Regional Day School for the Hearing Impaired

Overview of the Program

Regional Day School Services for the Hearing Impaired provides for the special education needs of hearing impaired students through a shared service arrangement. Approximately twenty East Texas area school districts participate in the shared service arrangement. The goal is that each hearing impaired student whose hearing loss impairs speech, language and academic achievement will receive specialized instruction and related services so that his/her communication skills are commensurate with hearing peers.

Services for Students with Hearing Impairments

Regional Day School Services for Hearing Impaired provides services to students who have an educationally significant hearing loss ranging from mild to profound. Following a full assessment, educational services for individual students are developed through an Admission, Review and Dismissal (ARD) meeting. The ARD meeting includes the family, certified teachers of the deaf and hard of hearing and other educational professionals. Educational services may include audiology, individual speech-language therapy, academic instruction and related services.

Instruction by certified teachers of the deaf may include the methodologies of listening and spoken language or listening, spoken language and sign language as determined by the ARD committee. There is a continuum of student support services for students who are deaf and hard of hearing according to their individual needs, and may include:

• Early Intervention - Students from birth to age three and their families are served in collaboration with Early Childhood Intervention (ECI) in the home or other natural setting as determined by an Individual Family Service Plan (IFSP).
• Itinerant Instruction - Traveling teachers work with students one or more times per week providing special instruction services in a collaborative environment within the home district.
• Cluster Campus - Students are on an age appropriate public school campus and educated with hearing peers to the maximum extent possible with instruction from certified teacher of deaf and hard of hearing. Services include academic instruction and specialized speech and language services on a daily basis.
• Communication Support -
  • A variety of communication methodologies including oral and total communication.
  • Individualized speech, language, listening therapy and instruction.
  • Sign language interpreting.
  • Audiological Support.
    • Technical assistance to maintain student amplification and cochlear implants.
    • Assistive listening devices.