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Early Intervention in Deaf Education
With a Master of Arts in Early Intervention in Deaf Education from Fontbonne University you can fill the need for professionals to work with young children who are deaf/hard-of-hearing and their families.
This graduate program develops the knowledge and skills needed to provide the most current and highest-quality deaf education services to infants, toddlers and young children up to age eight.
Fontbonne holds the distinction of offering one of only a few early intervention in deaf education programs in the country. This program has been awarded more than $2 million in grants, and scholarships are available to qualified students accepted into the program.
Our program stresses an interdisciplinary approach, incorporating the principles of best practice from deaf education, early childhood education, speech-language pathology and special education. This program emphasizes the development of listening and spoken language.
The value of this teaching approach was recognized in 2003, when the university was awarded $1 million in federal partnership funds for the establishment of the Fontbonne University Center for Teacher and Therapist Education. The center, which opened in 2004, provides a collaborative setting for preparing professionals in deaf education, speech-language pathology, education and special education and serves as a unique national model for how to prepare a new generation of professionals.
Classes are small. Faculty are nationally recognized, experienced and committed to your success. Many of our faculty continue to work with children and families, sharing their expertise through technological advancements and innovative techniques.
More Clinical Experience
All students in this graduate program receive experience at local institutions such as St. Joseph Institute for the Deaf, Central Institute for the Deaf and The Moog Center for Deaf Education. Many students get additional experience at sites across the
country.
More Professional Opportunities
Universal mandatory newborn screening for hearing loss and early identification of infants with hearing loss has increased the need for professionals to work with young children and their families. With a Master of Arts in Early Intervention in Deaf Education, you can work with children with hearing loss and their families in a variety of employment settings, including:
- Family-Centered Intervention Programs
- Educational Programs for Children Who Are Deaf/Hard-of-Hearing
- Early Childhood Special Education
- Hospitals
- State and Federal Agencies
- Private Practice
- Home Health Organizations
Program Funding
Ten full tuition scholarships will be awarded. Students may also receive a graduate work study stipend for working in deaf education programs.
Find out more
To schedule an informational meeting, or learn more about the early intervention in deaf education graduate program, call (314) 889-1407 or e-mail maeide@fontbonne.edu.
Degree requirements (or equivalent courses)
Prerequisites
- CDS 105 Speech and Language Developement
- CDS 211 Nature of Language
- CDS 220 Phonetics
- CDS 201 Anatomy and Physiology of the Speech and Hearing Mechanism
- CDS 410 Audiology
A typical schedule includes the following courses from communication disorders, special education and early childhood:
Summer 1
- Intervention with Children Who Are Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing
- Pediatric Audiology and Habilitation
- Advanced Clinical Practicum
- Elective
Fall
- Counseling Issues in Communication Disorders
- Child and Family Theory
- Assessment in Early Childhood Special Education
- Introduction to Research Methods
- Auditory Technology and Cochlear Implants
- Advanced Clinical Practicum
- Elective
Spring
- Communication Development for Children Who Are Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing
- Family-Centered Intervention
- Administration in Early Childhood Education
- Advanced Clinical Practicum
- Elective
Summer II
- Language and Literacy for Children at Risk
- Curriculum Development in Early Childhood Deaf Education
- Advanced Clinical Practicum
- Elective
Practicum experiences are designed to develop knowledge and skills in a variety of settings, including home visits, toddler groups, early childhoood classrooms and inclusive early childhood programs.
Specific courses required for the graduate program are listed on the EIDE Curriculum Guide Sheet (3.17 MB) and in the Fontbonne University Course Catalog.
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