The CCHAT Center-Sacramentis a school devoted tteaching deaf and hard of hearing children tlisten and talk. Currently, over 50 children are benefiting from CCHAT's program that focuses on teaching children tlisten and develop spoken language. CCHAT is state certified as a nonpublic school and is one of three auditory/oral programs serving deaf children in Northern California. Children attending CCHAT utilize a variety of amplification systems including hearing aids, cochlear implants and personal FM systems. Through a program of individualized language therapy and a creative and imaginative curriculum, children develop competency in communication, social, and academic skills. With these skills they can actively participate in their local schools and within the community at large. Download the School Accountability Report Card (SARC) for the school year 2007-2008 (PDF format, 428Kb).

About the School Contact Information Directions Mission Statement Educational Philosophy History Our Staff & Advisory Board Educational Programs Baby & Me Climber Toddler, Preschool &       Pre-Kindergarten Kindergten & Primary Mainstream Extended School Year Extracurricular Clinical Services Audiological Speech, Language &      Listening Therapy Speech & Language      Assessment Additional Programs Parent Support & Education News and Information Event Calendar Alumni Fundraising Capital Campaign Getting In Admission Tuition

About the School

Contact Information

CCHAT Center-Sacramento
Children's Choice for Hearing And Talking
Laura Turner, Principal
11100 Coloma Road
Rancho Cordova, CA 95670

View this location and get directions from Yahoo! Maps

(916) 361-7290 Voice
(916) 361-8613 Fax

Email (Laura Turner): Email: info@cchatsac.org

Directions

From the Sacramento Airport

• Take I-5 south. The airport exit leads directly to the on-ramp for I-5 south
• Take I-5 south to Highway 50 east towards Placerville & South Lake Tahoe
• Take the SUNRISE BLVD exit- EXIT 18- toward FAIR OAKS.
• Turn LEFT onto SUNRISE BLVD / CR-E2 N.
• Turn LEFT onto COLOMA RD.
• End at 11100 Coloma Rd
  Rancho Cordova, CA 95670-2804, US

From the Capital City Freeway Business 80 (coming through downtown):

• Take CCF (Capitol City Freeway) Bus 80 to Highway 50 east
• See directions under From the Sacramento Airport

From Interstate 80

• Keep LEFT to take US-50 E toward SACRAMENTO / SOUTH LAKE TAHOE.
• Take the SUNRISE BLVD exit- EXIT 18- toward FAIR OAKS.
• Turn LEFT onto SUNRISE BLVD / CR-E2 N.
• Turn LEFT onto COLOMA RD.
• End at 11100 Coloma Rd
  Rancho Cordova, CA 95670-2804, US

Mission Statement

CCHAT-Sacramento is one of three unique auditory/oral schools that collaborate and are connected by a common mission: teaching children who are deaf and hard of hearing to listen, and develop spoken language.

Core Values

1. Communication
2. Building a community of learners
3. Honoring and respecting individual differences
4. Change with a positive purpose
5. Commitment and responsibility to community
   

Educational Philosophy

The cognitively-based curriculum and individualized speech and language therapy services are the foundation of the educational philosophy at the School. We believe that deaf and hard of hearing children, regardless of the severity of their hearing loss, can learn to listen and communicate orally. Our small staff/student ratio ensures a caring, supportive, and nurturing environment optimizing the acquisition of listening, learning, and speaking skills. School-wide thematic-integrated instruction provides each child the opportunity to advance speech and language skills according to individual developmental needs.

The School promotes and strongly encourages active parent involvement including participation in class, therapy, and school wide activities. Parental involvement is an integral component to each child's success. The highly qualified staff provides education and guidance to parents so that they may assist their child in developing independence and self-sufficiency.

History

Since opening on July 29, 1996, the School has occupied a unique position in the greater Sacramento area. As California's only auditory/oral school north of San Francisco, CCHAT serves students from a wide region. CCHAT is one of three schools owned and operated by the Foundation for Hearing Research, Inc. that is based in Redwood City and headquartered at the Jean Weingarten Peninsula Oral School for the Deaf (JWPOSD). Since its inception, the CCHAT Center-Sacramento has benefited from mentoring by Kathleen Daniel Sussman, JWPOSD Director and her staff. To date, CCHAT has served students from 24 school districts or county parent/infant programs.

