Welcome CID Families
We’re happy you’re here. Find special notes in this area and be sure to watch for texts from the school.
- October 9 @ 8:00 am - 5:00 pm
CID students and teachers will have no school. CID offices are open.
CID students and teachers will have no school. CID offices are open.
Individual Support
CID’s family support specialist, Patti Hoffman, has been part of the CID family since 2005. She has a background working with children and families through many years as both an educator and a counselor. She was previously the lead teacher in CID’s Anabeth and John Weil Early Childhood Center discovery room, bringing daily fun and learning to our students with hearing loss ages 3 to 5. She has a master’s degree in counseling, and uses her skills to help families navigate the emotional journey of parenting a child who is deaf or hard of hearing.
In addition to facilitating social and educational programs, Patti facilitates activities such as a monthly Morning Mingle, in which parents meet after drop-off to share their experiences. She also helps research and connect CID families to community resources. Whether a family needs food or energy assistance, is searching for a pediatrician or mental health provider or is looking for assistive technology or car seat safety information, Patti is dedicated to helping them meet their needs.
Patti keeps a useful list of linked resources for families, including CID’s school calendar, forms and policies, hearing device troubleshooting tips, local and national sources of assistance and more.
Group Support
Hearing from the Heart
Hearing from the Heart is CID’s FREE family connection group, offering you a time to talk with other families and learn together about parenting your child with a hearing difference. Hearing from the Heart sessions are offered virtually and in person to meet the needs of your family.
Each meeting begins at 5pm with dinner. Learning topics begin at 5:30pm. Child care for your whole family is provided by university students supervised by our CID school counselor. Our time together ends at 7pm, giving you time to finish your evening. Free after-school care is provided for all CID early childhood center and primary school students. Look for a flyer, check the calendar of events, or check our CID Families Facebook group to rsvp for these free family events!
Some previous topics
- Up-and-coming hearing technology
- Deaf culture and the history of deaf education
- Fun apps to promote language
- Executive function and hearing loss
- Mindful parenting
- Q&As with other parents, teens and young adults who are deaf and hard of hearingContact Patti Hoffman for more information.
Family Connections
Social Events
CID knows the importance of meeting and socializing with other families of children who are deaf and hard of hearing. We offer a variety of social events throughout the year. Past events include CID Night at the Magic House, CID Night at the Ballpark, CID Night at the History Museum, a Birth to 3-Year-Old Playdate, Popsicles on the Playground and Family Game Night. These fun family gatherings are opportunities for parents to get to know one another, for children to engage together in fun activities and for other family members to be around children who are deaf and hard of hearing.
Young Alumni Club
It’s also important for friends to stay connected with one another after leaving us, so we invite our graduates to participate in the CID Young Alumni Club. Coordinated by our CID school counselor, Pat Wasserman, this group meets several times a year and provides children with opportunities to socialize and have fun with their CID friends.
The serve and return
You may have heard the term “serve and return” in the field of child development. When caregivers engage with their child in serve and return, it strengthens neural connections. So, what is it? In essence, it is a caregiver’s responsiveness to a child’s cues.
