Education Center

CHC is here for you every step of the way in your child’s listening, language, social-emotional and educational development. Educational support is a vitally important step in your child’s journey with hearing loss because it bridges the gap between center-based speech/language therapy and a student's classroom environment, based on their auditory needs.

CHC’s certified Teachers of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing are specially trained to provide support services that will enhance the academic experience. Our goal is to contribute to each student’s ability to reach their true potential in the least restrictive classroom environment. With the right educational support services, your child with hearing loss can thrive academically.

As a member of the CHC community, you and your child also will benefit from peer-to-peer support through family social programs, parent workshops and support groups.  Learn more about our Family Programs.  

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• 1:1 Academic Instruction and Academic Small Group Instruction - One to one academic instruction with a CHC Teacher of the deaf (TOD) is a service that occurs outside of the classroom, either in-person or virtually. Students will meet with the TOD to work on supplemental academic instruction that may include reading, writing, and mathematics. Discussion with the TOD will occur often to pinpoint exactly where your child needs the most support and how you can carry over that support at home. Additionally, academic groups are available to provide your child with the opportunity to be grouped with other students who present a similar academic level. Your child can apply what they are working on individually in a group setting and interact with other children with hearing loss.
   

• Hearing Education Services (HES) Itinerant Teacher Services - Our Itinerant Teachers of the Deaf (TOD) ​​travel to area schools and communities in conjunction with Hearing Education Services (HES) to offer advice, resources, and support to students within their school settings. Itinerant TODs provide individualized attention to the student as well as work with the classroom teachers and specialty teachers to ensure the student is reaching their highest potential within the classroom. Services with CHC itinerant teachers may include academic support, strengthening self advocacy skills, enhancing classroom sound accessibility, improving social skills, and more.
   

• Special Instruction - Special Instruction at CHC is led by a TOD and may be the first stop for a parent when finding out their child has a hearing loss. Sessions are often devoted to teaching parents how to enhance their child's social, emotional and cognitive development through various activities and strategies that are catered to their child’s specific hearing needs as well as any other delays or difficulties.

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• Comprehensive Educational Evaluations - Comprehensive educational evaluations, which determine the potential educational impact of your child's hearing loss, are available to families currently receiving educational support at CHC as well as those receiving services through other providers. The evaluation is a multi-disciplinary assessment involving pediatric experts in audiology, speech-language pathology, and education, and it's is an important step in determining appropriate educational and classroom accommodations as well as other support services. 

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• School In-Services - A TOD from our team will create an individually tailored presentation, (either virtually or in-person) for your child’s school focusing on hearing loss, and its impact on listening, communication, and learning. Information related to your child’s hearing aid(s), cochlear implant(s), and/or remote microphone system(s), as well as recommendations for necessary support services and accommodations, are given to the school team. On-site visits are available for families in the tristate area to assess your child’s classroom environment and assist in suggesting environmental modifications which may be appropriate for your child. In addition, the TOD can assist your child’s teachers and other school service providers to understand which strategies or modifications are appropriate for your child.

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• IEP Consulting - CHC’s TODs can assist parents in opening an Individual Education Plan (IEP) with the Department of Education (DOE). Once the IEP is opened, CHC can help you prepare for the IEP meeting and participate in the meeting to help secure appropriate services for your child.

• School Placement and Transitional Planning - CHC’s educational team helps families explore appropriate school options and then guides parents through the school tour and application process. If your child is going through a transitional year—whether an early childhood program,  elementary school or beyond—our team is available to consult and advise on important pieces to consider throughout the process. Once a school is chosen, our team helps you educate the teachers and school staff on your child’s hearing loss and ensures the individualized support is in place.

• Educational Audiological Management / Acoustical Classroom Evaluations - CHC’s pediatric audiologists will review your child’s previous audiological evaluations. If updated testing is warranted, our audiological team is available for a full audiological evaluation in addition to providing recommendations for personal FM systems, soundfield systems, and/or remote mics. Following your consultation with our audiological team, our TODs will consult with your child's school team to ensure that the equipment is implemented appropriately.