Early Education Services

Early Education Services

Young children who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing and their families are eligible to receive support from our Early Education Services team during the school year prior to starting Junior Kindergarten.

Levels of Support

We work with each family to determine the appropriate level of support for their child. Our team includes parent(s)/guardian(s), as well as other community partners (e.g. clinical audiologists, ASL consultants, Speech and Language Pathologists, Auditory Verbal Therapists). We offer opportunities for parents to attend workshops and information sessions. Our Specialist Teachers are available to provide guidance and support to assist with transitions to TDSB kindergarten programs.

Preschool Classes

Our preschool classes are taught by a Specialist Teacher of Students Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing  (ToDHH) with the support of an Educational Assistant. Children with bilateral hearing differences receive spoken and/or visual language models to develop their receptive and expressive language skills. Our play-based preschool programs currently operate out of two sites and focus on all aspects of child development. Transportation to and from the program is provided.

Direct Support 

This level of service involves scheduled support from ToDHH to work with children with bilateral hearing differences and their parent(s), guardian(s) and/or caregiver in a convenient setting (which may include virtual meetings).  During the visit, the teacher focuses on expressive and receptive language, listening and speech (as appropriate), cognitive skills, turn-taking and the daily use of hearing aid(s)/cochlear implant(s) as recommended by clinicial audiologists.

Monitoring

Our Specialist Teachers monitor families' needs throughout the year to support the transition to kindergarten.

How to Access Support

Referrals are accepted from audiologists, the Infant Hearing Program, and other community agencies. Parents can also contact us directly.