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CENTRAL INSTITUTE
FOR THE DEAF ATTRACTS FAMILIES OF DEAF CHILDREN TO ST. LOUS.
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By Pam Droog
Matthew Monette, age eight, was just over two years old when his
hearing loss was detected. Although he attended a special program
through Overland Park, Ks., public schools, “We were concerned he
wasn’t making progress,” says Matt’s father, Scott. The family heard
about Central Institute for the Deaf in St. Louis and brought Matt
in for an evaluation, where it was determined he wasn’t ready for
the program. However, CID staff kept in touch and worked with the
family and when the time was right, Matt returned for another visit.
“All the doors opened up for us,” Monette says. “We felt like we
were at home there.” The family moved to St. Louis in April 2001.
These
are some of this year’s children whose parents moved
to CID. (Front row): Ryan Schmidt (Columbus,
Oh.) (Left to right): Matthew Monette (Kansas
City, Ks.), Akash Sookun (Mauritius), Ardian Pollo
(Albania) Zainab and Arooj Ajaz (Pakistan).
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Becky Schmidt, formerly of Columbus, Oh., tells a similar story
about her son, Ryan, age three and a half. Ryan lost his hearing
at age six months from bacterial meningitis. “He received a cochlear
implant and started attending a hearing impaired class for toddlers
at 15 months,” Schmidt says. However, the Schmidts found their options
were limited in Columbus when they decided to send Ryan to an oral
language school. They toured schools in Chicago, Cincinnati, Minnesota
and St. Louis. “As soon as walked in CID we had a feeling this was
where we wanted to be,” Schmidt says. “We felt at home right away.”
The Schmidts moved to St. Louis in May 2002.
It’s not unusual for out-of-town families to feel “at home” when
they visit Central Institute for the Deaf—and then to make St. Louis
their home so their children can attend this world-renowned school
for deaf children age birth to 12.
“Families send their children to CID because we teach deaf children
to talk, listen and read with proficiency, and all without the use
of sign language,” says Robin Feder, CID’s executive director. “That
means our children are ready when they leave to mainstream into
public or private schools and to succeed with normal children. Many
go on to college and earn professional degrees.”
Feder explains most schools for the deaf in the United States teach
sign language. “That’s what makes CID a unique program,” she says.
“There are approximately 45 private oral schools where deaf children
learn to listen and talk. CID is one of the oldest and largest.”
It’s also one of the most international. Feder says since CID was
started in 1914, students have come from 48 states and 24 nations.
In the past eight years, of CID’s 307 students, 59 of their families,
or nearly 20 percent, moved to St. Louis from 19 states. Also in
the past eight years, students came to CID from Guam, Haiti, Mauritius,
Indonesia, Malaysia, United Arab Emirates and Pakistan.
“Five years ago two families came here from Pakistan to have their
children evaluated,” Feder says. “They lived 100 miles from each
other, but met in our lobby on a summer day in St. Louis bringing
their children across the world to come to our school. It’s amazing
but really indicative of our far-reaching affect.”
This school year, CID’s population includes nine families who have
moved to St. Louis from Hawaii, Alaska, Kansas, New Jersey, Illinois,
Ohio, Pakistan and Mauritius and Albania so their children could
attend CID, Feder says. “We also have two children adopted from
Russia and China in the school,” she adds.
CID provides a wide range of valuable help to families of children
who move to St. Louis. All students—local or out of town—receive
financial help if necessary to meet the school’s $40,000 per pupil
annual costs. “We do not turn anyone away based on ability to pay,”
Feder says. “Overall costs are subsidized in every case by CID and
donors.” A lot of the funds come from the annual Ultimate Picnic,
which will be held at CID April 24.
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CID
Preschool-Kindergarten Teacher Ellie Rice works with
students Forest Schipp and Ryan Schmidt. |
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CID also helps out-of-town parents find jobs, for example through
contact with board members, Feder says. “We help identify neighborhoods
they might like to live in and suggest real estate agents. We put
the families in touch with other families who have moved here,”
she adds. Sometimes one parent might move here with the CID student
the first year then the rest of the family follows; or one parent
will move here for the time the child is enrolled in CID then move
back, Feder notes.
“But a lot of families end up staying in the area. In fact, there
is a significant hearing impaired population here,” Feder says.
The Monette family intends to stay in St. Louis. “CID has been a
godsend for us,” says Scott Monette, who is vice president and treasurer
at Ralcorp. “I’m continually amazed at the sacrifices parents make
for their children by moving from other states and nations. That
really speaks highly of what CID is and what it can do for these
children. It’s nothing short of a miracle to teach deaf children
to communicate as effectively as they can.”
Though the Schmidts plan to move to Minnesota to be with their families,
Becky Schmidt says, “We really like it here in St. Louis. It’s the
birthplace of oral education and a lot of schools around country
have based their curriculum on CID and other area schools for the
deaf.” She adds, Ryan has done phenomenally well in the two years
he’s attended CID. “He’s graduating in May and will attend school
this fall with hearing kids.”
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IT'S
THE LAW:
Newborns’ hearing must be screened
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Newborn
hearing screening became mandatory in Missouri on Jan. 1,
2002. Since then more than 100 infants have been diagnosed
with a confirmed hearing loss, according to the Missouri Department
of Health and Senior Services. Illinois and 35 other states
also have passed newborn hearing screening laws.
“As a society of parents and professionals, we were not doing
a very good job of identifying hearing loss early,” says Carole
Campbell, audiology coordinator at St. Louis Children’s Hospital
and graduate of CID’s professional education program. “Most
often, a child would be two years old and not talking before
he or she would be referred for hearing testing or speech
therapy.”
CAROLE
CAMPBELL
audiology
coordinator, St. Louis Children's Hospital
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Early intervention offers important benefits, Campbell points
out. First, the earlier hearing loss is detected and intervention
is begun, the more likely children will develop age appropriate
language skills. Additionally, early intervention saves money
in terms of schooling and community resources. “We can find
out early if a child has hearing loss, or spend more money
later helping the child catch up,” Campbell says.
Thanks to recent technological advances, mass screening of
newborns has become both more efficient and cost-effective.
Campbell says the most common test is called otoacoustic emissions
(OAE), which involves placing a tiny earplug into the sleeping
baby’s ear. “Sounds are played to the ear which actually cause
a reaction that we can then measure,” Campbell explains. The
baby either passes the screening or is referred for diagnostic
testing with an audiologist. When hearing loss is identified,
families may be referred to Central Institute for the Deaf,
St. Joseph Institute for the Deaf or the Moog Center for Deaf
Education. “Each has a parent/infant program to develop early
language skills and help parents and children get used to
amplification,” Campbell says.
The Missouri law requires insurance to pay for screening,
diagnostic testing and initial hearing aids. The Missouri
First Steps program provides funding for intervention services.
Now in its third year, Campbell says, “the biggest challenge
of screening is following up with babies who don’t pass at
birth. We need to establish a partnership between parents
and pediatricians so we can identify and treat hearing loss
early.”
Pam Droog is a frequent contributor to St. Louis Commerce
Magazine. |
Pam Droog is a frequent contributor to St. Louis Commerce Magazine.
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