School Support

School Support Services commence as soon as a child starts school. The program comprises:

• Continuation of individual A-V Therapy sessions, as necessary
• Transition Planning and Support
• Annual Workshop for Teachers and School Staff
• Regular visits by our Teachers of the Deaf/Auditory Verbal Therapists to students at their schools
• Long-Distance on-line therapy and advice, where appropriate
• Progress monitoring and feedback to students, parents and staff
• Parent Information Sessions and Newsletter
• Annual celebration of student achievements and progress (Further On)

Transition Planning and Support

The Centre provides transition planning and support for students entering primary school and moving from primary school to middle school and/or secondary school and finally to tertiary study. Support includes information and advice, counselling, familiarisation visits, introductions to new therapists and teachers and peer group support.

Annual Workshop for Teachers and School Staff

Each year, at the beginning of the school year, the Centre organises a one-day workshop for teachers and school personnel regarding students who are deaf or hearing impaired. Workshop topics include matters such as acoustics, use of technology, language development and strategies for the classroom.

The Workshop plays a major role in informing teachers of the special needs of students who are deaf or hearing impaired and in focusing them on how best to assist the students in the mainstream school environment.

School Visits to Students

Cora Barclay Centre Teachers of the Deaf/Auditory Verbal Therapists visit students in their schools on a regular basis to provide auditory-based speech/language intervention with students, to monitor equipment and to consult with teachers and other staff. Frequency of visits depends on a range of factors including the severity of hearing loss, age-language performance levels, the age of the student and so on.

Progress monitoring and communication with parents is ongoing as children advance through school.
Parent Information Sessions and Newsletter

A School Support Newsletter for parents, teachers and students is produced each school term.

Long-Distance Services

For some years the Centre has provided services to school students through video conferencing. This service has been very expensive to maintain and with changing technology online telephone services (Skype) has been employed. Video conferencing remains the preferred method and the Centre is currently looking to source funding to re-establish it and and a program of weekend workshops for families.

Further On

Further On is our annual celebration of the achievements of students receiving services from the Cora Barclay Centre, with a particular focus on those who are graduating from school. As anyone who has attended this event will have witnessed first hand, it is both exciting and moving to hear the students’ stories of their progress through school in preparation for the wider world as part of the hearing community. The 2009 event will be held on September 23rd with venue to be announced.