FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Here are some answers to some frequently asked questions (FAQs) about CID programs and listening and spoken language deaf education.
GENERAL FAQs
If you teach deaf a child to speak, won’t he or she miss out on sign language and Deaf culture?
CID’s role is to ensure children have access to a listening and spoken language education at a young age. Some of our students decide to also learn American Sign Language after they leave CID so they can interact with peers who identify within a Deaf culture. We take pride in our graduates’ ability to successfully integrate into the hearing world and to have peers in both communities if they choose.
Why do people choose to help children who are deaf and hard of hearing to learn to talk?
Today’s hearing technologies, early intervention and targeted, individualized teaching methods make it possible for most children who are deaf and hard of hearing to listen, talk, read and participate socially and academically in their own local regular education classrooms. Learning spoken language gives children an advantage in learning to read and write.
Do you know where can I take sign language classes?
CID does not teach sign language to children or adults. We teach children who are deaf and hard of hearing how to listen and talk. You can find sign language classes at St. Louis Community College – Florissant Valley or other sources listed on the website of Missouri Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing.
I want to become an interpreter, does CID teach courses?
No. St. Louis Community College has an interpreter training program.
I need an interpreter in Missouri. Where can I find one?
CID is a school for children who are deaf and hard of hearing, not an interpreter service. Missouri Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing offers a listing of interpreter services in Missouri.
Does CID offer hearing testing for adults?
No. CID provides world-class on-site pediatric audiology for newly diagnosed infants and for the children in our school. However, Washington University School of Medicine continues to offer hearing testing, hearing aid fitting and cochlear implant mapping for adults at the Spencer T. Olin Hearing Clinic on the CID campus and at two additional locations. You can arrange an appointment by calling 314.747.7100. Or visit http://audiology.wustl.edu
What education do you need to become a teacher of the deaf?
Most CID teachers have master’s degrees in deaf education. A few have undergraduate degrees in deaf education with master’s degrees in related areas. All CID classroom teachers also maintain certification from the Council on Education of the Deaf, a national organization.
CID is financially separate from but closely affiliated with the Program in Audiology and Communication Sciences (PACS) at Washington University School of Medicine, which trains audiologists, scientists and teachers of the deaf. Some of our teachers and audiologists serve as faculty members and we provide practicum experiences for students in this and other graduate programs. Also located in the St. Louis area, Fontbonne University offers undergraduate and graduate programs in deaf education, early intervention and related fields.
FAQs FOR PARENTS
My child was just diagnosed with a hearing loss. How can I find resources available to me and my baby?
Publicly provided services are mandated by law to help your baby and your family. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires each state to provide early intervention services. How and what each state provides varies. An overview of the law, IDEA Part C, and links to resources to help you find services for you and your baby are available through the Listening and Spoken Language Knowledge Center of the Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. See also http://www.wrightslaw.com/info/ei.index.htm
Why is it important for a child who is deaf to learn to talk?
Today’s hearing technologies, early intervention and targeted, individualized teaching methods make it possible for most children who are deaf and hard of hearing to listen, talk, read and participate socially and academically in regular education classrooms. Learning spoken language is important to learning to read and forms the basis for academic success.
How do you teach children who are deaf and hard of hearing to talk?
Unlike most schools for the deaf, CID teaches children how to listen and talk without using sign language. Instruction takes place in small classes of 2 to 5 children grouped for their ability in speech and language. Constant interaction and activities give the students practice listening and talking. They receive direct instruction in listening, language and speech that provides repeated practice opportunities. Then they participate in lessons that enable them to integrate new skills and practice them through conversational activities. During every activity, the teacher monitors each child’s listening, speech, language and comprehension skills. Evaluation takes place during and after every lesson to assess how each student is progressing toward his or her goals, which change at the rate at which that child experiences success.
How do you teach children to read if you can’t use phonics?