Our Staff and Advisory Board

The CCHAT staff includes five teachers, six speech-language pathologists, and five instructional aides, supported by an administrative staff comprised of the Principal, Development Director, and School Secretary.

Faculty & Staff Profiles: Teachers

Diane Durston: Diane is in her 21 st year as a deaf educator and joined the faculty at CCHAT's inception 12 years ago. Her morning music sessions start each day at CCHAT. Diane earned her undergraduate degree in history at Stanford University and her M.A. in Special Education with an emphasis on the deaf and hard of hearing from the University of California, San Francisco.

Janaé Lallement: Janae is starting her 12th year as a Teacher of the Deaf. She received her B.A. and M.A. in Communicative Disorders with an option in Education of the Deaf from CSU, Fresno. She began teaching at CCHAT during CCHATÕs first year. She serves as the mentor-teacher for new teaching staff.

Leah Awender: Leah joined the permanent teaching staff 4 years ago after several months working as a part-time aide and substitute teacher. She earned her B.S. in mathematics and economics at the University of California, Los Angeles and is working towards a master's degree at San Francisco State University.

Melissa Spate: Melissa has joined our team this year. She received her BA in Communicative Disorders and Deaf Studies and her MA in Deaf Education from California State University, Fresno.

Faculty & Staff Profiles: Therapists

Lisa McWilliams: Lisa has been a Speech-Language Pathologist for 17 years and came to CCHAT 9 years ago. She received her B.S. in Speech Pathology & Audiology and an M.S. in Speech Pathology from California State University, Sacramento. Lisa served as Acting Director and currently serves as a Speech Language Pathology coordinator.

Michelle Harder: Michelle has been at CCHAT for 10 of her 12 years as a Speech-Language Pathologist. She earned her B.A. and M.A. degrees in Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology from California State University, Chico and previously worked in rehabilitation center settings.

Jody Wassermann: Jody is beginning her eighth year at CCHAT. She earned B.S. and M.S. degrees in Speech Language Pathology from California State University, Sacramento and worked previously in both public school and rehabilitation center settings.

Nancy Gervais: Nancy joined CCHAT in 2003 and has been a Speech-Language Pathologist for 6 years. She earned her B.A. in English from California State University, San Francisco. Her B.S. in Speech Pathology and Audiology and M.S. in Speech Pathology were earned at California State University, Sacramento. She has worked with the hearing impaired for 7 1/2 years.

Marie Lopez: Marie was one of the original staff members when CCHAT first opened. She has a BA and MA in Communication Disorders with authorization for teaching special education from Whittier College. She has 20 years experience working in schools and private practice and has recently re-joined the CCHAT staff.

Faculty & Staff Profiles: Administration & Development

Laura Turner: A licensed audiologist as well as teacher of the deaf, Laura joined CCHAT in 2004 and has been promoted to principal last year. She earned her B.A. in Communication Disorders from California State University, Long Beach, an M.A. in Communicative Disorders - Audiology from California State University, Los Angeles, and an M.Ed. in Special Education from the University of Utah. 

Karen McNaught: joined the CCHAT Center in December 2007 as the Development Director.  Prior to joining CCHAT, she worked 10 years as Executive Director for the Mountain View Central Business Association, (a non-profit merchant’s association) promoting business growth, advocating for downtown improvements and producing high quality community events to attract greater consumer awareness of the rich, diverse business community in downtown Mountain View.  Additionally, Karen has served on Boards and City Council appointed committees and in 1999 received the Business Women of the Year award from the Mountain View Chamber of Commerce for her extensive work in the community.

Ronda Rufsvold: Ronda, the school secretary is new to CCHAT this year. Ronda is a recent graduate of University of the Pacific, where she was involved with her sorority, Delta Delta Delta. She earned a B.S. in Speech Language Pathology and is pursuing a Master’s degree in Special Education through the John Tracy Clinic/University San Diego.

