Deaf / Hard of Hearing Services
The Deaf/Hard of Hearing Program provides technical assistance and staff development opportunities for administrators, teachers, interpreters, aide and parents of students enrolled in Regional Day School Programs for the Deaf (RDSPDs) and in other educational settings in local districts/SSAs and charter schools.
Technical assistance and staff development are designed to:
- Increase literacy
- Promote curriculum development and improvement
- Heighten parental involvement
- Help educators and parents understand the unique educational needs of these students
- Help educators and parents understand the appropriate assistive technology used to support the education of these students
- Assist in the coordination of services of ECI and local programs that serve newly identified AI children
Requests for onsite visits must be placed through the director/supervisor of the regional day school program for the deaf requesting services and the special education director responsible for that RDSPD. In those instances in which a student who is deaf/hard of hearing attends school at a local district campus, the request for an onsite visit should go through the building principal and the special education director responsible for that building/campus.
Other Available Services
- Conducting program review visits upon request
- Providing opportunities for networking and sharing
- Providing information about the interpreter certification process
- Networking with early childhood intervention (ECI) programs and RDSPDs to facilitate coordination
- Disseminating information from TEA and the Texas School for the Deaf to RDSPDs
- Providing inservice programs and consultations that foster the understanding of the needs of these students
- Staff development activities designed to facilitate and support the education of students who are deaf/hard of hearing are included in the special education staff development catalogs, special flyers and brochures.
Statewide Leadership
Statewide Leadership: All ESC Contacts List for Deaf Education
ESC Regions 10, 11, and 20 provide leadership, staff development, technical assistance and support to assist Texas school districts in meeting the educational needs of students who are deaf or hard of hearing. Priorities include early intervention, student communication competence, educational interpreter training and access to the general education curriculum.
See also: Deaf/Hard of Hearing Services - State Leadership: Birth - 5
Region 10 ESC Contacts
Layne Pethick
Email: Layne.Pethick@region10.org
Phone: (972) 348-1588
Fax: (972) 348-1589
Alicia Favila
State Coordinator, Birth to Five Years
Email: Alicia.Favila@region10.org
Phone: (972) 348-1594
Fax: (972) 348-1557
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Helpful Links
Auditory Impairment Eligibility Guidance: Birth to Three:
Supporting documents include the ECI Policy Manual (2007), Commissioner's Rules, AI/VI Memorandum of Understanding
Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf
The Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing helps families, health care providers and education professionals understand childhood hearing loss and the importance of early diagnosis and intervention. Through advocacy, education, research and financial aid, AG Bell helps to ensure that every child and adult with hearing loss has the opportunity to listen, talk and thrive in mainstream society. With chapters located in the United States and a network of international affiliates, AG Bell supports its mission: Advocating Independence through Listening and Talking!
American Society for Deaf Children (ASDC)
A parent-helping-parent network since 1967. Supports and educates families of deaf and hard of hearing children and advocates for high quality programs and services.
DARS (Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services)
Board for Evaluation of Interpreters (BEI): provides information on interpreter training and evaluation, communication access services, information, support groups, information on hearing aids, access to telephone network and referrals. Regional contacts for hearing loss regional Hearing Loss Resource Specialist (HLRS) and multiple resources.
Described and Captioned Media Program (DCMP)
DCMP is a free-loan program, which provides educational media with audio description and captioning to k-12 teachers and school administrators who teach one ore more students who are deaf, hard of hearing, blind, visually impaired, or deaf-blind. DCMP offers a wide range of programming through CD-ROM, DVD, and online streaming.
National Association of the Deaf (NAD)
Civil rights organization of, by and for deaf and hard of hearing individuals in the United States of America. The mission of the National Association of the Deaf is to promote, protect, and preserve the rights and quality of life of deaf and hard of hearing people in the United States of America.
Pediatrics: Year 2007 Position Statement:
Principles and Guidelines for Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Programs
Registry for Interpreters for the Deaf (RID)
RID is a national membership organization representing the professionals who facilitate communication between people who are deaf or hard of hearing and people who can hear. Interpreters serve as professional communicators in a vast array of settings such as: churches, schools, courtrooms, hospitals and theaters, as well as on political grandstands and television.
Self Help for the Hard of Hearing (SHHH)
Texas Association of the Deaf (TAD)
Texas Association of Parents and Educators of the Deaf (TAPED)
TAPED is dedicated to promoting excellence and equality for deaf and hard of hearing children in Texas. Our membership is composed of parents, teachers, members of the deaf community and interested individuals. TAPED provides annual scholarships to deaf and hard of hearing students, interpreters and individuals who want to enter the deaf education profession. We co-sponsor the biennial Statewide Conference on Education of the Deaf.
Texas Commission for the Deaf/Hard of Hearing (TCDHH)
Texas Education Agency (TEA): Deaf Services
Deaf Services manages the operation of the Agency's Regional Day School Program for the Deaf, performs all activities required to maintain a statewide program for students who are deaf or hard of hearing, and provides leadership to local regional day schools for the deaf in the planning, implementation and operation of comprehensive education programs for students who are deaf or hard of hearing.