ASD’s Early Childhood Services

For nearly 30 years, ASD’s Early Childhood Services program has been providing comprehensive home and community-based services for deaf and hard of hearing infants and children, from birth to age three, and their families. Our program is guided by the principle that each family and child is unique and that children can learn to communicate in a variety of ways. We provide families with accurate, unbiased information regarding the different language/communication approaches available, including the use of speech, listening and sign language.

Based upon the family’s choice, we offer comprehensive services to meet the needs of each child and family. Services are provided year-round with flexible hours to meet the needs of each family.

Knowledgeable Staff

Our service providers are professionals who have received special training in supporting families with infants and young deaf and hard of hearing children, including those with additional developmental needs. Our pediatric audiologists have extensive experience working with very young children with hearing losses from mild to profound, including auditory neuropathy/dys-synchrony using the latest technology of hearing aids, FMs and cochlear implants.

We have bilingual staff fluent in Spanish and American Sign Language. All staff meet the Connecticut Birth-to-Three personnel standards.

Comprehensive Services

Each child and family receives a comprehensive assessment. Together the family and service provider develop an Individual Family Service Plan (IFSP). Based on a family’s choice in the method of communicating with their child, our services can be provided to support aural/oral, auditory/verbal and/or sign language communication systems. Provided year-round with flexible hours to meet the needs of each family, services may include:

Service coordination
Home visits
Audiological services
Cochlear implant services
Loaner hearing aids
Sign language instruction for parents, siblings and other family members
Other supports such as physical therapy and occupational therapy

Supporting Families

Our goal is to provide families with the resources, support, and guidance that best meets the unique, individual needs of their infant or young child. Families are provided with balanced and objective information regarding hearing loss, cochlear implants, and the various communication approaches available including oral, auditory/verbal, cued speech, and American Sign Language. It is critical that families be given the opportunity to explore options for communicating with their children and be able to make positive, informed choices. This enables parents to communicate in the way that is most effective and appropriate for their child and family. Meeting other parents also provides an important source of information and support. We promote this through our Parent Center and Lending Library, parent-to-parent meetings, parent groups, Mothers’ Weekend, Fathers’ Weekend and Family Learning Weekend.