American Society for Deaf Children

American Society for Deaf Children
thegirl · CC BY-SA 2.0 · source
Name	American Society for Deaf Children
Formation	1967
Type	Nonprofit organization
Headquarters	United States
Region served	United States

Contents

American Society for Deaf Children The American Society for Deaf Children is a national nonprofit founded in 1967 to support families of children who are deaf or hard of hearing and to promote access to communication, services, and peer support. The organization connects parents, clinicians, educators, and advocates across networks associated with Gallaudet University, National Association of the Deaf, Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Council for Exceptional Children, and state-level families' organizations. Its activities intersect with policy debates involving Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, Early Hearing Detection and Intervention, Department of Education (United States), and advocacy efforts linked to National Parent Teacher Association.

History

The society emerged in the wake of postwar developments that included research at Johns Hopkins Hospital, programs at Boston Children's Hospital, and initiatives influenced by scholars from Gallaudet University and practitioners from MossRehab and Shriners Hospitals for Children. Founders included parents and professionals who collaborated with entities such as Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing and researchers at Case Western Reserve University and University of Rochester Medical Center to respond to newborn hearing screening advances from EHDI networks. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s the society engaged with policy actions related to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and worked alongside advocacy groups like National Association of the Deaf and service providers including Perkins School for the Blind and Helen Keller National Center.

The organization's mission emphasizes family support, communication choice, and navigating services provided by agencies such as the Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and state public health departments. Programs include parent-mentoring models adapted from practices at Mayo Clinic, informational conferences modelled on gatherings at Gallaudet University and workshops patterned after professional development by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and Council for Exceptional Children. The society also curates materials informed by research from National Institutes of Health, Johns Hopkins University, University of Washington, and community input from Easterseals and Hands & Voices chapters.

Advocacy efforts target legislation and rulemaking processes involving Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, Early Hearing Detection and Intervention, and state audiology licensure boards such as those linked to American Academy of Pediatrics recommendations. The society has collaborated with national organizations including National Association of the Deaf, Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Hearing Loss Association of America, and Parents of Deaf Children networks to influence policy dialogues in venues like U.S. Congress hearings and Department of Education (United States) stakeholder consultations. Outreach extends to campaigns with community partners such as Easterseals, March of Dimes, Rotary International, and university-based clinics at University of Michigan Health and Stanford Medicine.

Educational offerings include guides for families navigating services from Early Hearing Detection and Intervention, resources referencing evidence from National Institutes of Health studies, and training materials compatible with professional standards from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and certification criteria used by American Board of Audiology. The society distributes newsletters, toolkits, and webinars featuring experts from Gallaudet University, pediatric specialists from Boston Children's Hospital, and researchers from Vanderbilt University Medical Center and University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. Resource repositories often point families toward specialized schools such as Rochester School for the Deaf, Model Secondary School for the Deaf, and programs at California School for the Deaf, Riverside.

Governance follows a volunteer board model with ties to alumni and faculty from institutions like Gallaudet University, Rochester Institute of Technology, and University of Tennessee Health Science Center. Funding streams have historically included membership dues, philanthropic grants from foundations such as The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and Pew Charitable Trusts, event sponsorships partnered with American Speech-Language-Hearing Association conferences, and contributions coordinated with networks like Hands & Voices and state family organizations. Fiscal oversight has intersected with nonprofit compliance frameworks overseen by Internal Revenue Service filings and grant reporting to agencies including Health Resources and Services Administration.

The society partners with academic centers including Gallaudet University, clinical programs at Johns Hopkins Hospital and Mayo Clinic, advocacy groups such as National Association of the Deaf and Hearing Loss Association of America, and family networks like Hands & Voices and state Parent Training and Information Centers. Through these collaborations the organization has contributed to parent-education curricula used at University of Washington, influenced protocols in Early Hearing Detection and Intervention systems, and supported research partnerships with National Institutes of Health grantees and university labs at Vanderbilt University and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Its impact is reflected in increased parent-to-parent support networks, resource dissemination in partnership with Easterseals and March of Dimes, and participation in policy forums alongside Department of Education (United States) and congressional committees.

Category:Non-profit organizations based in the United States