Advisory Board

The Advisory Board serves to aid and guide the CCHAT Center-Sacramento. Board activities focus on fundraising, outreach, and developing community partnerships.

Advisory Board Profiles

Anne Harry, Advisory Board President: Anne Harry is a parent representative on the board. Her son Mitchell was among the first children to enroll and complete the CCHAT Center-Sacramento program. He is now 13 years old and attends his neighborhood public school. A graduate of the University of California, Davis where she was a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma national sorority, Anne taught elementary school in Elk Grove prior to becoming a parent. She has remained involved with CCHAT because she wants to see other children benefit in the way Mitchell did. Anne has been a Cub Scout den leader, school site coordinator and regional board member for Destination Imagination and spent several years as a member of the GATE Program Parent Advisory Board in the Elk Grove Unified School District.

Cathy Mouchka, Secretary: Cathy Mouchka is a Consulting Analyst with Mission consulting, Inc., a Sacramento based telecommunications and information technology consulting firm. She earned her B.A. in Communication Studies (public relations emphasis) from California State University, Sacramento where she also earned an M.A. in Education and Special Education. Deaf and legally blind since birth, Cathy wears a cochlear implant in her right ear and a hearing aid in her left ear. As a young child, she benefited from oral deaf education and was mainstreamed in hometown private and public schools beginning with kindergarten. She is a member of Alpha Chi Omega national sorority and is active in the Junior League of Sacramento, Inc.

Sherri Bergmann: Born with a profound hearing loss, Sherri Bergmann attended an oral only school for the deaf in Michigan throughout her preschool years and mainstreamed successfully into public elementary school. She earned her B.A. from Washington State University where she majored in English and minored in Fine Arts with a strong background in communications, public relations, advertising and journalism. Sherri is a graphic designer for HealthNet Federal Services and owns the Publish Now and Community Press desktop publishing business. She has been active in the parent association of her children's school as well as the Citrus Heights Chamber of Commerce. Sherri produced the Chamber's Business Directory and various public relations materials and won the city's 2001 logo design contest for Family Sunday Fun-day in the Park, a popular annual event. An active advocate for the deaf/hearing impaired (particularly for the oral option), Sherri has written several articles for corporate publications pertaining to deaf advocacy.

Monica Healey: Monica Healey is an active community volunteer, homemaker, and mom extraordinaire. She wears a cochlear implant and serves as the California Nucleus Liaison for Cochlear Americas. Before becoming a full-time mom, she was an accountant and earned two bachelor degrees at California State University, Northridge where she majored in both Business Administration (accounting emphasis) and Therapeutic Recreation. Monica's profound hearing loss was diagnosed at age 2 and her parents were among the eight founding families at the Jean Weingarten Peninsula Oral School for the Deaf (JWPOSD) located in Redwood City, California. After attending JWPOSD, Monica was mainstreamed in public schools where there was no deaf program. She co-owns and moderates an online forum for prelingually deaf cochlear implant users and potential implant candidates. Monica is a member of Alpha Omicron Pi national sorority and currently focuses the rest of her volunteer activities in support of her children and their school.

Jenifer Klaus: is a real estate broker and a licensed tax preparer. She and her husband, Chris, own and operate Klaus Financial Services in Roseville where they provide income tax, accounting, payroll, and loan services to over 250 clients and small businesses. Jenifer earned a BA in modern languages from California State University, Sonoma and also has a degree in business administration. She is a member of the National Association of Tax Professionals, American Payroll Association, and National Institute of Professional Bookkeepers.

M. Elizabeth Ware: earned her undergraduate degree in history at the University of Idaho and an M.A. in Government with an emphasis on administration at The George Washington University. She has been an administrator in higher education and worked on Capitol Hill, in the New York City Mayor's Office, and in California state government. She was Executive director for CCHAT from 2003 to 2006.
Keith Sealund a former Fortune 500 business executive and Marine Corps Officer, now owns and operates a Marketing Business with his lovely bride Debra. Keith’s experience as a “change agent and leader” has served him well in his new role as CEO of American River Advertising. In this capacity Keith and his team assist local area businesses achieve their growth goals. Keith has a desk drawer full of accreditations and accolades, including degrees in Economics and Political Science.

Don Corliss New to the state of California, Don moved here 5 years ago from Oregon where he worked in the ceramic tile construction industry. He has been involved in local business and sales in the construction industry for over 25 years. Don has been involved in past fund raising events and is looking to continue this role with the organization. Don became involved in the CCHAT center after attending a lunch event back in 2005 and his daughter Christy is currently a teacher’s aid at the school.

Kathy Sussman, Ex-officio: A past President of the Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Kathy Sussman is Executive Director at the Jean Weingarten Peninsula Oral School for the Deaf/ Foundation for Hearing Research. She earned a B.S. in Special Education & Early Childhood from George Peabody College (Tennessee) and an M.S. in Speech and Hearing from Washington University (St. Louis). A former Director of the Louisville Deaf Oral School (Kentucky) and Supervisor at the Montreal Oral School for the Deaf in Montreal (Canada) she has extensive experience mentoring and consulting with oral deaf schools as well as programs that train teachers of the deaf. Kathy developed and published "Rhythmic Phonetics" a new speech tool being used nationally and internationally and has worked diligently on an international level for the advancement of oral deaf education.

Norman Waters, Ex-officio: A former president of the Foundation for Hearing Research, which owns and operates three oral deaf schools in California, Norman Waters has been a mainstay of the Advisory Board. Norm earned his B.A. in Business Administration from the University of Washington and worked for thirty years at Lockheed Missiles Systems Co. where he was Director of Financial Controls charged with cost estimating, contract negotiation, budget establishment, and cost control functions. In addition to working with the Foundation for Hearing Research and the CCHAT Center-Sacramento, Norm has been active in the Lions Community Association.

Oversight

Oversight of the CCHAT Center-Sacramento is provided by the Foundation for Hearing Research (FHR) Board of Directors and the CCHAT Center Advisory Board. Implementation of the CCHAT Center educational program and policies is under the direction of an on site Principal who work closely with the FHR Executive Director and Education Consultant.

Educational Programs

CCHAT Center-Sacramento was founded to teach children who are deaf or hard of hearing to listen and talk. Through parent participation and intensive training and teaching, the children enrolled in the CCHAT Center-Sacramento receive a high quality education. The focus is on a team approach with the teacher, therapist, and family working together to achieve one common goal. That goal is for children to leave the center and transition back into their elementary schools and participate in regular education classes with their hearing peers.  Academic progress is tracked by progress reports, report cards, and IEP/IFSP benchmarks and annual goals as appropriate.

School Accountability Report Card (PDF document, 120K - This is a PDF document in Adobe Acrobat format. You may need to install the Adobe Acrobat Reader to see it.)

Baby & Me Programs

The Parent, Infant and Toddler Program offers training, guidance and support to parents of the very youngest deaf and hard of hearing children while teaching them the foundation for their child's speech and language development. Participation can start immediately after early diagnosis. The "Baby and Me" playgroup class is held once a week for 1-2 hours and involves infant and parent participation. Also included are individual speech, language and auditory therapy, cochlear implant and hearing aid training and support, parent education, and a parent support network.

Climber Program

The Climber Program was introduced in January 2008 and was designed to be a bridge between the Baby & Me Program and the Toddler Program.  Participation starts at 18 months.  This class is two times a week for 2 1⁄2 hours a day.  Each student who attends the Climber program receives daily speech, language, and listening therapy. Other aspects of the CCHAT Center's programs are offered in our daily music program that utilizes Rhythmic Phonetics and other innovative methods to enhance the development of speech and language skills.

Toddler, Preschool & Pre-Kindergarten Programs

CCHAT Center-Sacramento offers preschool programs for children from 2 months to 5 years of age.  The staff creates a supportive learning environment that follows the child’s developmental age and individual learning styles.

• Subjects and skills are integrated, not taught separately.
• Learning takes place through active exploration and interaction with people and materials.
• Children are given choices.
• Teachers foster competence and independence.

The classes provide additional instruction that is unique to each child's needs. The standard auditory/oral program is enhanced by use of pre-reading and pre-math skills parallel to that taught in public school.

