Reflections from H&V Leadership Conference D.C. 2019-ASTra Advocate-Vicki Hilpp

 Reflections from H&V Leadership Conference D.C. 2019-ASTra Advocate-Vicki Hilpp

*We will have 9 Blog posts from our 9 GA H&V team members that went to the Annual Hands & Voices Leadership Conference this past September in Washington D.C. at Gallaudet University. Gallaudet is the world's only Deaf/Hard of Hearing University. *

Gallaudet Campus
Left-GA E.D. Deshonda Washington
Right-ASTra Advocate Vicki Hilpp

One of my favorite sessions at Leadership this year was the Saturday morning Socialization skills given by Andrea Marwah. She explained many reasons why D/HH kids struggle with social skills and then had some specific “to-do” suggestions for each age group. The rest of the conference was a bit of a blur as I was so busy getting to the next session and trying to digest each bit of information. After I got home from the conference and went through my notes, though, I noticed a specific word that was threaded throughout each of the sessions I attended. The word was “goals”. As an ASTra Advocate, we think about and talk about goals all the time with our families. It has become ingrained in us as just part of what we do. Sometimes when something becomes commonplace in our world, it loses its impact on us. 

Even though I heard this word and wrote this word many times during the conference, it’s impact and overall theme didn’t stand out to me until I was back home, had some separation and was able to look at what I learned from the conference in whole, rather than focusing on each part. It wasn’t until then that I really thought about the importance of the the word “goals”, and that we need to be intentional in setting goals for each step in our child’s development. 

I wonder if sometimes as professionals, and especially as parents of children who are Deaf or HOH, if we wouldn’t benefit from standing back and really examining our situation as a whole picture instead of being caught up in the minutiae of the day. What more could we see in our children, in ourselves, and in our work that we might be missing each day? 

So today, I plan to take a step back in each area of my life, as a mother, a wife, a friend, and an Advocate. My hope is that by looking at each of these through a larger lens I will be able to identity something I may have been missing by being caught up in the busyness of life. I hope that in doing this, I can see what new goals are needed to help me be successful In parenting my children and serving my families. - Senior ASTra Advocate- Vicki Hilpp