Sound Beginnings
is an early intervention program designed for families with infants
or children (birth - 3 years) who have been newly diagnosed as
having a hearing loss. A trained parent advisor conducts weekly
center-based sessions with families.
Parents and
family members learn through demonstrations, hands-on participation,
and printed materials how they can promote better listening and
speech communication skills in their children. This is accomplished
within a context of routine daily activities and simple games
which can be played in the home. This leads to a better quality
of social interaction within the family, and provides the educational
foundation which will continue as the child moves on to a more
formal classroom environment.
Academic
The
MOSD Day School Program offers PRESCHOOL classes
for children between the ages of 2 through 6. A Summer Enrichment
Program is available to help the children maintain the skills
which have been developed during the regular school year.
Nursery classes
are offered on a part-time or full-time basis five days per week.
The children in this class participate in a conventional Nursery
curriculum, with "hands-on" experiences designed to promote the
development of social, cognitive, perceptual, motor and language
skills. As is the case with all MOSD classes, particular attention
is paid to the development of speech and auditory (listening)
skills.
Preschool children
attend full day sessions, learning age-appropriate academic reading
skills. Appropriate academic readiness skills are introduced.
All children at the school receive the added benefit of individual
and group therapy sessions, to further enhance their development
of SPEECH, LANGUAGE AND LISTENING skills.
Mainstream
The overall
objective of the MOSD Program is to integrate the hearing-impaired
child into the community as early, as easily, and as effectively
as possible.
Memphis Oral
School offers Mainstream Support Services, on a contractual basis,
to parents and school districts throughout the Mid-South area.
These services include:
Comprehensive
Educational Evaluations
Classroom
Observations Teacher Consultations & Inservice Training
Written
Follow-Up Reports
Periodic
Telephone Contacts
The MOSD Mainstream
Coordinator is available to attend IEP (Individual Education
Plan) meetings, assist in drawing up appropriate educational
plans, make suggestions on how to best use available resources,
and coordinate classroom and support service efforts.
Summer Sessions
MOSD students attend an Extended School Year summer program every year during
the month of July. This session is based on curriculum programs that
allow the children to have fun and enjoy summer activities, while still being
guided by their teachers and therapists to maintain and extend their speech,
language, and listening skills.
Parent Support Groups
Meetings are arranged during the fall/winter/spring months for parents to attend.
These meetings are designed to provide pertinent information to parents of
hearing-impaired children regarding all facets and issues relative to raising
their child. Meeting topics are arranged and designed with parent input, and
meeting times are scheduled to enable working parents to attend.
Professional Outreach and Graduate Training
MOSD serves
as a practicum site for speech therapy, audiology, education
and special education students from area colleges and universities. In
addition, MOSD serves as an observation site for nursing students
and education students.
Subsidium, Inc.
Since 1968 Subsidium,
the women's auxiliary to the school, has been committed to the continuation
and ongoing success of the Memphis Oral School program. The name "Subsidium" is
of Latin origin, meaning "third line of defense". After parents and
teachers, no one does more for these hearing-impaired children than
this dedicated group of volunteers. Visit their web site at
www.subsidium.org.
Subsidium members,
first and foremost, are dedicated to insuring the availability
of quality auditory/oral educational resources for hearing-impaired
children. Each member gives tirelessly of her time and talents
to fulfill that commitment. Every year the members of Subsidium
undertake a major fundraising event: The Carrousel of Shoppes.
This event has grown significantly over the years to become an
eagerly awaited Memphis tradition. Proof that their efforts have "paid
off" comes from the fact that, today, proceeds from the
Subsidium sponsored event represents approximately one fourth
of the school's budget.
