Hearing-Impaired Program Options
Within a small, specialized class, children with hearing loss are taught to communicate successfully using spoken and/or visual language (including sign language) with typically developing peers. Children are provided with specialized instructions both in individual instruction and in the classroom. Marty's Center recognizes and feels strongly that no one approach is right for everyone.
In order to provide a quality program, our staff implements best practice methodologies or modalities for the individual child in the classroom. Marty's Center provides the stepping stone towards mainstreaming hearing-impaired and language-impaired children with their typical peers who in turn prepare them for Kindergarten and beyond. Our integrated early intervention and preschool classroom strive to provide an equal ratio of hearing-impaired or language-impaired children with typically developing children. This environment focuses on socialization skills within the model of a regular education preschool classroom.
In order to provide a quality program, our staff implements best practice methodologies or modalities for the individual child in the classroom. Marty's Center provides the stepping stone towards mainstreaming hearing-impaired and language-impaired children with their typical peers who in turn prepare them for Kindergarten and beyond. Our integrated early intervention and preschool classroom strive to provide an equal ratio of hearing-impaired or language-impaired children with typically developing children. This environment focuses on socialization skills within the model of a regular education preschool classroom.
Auditory-Verbal Program
The Auditory-Verbal Program enables those who are deaf or hard of hearing to use their hearing to listen, process verbal language, and speak. Through Auditory-Verbal Parent Guidance Therapy and inclusive program, families make listening and speaking a natural part of daily life. Listening then becomes an integral part of the child’s personality. Auditory-Verbal Program is a highly effective method using technology for developing the maximum use of hearing. This approach brings meaningful sound to the brain naturally. Clear speech, natural spoken language and strong literacy skills are results of Auditory-Verbal Program.
The Auditory-Verbal Therapist guides the parents to emphasize hearing as the primary means for their child to acquire the natural ability to speak. The brain is naturally tuned to process spoken language through the sense of hearing. This occurs with consistent hearing aid and/or cochlear implant use along with intensive experience in listening. Parents and Deaf Education Specialist may spend several years working together, developing language skills, social skills, and refining the speech of the child through lessons and activities performed at the center and at home. The parent are expected to attend and continue Auditory-Verbal therapy with their speech therapist.
Natural language emerges from the child without the use of instruction in lip reading and/or sign language. The goal is to teach children that sounds have meaning, to lock hearing into a child’s personality. Children progress through inclusion in regular neighborhood schools from early childhood onward.
As the child develops, we support the parents as part of the educational team. We collaborate with audiologists, cochlear implant centers, and therapists to ensure that the child gets all the necessary resources to be successful in listening, process verbal language, and speak. The Auditory-Verbal approach expects children to be in an inclusive education setting starting at preschool. Marty’s Center is an inclusive preschool program with typical developing children. The Auditory-Verbal Approach is based on proven theory that most children who are deaf or hard of hearing have some residual hearing ability which can be utilized. With hearing aids this hearing can be sufficiently stimulated early on in life so that speech, language, and listening can be naturally developed. This also applies to children who listen with cochlear implants. The key is to detect hearing loss as early as possible and begin the therapy and education process immediately. Because parents are active participants throughout the therapy and education process, they become the primary teachers for their children. With support and direction from the Auditory-Verbal Therapist, parents become effective advocates who understand their children’s needs.
The Auditory-Verbal Therapist guides the parents to emphasize hearing as the primary means for their child to acquire the natural ability to speak. The brain is naturally tuned to process spoken language through the sense of hearing. This occurs with consistent hearing aid and/or cochlear implant use along with intensive experience in listening. Parents and Deaf Education Specialist may spend several years working together, developing language skills, social skills, and refining the speech of the child through lessons and activities performed at the center and at home. The parent are expected to attend and continue Auditory-Verbal therapy with their speech therapist.
Natural language emerges from the child without the use of instruction in lip reading and/or sign language. The goal is to teach children that sounds have meaning, to lock hearing into a child’s personality. Children progress through inclusion in regular neighborhood schools from early childhood onward.
As the child develops, we support the parents as part of the educational team. We collaborate with audiologists, cochlear implant centers, and therapists to ensure that the child gets all the necessary resources to be successful in listening, process verbal language, and speak. The Auditory-Verbal approach expects children to be in an inclusive education setting starting at preschool. Marty’s Center is an inclusive preschool program with typical developing children. The Auditory-Verbal Approach is based on proven theory that most children who are deaf or hard of hearing have some residual hearing ability which can be utilized. With hearing aids this hearing can be sufficiently stimulated early on in life so that speech, language, and listening can be naturally developed. This also applies to children who listen with cochlear implants. The key is to detect hearing loss as early as possible and begin the therapy and education process immediately. Because parents are active participants throughout the therapy and education process, they become the primary teachers for their children. With support and direction from the Auditory-Verbal Therapist, parents become effective advocates who understand their children’s needs.
Auditory-Oral Program (AOP)
The Auditory-Oral Program teaches young children with hearing loss to communicate effectively by developing spoken language and listening skills based on research supported "best practices" of oral deaf education. It is a method in which hearing-impaired children learn to use whatever hearing they have, in combination with lip-reading and contextual cues to understand and use spoken language. Under the guidance of a deaf education specialist, children are taught with an intensive, specialized education environment that supports and encourages language development in a natural way throughout the entire day. The children also have an opportunity to practice skills with hearing peers by regularly participating in classes during both structured and naturally occurring activities. Each activity and lesson in the classroom is designed to provide rich language and listening practice. In addition, specialized equipment, technology, material, and teaching methods are utilized that are specific to the education of children with hearing loss. The goal is to give the hearing-impaired child the necessary spoken language skills to be mainstreamed educationally and function independently in the hearing world. This approach facilitates the development of reading and writing skills because proficiency in the English language is critical to developing good reading ability, and competence in reading is critical to learning in all academic areas.
Total Communication (TC)
Total Communication is using any means of communication - sign language, voice, finger spelling, lip-reading, amplification, writing, gesture, and visual imagery (pictures). The sign language used in total communication is more closely related to English. The philosophy of Total Communication is that the method should be fitted to the child, instead of the other way around. The idea is that using total communication will create a "least restrictive" learning environment for the deaf child, who is free to develop communication preferences although the child will be encouraged to use both speech and sign language.
Each program provides:
- Assessments
- Auditory training
- Ongoing progress and monitoring
- Daily small group speech/language therapy
- Inclusive environment with regular education preschool children
- Emphasis on the development of spoken and visual language and listening skills through a child-centered and academically rich curriculum
A variety of curriculums, methodologies, and resources are utilized to best meet the individualized needs of the hearing-impaired child and the speech/language-impaired child. The curriculum and methodologies used are:
- Speechviewer
- CHATS Program
- Auditory training
- The 6 Sound Song
- Songs for Listening - Song for Life
- Achieve Red and Blue Curriculum
Each of these curriculums and methodologies have been beneficial in helping the hearing-impaired child to reach his/her optimum potential.
Marty's Center is a specialized and quality program with:
- Certified deaf education teachers and highly trained support staff
- An individualized learning approach valuing each child's level of performance, needs, interests, and abilities
- Curriculum emphasizing pre-readiness and developmental skills
- Computer programs (educational and recreational)
- Speech and language group therapy
- Extended School Year (summer program)
- Hearing-impaired tutoring
All hearing-impaired children are assessed using the following assessments and to monitor the child' progress:
- SKI-Hi Language Scale
- Auditory-Verbal Development Scale
- Brigance Inventory of Early Development III Standardized