Exploration of Language and Communication Opportunities (ELCO)

In initial meetings with their early interventionist specialist (EIS), families will explore the foundations of language, gain an understanding of their child’s hearing levels, and receive comprehensive information on the various language and communication opportunities. With the support of their EIS, a language and communication plan specific to their child’s needs and family priorities will be created. This plan will be used by the child’s Individual Family Service (IFS) team to determine which services best support the plan chosen. Most importantly, these early visits support early interactions between the child and their family.

There are many ways for children who are deaf or hard of hearing to learn language. Choosing a communication approach to foster language development for your child requires time and many thoughtful decisions. What works for one family may not work for another. All communication and language approaches require a lot of family involvement and a language-rich environment. An EIS from MECDHH will assist in supporting your family to establish a Language and Communication Plan (LCP) that may or may not change over time. The team will work with families to assess their child’s language growth at least every 6 months. This information is used to reflect on how the LCP is working and to explore ways to best support language outcomes and family priorities.