As part of its strategic plan, the Oberkotter Foundation is committed to increasing access to services and support as well as expanding knowledge and skills among families. For the Foundation, the focus has been, and continues to be, equipping families and caregivers with the right information at the right time, while supporting the professionals who partner with them.
Hearing First, an initiative of the Oberkotter Foundation, has created an innovative solution to help families get started on the Listening and Spoken Language (LSL) path right away with quality, timely information after learning their child is deaf or hard of hearing. First LSL Lessons is a free, easy-to-use tool designed to empower families with clear, sequential steps they can take to develop their child’s listening, talking, and literacy skills.
Meeting Busy Families Where They Are
Today’s families are busier than ever. A 2023 Pew Research study found that 84% of families report feeling rushed for time. Between work, commutes, parenting, and managing family schedules, it can be difficult for new parents to find time for anything else.
When a child is identified with hearing loss, there is an additional layer of complexity and urgency for families with diagnostic and audiology appointments, new technology, unfamiliar terms, and emotional overwhelm. The Oberkotter Foundation has heard first-hand from families and the professionals who serve them that parents can find it challenging to know where to begin and how to move forward with confidence, especially in those early days of uncertainty. Recognizing this need for clarity and support early on, the Oberkotter Foundation identified a critical gap: families need a reliable starting point with clear, actionable steps, trustworthy information, and accessible guidance.
First LSL Lessons stands in that gap – building on the Foundation’s 40 years of dedication by supporting professionals and empowering families with the knowledge, confidence, and tools they need to help children with hearing loss thrive.
Easy-to-Use Resources for All Families
The 12 curated lessons inside First LSL Lessons are accessible online and designed to reach families anywhere, with a user-friendly experience on both desktop and mobile devices. The flexible learning content is broken down into small sections that are easy to digest and easy to implement in families’ daily routines, so parents can go at their own pace and learn in the way that works best for them. The Oberkotter Foundation’s commitment to breaking down barriers and increasing access among all families by creating quality resources offered at no cost is the driving force behind the approachable lesson structure and organized design.
Whether used independently by families or as a resource integrated into a provider’s practice, First LSL Lessons was created to put trusted knowledge directly into the hands of families. This approach supports both sides of the caregiving relationship by offering professionals a ready-to-use tool while giving families the confidence and clarity to take daily, meaningful action from the start.
Step-By-Step Guide for Families Navigating Their Baby’s Hearing Loss
Developed by certified Listening and Spoken Language specialists, First LSL Lessons brings together proven strategies and techniques in an easy-to-understand way to deepen parents’ knowledge and skills in supporting their child’s listening and spoken language development. Each lesson is thoughtfully designed based on best practices in adult learning: short, easy-to-follow segments under 20 minutes, enhanced with videos of real examples of LSL strategies in action, printable handouts and checklists, helpful visuals, and interactive features.
Lesson topics include:
- Hearing Devices and Wear Time
- How to Talk and Read to Baby
- Building Language
- Understanding the Audiogram
- LSL Strategies
- And more
A Game-Changing Entry Point for Families New to the LSL Journey
Founded upon the Oberkotter Foundation’s long-standing vision for the future and belief that every child with hearing loss can learn to listen and talk when given the right support early, First LSL Lessons gives parents an entry point that cuts through the noise, builds confidence, and fosters competence. Grounded in decades of research and real-world outcomes, these lessons teach families not just what to do, but why it matters for their child’s development.
First LSL Lessons brings together quality LSL resources in one place, organized in a sequential, step-by-step order that families can easily follow to grow their knowledge for raising their child to learn to listen and talk – all driven by the goal of unlocking new opportunities for children who are deaf or hard of hearing.
To learn more about family learning with Hearing First and First LSL Lessons, visit HearingFirst.org/Lessons.