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Home > Bureau of Rehabilitation Services > Division for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing> Resource Guide > Children's Services

Resource Guide: CHILDREN’S SERVICES

Last Updated; May 5, 2011

Child Development Services (CDS)

146 State House Station
Burton Cross State Office Building, 5th Floor
Augusta, Maine 04333-0146
Debra Hannigan, Director
624-6660 (V)
1-888-577-6690 (TTY)
624-6661 (FAX)
E-mail: Debra.Hannigan@maine.gov

Child Development Services (CDS) is the statewide system responsible for providing services to children ages birth to five (not yet in school) who have disabilities under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). This program is funded through the federal IDEA. CDS operates nine regional offices throughout the state to arrange and deliver early intervention, special education and other related services to children and their families. CDS will find a consultant who will work with the family to provide services and support to the child and family until the child enters school.

Child Protective Intake-Department of Health and Human Services

11 State House Station
Augusta, ME 04333-0011
1-800-963-9490 (TTY)
1-800-452-1999 or 626-8620 (V)
287-5065 (FAX)

24-hour hotlines to report child abuse and neglect statewide.

Community Counseling Center

165 Lancaster Street
Portland, ME 04101
874-1043 (TTY)
874-1030 (V)
1-866-298-7410 (VP)
874-1044 (FAX)

Web site: www.commcc.org/our-programs/counseling-services/deaf-counseling-services/

Kristine Dach, LCPC, Program Supervisor
E-mail: dachk@commcc.org
866-259-9659 (VP)

Charles Bailey, Intake & Support Specialist
E-mail: bailec@commcc.org

Alicia Hansen, MA, Case Manager
E-mail: hansea@commcc.org

For over 10 years, Community Counseling Center has been pleased to offer this highly specialized program to Deaf, hard-of-hearing, deaf-blind and late-deafened adults and children throughout the state of Maine. This program also offers services to hearing children, siblings, parents and family members of Deaf individuals. Individual, couples, family and group counseling services, delivered by therapists fluent in American Sign Language and English in a licensed mental health clinic that is family-centered and trauma informed. Counseling services are offered in our Portland office. MaineCare, Medicare and most insurance is accepted; self-pay, along with a sliding fee scale, are also available.

Deaf and Hard of Hearing Program (DHHP)

Children’s Hospital Boston at Waltham
9 Hope Avenue
Waltham, ME 02453
(781) 216-2210 (TTY)
(781) 216-2215 (V)
(781) 216-2252 (FAX)

The Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Program is an interdisciplinary clinical and research group within the Department of Otolaryngology and Communication Disorders at the Children’s Hospital. The clinical team includes specialists in psychology, audiology, education, medicine, speech and language, psychiatry, and communications. DHHP provides comprehensive evaluation and consultative services to deaf and hard of hearing children, their physicians, families and schools. Staff work with children and families from diverse locations and backgrounds covering the full pediatric age spectrum, from infants to teens. DHHP serves as a center for coordination of evaluations, referrals, research, guidance and information for families and agencies.

hear ME now!

P.O. Box 896
Portland, ME 04104
Pam Dawson, Executive Director
781-7199 (V)
781-7201 (FAX)
Email: info@hear-me-now.org
Web site: www.hear-me-now.org

Our mission statement: hear ME now!, Maine’s only Auditory Oral Deaf Education Center, is committed to the families of deaf and hard-of-hearing children and ensures opportunities to learn to listen and speak through innovative teaching and technology.

    What we do: We provide:
    • early intervention services in the home – how to help your baby learn to listen through play
    • parent support gatherings
    • consultative support to community preschools by an auditory oral teacher of the deaf
    • school age supports and consultation
    • professional development, and
    • adult rehabilitation

to deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals who choose to learn to listen and speak. We are a member of OPTIONschools International – a consortium of programs dedicated to advancing excellence in listening and spoken language education.