Each student who attends the Preschool program receives daily speech, language, and listening therapy. Other aspects of the CCHAT Center's programs are offered in our daily music program that utilizes Rhythmic Phonetics and other innovative methods to enhance the development of speech and language skills. Consultation and diagnostic services are also available.

Kindergarten & Primary Grade Programs

CCHAT Center-Sacramento is certified by the State of California to provide school based services for children through 2nd grade. All classes have a low student teacher ratio. Class size ranges from two to ten students, depending upon the lesson or activity. This ensures that individualized attention is devoted to the promotion of speech, language, listening, and thinking skills. The Center currently has kindergarten, first, and second grade classrooms.

In the elementary programs state approved reading and math curriculums are used.  Instruction is guided by CCHAT Center – Sacramento’s thematic unit outline and by the California Content Standards.  Instruction and achievement is monitored through regular assignments and feedback is provided to students and parents through progress reports, parent conferences, and report cards.

CCHAT Center – Sacramento provides high quality standard aligned text books and instructional materials for each student.  All instructional materials and text books in each core subject are current and in good condition.  Students in the primary grades participate in a physical education program that meets state standards.

Mainstream Support Programs

CCHAT Center-Sacramento operates to teach children who are deaf and hard of hearing to listen and talk and transition them into a regular education setting. Staff is committed to developing the speech, language, listening, thinking, and social skills that will allow the child to have a successful mainstream experience. Families are guided in choosing the appropriate educational placement as their child enters the mainstream experience and the school will provide mainstream support services to ensure success and assist as necessary. Additional mainstream support services are provided on an as needed basis depending upon the unique individual needs of the child.

Extended School Year Program

CCHAT Center – Sacramento has a 15 day extended year program.  We provide opportunities for each student to work in large and small group settings with hearing peers &/or siblings in a fun, less-structured environment.  The same IEP/IFSP expectations are held for each student, but it is “camp” and we want them to perceive this time as different and special for them.  Older students (Pre-K, Kindergarten, & Primary) will have the opportunity to work with a number of teachers throughout the day.  This is a good opportunity for students to generalize what they have learned during the school year to other situations and different people.  Younger students remain with one teacher throughout the camp day.  Students continue to attend individual therapy during summer camp.

Extracurricular Programs

All families are encouraged to involve their children in mainstream activities. Participation in activities that will provide involvement with hearing peers will broaden each student's social horizons and provide an opportunity to practice the listening and talking skills emphasized at the CCHAT Center. This will help pave the way for mainstreaming. CCHAT faculty members work with parents to identify ways to mainstream their children in age and level appropriate activities. 

Clinical Services

On Site Audiological Services

CCHAT is committed to ensuring continuous use of appropriate devices for each child's optimal use of residual hearing.

CCHAT teachers are experts in today's listening technologies. All of them have an understanding of what each child can hear through his or her device/s. All are trained to make the best use of classroom sound-field and fm systems that bring sound and voices directly to the children. Our teaching staff has the expertise and the state-of-the-art equipment to ensure each child derives maximum benefit from hearing aids and cochlear implants to give each child the best possible educational advantage.

The CCHAT teachers are assisted by a comprehensive school pediatric audiology program. Services include hearing aid and cochlear implant component analysis, programming, repair and loaner hearing aids, and a pediatric audiologist serving the school children right on the premises.

CCHAT's pediatric audiologist works with the coordinating teachers and children to ensure optimal use of residual hearing in combination with the listening device being used, whether a cochlear implant or a hearing aid or both.

The children's hearing aids are regularly analyzed to check frequency response, power output and distortion characteristics. Loaner hearing aids and replacement equipment for external cochlear implant components are readily available at CCHAT so no child misses a moment of learning.

Speech, Language & Listening Therapy

At CCHAT daily individual therapy sessions for each child is provided for a minimum of 30 minutes four times a week. This is an integral part of our educational program and provides the opportunity to integrate audition, cognition, speech, and language.  Students attend pragmatic group therapy one time per week. Parents are expected to participate in each individual therapy session in the Baby & Me Program and participate at least on a weekly basis for Toddler through Primary grades, in the classroom, and in therapy. Diagnostic services, as well as therapy services, are available for children with hearing impairment not enrolled in the school.

