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http://www.newbritainherald.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=15610060&BRD=1641&PAG=461&dept_id=10110&rfi=6
To spice up a day of learning, the American School of the Deaf offered students a chance to visit a multi-sensory exhibit at Westfarms Tuesday.
Chapter one of the famous C.S. Lewis book, "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" was read with a sign language interpretation for the children, who ranged in age from 3 to 11.
The American School for the Deaf was founded in 1817, and was the first permanent school for the deaf in the United States. It is the oldest special education center in the Western Hemisphere and is located in West Hartford.
Dr. Harvey Corson, the ASD executive director, said the children’s visit to Westfarms is a special event for the students.
"They really enjoyed the breakfast. It’s a big thing to be at the mall and not at school," he said smiling.
By going to the mall, the students had a break from their normal routine, which involved such things as language development, academics and physical education.
"So this is, of course, very special and when they go back for another typical day, they will learn about the shopping center and the things they see," he said. "It’s a good way to support how language develops and it exposes them to the world around them."
Marilyn S. Rettig, director for the Office of Institutional Advancement for ASD, said the biggest challenge ASD faces is educating deaf children.
"They acquire language in a different way," she said. "It’s very different for each child. We work with a philosophy called ‘total communication,’ which is any form [of communication] that works for the child."
However, not all children are diagnosed right away.
"We often times don’t get children until they go through a process of public school or preschool, or having failed at another program," Rettig explained. When they enter ASD, they may already be "lagging behind deaf peers in language and reading skills."
If children are identified at an early age with hearing loss, it maximizes their potential for learning language.
The school itself is set up so that a little less than 50 percent of the student population lives on campus from Monday through Friday. This offers them classroom, sports and residential life interaction.
"We have several different curriculum tracks; it’s not unlike a public school," she said. There is an emphasis on literacy. "We really make sure they are acquiring reading [and] language skills."
ASD also offers a seven-day residential program.
Joanne Rome, public information officer for ASD, said that many of the students at ASD also attend public school districts.
Rettig said there are 78 school districts throughout New England and New York that ASD assists.
The programs for children begin with a "Birth to Three" program, in which children are almost immediately enrolled after diagnosis. In most cases, they are referred by a pediatrician.
"Ninety percent of children are born to hearing families," said Rettig. "Connecticut has a mandatory screening test ..[which] can determine if a newborn has hearing loss."
More than 900 school-age deaf children are in Connecticut. Nationwide statistics are difficult to locate because many children have not been identified or educated in deaf schools, explained Rettig.
Rome said the children participate in activities similar to those in public schools, including fund-raising for Hurricane Katrina victims and participating in a drama club. There is even a biology program where the children helped get water samples and count seals earlier this week.
"There are very rich educational experiences for children that come in," said Rome.
New to the school is the Technology Center and PrintWorks, a state-of-the-art, full-service print shop. There, ASD students can learn web concept and development, graphic design and desktop publishing.
"They have very sophisticated software, such as Fireworks and Dreamweaver," said Rome.
PrintWorks offers students a hands-on experience in a working business environment while offering quality print services for nonprofits and small businesses in the Hartford area.
"It’s a training program for students and adult vocational students where they use both offset and digital printing," said Rettig. Proceeds from PrintWorks is put back into the development of ASD. "With PrintWorks, they can see the whole process from beginning to end," said Rome.
To spice up a day of learning, the American School of the Deaf offered students a chance to visit a multi-sensory exhibit at Westfarms Tuesday.
Chapter one of the famous C.S. Lewis book, "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" was read with a sign language interpretation for the children, who ranged in age from 3 to 11.
The American School for the Deaf was founded in 1817, and was the first permanent school for the deaf in the United States. It is the oldest special education center in the Western Hemisphere and is located in West Hartford.
Dr. Harvey Corson, the ASD executive director, said the children’s visit to Westfarms is a special event for the students.
"They really enjoyed the breakfast. It’s a big thing to be at the mall and not at school," he said smiling.
By going to the mall, the students had a break from their normal routine, which involved such things as language development, academics and physical education.
"So this is, of course, very special and when they go back for another typical day, they will learn about the shopping center and the things they see," he said. "It’s a good way to support how language develops and it exposes them to the world around them."
Marilyn S. Rettig, director for the Office of Institutional Advancement for ASD, said the biggest challenge ASD faces is educating deaf children.
"They acquire language in a different way," she said. "It’s very different for each child. We work with a philosophy called ‘total communication,’ which is any form [of communication] that works for the child."
However, not all children are diagnosed right away.
"We often times don’t get children until they go through a process of public school or preschool, or having failed at another program," Rettig explained. When they enter ASD, they may already be "lagging behind deaf peers in language and reading skills."
If children are identified at an early age with hearing loss, it maximizes their potential for learning language.
The school itself is set up so that a little less than 50 percent of the student population lives on campus from Monday through Friday. This offers them classroom, sports and residential life interaction.
"We have several different curriculum tracks; it’s not unlike a public school," she said. There is an emphasis on literacy. "We really make sure they are acquiring reading [and] language skills."
ASD also offers a seven-day residential program.
Joanne Rome, public information officer for ASD, said that many of the students at ASD also attend public school districts.
Rettig said there are 78 school districts throughout New England and New York that ASD assists.
The programs for children begin with a "Birth to Three" program, in which children are almost immediately enrolled after diagnosis. In most cases, they are referred by a pediatrician.
"Ninety percent of children are born to hearing families," said Rettig. "Connecticut has a mandatory screening test ..[which] can determine if a newborn has hearing loss."
More than 900 school-age deaf children are in Connecticut. Nationwide statistics are difficult to locate because many children have not been identified or educated in deaf schools, explained Rettig.
Rome said the children participate in activities similar to those in public schools, including fund-raising for Hurricane Katrina victims and participating in a drama club. There is even a biology program where the children helped get water samples and count seals earlier this week.
"There are very rich educational experiences for children that come in," said Rome.
New to the school is the Technology Center and PrintWorks, a state-of-the-art, full-service print shop. There, ASD students can learn web concept and development, graphic design and desktop publishing.
"They have very sophisticated software, such as Fireworks and Dreamweaver," said Rome.
PrintWorks offers students a hands-on experience in a working business environment while offering quality print services for nonprofits and small businesses in the Hartford area.
"It’s a training program for students and adult vocational students where they use both offset and digital printing," said Rettig. Proceeds from PrintWorks is put back into the development of ASD. "With PrintWorks, they can see the whole process from beginning to end," said Rome.