Our area of expertise: We use an auditory approach to spoken language development. This means we use listening first - supported by natural gestures, expressions and pictures - during language based activities. Auditory oral education is based on the perspective that acquiring competence in spoken language, both receptively and expressively, is a realistic goal for children who are deaf or hard of hearing. Research shows the first 5 years of life are critical to the development of the auditory cortex, the part of the brain that receives and processes spoken language input. Infants and children with hearing loss require early, consistent use of amplification and early intervention to access, stimulate and grow the auditory cortex. This requires targeted and meaningful listening and spoken language practice with professionals trained in integrating auditory skills development.

Who we are: Our staff includes a certified early childhood special educator, certified speech/language pathologists, certified Listening and Spoken Language Specialists (LSLS), an Educational Audiologist, and certified Teachers of the Deaf who specialize in helping children who are deaf and hard of hearing learn to listen and speak. All of our direct support staff hold a certification in Listening and Spoken Language (LSLS), or are completing an extensive LSLS preparatory program.

What is a Listening and Spoken Language Specialist? A Listening and Spoken Language Specialist has special training in promoting language development through listening. A LSLS holds an international certification from the Alexander Graham Bell Academy for Listening and Spoken Language. The Academy was established in 2005 to advance listening and talking opportunities for deaf or hard-of-hearing individuals through established standards of excellence.

    Our Listening and Spoken Language Specialists have:
    • A passing score on the international LSLS-AV certification exam
    • A Master’s degree in speech-language pathology, OR education of the hearing impaired
    • A license/certificate to practice in Maine
    • At least 30-80 hours of post-graduate study in Strategies for Listening and Spoken Language Development
    • At least 900 clock hours of professional experience in the provision of auditory verbal therapy within the past three years. At least 750 of these hours must be in direct therapy, OR at least 15 clock hours per week for three school years directly teaching children with hearing loss to listen and talk in a Listening and Spoken Language Program
    • Signed letters of recommendation from three families

Maine Educational Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (MECDHH) and Governor Baxter School for the Deaf (GBSD)

Statewide Educational Services (SES)
Mackworth Island
Falmouth, ME 04105
Lynn Schardel, Executive Director
781-6285 (V/TTY)
781-6220 (FAX)
E-mail: lynn.schardel@mecdhh.org
Web site: www.mecdhh.org

The Statewide Educational Services Department (SES) provides educational programming, information, support and training to families, students and professionals statewide and encompasses the following programs:

  1. Early Childhood and Family Services Program (ECFS)
    Web site: www.mecdhh.org/statewide-educational-services/early-childhood-family-services/

The Early Childhood & Family Services (ECFS) program provides services to families with children newborn to five years of age who are deaf, hard of hearing or have a suspected hearing loss. We provide information to families and professionals statewide, support the choices that families make to benefit their children and assist them with identifying the resources that will help them meet the individual needs of their infant or young child. Services are provided at no cost to families.

Home visits are offered to families to provide unbiased information about early childhood development, hearing loss, auditory skills development, amplification, communication and technology options, education and program resources, funding options, networking and mentoring.

ECFS consultants are available for observations and consultations in daycare and preschool settings. We are also available for participation in Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) and Individualized Education Plan (IEP) team meetings. Our program collaborates with the child's IFSP team and provides opportunities for statewide networking for families, providers and agencies. We have a diverse professional staff with the following backgrounds: teachers of the deaf, parent infant specialists, early childhood educators, educational/pediatric audiologist, special educators, and family therapist.

For questions and referrals to the Early Childhood and Family Services, contact:
Karen Hopkins, ECFS Program Coordinator
Mackworth Island
Falmouth, ME 04105
781-6335 (V/TTY)
1-866-231-8910 (V/TTY)
781-6220 (FAX)
E-mail: karen.hopkins@mecdhh.org

2. Public School Outreach Program (PSO)
Web site: www.mecdhh.org/statewide-educational-services/public-school-outreach/

The Public School Outreach Program assists service providers in offering a beneficial and positive educational experience for students with a hearing loss within their local school district.

