As a parent of a newly diagnosed deaf or hard of hearing child, things can be really confusing at times. You'll be learning new initials for many things-- (IEP, IDEA, CI, ISD, ASL, etc.) and a whole new vocabulary of things you've never heard about before (itinerant teachers, T-switches, Wyndtells, Processors, Classifiers, etc.)
Here's something to get you started in learning about the system in Illinois: