Desert Voices is a private oral school in central Phoenix where children with hearing impairments learn to listen, talk and participate more fully
in school and everyday life. Desert Voices provides a unique program in Arizona for parents who have chosen speaking as the primary means of communication
for their child.
The school's mission is to teach children the necessary spoken language skills to talk and to understand when others talk to them. In addition, the
children are taught academics, including reading, math, science, and social studies. However, our program does not stop there. We also help each
child gain self-confidence in a carefully structured and nurturing environment, which allows each child to develop a positive self-image and to reach
his or her full potential.
The ultimate goal for our students is to leave Desert Voices with age appropriate language skills so they can mainstream into a traditional school
with hearing children their age.
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- Contact Information
- Directions
- Environs
- Educational Philosophy
- History
- Our Staff
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- Parent Involvement
- Academic
- Mainstream
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- Admission
- Tuition
- Financial Aid
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About the School
Contact Information
Desert
Voices Oral Learning Center
Linda Malmberg, Interim Executive Director
3426 E. Shea Blvd
Phoenix, Arizona 85028
View this location and get directions from Yahoo!
Maps
(602) 224-0598 voice
(602) 224-2460 fax
Email: director@desertvoices.phxcoxmail.com
Directions
Directions from the Airport: Traveling from the Sky Harbor Airport, follow Highway 51 to the Shea exit. Turn right (east) on Shea. Desert Voices is
on the left (north) side of Shea Blvd. approximately one block from the highway.
Environs
Desert Voices is conveniently located in central Phoenix near Highway 51. This location makes the school accessible to families who live in the surrounding
areas.
Educational Philosphy
Desert Voices adheres to an auditory/oral philosophy in
the education of children with hearing impairments. Developing the ability to speak makes it possible to communicate with people who do not understand
sign language and allows for independence and participation in the world at large. Most children who are deaf, regardless of the severity of hearing
impairment, can learn to speak and to understand the speech of others. Through the maximum use of hearing aids or cochlear implants, a child can
acquire speech and oral language skills.
Children with hearing aids and cochlear implants must learn to understand the speech sounds that they hear and what the sounds mean. The children
need a very structured learning environment, small classroom size and a staff educated and experienced to teach them. Our student-teacher ratio of
better than five-to-one allows for individualized instruction in the classroom. This allows for the time and resources needed to tailor instruction
to each child's learning style and abilities in speech, language, reading, and writing so that each child can progress at an individual pace.
History
1996 Desert Voices was founded by a group of local parents
as the only non-profit, private school in Arizona to provide intensive oral language instruction to meet the specialized needs of children with severe
to profound hearing impairments.
1997 Desert Voices, with the assistance of national expert, Jean Sachar Moog, opened its doors as a Moog Curriculum school for children ages three
to eight.
1999 Desert Voices established the Birth to Three program for infants and toddlers.
2000 Desert Voices implemented the Mainstreaming Transition program.
2002 Desert Voices expanded Birth to Three services to include a Toddler Program.
2002 Desert Voices purchased and renovated facility with move in on March 1.
Desert Voices is the only oral education school in the state of Arizona. Children from Maricopa County and surrounding communities attend Desert Voices.
Desert Voices serves infants, toddlers and children up to the age of nine who are hearing impaired, whose parents desire spoken language as their
primary form of communication and who can benefit from our curriculum, regardless of gender, economic, religious or ethnic status.
Our Staff
We believe the teaching staff is critical to the success of our oral education program. Our teachers are skilled in teaching spoken language to children
who are deaf. They teach language, syntax, speech, auditory skills and the academic subjects. Our small faculty/student ratio allows us to provide
a program that is specifically designed to fit the unique abilities and learning style of each child.
In addition to our Director, we employ certified oral teachers of the deaf, early childhood development teachers, speech language pathologists, and
teachers' aides. Desert Voices encourages continued education of the staff through attendance at professional conferences.
