Texas Transition and Employment Guide

The Nacogdoches Regional Day School Program for the Deaf (RDSPD) is coordinated through the Nacogdoches Independent School District (fiscal agent). We provide a continuum of services for students that are deaf or hard of hearing from Nacogdoches ISD and nearby districts through shared service agreements.

Our program works closely with Early Childhood Intervention, Texas Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services, Texas Education Agency/Division of the Deaf, Health Care Professionals, Education Service Centers

Interpreter Request Form

The Nacogdoches Regional Day School Program for the Deaf (RDSPD) is coordinated through the Nacogdoches Independent School District (fiscal agent). We provide a continuum of services for students that are deaf or hard of hearing from Nacogdoches ISD and nearby districts through shared service agreements.

Our 23 districts include: Alto ISD, Bullard ISD, New Summerfield ISD, Rusk ISD, Center ISD, Central Heights ISD, Cushing ISD, Garrison ISD, Chireno ISD, Douglass ISD, Etoile ISD, Woden ISD, Martinsville ISD, Laneville ISD, Mount Enterprise ISD, Henderson ISD, Joaquin ISD, Shelbyville ISD, Timpson ISD, Nacogdoches ISD (fiscal agent), Excelsior ISD, Tenaha ISD, and Wells ISD. We also provide services to the Stephen F. Austin Charter School when contracted.

Our RDSPD Program serves students birth to 21 years of age with hearing impairments that significantly impact the development of language and/or performance in school. Students are provided services in the centralized program and home districts depending on their individual needs. Our staff includes a variety of specialist knowledgeable in educating students with hearing loss. Our staff includes certified teachers of the deaf and hard of hearing, certified sign language interpreters, certified C-Print transcribers, and teaching assistants. Speech therapist, Diagnosticians, Counselors, and other related service personnel provide services through the home district or centralized program’s fiscal agent depending on each student’s IEP. Audiological services are provided through local licensed audiologists.

The Nacogdoches Regional Day School Program for the Deaf believes that learning occurs most effectively in the student’s primary language, and concepts learned in the primary language transfer readily to second language instruction. We believe that optimal access to all communication is vital to a student’s academic and social development.

Our program uses a Total Communication philosophy. This philosophy incorporates all means of communication; formal signs, natural gestures, fingerspelling, body language, listening, lipreading and speech. The goal is to optimize language development in the most effective way for each individual student. We are fully committed to ensuring that our students reach their maximum potential in American Sign Language and English, while supporting their individual communication needs.

Our program provides a variety of services to districts and students. We provide sign language classes to parents and families. Our program provides training for districts, campuses, and teachers who have students with hearing impairments. Our program provides instructional services and supports designed to meet the individual needs of all students at all ages and grade levels in a variety of ways: parent-infant program, site based classes in the public school setting, an itinerant program for students who are instructed in their home district, trainings, FM equipment.

Parent-Infant (0-2 years old)

Focuses on early intensive parental involvement and training develop early auditory, communication, speech, language, and cognitive skills in the child’s home environment. Services are provided in coordination with the local Early Childhood Intervention (ECI) program. Student must be registered at their home district to begin services.

Pre-school Program (In Centralized Program located in Nacogdoches ISD)

This program, located in the centralized program, provides continued development of auditory, communication, speech, language, and cognitive skills. Pre-academic skills are introduced (i.e. readiness skills to prepare for reading, math, and writing), as well as development of self-help, motor, and socialization skills.

Elementary, Middle, and High School (In Centralized Program located in Nacogdoches ISD)

The students IEP is developed by an ARD committee to determine the services and classes most appropriate to meet each child’s individual needs. Some classroom services include:

Students are mainstreamed into regular classes with or without interpreters, as needed.

Resource classes with certified teachers of the deaf and hard of hearing, from pre-school up through high school.

Students take a combination of resource deaf education classes and general education classes, as appropriate.

Itinerant Services

Students (ages 3-21 years old) who attend schools within their home districts receive direct instruction or consultative services from a certified teacher of the deaf and hard of hearing as recommended by the ARD committee. Focus is placed on development of audition, language, vocabulary, and/or communication skills.

Sign Language classes are offered for parents and families.