General FAQs

General FAQs

• Do you know where can I take sign language classes?

  CID does not teach sign language to children or adults. We teach children who are deaf and hard of hearing how to listen and talk. You can find sign language classes at St. Louis Community College - Florissant Valley.
  

• I want to become an interpreter, does CID teach courses?

  No. St. Louis Community College and Concordia Seminary have interpreter training programs.

• I need an interpreter in Missouri. Where can I find one?

  CID is a school for the deaf, not an interpreter service. Missouri Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing offers a listing of interpreter services in Missouri.

• Does CID offer hearing testing for adults?

  No. CID provides on-site pediatric audiology for the children in our school. However, Washington University School of Medicine continues to offer hearing testing and hearing aid fitting for adults at the Spencer T. Olin Hearing Clinic on the CID campus and at  two additional locations. You can arrange an appointment by calling 314.747.7100. Or visit http://audiology.wustl.edu

• Why is it important for a deaf child to learn to talk?

  Today’s hearing technologies, early intervention and targeted, individualized teaching methods make it possible for most children who are deaf and hard of hearing to listen, talk, read and participate socially and academically in regular classrooms. Learning spoken language is important to learning to read and forms the basis for academic success. (For information on how it is possible to teach a deaf child to talk without using sign language, please see FAQs for Parents).
  

• If you teach deaf a child to speak, won't he or she miss out on Deaf culture?

  Our role is to ensure that children have the skills they need to make choices in their lives. Many CID students who learn to listen and talk when they are young later also choose to learn American Sign Language so they can interact with peers who identify within a Deaf culture. We take pride in our graduates' ability to read and achieve, and to successfully integrate into the hearing world if they choose -- or to learn ASL and have peers in both communities.
  

• How do you teach children to read if you can't use phonics?

  We do use phonics. Our pediatric audiologists ensure the students have optimal access to auditory information from their hearing aids and/or cochlear implants. We teach our children to read using all of the same methods, strategies and curricula used to teach hearing children to read.
  

• What education do you need to become a teacher of the deaf?

  Most CID teachers have master’s degrees in deaf education. A few have undergraduate degrees in deaf education with master's degrees in related areas. All CID classroom teachers also maintain certification from the Council on Education of the Deaf, a national organization.

   

  CID is financially separate from but closely affiliated with the Program in Audiology and Communication Sciences (PACS) at Washington University School of Medicine, which trains audiologists, scientists and teachers of the deaf. Our teachers and audiologists serve as faculty members and we provide practicum experiences for students in this graduate program. Also located in the St. Louis area, Fontbonne University offers undergraduate and graduate programs in deaf education, early intervention and related fields.

• Are you aware of any recently published literature on any communication option +/- cochlear implantation?

  Research changes rapidly. Here is a fact sheet from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association: http://www.asha.org/aud/Facts-about-Pediatric-Hearing-Loss/. Click for facts researched by OPTION Schools.

• How can I learn more about hearing loss in children?

  This fact sheet from ASHA is an extensive summary of results of research on pediatric hearing loss: http://www.asha.org/aud/Facts-about-Pediatric-Hearing-Loss/  

   

  See also FACTS AND RESOURCES FOR MAINSTREAM TEACHERS.