About the Redford Union Schools Oral Program

About the Redford Union Schools Oral Program

History

In 1957 the Redford Union School District, in cooperation with neighboring school districts, established a regional program for children who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing. This provided an alternative for parents whose only option was to send their children away to the Michigan State School for the Deaf.

At that time, there was only one classroom of 10 children taught by Mr. Gus Kaselemis. Today, the program serves children from birth to age 26 from school districts across Western Wayne County including: Crestwood, Garden City, Livonia, Northville, Plymouth-Canton, Redford Union, Romulus, South Redford, Van Buren, Wayne-Westland, Westwood, and participating Charter and private schools in these districts.

About Us

Who We Are

The Redford Union Program for the Deaf or Hard of Hearing (DHH) is a Wayne County program for students with hearing losses in Western Wayne County, Michigan. The auditory/oral program utilizes hearing and speaking to educate deaf or hard of hearing children by giving them communication skills necessary to live in our oral world.

Who Do We Serve, 

The population served by a deaf or hard of hearing program is defined by state law (Revised Administrative Rules) to include students with any degree of hearing loss, including fluctuating hearing loss, that adversely affects educational performance. To qualify for DHH services the following are required by state law:

  1. A recent (less than one-year-old) report from an ear-nose-throat (ENT) doctor;
  2. A recent report (less than one-year-old) from an audiologist;
  3. Assessment by local school district or RUOPDHH staff verifying educational impact.

Under the state definition, students whose poor performance on listening tasks associated with learning disabilities, central processing disorders, attention deficit, autism or limited intellectual capacity are not deaf or hard of hearing. 

Where do We Serve

The Program serves children from birth to age 26 from school districts across western Wayne County including: Redford Union, South Redford, Romulus, Westwood, Crestwood, Wayne-Westland, Garden City, Livonia, Van Buren, Plymouth-Canton and Northville schools and participating Charter and private schools in these districts.

Service Models

Center Program

It is important to establish the attitude that the children are a part of the hearing world. Therefore, Redford Union provides a true mainstream program for the Deaf or Hard of Hearing. Classes are housed in public school buildings corresponding to the ages of the students. Children are mainstreamed for non-academic classes such as are, gym, and music with academic mainstreaming as soon as the student is ready.

Utilization of the education team, which includes the teacher of the Deaf or Hard of Hearing, speech pathologist, audiologist, consulting physical and occupational therapists and school psychologist, enables quality diagnostic assessment and services to meet the total needs of each child.

Outreach Program

Teacher Consultants work with Deaf or Hard of Hearing Students attending schools in their resident districts. They provide necessary support for students, staff and parents, in-service for parents and teachers, and act as a liaison between audiology clinics, parents and schools.