We do use phonics—and phonological awareness. Our pediatric audiologists ensure the students have optimal access to auditory information from their hearing aids and/or cochlear implants. We teach our children to read using all of the same methods, strategies and curricula used to teach hearing children to read.
What services do you provide for families of infants and toddlers?
CID services include parent educator support in the home and other community settings, teleintervention sessions and pediatric audiology support. We also have a toddler class for 2-year-olds that combines group instruction and individual therapy. Services begin when our intake coordinator contacts a family to help them navigate the process of enrolling in early intervention services. Once enrolled, each family is assigned a parent educator to guide them throughout their journey in early intervention. One of the first steps is partnering with audiologists to ensure the child has optimal access to sound. For families living outside of our parent educators’ travel area, we offer support via teleintervention sessions or at CID when they visit for audiology appointments.
What kinds of information do you provide to families in early intervention?
- the child’s diagnosis
- emotional and social supports
- hearing and hearing loss
- hearing tests
- hearing devices (hearing aids, bone conduction aids, cochlear implants, FM systems)
- early communication
- listening and spoken language development
- tips to encourage listening and spoken language development within daily routines
- typical development in all areas
- benefits of play, music and early literacy
- early intervention services, rights, laws and IFSPs
- transitioning to educational programs for preschoolers and IEPs
CID parent educators and families use a variety of resources, including Small Talk, written by CID staff. This book breaks down the important things today’s parents of children who are deaf and hard of hearing need to know and do including the topics listed above. Small Talk also fills an important need as a textbook for university deaf education and early intervention programs. CID’s Early Listening at Home curriculum encourages coaching the whole family and is an important tool for parent educators.
How do you give children with hearing loss the skills they need to succeed in school with their hearing peers?
CID teachers use specialized tools for determining and targeting a variety of goals. At the preschool level, activities are play-based and theme-related. Daily individualized goals target emerging literacy skills, typical childhood development and pragmatic social skills in addition to speech, language and listening. After age 5, academics come into play. We pay special attention to teaching the language involved in understanding math, science and social studies as we continue to attend to our kindergarteners’ speech and social skills. We have a strong focus on developing reading skills, which is especially difficult for many children who are deaf or hard of hearing. We incorporate children’s literature into our program liberally and offer highly intensive remedial help to any child who needs it. Finally, we use curricula from general education and offer a variety of special activities and classes, including art, drama, music and physical education, to fully prepare the children to participate and succeed in their neighborhood schools.
Does CID offer any subjects besides speech, language and academics?
CID students participate in physical education, art and music classes to help develop and strengthen their skills and talents in these areas. Special activities include science and literacy fairs, cooperative projects, performances and after school tennis.
If my child were a candidate for the CID school, how much would it cost for him to attend?
Generous annual support from the community currently makes it possible for the CID school to accept eligible hearing-impaired school candidates regardless of a family’s financial situation. We offer significant financial aid opportunities for families. Please see Tuition and Financial Aid.
How long would my child attend CID?
Every child develops skills at his or her own rate. Our goal is to help children return to or begin at their local schools (also known as mainstreaming) as soon as possible. For some children, a good time to mainstream is when their language level is equal to that of peers with whom they will work in the same classroom. For older children, we also look at reading skills. We prefer their reading skills be at the same level as those of their classmates. We work closely with families to ensure they know our recommendations and that any placement is a team decision. If needed, support is available for children when they enter the public school system.
Do you provide transportation for your students?
CID does not provide transportation to and from school. If your child receives services through a public school contract, the school district may transport her or reimburse you for travel expenses. If your child comes to CID through early intervention, Missouri or Illinois will reimburse mileage, but they do not provide transportation. Parents must apply and gain approval from the early intervention system before any reimbursement can be obtained.
Does CID have a dorm?
No. We closed our residential program in 2003; however, some families choose to move to the St. Louis area so their children can attend. Please contact our admissions coordinator, Andrea Osman, for help and support in this process.