We offer free consultative services to schools that serve students who are deaf or hard of hearing. Our goal is to assist public school personnel with implementing an appropriate and positive educational experience for any student in Kindergarten - Grade 12 with a hearing loss.

    • We serve all students regardless of the degree or nature of their hearing loss;
    • We support all communication choices;
    • We encourage the development of the whole child;
    • We are a family focused organization, and we respect the critical role that parents and families play in the lives of the children we serve;
    • Our hope is to become a continual resource for professionals and parents as well as a valuable member of the team serving the child;
    • We support the creative use of all forms of technology, including hearing assistive technology, video conferencing, videophones, appropriate use of social networking systems, etc. to insure that students, parents and professionals have access to their educational environments and to services regardless of where they live.

Educational consultation services provided:

    • On-site classroom observation;
    • Recommendations for classroom modifications;
    • Assistance with all hearing assistive technology (Hearing Aids, Cochlear Implants, FM system); proper use and care;
    • Program recommendations;
    • Curriculum modifications;
    • Instructional strategies;
    • Literacy considerations and recommendations;
    • Language needs;
    • Visual and auditory access;
    • Proper use of sign language interpreters & cued speech transliterator;
    • Social emotional needs;
    • Transition considerations and resources;
    • Access to resource materials;
    • Involvement with the Individual Education Plan (IEP) Team. Consultation with parents and professionals. Expanded Consultation with our Fee for Service Program (FFS);
    • FFS contracts are developed with the district based on the individual needs of the student and professionals working with that student;
    • A range of services are offered including in-depth consultation services, literacy program development, language program development, support with use of all forms of technology, support writing IEP’s, modeling strategies and techniques, recommendations for materials and programs, input regarding assessments, networking, etc.;
    • FFS assessments are available at MECDHH/GBSD upon request. Staff development/In-service training;
    • Diversity Awareness Programs; and
    • Student Awareness Programs (offered by consultants on the day of their observations).

Regional Programs:

Kids Like Me

Children who are deaf or hard of hearing need peer support in order to share and comprehend how being deaf or hard of hearing impacts their daily lives. Learning that there are others who have similar life experiences and frustrations helps children to accept and understand what it means to be deaf or hard of hearing and maintain a positive self-image. Providing an adult role model who is deaf or hard of hearing is an integral part of the program that promotes positive self-esteem and a "can do" attitude.

Regional K-5 Student Groups

Peer support groups are established based on the number of students within a one-hour commute of designated sites. (Please contact us for locations.) K through 5 group meets two hours a week for eight consecutive weeks. Experimental learning activities like games, journaling, role playing, art projects, problem solving, small group discussions and assistive technology demonstrations are designed to build assertive listening and communication skills, self-esteem, leadership, personal awareness and a strong, positive identity as a deaf or hard-of-hearing individual.

Note to Local School Districts…
Interpreters, transliterators and educational technicians used by the students within their academic program will also be used during the K-5 peer support groups, and districts are responsible for transporting students to and from the program site. An MECDHH health form must be completed for each student and given to the group facilitator/MECDHH staff person. In the event that a student is unable to attend a session, the student's school should notify the regional program coordinator.

Mid School/High School Student Groups

Groups of students from grades six to twelve meet for two consecutive days (one overnight) with deaf and hard-of-hearing peers from all over the state for a total of 24 hours of fun. Our program provides a stimulating context for building friendships and self-advocacy skills, expressing thoughts and feelings, and sharing cooperative learning experiences. Activities may include: games, canoeing, kayaking, hiking, camping out, orienteering, rock climbing and other activities in the great outdoors. Three two-day sessions a year are offered, and students are strongly encouraged to attend all three sessions to reap the greatest benefit from the program.

Communication Access Commitment

Each child's preferred mode of communication is accommodated and respected. Interpreters, Cued Speech transliterators, and hearing assistive technologies are an integral part of all our programs.