Student speech, language, and listening, progress are reported to the student’s parents and LEA through reports which include:  assessment results (including standardized assessments, teacher observations, performance assessments, language samples, etc.), present levels of performance, and quarterly progress on annual goals and/or benchmarks as required by the student’s IEP/IFSP. 

Students are encouraged to make “adequate” progress in their language development.  CCHAT defines this as:  A child with optimal amplification should make at least one year of language progress in one year’s time.  While the professional and parents should set and maintain high expectations, consideration should also be given to the unique life circumstances of each child. 

Speech & Language Assessment

Student speech, language, and listening progress is reported to the student’s parents and LEA through reports which include:  assessment results (including standardized assessments, teacher observations, performance assessments, language samples, etc.), present levels of performance, and quarterly progress on annual goals and/or benchmarks as required by the student’s IEP/IFSP. 

Students are encouraged to make “adequate” progress in their language development.  CCHAT defines this as:  A child with optimal amplification should make at least one year of language progress in one year’s time.  While the professional and parents should set and maintain high expectations, consideration should also be given to the unique life circumstances of each child. 
To arrange for an educational assessment and/or a tour of the CCHAT Center, contact Ronda Rufsvold at 916-361-7290.

Additional Programs

Parent Support & Education

All CCHAT parents are invited to educational group meetings held five times a year. Topics include child development, behavior management, dealing with feelings, using books to stimulate language development, toileting issues, devices for deaf and hearing-impaired children, and causes of childhood deafness. Staff and guest speakers present the meetings. Panels of other parents of older children as well as panels of older hearing-impaired students may answer questions for the parent group.

Parents of children in the Baby & Program have the opportunity for monthly individual education sessions with a teacher in the Family Center. Parents of children of all ages are encouraged to observe their child's program, talk with the teacher, and meet with the principal. Parents may invite other family members or care providers to tour the school.

News and Information

Event Calendar 2008

• January 1-8 Winter Break
• January 7 Inservice Day
• January 17 Parent Meeting
• January 21 Martin Luther King Jr Holiday
• January 23 Friends for Lunch
• February 11 Lincoln’s Birthday Holiday
• February 18 President’s Day Holiday
• March 13 Parent Meeting
• March 17-24 Spring Break
• March 26 Friends for Lunch
• April 14 Inservice Day
• April 21 Non-Duty Day
• May 21 Friends for Lunch
• May 22 Open House
• May 26 Memorial day Holiday
• June 16-30 Summer Break
• July 7-25 Summer Camp (Extended School year)

Alumni

Lifelong friendships are formed at the CCHAT Center and alumni students and families are encouraged to maintain their CCHAT ties. The CCHAT Center holds an annual Homecoming Event and all former students and their families are encouraged to attend. Other opportunities for continued participation include serving on parent meeting presentation panels, participating in the parent CCHAT Group, and helping with CCHAT development and volunteer activities. Each summer, CCHAT alumni students have the opportunity to mentor younger CCHAT students by serving as CITs (counselor in training) during the Summer Camp program.

Fundraising

Income from school district tuition covers just over half the CCHAT budget. Thus, financial support from charitable gifts is essential to CCHAT's operation. Without financial support from the community, individuals, and foundations, CCHAT-Sacramento would not be able to continue providing its outstanding auditory/oral deaf education program. Service organizations, corporations that would like to forge strong community partnerships, family foundations, and caring individuals are all important components of the CCHAT development program, coordinated by Karen McNaught, Development Director. Ms. McNaught and her team of dedicated volunteers work to provide the fiscal foundation upon which CCHAT's program relies. Individuals who would like to learn more about how to help the CCHAT Center-Sacramento are encouraged to contact Karen McNaught at 916-361-7290.

Capital Campaign

A Brighter Future…  The CCHAT Center – Sacramento opened its doors on July 29, 1996 with the mission of teaching deaf and hard-of-hearing children in the Sacramento area to listen, think, and talk. At that time, the school had 10 students and 5 staff members. A decade later, CCHAT has now served deaf and hard-of-hearing students from more than 24 school districts and county parent/infant programs and currently has over 50 students enrolled and 21 staff members.  With the implementation of the California Newborn Hearing Screening Program more students and families are anticipated.