Sometimes my child seems to hear without hearing aids. Do you really think he needs them?
Children who are deaf or hard of hearing sometimes may detect sounds without their hearing aids because they have what’s called “residual” hearing. It’s important to remember that these children have access to more sounds with their hearing aids on than they do with them off. They need to hear all of the sounds that make up speech in order to include them in their spoken language. Access to all sounds, at every possible waking moment, will give your child the best opportunity to develop speech and spoken language without omitting certain sounds they cannot hear without their hearing aids.
Is there an agency that can help pay for hearing aids?
If your child is a CID student, our audiology staff can help your family explore the options. Missouri and Illinois both have early intervention systems that will help with all assistive technology needed for a child to achieve outcomes. Some insurance companies have paid for a portion of hearing aid costs, with the remainder billed through state early intervention programs. Many of the Medicaid programs provide appropriate hearing aids, and several other agencies also may help. CID audiologists and Joanne Parrish Knight Family Center staff can answer other questions about that first pair of hearing aids. If your child needs a second set of hearing aids, you can contact the HIKE Fund and your local Variety Club. Insurance companies should always be encouraged to pay. Many states are putting out mandates, but this varies from state to state.
I don’t think my child is getting what he or she needs in school. What should I do?
You can reconvene an Individualized Educational Plan (bring the IEP team together to reassess the plan for your child). It’s sometimes wise to bring someone with you, such as a friend who can be a second set of ears or an advocate who knows the law. Public schools are mandated to provide an appropriate education for your child. You may contact CID’s assessment and admissions director, Andrea Osman, to ask questions about what CID offers.
My child’s teacher or school administrator has no experience with students with hearing loss. What can I do?
Along with several listening and spoken language schools and university graduate teacher training programs in Missouri, CID helped develop four lists of basic facts about hearing impairment for school administrators and teachers serving students who are deaf and hard of hearing. Your child’s teacher may want to pursue continuing education at a CID workshop in St. Louis. CID offers a wide variety of professional development programs, including guided observations and consulting services. Your child’s teacher or school administer may want to contact Abby Zoia at 314.977.0267 for more information about professional development opportunities. Your local public school district or listening and spoken language school for children who are deaf and hard of hearing may also offer resources for general education teachers with a child who is deaf or hard of hearing in their classroom.
My child has a cochlear implant or we are considering one. In addition to my child’s audiologist and doctor, what are good resources?
All of the cochlear implant manufacturers offer excellent information about their devices. To connect with other parents who have children with cochlear implants, we highly recommend cicircle.org.
Where can I learn about legal rights and advocacy for my child?
We recommend the Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing for parents who seek this kind of information. Find out if they have a chapter where you live.
FAQs FOR TEACHERS
What services do you provide for families of babies with hearing loss?
Services begin when our intake coordinator contacts a family to help them navigate the process of enrolling in the early intervention program. One of the first steps is partnering parents with audiologists to ensure the child has optimal access to sound. Experienced CID parent educators provide family sessions in the home and other community settings and through teleintervention. Among other resources, CID parent educators use a CID-developed Domains of Knowledge Family Inventory as well as the CID Early Listening at Home curriculum.We also have a toddler class for group instruction and individual therapy. Upon request, we provide on-site support at CID for families living outside of our parent educators’ travel area when they visit CID for audiology appointments.
What happens when a baby turns two?
As a child approaches age two, the family and parent educator discuss candidacy for attending toddler class at CID. Toddler classes supplement home visits to maximize each child’s potential for developing age-appropriate skills through remediation and enrichment in all domains, including listening and spoken language. Toddler classes provide a combination of individual direct therapy and group learning opportunities.
What curricula does CID use in pre-k?
