A family considers many factors in making this choice. Each of the professionals in CHIP (CO-Hear Coordinators, CHIP Parent Facilitators, and Sign Language Instructors) have important information to share with families as they begin this decision-making process. The program supports providing parents with clear unbiased information regarding communication approaches. The CO-Hear Coordinator shares basic information [See Building Blocks of Communication] regarding communication/methodology approaches with the family during the early days of this process. This information includes defining and demonstrating various methods. The CO-Hear Coordinator also supplies the family with additional resources regarding communication approaches and factors to consider in making this choice. The CHIP Parent Facilitator provides the family with information on an ongoing basis regarding the child's progress and assists the family as they evaluate communication choices.

Communication choices can, and often do change. As the child grows and develops, more information is learned about his hearing loss, learning style, and personality. More information is learned about the benefit the child receives from amplification. This information impacts a family's choices around communication. It is important to objectively monitor the child's progress to determine whether the chosen communication system is meeting the child's needs. At all times the focus must be on the components of communication, rather than on the method. The focus is NOT on the method, but rather on communication. The child's progress is reviewed through observations and informal assessments, progress reports, and the FAMILY Assessment, an objective multi-disciplinary assessment administered at specific intervals.

CHIP is supportive of the family's choice. The family must be provided the opportunity to explore communication choices without pressure to choose a particular way to communicate. 

Communication Approaches

AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE (ASL): American Sign Language (ASL) is a fully developed, autonomous, natural language with distinct grammar, syntax, and art forms. Sign language can perform the same range of functions as a spoken language. "Listeners" use their eyes instead of their ears to process linguistic information. "Speakers" use their hands, arms, eyes, face, head, and body. These movements and shapes function as the "word" and "intonation" of the language. If parents are not deaf, intensive ASL training is necessary in order for the family to become proficient in the language.

AUDITORY-ORAL (AO): This method of teaching spoken language stresses the use of amplified residual hearing, speech and oral language development. Additionally it places emphasis on speech reading and visual clues from the face or body. Tactile methods may also be used to encourage the child to feel the sounds of speech. Parents need to be highly involved with child’s teacher and/or therapists to carry over training activities to the home and create an optimal "oral" learning environment.

AUDITORY-VERBAL (AV): This approach to teaching spoken communication concentrates on the development of listening (auditory) and speaking (verbal) skills. It emphasizes teaching the child to use his or her amplified residual hearing and audition from listening devices (like hearing aids or cochlear implants) to the fullest extent possible. A high degree of parent involvement is necessary as parents learn methods to integrate listening and language throughout daily routines.

BILINGUAL EDUCATION: This recent initiative concerns bilingualism for children with a hearing loss through bilingual education. In this educational approach children who are deaf are instructed in the use of both ASL and English. ASL is considered the dominant language of the child who is deaf. English is taught through finger-reading, finger-spelling, reading, writing, typing, lip reading, speaking, and listening.

CUED SPEECH: This system is designed to clarify lip reading by using simple hand movements (cues) around the face to indicate the exact pronunciation of any spoken word. Since many spoken words look exactly alike on the mouth (e.g. pan, man), cues allow the child to see the difference between them. Cued speech can be learned through classes taught by trained teachers or therapists. A significant amount of time must be spent using and practicing cues to become proficient.

SIMULTANEOUS COMMUNICATION: Simultaneous communication occurs when a person uses sign language and spoken English at the same time. The signs used may be an exact match to the spoken message (Manually Coded English). Or, a person may sign some, but not all, of the words in the spoken message (Pidgin Signed English). The words that are signed and the words that are spoken occur simultaneously. Parents must consistently sign while they speak to their child. Sign language courses are routinely offered through the community, local colleges, adult education etc.

TOTAL COMMUNICATION (TC): The term Total Communication was first defined as a philosophy which included use of all modes of communication (i.e. Speech, sign language, auditory training speech, speech reading and finger spelling). Today the term Total Communication is commonly interpreted as Simultaneous Communication (signing while talking). This philosophy led to the formation of manual systems (e.g. Signing Exact English Signed English) that attempt to represent spoken English.

Used with permission - The Colorado Resource Guide. Colorado Families for Hands & Voices and the Colorado Department of Education