PROGRAMS FOR DEAF AND HARD OF HEARING STUDENTS

SVUSD ACE Program

Mission Statement

ACE stands for "Achieving Communication Equity" for Deaf and Hard of Hearing students.

Communication access is a fundamental human right. The Simi Valley Unified School District (SVUSD) is committed to all Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH) students having full access to their educational environment. This facilitates a child's development on needed language, literacy, academic and technological skills so that they become engaged learners, confident self-advocates and active participants in their schools and communities. Through collaboration, all staff empower the diverse DHH student community from birth to age 22 with varying hearing levels that range from mild to profound, unilateral and bilateral, conductive and sensorineural hearing impacts, as well as students with additional disabilities. Our students use a range of hearing technology, along with spoken English and American Sign Language. We have an inclusive communication philosophy based on each families' needs. In partnership with other agencies, we help empower families through family education, and encourage parents/guardians to be active language models for their children.

 

 

We support and to the best of our ability implement the California Deaf Child’s Bill of Rights:

Whatever the mode of communication being used by a deaf or hard of hearing child, it must be respected.  Deaf and hard of hearing children have a right to have teachers, psychologists, assessment staff, and other professionals who are fluent in the language being used by the student. It is also important that deaf and hard of hearing students are educated with a sufficient number of other deaf and hard of hearing classmates to allow free, open, and spontaneous communication. Every child who is deaf or hard of hearing has the right to have full access to all educational services and school-sponsored activities.  

Vision Statement - From Here to Anywhere 

Our highly-qualified team is dedicated to developing students’ intellectual, social and emotional potential to the fullest by creating a foundation for students to grow into productive contributing members of today’s society. SVUSD is dedicated to educating and servicing DHH students with the development of their language abilities (ASL and English) to use content knowledge and problem-solving skills at the highest levels possible.

In order to access their education and be self-sufficient adults, students need to know how to self-advocate. DHH students will learn about the hearing mechanism; how to read and interpret their audiograms; listening and communication repair strategies; develop self-advocacy skills; how to effectively use and troubleshoot their hearing technology and how to effectively work with an interpreter. If additional language/vocabulary support is needed, goals will be developed to address the student's needs.

 

 

ACE-EI  Accessing Communication Equity
Early Intervention Services, Birth-Three

The Simi Valley Early Start Regional Infant Program provides individualized intervention to families and their DHH babies.  Early intervention services provide support and resources to help family members and caregivers to understand the potential implications of their child’s hearing level and their access to develop spoken language. Our Early Intervention Teachers provide information, skill development and resources to help families to enhance their baby’s language development and learning through everyday learning opportunities.  

Our mission is to educate families to make informed choices about their child’s language development and chosen communication modality. We educate parents on the benefits of learning ASL as well as using different strategies to promote their baby’s listening and spoken language skills. We believe in providing information about all options, and that learning ASL and developing listening and spoken language skills are not mutually exclusive, but complimentary and inclusive. We respect and support parents’ decisions for their child.

Our services are provided individually in home-based, community-based, or district-site settings as well as play group activities. Our Early Start Infant Program team includes Teachers of the Deaf educated in bilingual/bimodal (ASL/English) and listening and spoken language practices, Speech Pathologists, Early Intervention providers, and Occupational and Physical Therapists, as needed. Our team members collaborate with families and each other to provide integrated and cohesive services in the child’s natural environment. 

Our Regional Infant program serves families with Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing babies who live in the Eastern Ventura County area.  

 

 

The ACE Preschool/TK Program at Justin Early Learners Academy

The ACE Preschool and Transitional Kindergarten program is a play-based language rich environment serving DHH children who are 3- to 5-years-old. All areas of development are addressed including language, communication, social, behavior, pre-academic and motor skills through developmentally appropriate activities and structured play.

