Educational Philosophy
Auditory-Oral Deaf Education at CID

Since its founding in 1914, CID has demonstrated that, regardless of how severe their hearing impairment, children can learn to speak and understand the speech of others when early and appropriate education is provided. Today, cochlear implants and powerful digital hearing aids, combined with educational techniques developed at CID, are enabling more children to learn to listen, talk, read and succeed academically. CID prepares students to attend their neighborhood schools. CID teachers and audiologists are experts at helping deaf and hearing-impaired children gain the best possible benefit from today's rapidly changing technologies. We offer a language-rich, assessment-based educational program individualized to help every child achieve success.

We believe parents are a child's first teachers. Giving them exactly the help they need to begin to work with their children at home is the focus of CID's Joanne Parrish Knight Family Center. The program also features a daily nursery class for deaf and hearing-impaired toddlers. Parents have regular opportunities to attend educational presentations and become part of a support network. Parental involvement is crucial at every level and continues throughout all testing and educational activities.

CID’s preschool-kindergarten provides a balanced mix of intensive speech and language instruction and age-appropriate play time in a program designed to achieve developmental milestones and promote early literacy skills. Our Peer Program incorporates hearing students in certain classes to encourage natural interaction and the development of social skills. Emerging literacy and pragmatic skills are emphasized. The dynamic, whole child pre-k curriculum is adapted from the mainstream and focuses on developing speech, language and auditory skills as well as pre-math and pre-reading skills, including alphabet knowledge, phonological awareness and print awareness.

For our 6- to 12-year-old primary department students, our philosophy is to build a foundation for success in education and in every area of life. CID teachers weave speech, language and listening instruction into a mainstream academic curriculum that includes reading, writing, math, science and social studies. Our comprehensive program includes gym, art and music, health and growth, a social skills curriculum, computer instruction, and activities ranging from tennis and basketball to photography.

Children leave CID when they are ready to enter classes with hearing children in their home communities. When mainstreamed, they play sports, compete on debating teams, serve on student councils, participate in social events, dance, act in plays and do almost everything their hearing peers can do. Many pursue higher education and professional careers. Learn about some of the achievements of our CID school alumni.

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CID provides quality auditory-oral education for deaf and hearing-impaired children from birth to age 12.

Students graduate from CID when they are ready to compete and succeed in mainstream classrooms with their hearing peers. Most attend college and many pursue professional careers.

CID school students have come from 28 countries and 48 U.S. states.

CID MISSION

CID is an auditory-oral school that supports parents' rights to be fully informed and to choose the mode of communication and educational program that best meets the needs of their child. For information about the sign language approach for children in the state of Missouri, please contact Missouri School for the Deaf.