School For Hearing Impaired

Williamson County Special Education houses a regional program serving the needs of children who are deaf and hard of hearing from ages 3-21. The programs are housed within school buildings located in Marion CUSD 2 School District. Students with hearing loss who reside in the southern 22 counties in Illinois may attend this regional day program upon referral from their home districts. All tuition costs are paid for by the student's home district. Appropriate inclusive opportunities in general education classes are provided within Marion Unit schools according to IEP recommendations. Education interpreters are available to facilitate communication and understanding within the general education classroom. The program has a total communication philosophy designed to meet the unique communication needs of each student with instruction being presented orally in conjunction with signs. Emphasis is placed upon the development of communication and literacy, language and speech. Services are provided through an intensive language-based approach with emphasis on the areas of learning impacted by hearing loss. Students with cochlear implants are provided services focusing on developing audition, vocabulary , and language.