The ACE Preschool class is a mix of hearing and DHH students with varying hearing levels. Our highly-qualified Deaf Education Specialists are co-teaching in the PK/TK class daily providing small group focused ASL and/or listening and spoken language activities. Preschool/TK students are supported in spoken English and ASL through support of a ASL fluent paraprofessionals.

 

 

Elementary Programs

The ACE Resource Program at Mountain View Elementary

Mountain View Elementary School hosts SVUSD’s DHH Resource Classroom. Our highly-qualified DHH Education Specialist is on-site five mornings a week, working with students individually, in small groups and pushing into support in the general education classrooms, as determined by each students’ individual IEPs. A weekly DHH Social Group is held to teach ASL, communication repair strategies, self-advocacy, and Deaf Community/Culture awareness. The DHH Education Specialist regularly consults with the general education teachers to support the students’ unique needs. Mountain View Elementary School’s administrator and staff have experience effectively integrating students with varying hearing levels and communication modes. ASL is accessible for all daily morning school assemblies as well as any other school events. Speech and Language services are provided with consultation from or in collaboration with the Education Specialist of DHH Students, Listening and Spoken Language Specialist, Educational Audiologist, and/or the student’s signing support staff, as determined by their IEP teams.

Other Elementary School Sites: DHH students attending a different elementary school receive Itinerant DHH Education Specialist, ASL Interpreter, and/or signing paraeducator services as determined by their IEP teams.

 

 

Secondary Programs

Middle Schools

Hillside Middle School is the home of our DHH Middle School Program.  

• Currently, our highly qualified DHH Education Specialist is on-site at least one afternoon a week to provide direct service to students as well as consultation and collaboration to the SAI and General Education teachers and staff.

• A twice-monthly DHH Community Group is held to teach communication repair strategies, self-advocacy, and Deaf Community/Culture awareness, and information about agencies that can support students post-graduation.

Other middle schools: DHH students attending a different middle school receive Itinerant DHH Education Specialist, ASL Interpreter, and/or signing paraeducator services as determined by their IEP teams. 

Royal High School

Royal High School houses SVUSD’s DHH Resource Program at the high school level. Our highly-qualified DHH Education Specialist is on-site four afternoons a week. The DHH Education Specialist provides consultation and collaboration to the SAI and General Education teachers and staff, including lesson planning and co-teaching with SAI English for specific grade levels. Students are supported by ASL Interpreters or signing paraeducator services as determined by their IEP teams. ASL I and II are offered as electives and meet the World Language graduation requirements.

• A twice-monthly DHH Community Group is held to teach communication repair strategies, self-advocacy, and Deaf Community/Culture awareness, and information about agencies that can support students post-graduation.

• Moderate-Severe Functional Skills Special Day Class: The focus of this class is to meet the educational, behavioral, social-emotional needs of our students with moderate-severe disabilities. The DHH Education Specialist provides consultation and collaboration to the teacher and staff, including lesson planning and co-teaching self-advocacy. The program has an ASL interpreter, and signing para-professionals to provide language access to students of varying cognitive abilities.  

Other High Schools: DHH students attending a different high school receive Itinerant DHH Education Specialist, ASL Interpreter, and/or signing paraeducator services as determined by their IEP teams. 

*Students may have the opportunity to attend the California School for the Deaf in Riverside in order to receive direct instruction in ASL, and be with a majority of DHH signing peers and adults. For more information, contact Laine Podell, Program Specialist at the SVUSD District Office, 805-306-4500 Extension. 4306, or email to laine.podell@simivalleyusd.org.

Our Team
(To email anyone on this list, please click on their name.)

Laine Podell, Program Specialist

Ricki Bernardo, Infant and Preschool Programs and LSL Intervention ages 0-22

Catherine Rodriguez, Infant and Preschool Programs

Zoe Harmala, Elementary Programs

Kimberly Mayalall, Secondary Programs

Anastasia Amuzu, Educational Audiologist, VCOE

And a number of dedicated ASL Interpreters and Signing Paraprofessionals