Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services
State Leadership: Birth - 5
Statewide leadership in addressing identified areas of need in special education services is provided through eleven functions and five projects directed by various ESCs. The primary responsibility of each ESC is to provide leadership, training, technical assistance, and the disseminate information throughout the state. The ESCs coordinating these statewide leadership functions and projects are responsible for the implementation of many of the state's continuous improvement activities.
Though both functions and projects provide statewide leadership, ESC function leads establish and coordinate a 20-region network. This ensures ongoing communication among ESCs about state-level needs assessment processes and planning, as well as implementing and evaluating statewide activities. Project leadership focuses on a specific activity.
Early Intervention (0 - 3)
Through the ESC State Leadership Project, ESC-10 provides leadership, staff development, consultation and technical assistance via the statewide ESC Deaf and Hard of Hearing (ESC DHH) network as they assist regional day school programs for the deaf and local school districts with the development and implementation of comprehensive early intervention services to families of infants and toddlers with hearing loss. ESC-10 facilitates an organized effort of parents, community, and agency stakeholders to collaboratively address improving outcomes for infants, toddlers and families as outlined in the Comprehensive Statewide Plan for Educational Services for Students who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing, initiated in the 2005-06 fiscal year. Additionally, through interagency collaboration with the Texas Education Agency, the Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services – Early Childhood Intervention (ECI) Office and the Department of State Health Services’ Texas Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Program, ESC-10 works to promote practices and protocols that support a comprehensive statewide seamless system of coordinated services between newborn hearing screening programs, audiology and otolaryngology services, medical home services, local ECI programs, regional day school programs for the deaf (RDSPDs) and local school districts so that no child/family is lost to follow-up.
Early Childhood Education (3 – 5)
Through the ESC State Leadership Project, ESC-10 provides leadership, staff development, consultation and technical assistance via the statewide ESC Deaf and Hard of Hearing (ESC DHH) network as they assist regional day school programs for the deaf and local school districts with the development and implementation of comprehensive instructional programs for preschool age students with hearing loss. Through collaboration with the ESC Preschool contacts, the ESC DHH contacts help local programs meet the unique needs of preschool age students who are deaf or hard of hearing across the continuum of placement options.
This website is intended to provide professionals, families and the greater community with information and resources related to educational services and topics of interest for children with hearing loss, ages birth – 5.
DHH ESC Network Leads
Statewide Technical Assistance Resources
Auditory Impairment (AI) Eligibility Guidance: Birth – 3
February 9, 2008 – TETN
AI Eligibility Guidance Document
Statewide Staff Development Opportunities
Related Links
American Sign Language
Auditory Neuropathy Information
http://auditoryneurpoathy.tripod.com
Baby Hearing
Beginnings for Parents of Children Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing
Better Hearing Institute
Cochlear Implants: Navigating a Forest of Information…One Tree at a Time
http://clerccenter.gallaudet.edu/kidsworldDeafNet/e-docs/CI/index.html
Deaf Resource Library
Educational Audiology Resources
http://www.utdallas.edu/~thib/EARRINGFINAL/EARRINGWEB_files/frame.htm
Go Hear
Genetics of Infant Hearing Loss
http://www.cdc.gov/ncbdhh/ehdi/genetics.htm
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) – Part C Infants and Toddlers with Disabilities
http://idea.ed.gov/explore/view/p/,root,statute,I,C,
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) – Part B Assistance for Education of All Children with Disabilities
http://idea.ed.gov/explore/view/p/%2Croot%2Cstatute%2CI%2CB%2C
Listen Foundation
http://www.listenfoundation.org
Listen-Up
Oral Deaf Education
Parenting Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children
http://deafmess.about.com/od/growingupdeafhoh/Education_and_Parenting.htm
National Organizations and Resources
Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (AG Bell)
American Academy of Audiology (AAA)
American Society for Deaf Children (ASDC)
American Speech-Language Association (ASHA)
Boystown National Research Hospital
Callier Center for Communication Disorders
Central Institute for the Deaf (CID)
Council for Exceptional Children
Deafness Research Foundation
Hands & Voices
National Center for Hearing Assessment and Management
National Deaf Education Project
http://www.ndepnow.org/agenda/agenda.htm
National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities (NICHCY) Office of Special Education Programs
http://www.nichcy.org.idea.htm
National Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center
National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD)
http://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health.hearing
Zero to Three National Center for Infants, Toddlers and Families
State Organizations and Resources
Educational Resource Center on Deafness, Texas School for the Deaf
http://www.tsd.state.tx.us/outreach
Texas Association of the Deaf (TAD)
Texas Association of Parents and Educators of the Deaf
Hands & Voices, Texas Chapter
http://www.txhandsandvoices.org
Texas Parent to Parent
Texas School for the Deaf (TSD)
Texas Speech-Hearing Association (TSHA)
State Agency Resources
Texas Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services (DARS)
Early Childhood Intervention (ECI)
http://www.dars.state.tx.us/ecis
Texas Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services (DARS)
Office for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services (DHHS)
http://www.dars.state.tx.us/dhhs
Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS)
Audiology Services
http://www.dshs.state.tx.us/audio
Texas Education Agency (TEA)
Division of Idea Coordination
Services for Students Who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing
http://www.tea.state.tx.us/deaf
AI/VI Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)
http://ritter.tea.state.tx.us/special.ed/mou/aivimou.html
State Performance Plan (SPP)/Annual Performance Report (APR)
http://ritter.tea.state.tx.us/special.ed/spp/
State Plan for Students Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing
http://ritter.tea.state.tx.us/deaf/stateplan.html
ESC Network Functions & Projects
Contact: Alicia M. Favila, M.Ed.
Senior Consultant
Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services
ESC State Leadership Office - Birth to 5
Phone: 972-348-1594
Fax: 972-348-1557
Email: alicia.favila@region10.org