It became apparent over the past few years that the church hall, where the CCHAT Center had been housed, was running out of space.  It had become increasingly difficult to accommodate the growing numbers of students and their families.  But because of a deep commitment on the part of the families, community, and staff at the CCHAT Center that every child with hearing impairment should be given the opportunity to learn to listen and talk, the search for a new facility began.

It is with great anticipation and excitement that we can now announce that the Foundation for Hearing Research has purchased a new facility for the CCHAT Center – Sacramento in Rancho Cordova.  CCHAT opened its doors at the new facility in February 2008.  This facility will accommodate the growing numbers of children and families requesting services and allow staff to better meet the unique needs of children with hearing impairment in the 21st century. 

This new facility provides an ideal learning environment for children who are deaf and hard-of-hearing. Each classroom is acoustically sound. Anti-static carpeting will help eliminate any static electricity that may naturally occur as this could erase the "mapping" of a student's cochlear implant. For the student's safety there is an extra loud fire alarm system with flashing lights. The facility will also provides more classrooms, speech and language therapy rooms, a Parent and Infant Family Center, an on-site audiology center, and a safe and well designed playground.

To fully realize our vision requires that we raise $1.5 million over the next 18 months.  This new facility will change lives in the most fundamental way, helping to make it possible for deaf children to achieve their goals by learning to listen, think, and talk.  An anonymous private family foundation has pledged to match every dollar raised up to $300,000.

The Capitol Campaign for the CCHAT Center Sacramento offers the opportunity to give gifts that will be recognized in perpetuity.  There are naming opportunities may also be used to honor a friend or alumni of the school, remember a relative, or recognize an organization.  Gifts may be made as pledges payable over three years, to Build A Brighter Future for Deaf and Hard-of Hearing Students and their Families.   

Please contact Karen McNaught for more information 916-361-7290.

Getting In

Admission Procedures

Prior to admission to CCHAT, our staff takes care to determine if our school is the appropriate placement for the child and family.  This generally occurs during a diagnostic period comprised of observations, review of all of the child’s records, formal and informal testing, and family assessment that centers around the parents’ ability to participate in their child’s education. 
During this time, the parents will be asked to participate weekly in therapy and class, attend parent meetings and meet with their child’s teacher and therapist.  They are also asked to begin the funding process by contacting the program director in their own school district or county Early Start Program.

Upon acceptance into the program, an IFSP/IEP will be scheduled with the child’s school district. This process includes evaluations by both the district and CCHAT to determine if CCHAT offers services that the child cannot receive in his/her own district that will facilitate development of spoken language and successful mainstreaming.  In many cases, the school district supports the parents’ decision and will fund the child’s enrollment at CCHAT.  In some cases, the district may be unwilling to do so.  The family will then be asked to engage in further discussions, negotiations, and in a rare case, a fair hearing.  This is all known as due process.  CCHAT will actively assist parents with this process.

There are a number of documents that need to be completed for both the diagnostic period and full admission.  Additionally, there will be documents to complete at the beginning of each school year.

Fees

Fees at the CCHAT Center are negotiated between each school district or county Office of Education and the CCHAT Center.  Fees may vary according to the type of services that are provided.  Initial fees are waived during a diagnostic period in order for children to be enrolled and evaluated while parents begin the process for placement through their school district, SELPA, or county Office of Education.  This period will continue through mediation and/or the fair hearing process, but no longer than one year.  If, as the result of the fair hearing process, the child is not placed at the CCHAT Center and the parents wish to have the child at CCHAT, parents may complete an application with the Foundation for Hearing Research or AG Bell Association for a possible scholarship.  The scholarship application process requires submission of the parents’ last federal income tax return.  No child will be denied services for financial reasons.

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For more information about oral deaf education, auditory devices like hearing aids and cochlear implants, advocacy for the deaf, financial aid, award-winning public school programs, therapists, and other organizations that help deaf children learn to listen and speak visit the: Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing