Vermont Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing

Infobox_School
name = Vermont Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Inc.
Location = Brattleboro Vermont
type = Private
grades = Pre-K - 12
established = 1904
staff = 175
teachers = 25
students = 74
mascot = Arrows
colors = Green and White
homepage = [http://www.vcdhh.org VCDHH]

The Vermont Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, a non-profit organization, is the primary educational and support services resource for Deaf and Hard of Hearing residents in Vermont and surrounding areas. Headquartered at Brattleboro's Austine School for the Deaf, the Vermont Center was launched by the leadership of the Austine School in 1998 and continues to operate the Austine School as a flagship program. Today the Austine School is one of four independent schools and twelve outreach programs through which the Vermont Center assists thousands of Vermonters who have hearing loss.

History

In the late 1800s, U.S. Army Colonel William Austine retired to Brattleboro, Vermont. In his will, the Colonel specified a sum of $50,000 to establish a hospital for the treatment of strangers or local residents with extraordinary circumstances. Complying with this wish and under trusteeship, five prominent local citizens incorporated the Austine Institution in 1904. About this same time, the Brattleboro Memorial Hospital opened and alleviated the need for another medical facility. After debate, the then Vermont Attorney General, who was also the administrator of the Colonel’s will, prevailed with his suggestion to open a school for blind and deaf students. Support was gained from the Vermont General Assembly to purchase a convert|200|acre|km2|sing=on farm and in the fall of 1912 the Austine School opened with sixteen students.

In 1914, Alexander Graham Bell delivered Austine School’s first commencement address. During the late 1950s and early 60s, the school experienced expansive growth. A new elementary school was added followed by a new high school wing. Soon after, a high school boys dormitory and a high school girls dorm were completed. In 1970, the construction of Vermont Hall upgraded the dormitories for the younger children, added administrative offices, a modern kitchen, dining room and health facility.

In 1975 the Education for All Handicapped Children Act was passed. This legislation greatly impacted how persons with special needs are educated. As public schools began struggling to accommodate Deaf and Hard of Hearing students within mainstream classrooms, Austine School leadership increasingly realized that their educational expertise and guidance could be invaluable in helping school systems and families achieve their educational goals. Thus the Vermont Center was created to provide statewide, location-based support for deaf education through a statewide consulting network. Additional programs the Austine School had founded over the years to meet the needs of the deaf community beyond the classroom were now grouped under the umbrella of the Vermont Center.

With mainstreaming underway, Austine School saw an marked increase in the percentage of its students who face multiple physical and educational challenges. In response, The William Center was created as a separate school licensed by the Department for Children and Families and housed on the Austine Campus as a residential facility for emotionally disturbed deaf children.

Mission and Philosophy

The mission of The Vermont Center for the Deaf & Hard of Hearing, Inc. is to provide comprehensive educational and support services to Deaf and Hard of Hearing children, adults, and families throughout Vermont and surrounding states. This is accomplished through:

The Austine School, in Brattleboro, is an independent, coeducational day and residential school for Deaf and Hard of Hearing children age four to twenty two from New England and New York. Striving to prepare students for entry to college and career by making learning relevant to everyday life, the school provides a challenging academic program, sensitive to the individual needs of each student. The ultimate goal for every Austine student is to experience a happy, healthy and successful adulthood.

The William Center, located on the Austine School Campus, is an approved independent school and licensed by the Department for Children and Families as a residential facility for emotionally disturbed deaf children. All students receive weekly counseling from a licensed mental health counselor.

The Williston Regional Day Program in Williston, VT. is housed within a large public elementary school. It is a day program for Pre/K to grade eight students that utilize both mainstream and specialized curricula. Interpreters accompany students to all mainstreamed classes.

The Bennington Regional Day Program, in Bennington, VT., is a specialized day program much like the Williston Program for Pre/K to grade six students.

These four educational facilities are approved by the Vermont Department of Education and Vermont Department of Children and Families for residential programs.

VCDHH Consultant Program is statewide and provides an array of special services to Deaf and Hard of Hearing students from birth to twenty-one years regardless of their educational placement. Consultants provide children and their families unbiased information regarding language choice, communication methods and educational opportunities throughout the child’s developmental years. Families and school staff are provided with in-service training and ongoing support.

The Family Sign Language Mentor Program provides statewide, home-based individual sign language instruction and family support for deaf, hard of hearing and non-verbal individuals and their families

American Sign Language Program provides sequential, comprehensive sign language instruction to students and adults across Vermont. It also offers consultation and materials to school districts offering ASL for foreign language credit. Additionally, this program oversees and assists in developing statewide standards for ASL instruction. Family Services provides a full array of family-ased services that include educational workshops, social opportunities, parent-to-parent networking, community outreach education, ASL instruction, Deaf mentoring, a lending library and a parent newsletter.

Center for Audiological Services was established in 1971 as the Austine Hearing Center. The Center’s goal is to provide quality, affordable audiological services to the general community in southeastern Vermont and to students at the Austine School for the Deaf.

Vermont Interpreter Referral Service (VIRS) provides statewide interpreter referral services for ASL/spoken English/oral interpreting assignments in medical, legal, mental health, employment, educational, civil and recreational settings.

Vermont Parent Infant Program (VTPIP) is a statewide program focusing on the services and support of families of children, from birth to age three, with a diagnosed hearing loss or for whom hearing is an area of concern. This program is offered at no cost to all Vermont families. Mental Health Services are provided statewide by masters and doctoral level clinical staff who are fluent in ASL and have expertise in working with persons who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing.

