Our innovative classrooms serve children from as early as 1 year old (Baby & Me) through Kindergarten and are centered around learning to listen and speak through creative thinking and exploration. Our cognitive curriculum encourages children to develop divergent thinking and problem solving skills at an early age while also growing the developmental and academic skills outlined in the California Preschool Learning Foundations and Common Core State Standards. Our low student to teacher ratios ensure that each student with hearing loss receives individualized attention, along with ample opportunities to practice speaking. WCC classes include hearing peers that provide age-appropriate language and speech models. This results in a less restrictive and more inclusive education opportunity for the student with hearing loss, without sacrificing the intensive instruction needed at this critical time before transitioning to a mainstream education.

Weingarten Children’s Center provides audiological support and services on and off site by an educational audiologist. At WCC we strive to monitor each child’s hearing and assistive technology devices. We also consult with the students’ managing audiologist to ensure children have appropriate and optimal auditory access for the development of speech and language.

The benefits of an educational audiologist are:

• On and off-site audiological testing
• Device troubleshooting
• Parent education on device and audiological functioning
• Consultation and collaboration with managing audiologist and school district teams

WCC is proud to partner with the Stanford School of Medicine for the innovative BabyTalk teletherapy program. Teletherapy uses an iPad/computer to deliver professional services in the home over the internet. You, your child, and your therapist meet virtually rather than in person—no matter where you live. Each session focuses on developing your child’s listening and spoken language skills and has the added benefit of practicing these skills in his/her natural home environment.

A listening and spoken language assessment is the first step in the therapy services process. A full assessment gathers detailed information on your child’s current skill levels and helps to determine specific areas of need to be targeted in intervention.