West 10 Communication Philosophy

The West 10 RDSPD’s communication philosophy supports that Communication underlies all student success.  Our communication philosophy supports that “every student’s unique communication mode is respected, used, and developed to an appropriate level of proficiency.” TEC §29.303. We will provide all students the opportunity to communicate in his/her chosen mode of communication based on family input and ongoing communication assessment.  We believe in early identification and intervention, along with the use of technology for communication access. Our parent-infant advisor lays a foundation for counseling parents through the available communication options in our program including oral, Signing English systems as well as ASL. If the student enters the site program, the main mode of instruction used will be SEE for students who require sign language. If the student’s main mode of communication is ASL, the teacher will clarify using ASL to ensure comprehension. We provide a state-of-the-art audiology clinic with access to licensed audiologists to ensure optimal access to sound. We believe in the use of assistive technology services to maximize accessibility and instruction by enhancing students’ residual hearing.  Communication options could include listening and spoken language, simultaneous communication, manual communication, or the use of assistive technology to communicate effectively.  We strive to maximize students’ residual hearing, use of amplification and assistive listening devices, and speech abilities to develop skills related to speaking, listening, speech reading, and the use of assistive technology. Parents are an integral part of the educational team and parent commitment to any method or approach is required for student success in their chosen modality of communication. 

TEC §29.302 states that “it is essential for the well-being and growth of students who are deaf or hard of hearing that educational programs recognize the unique nature of deafness and the hard-of-hearing condition and ensure that all students who are deaf or hard of hearing have appropriate, ongoing, and fully accessible educational opportunities.” It further explains that students who are deaf or hard of hearing “should have the opportunity to develop proficiency in English.” Therefore, our philosophy supports the maximization of the development of reading, writing, and communication in English.  We enhance the acquisition of English by using Signing Exact English as a language of instruction.