W.I.S.E. - "We Increase Sensitivity and Educate"
Web site: www.mecdhh.org/statewide-educational-services/public-school-outreach/w-i-s-e/

Student diversity enriches the educational experience for all children. Training provides an opportunity for students who are hearing to better understand the needs of their peers who are deaf or hard of hearing. This program uses a hands-on, experiential education model and incorporates group activities and discussions to facilitate student learning.

This comfortable and safe environment encourages students who are deaf or hard of hearing to express their feelings and share some of the challenges they face in their everyday lives as well as respond to questions their classmates may have.

Working Together:

To assist with the development and implementation of a specialized program for each student who is deaf or hard of hearing, consultation occurs with their case manager, classroom teacher, parent(s) and a Public School Outreach consultant.

The program consists of a variety of activities focusing on topics such as:

    • Communication
    • Respecting diversity
    • Assistive technology
    • Life with a hearing loss

W.I.S.E. Diversity Awareness Criteria:

    • Session length of 2 - 2 1/2 hours
    • Class presentation size of up to 45 students
    • Classroom teacher's participation is required
    • Other service providers are encouraged to participate
    • The student with a hearing loss must be present - if absent, the program will be rescheduled

Services can be requested by:

1. Parents
2. Special education directors and teachers, speech/language pathologists, classroom and special education teachers, audiologists, physicians, psychologists, psychiatrists and other service providers with parental approval.

Networking:

Our Public School Outreach (PSO) program provides an opportunity for statewide networking with:

    • Audiologists
    • Teachers of the Deaf • Speech/Language Pathologists
    • Education consultants
    • Guidance counselors
    • Occupational therapists
    • Physical therapists
    • Physicians, psychologists, psychiatrists

Training Opportunities:

MECDHH periodically hosts workshops and training sessions which are open to all.

For questions and referrals to the Public School Outreach Program, contact:
Angela Bruno, PSO, Program Coordinator
Mackworth Island
Falmouth, ME 04105
781-6224 (V/TTY)
781-6220 (FAX)
E-mail: angela.bruno@mecdhh.org

3. Early Childhood Programs at GBSD:

A. Parent Infant/Toddler Program
Governor Baxter School for the Deaf
Mackworth Island
Falmouth, ME 04105
781-6335 (V/TTY)
781-6220 (FAX)

The Parent Infant/Toddler Program offers a family centered approach. Services are provided to parents and caregivers, children who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have suspected hearing loss, and their siblings. A multidisciplinary approach is used to meet the needs of families.

The program meets twice each week with offerings for the parents including a parent support group, auditory support sessions, and an ASL class. The Parent Infant Toddler Program supports the continuum of communication options.

B. Preschool Program
Governor Baxter School for the Deaf
Mackworth Island
Falmouth, ME 04105
781-6335 (V/TTY)
781-6220 (FAX)

The Preschool Program offers a language-enriched developmentally-based program of learning for deaf, hard-of-hearing and typically developing hearing children ages 3 to 5. The program is rich in experiences, which foster and nurture the child’s language development.

The Preschool Program is a bilingual environment, offering children one class with two distinct focuses. In the American Sign Language (ASL) classroom, ASL is the language of daily interactions and communication; and in the spoken language classroom, spoken language is used. Families choose their child’s primary classroom, and the children have the opportunity to interact in both rooms as their day progresses. Children are encouraged to develop auditory, listening and oral language skills. Expressive and receptive ASL growth and development is also fostered. The classroom environment has been adapted to minimize background noise and reverberation. In this setting, children with a range of language and communication styles are guided to play, interact, and appreciate the unique tales that each brings to our community of learners.

Maine Newborn Hearing Program (MNHP)

11 State House Station
Augusta, ME 04333
1-800-606-0215 (TTY)
1-800-698-3624 (V)
287-6879 (V)
207-287-4743 (FAX)
Web site: www.mainepublichealth.gov/mnhp/

The Maine Newborn Hearing Program is part of the Department of Health and Human Services, Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention. This program coordinates hospital newborn hearing screening programs and follow-up of infants with hearing loss. The program is able to provide resource and referral information for families who have an infant with hearing loss.