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Childhood Speech, Language & Hearing - Preschool Program
Boys Town National Research Hospital’s preschool program is a comprehensive, developmentally appropriate early childhood program that exists to empower children who are deaf and hard of hearing to reach their full potential. The program has served deaf and hard-of-hearing children since the late 1970s. Its goal is to educate the whole child, transitioning him or her into a kindergarten placement with age appropriate skills in all developmental domains.
Program Eligibility
Children, 3 to 5 years of age, who have a hearing loss, are eligible for the preschool program. The child’s home school district contracts with Boys Town National Research Hospital to provide school year educational programming, speech-language therapy, counseling, sign language classes, or summer school services.
Classroom Setting
The preschool classes are held in a public elementary school where there is a kindergarten through 6th grade deaf education program. Children attend class five mornings a week. Classroom components include:
- Developmentally Appropriate Curriculum - Children receive a variety of developmentally appropriate experiences typical of quality early childhood programs. The activities are presented in a specially designed environment that promote children’s language, speech, auditory, and cognitive development. The School’s curriculum promotes the development of students by blending components of the widely used High Scope Curriculum, the internationally known arts based Reggio Emilia approach, as well as, best practices in deaf and early childhood education.
- Language, Speech and Auditory Components -A speech-language therapist provides individual and small group speech, listening and language services. The speech therapist uses engaging activities to promote development in these areas. Consultation with the teaching staff to optimize generalization of these skills in the home and school environment is also provided.
- Key Teaching Practices - The preschool staff view children as individuals who are capable, powerful, full of potential, and who have the right to demonstrate how and what they want to learn. Staff collaborates with children to explore their interests using active learning and play-based experiences. Adults partner with children to assist them in constructing representations of their knowledge, encourage problem solving, and guide them in their development.
- Activities - Focus on developing skills in expressive and receptive language, speech, audition, fine motor, gross motor, sensory stimulation, music, art, socialization, and divergent thinking.
- American Sign Language Story Time - A visiting deaf staff member provides story time using American Sign Language. Children and families are introduced to Deaf culture and Deaf perspective in a developmentally appropriate activities.
- Classroom Guidance Services - Classroom counseling and guidance services are provider by licensed and certified counselors. Activities address social skill development and safety issues.
Classroom Communication
Many of the children enrolled in the program require more than spoken language to meet their communication and educational needs. Therefore, the staff uses sign supported speech, utilizing sign vocabulary primarily from Signing Exact English (SEE). The staff challenges and meets the individual auditory, speech and language needs of students by reducing or increasing the amount of visual support provided. Increased use of visual support may include use of symbols, pictures, gestures, or American Sign Language (ASL). Maximization of the child’s potential is achieved by providing children with a variety of communication options for enhancing their development.
Home Visits
Each family receives a minimum of four home visits per year, with additional visits determined by child and family needs. The child's family determines home visit topics and activities depending on current needs, parental concerns and expectations. There are a variety of sites for home visits, including day care facilities, the home of extended family members, the work place of parents, parks, or school settings.
In conjunction with the preschool program, Boys Town National Research Hospital offers Family Sign Language Classes. These classes are designed to help parents and family members learn how to sign quickly so that they can communicate with their child who has a hearing loss.
Individual Education Programs
Individual education programs address the child's current developmental level, strengths, areas of need and educational objectives. A specialized team consisting of the parents of the child, educators, speech-language therapists, a school district representative, and other specialists develop the individual child’s program.
Annual assessments, including standardized testing, language sampling, and developmental monitoring help determine progress and areas to target for future growth.
Staff
Each member of the preschool team holds a Master's Degree in a field related to the program. Staff certifications are held in areas such as deaf education, speech-language pathology, special education, classroom guidance counseling, sign language interpreting, and other areas related to the fields of deafness and early childhood education.
Every child is assigned an advocate who is the primary contact person for the family. This person arranges home visits, helps develop the Individual Education Plan, updates the progress of the child and assists parents in making informed decisions.
Location
The preschool program is provided in an Omaha public elementary school. These services are provided through the Center for Childhood Deafness at the Lied Learning and Technology Center for Childhood Deafness and Visions Disorders located on the campus of Boys Town National Research Hospital.
For More Information
To receive more information about preschool programs for children who are deaf or hard of hearing, contact:
Catherine Carotta, Ed.D.
(402) 452-5032
carottac@boystown.org