Support for Integration - Preschool

The goal of an AV program is to allow the child with a hearing loss to be integrated into regular learning and living environments beginning with the family, preschool, educational system and mainstream society. We recommend that the child be enrolled in nursery school/daycare to prepare them for Kindergarten and to provide important social experiences with same-age, normally hearing peers as they make better language models than other children with hearing losses. We do not recommend special classes for the child with a hearing loss as the overwhelming majority can be integrated into regular classrooms with support services.

To facilitate this process, CSHC liaises with children's programs by:

• visiting the program and making recommendations for acoustic modifications
• providing in-services re: audiogram, speech perception, hearing aids and assistive listening devices such as FM systems as well as audiology/speech/language abilities
• explaining factors affecting hearing in the classroom and listening environments
• providing strategies to facilitate listening and integration
• inviting professionals to visit the Clinic to participate in therapy sessions and learn goals and how to integrate them into their daily routines.
• For children with other needs (in addition to hearing loss), we work with the child’s team which may also include other professionals (ie. OT, PT, SLP, consultants, child development specialists, behavioural specialists).

CENTRAL SPEECH AND HEARING CLINIC Services--Education

• workshops for parents and professionals
• workshops for community organizations and the general public to educate about hearing, hearing loss and the abilities of children who have a hearing loss.
• volunteer opportunities
• placement for high school students for career decisions
• practicum placement for Masters students in Communication Disorders
• training for Auditory-Verbal Therapists

Support for Integration- School Age

The Auditory-Verbal approach supports full integration in regular classrooms for school-age children regardless of degree of hearing loss. Our clients are prepared for the independence that school brings because they have learned to listen and speak. Depending upon their hearing needs, many of our clients use personal or soundfield FM systems to improve the listening environment in the noisy classroom, and some receive support from educational assistants or computerized notetakers.

At Central Speech and Hearing Clinic, the goal of integration is met because of parent involvement in therapy and in school meetings. Support from therapists is provided at school meetings, to parents, to resource teachers and regular classroom teachers throughout the school year and over the summer months. Further efforts to support our clients in the classroom include in-house curriculum support provided by a Certified Auditory-Verbal Therapist or Speech Language Pathologist.  Throughout the school year, the Auditory-Verbal Therapist compiles goals in the areas of audition, receptive and expressive language, cognitive and academic skills and speech. These goals are shared with parents and school teams. In addition, Central Speech and Hearing Clinic usually receives correspondence from the school team and/or teacher regarding school outcomes and goals. This collaboration is key to the success our clients' experience at school!