Q: What is the difference between a mainstream program and a center, or center-based program for the deaf/hard of hearing?
A: When a deaf child is mainstreamed, the child attends classes with hearing children with (usually) the aid of an interpreter, notetaker, and whatever other support services may be needed.
In center program classes, the deaf child usually attends classes that are self-contained; that is, they are all-deaf classes. The deaf students may also be "mainstreamed" for non-English intensive courses like art or physical education.
In addition, a center program functions like a regional educational program for the deaf, bringing together deaf students from all over a geographical area. To save money, instead of offering specialized services at neighborhood schools, school districts provide these services at selected schools and bus the children to those schools. Center programs may be spread out among different schools to accomodate communication needs - e.g., one school may have a total communication program; another a cued speech program, and a third an oral program.
Which is better for a deaf child? Often the two programs co-exist in the same school. Generally the deaf child is not mainstreamed outside of the center program unless the child demonstrates an ability to handle the "hearing-level" material.
Are center programs the same thing as schools for the deaf? No. Unlike schools for the deaf, center programs are limited to offering only classes for the deaf students - no sports, etc. Any extra-curricular activities are school-wide.
Some resources on mainstreaming:
- Info to Go has a reading list on mainstreaming deaf and hard of hearing students.
- Deaf Children in Public Schools, a book from Gallaudet University Press that compares the mainstreamed and non-mainstreamed deaf children.
Examples ofschool districtswith center programs:
- Boulder Valley District, Colorado
- Fairfax County, Virginia
- Jefferson County, Colorado
- Lake County, Illinois
- Minneapolis, Minnesota