Our pre-k program has a dual focus: (1) listening, language and speech curricula and (2) a whole-child developmental curriculum, including strong emphasis on play-based learning and early literacy. We use a series of functional assessments for data collection and progress monitoring for each of the expected areas of delay for a child with hearing loss learning to listen and talk, including:
- Vocabulary: CID Early Childhood Vocabulary Rating Forms
- Syntax/Grammar: CID Teacher Assessment of Grammatical Structures (TAGS)
- Pragmatic Language: CID Preschool Pragmatic Language Rating Forms
- Language Related to Play: CID Preschool Symbolic Play Rating Forms
- Foundational Listening: CID Speech Perception Instructional Curriculum and Evaluation (SPICE)
- Real-World Listening: CID SPICE for Life Auditory Learning Curriculum
- Speech: CID Speech Skills Rating Forms
In addition to the developmental areas we anticipate will be delayed as a result of hearing loss, we monitor all developmental areas when considering the whole child. Our whole-child curriculum is based on the CID Preschool Developmental Rating Forms (for children ages 3, 4 and 5), which allow for data collection and progress monitoring in the non-communicative domains—fine motor, gross motor, cognition, social and emotional, pre-academic and early literacy. The skills listed are pulled from a variety of sources—all based on developmentally appropriate practices set out by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC).
What tests do you use for 3 to 4 1/2-year-olds?
Our goal is to prepare our students to work and socialize alongside their peers with typical hearing in their local schools as soon as possible. The vocabulary, language, speech and early literacy tests we use are standardized on children with typical hearing, so results for our students who are deaf and hard of hearing can be compared to results achieved by children with typical hearing the same age. This comparison gives us a clear picture of each student’s capabilities. Some examples are:
- Receptive Vocabulary Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test – 4th Edition (PPVT-4)
- Expressive Vocabulary Test – Second Edition (EVT-2)
- Preschool Language Scale-IV (PLS-5)
- Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals-Preschool 2 (CELF-P2)
- Preschool Language Assessment Instrument-2 (PLAI-2)
- Systematic Analysis of Language Transcription (SALT)
- Goldman-Fristoe Test of Articulation 2 (GFTA-2)
- Test of Preschool Early Literacy (TOPEL)
- HearBuilder Story Retell Test
What functional curricula are used in the CID primary school?
The primary CID school has three main goals: (1) continuing the development of listening, speech and language skills, (2) teaching content that aligns with general education programs and (3) teaching self-advocacy and social skills to help prepare students for transition into their home schools. We use a series of functional assessments for data collection and progress monitoring for each of the expected areas of delay for a child with hearing loss learning to listen and talk:
- Syntax/Grammar: CID Teacher Assessment of Grammatical Structures (TAGS)
- Foundational Listening: CID Speech Perception Instructional Curriculum and Evaluation (SPICE)
- Real-World Listening: CID SPICE for Life Auditory Learning Curriculum
- Speech: CID Speech Skills Rating Forms
- Content: Common Core Standards and Grade Level Expectations Checklists for Missouri
What formal tests are used in the CID primary school?
Our goal is to transition students to their local schools as soon as possible. The vocabulary, language, speech, literacy and content tests we use are standardized on children with typical hearing, so results for our students who are deaf and hard of hearing can be compared to results achieved by children with typical hearing the same age. This comparison gives us a clear picture of each student’s capabilities. Some examples are:
- Receptive Vocabulary Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test – 4th Edition (PPVT-4)
- Expressive Vocabulary Test – Second Edition (EVT-2)
- Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals (CELF-5)
- Systematic Analysis of Language Transcription (SALT)
- Goldman-Fristoe Test of Articulation 2 (GFTA-2)
- Woodcock Johnson Reading Achievement Test
- Stanford Achievement Test
I have a question about a CID product or online course. Where can I get more information?
Please see our Customer FAQs here.
Do you have free resources for teachers, SLPs and other professionals?
Yes, we do. We offer a range of free, downloadable teaching tools, half-hour online courses, quick tips and a professional blog. Find them here.
FAQs FOR CUSTOMERS
Please visit our professional page.
