The Clerc Center will promote the development of knowledge necessary for effective partnerships between families and professionals with schools or service agencies to effectively meet the linguistic, educational, and social-emotional needs of children (birth through high school) who are deaf or hard of hearing.
Objective 1
Disseminate resources and information to parents and caregivers to increase their knowledge to effectively advocate for the needs of their children who are deaf or hard of hearing when interacting with school or agency professionals.
Objective 2
Disseminate resources and information to increase the awareness and understanding of school personnel and administrators with limited prior knowledge of or experience with children who are deaf or hard of hearing about how to foster home-school/agency partnerships that value the parent and caregiver advocate role.
The Laurent Clerc National Deaf Education Center at Gallaudet University is a federally funded center with exemplary elementary and secondary education programs for deaf and hard of hearing students and is tasked with developing and disseminating innovative curricula, instructional techniques, and products nationwide while providing information, training, and technical assistance for parents and professionals to meet the needs of deaf and hard of hearing students from birth to age 21.