Our Parent-Infant Program offers individualized services for deaf and hard of hearing infants and toddlers, their families and caregivers, and their larger community of friends and loved ones. By providing access to American Sign Language, Deaf Culture and involvement in the Deaf community, we equip families with new skills, knowledge and language they need to communicate with and advocate for their children. Our program also creates opportunities for families to build a larger support system and a deeper understanding of their child’s unique skills, talents, and needs.

While enrolled in PIP, we aim to empower parents and caregivers to provide the best possible start for their child’s development using a combination of early language support, family-centered education, and curated resources. Our hope is that you graduate from our program feeling rooted in community and fully prepared to move into the next phase of your child’s education with confidence and ease.

Infants who have access to language are like sponges, they soak it all in from the moment they’re born. Our bilingual and bicultural approach, emphasizing both American Sign Language (ASL) and English, taps into infant’s innate ability to use their vision and other senses to absorb multiple languages simultaneously. Research consistently highlights the critical role of early childhood communication experiences, in shaping a child’s linguistic, cognitive and social emotional development.

Early exposure to sign language, particularly ASL, offers unique benefits. It enhances communication skills, reduces frustration levels, and strengthens bonds between infants and caregivers. ASL, being a visual-gestural language, aligns well with infants’ natural inclination towards visual communication, facilitating early language acquisition and expression.

The benefits of bilingualism from infancy are vast. Exposure to diverse languages enriches infants’ linguistic abilities, boosts cognitive flexibility, and enhances problem-solving skills. Studies indicate that bilingual infants demonstrate advanced executive function skills, such as attention control and task-switching, compared to their monolingual counterparts.

These home visits provide parents and caregivers with the skills they need to support their child’s cognitive abilities, and encourage their acquisition of essential language and literacy skills. We use an evidenced based ASL-English approach to learning that can be adapted to fit your family’s culture and language needs. We work with you to create a language-rich home environment that is accessible to meet the needs of your Deaf, DeafBlind, or Hard of Hearing child and your family.

PIP Specialists travel to your home, bringing their expertise and resources to share. We believe in the power of personalized support and guidance within the comfort of your own home. This approach allows us to engage you and your family and support fostering meaningful interactions and learning opportunities tailored to your infant’s unique needs.

Our Specialists work closely with you to create learning experiences that support language acquisition, cognitive growth, and parent-child bonding, while also providing guidance and support on early childhood development and parenting strategies. By bringing our program directly to you, we aim to make the learning process convenient, accessible, and seamlessly integrated into your daily routines.

*Home visits can also take place virtually, using Zoom, video chat programs or via videophone, with your provider, depending upon your family needs. ASL interpreters can be requested and provided for home visits whenever necessary.