Adult Services, also known as Access, is a community-based employment program for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. Access services include supported employment, case management, service coordination, community outreach, independent living skills instruction and vocational assessment. Deaf Victims Advocacy Services (DVAS) is a program that serves victims of domestic and sexual violence who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing. DVAS also provides training on working with Deaf consumers to involved agencies, including police departments, court personnel and shelter staff.

Vermont Telecommunications Equipment Distribution Program (VT EDP) providestelecommunications equipment for qualified Vermont individuals with a communication impairment or disability.

Austine-Green Mountain Lion's Summer Camp serves children from ages two to eighteen. It provides an opportunity for Deaf and Hard of Hearing children and their siblings to experience the pleasure of summer camp. Each day is filled with educational opportunities using adventure activities, outdoor education models and environmental studies. Educational support such as tutoring or other services specified in each child’s individual education plan is also provided.

All VCDHH academic and residential programs are approved and licensed by the Vermont State Department of Education or by another department of the state government.

Location and Community

Brattleboro is located in the southeast corner of Vermont. Adjacent to Interstate I-91, Brattleboro, loaded with New England charm, is an hour and a half from Manchester, two hours from Boston and most of New England. Although Brattleboro has large employers, a wide array of smaller businesses also contribute to economic stability. The area is well known for its local artisans and skilled craftsman who have formed a diverse community of artists throughout southern Vermont. The environmental and organic farming communities are a strong part of the community fabric and can be enjoyed throughout the year at local farmers markets, food co-ops and community events. These local values along with the beauty of the fall foliage and winter sporting activities create a vibrant tourist industry. Even newcomers will tell you it’s a wonderful place to raise children.

VCDHH is headquartered on the rural, convert|175|acre|km2|sing=on Austine School campus overlooking the scenic Connecticut River Valley. Majestic Holton Hall, the school’s first building, now houses the Center’s administrative office and audiological services and is the focal center of the campus. On the hillside below Holton Hall is the school proper and soccer fields. Athletic fields, hiking trails,a swimming pool, and a ropes course occupy the hillside above Holton Hall, and the President’s house is neatly tucked into the forest not far off. Retailers, restaurants and other conveniences are close by.

Scope, Academics, Technical Education & Career Counseling

VCDHH employs 178 staff including 39 teachers and 22 certified professional consultants, nearly all of whom have a Master Degree, and 13 interpreters. In 2006, there were 85 day and resident students within the four schools and an additional 600 students served by regional consultants. The Parent Infant Program, ASL Program and Family Sign Language Mentor Program provided services to an additional 150 individuals in the past year. During the same period, the Vermont Center served 3700 audiology clients and provided 1100 interpreter referrals. The Austine School student to teacher ratio is approximately five to one. The elementary school program uses a combination of the Montessori Method, the State of Vermont Framework of Standards and Learning Opportunities and the VCDHH curriculum to develop within students the foundation of knowledge, communication proficiency, critical thinking and conflict resolution skill, and a level of maturity to transition into middle school and beyond. The middle and high school continue to focus on the whole student and adhere to curricula based upon VFSLO. Core classes are English, Reading, Math, Science, Social Studies, Art, Health, Keyboarding and Physical Education. Electives are also provided.

Austine also provides specialized classes for students with multiple disabilities or special learning needs. Each student is encouraged to explore and discover the art of independent and collaborative learning. Additional opportunities take place through a Career Exploration class, a Business Education class, work-based learning, vocational assessment and transition planning. High school students participate in Austine's innovative supported onsite learning program at Brattleboro Union High School and may apply to the Southeastern Vermont Career Education Center in Brattleboro for courses that develop specific employment skills in sixteen different fields.

The schools in Bennington and Williston provide a multi-age, least restrictive environment for instruction in reading, writing, math, social studies, science and spelling inorder to assist these students in becoming mainstreamed.

Campus Life

Student Life at Austine School offers a unique program to guide and support the personal growth of each student. Each student is assigned an advisor who facilitates their development into mature, independent young adults by focusing on social, physical, intellectual, communicative and emotional development. Interscholastic and intramural sports, recreational activities, and field trips are all designed to assist in building a quality Student Life program.

Financial Support

The Vermont Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing has an operating budget of 10 million dollars in addition to a 5.2 million dollar physical plant budget. Operating costs are partially covered by individual student tuition payments approved by the Vermont State Department of Education plus approximately 1 million dollars in state-funded grants. User fees also help to cover some services. The remainder of the budget relies on the tradition of community generosity started by William Austine and continued by the thousands of individuals and businesses who make annual donations and bequests.

Milestones and Challenges

The US Census Bureau identifies more than 25,000 people with hearing loss in Vermont. In a society so reliant on hearing, assistive communication tools, special education, and support services literally make the difference for many people between social isolation and devastation or happy, productive lives. As the Vermont Center celebrates its 10th anniversary, we celebrate all that we have achieved to improve the lives of Vermont's deaf and hard of hearing communities, but we also recognize that to continue to reach our mission of providing comprehensive educational and support services to Deaf and Hard of Hearing children, adults, and families throughout Vermont and surrounding states, we must continually strive to achieve more.

Links

[http://www.vcdhh.org VCDHH Homepage]