Regional Day School Program for the Deaf
- Have a hearing impairment that is so severe that the child is impaired in processing linguistic information through hearing, with our without amplification, and that adversely affects the child's educational performance, or
- Have a hearing loss, whether permanent or fluctuating, that adversely affects the child's educational performance.
- Have an educational need for specially designed instruction as determined by a multidisciplinary team based on a review of information provided by:
- An ontological examination and
- An audiological examination and
- A communication assessment addressing the implications of the hearing loss for the student's hearing in a variety of circumstances.
Communication Philosophy
Temple RDSPD’s Communication Philosophy is designed to encourage each of our students to:
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- Develop communication for school, home, and community
- Obtain literacy in the English language
- Have appropriate access to the general education curriculum
Temple RDSPD staff respect a variety of communication options and the choice of the student and family. Receptive and Expressive language is documented and assessed multiple times a year to track overall language development and identify areas of concern. An individualized plan is designed to address receptive and/or expressive language and academic gaps, implementing research-based curriculums, strategies, and technology as necessary, to build a solid foundation for student success.
Access to language and instruction can be seen and used in a variety of ways:
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- Auditory/oral Communication – students utilize residual hearing, amplification technology, and speech
- American Sign Language (ASL) – students utilize handshapes, palm orientation, location, movement, facial expressions, and classifiers
- Conceptually Accurate Signed English (CASE) – students utilize ASL signed concepts in English word order
- Signing Exact English (SEE) – students utilize a sign system that visually matches exactly what is spoken in English.
- Interpreter Services – students utilize this service in a variety of settings
Language and academic growth is strengthened through the development of the whole child, encouraging self-advocacy skills, pragmatic skills, social skills, theory of mind development, and an overall positive concept of self.
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