Educational Programs
Desert Voices holds accreditation from the Arizona State Board of Education and licenses for preschool and day care from the Arizona Department of Health.
Jean Sachar Moog, Director for Oral Deafness Programs for the Oberkotter Foundation, developed our curriculum while she was principal at the Central Institute
for the Deaf in St. Louis. The award-winning curriculum has twice been recognized for excellence by the U.S. Department of Education. No other program for
children with hearing impairments has received this award.
Parent Involvement
We strongly believe that family support is essential to our
student's success and that teachers and parents are partners in fostering each child's education. Our parents actively participate in their child's education
and language development through a daily activity notebook, teacher conferences, a parent education program, social activities, classroom observations, and
volunteering.
The Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) also supports Desert Voices by welcoming new families, planning social activities and participating in fundraising
drives.
Academic Program
Birth to Three
This program provides one-on-one therapy several times a week. The speech pathologist focuses on developing awareness of sound and use of language through
structured play-based activities. Parents participate in the sessions to learn how to work with their child independently.
The Toddler Group is a peer group session for children enrolled in the Birth to Three program. The children have the opportunity to participate in
a 3.5-hour group several times a week.
Educational This full-day program for children ages 3 to 9, tailors instruction to each child's learning style and abilities in speech, language, reading,
writing, and other academic subjects. We also develop the child's creativity, social interaction skills, fine motor skills and cognitive understanding of
their environment.
Parent Education
This program is optional
for any parent whose child receives services from Desert Voices. Regular meetings provide parents an excellent network of support and information on language
development, social interaction, behavior management, educational resources and hearing technology option.
Mainstream Program
Mainstream Transition is available to students who are preparing
to leave the educational program. By attending a local elementary school for part of each day, we help prepare students for mainstreaming by exposing them
to a large classroom with background noise and hearing students.
Clinical Services
Assessment
Once enrolled, the child's progress is monitored
by (a) quarterly progress reports, (b) annual language, speech and auditory assessments, and an (c) Individual Educational Plan (IEP) developed annually.
Desert Voices has long-standing relationships with audiologists and neuro-otologic surgeons at the Mayo Clinic, Good Samaritan, Phoenix Children's and St.
Joseph's hospitals. Desert Voices routinely works with the child's healthcare professional(s) to ensure the sharing of accurate information, observations
and testing results.
News and Information
In the News
May, 2004
- Desert Voices enjoyed a record number of graduating students. Eight children trasitioned into their school of choice with hearing peers.
- Alumni student, Danielle, scored in the top 3% for hearing impaired students nationwide on standardized testing. Way to go Danielle!
- Carrier Herr, a teacher at Desert Voices since its inception, was promoted to the position of Coordinating Teacher.
- Current student, Brooke, was chosen to represent Desert Voices for the Thunderbirds "Birdies for Charity" campaign in conjunction with the FBR
Open.
Fundraising
Each year, more than 250 children in Arizona are born with a hearing
impairment, the most common disability present at birth. Children who are identified by six months of age and receive frequent and intensive early intervention
services, like those at Desert Voices, will have an increased opportunity to acquire language at the same level as their hearing peers. As more children
are identified through Arizona's hospitals newborn screening initiative and enroll in the programs at Desert Voices, operational funding for tuition scholarships,
additional highly educated staff, and specialized instructional resources dramatically increases. Your support makes a difference in the number of deaf
children learning to talk.
As a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, Desert Voices relies on school district contracts, contributions from individuals, and grants from corporations and
foundations. Currently all tax-deductible donations are matched, dollar for dollar, by a private family foundation. If you would like to help support this
very special school, there are several ways in which you can contribute:
- If you are an Arizona taxpayer, you can send your contribution through the Arizona Scholarship Fund (ASF) and receive up to a $625 tax credit on your
state income taxes. The ASF will send 90% of your contribution to Desert Voices to be used exclusively as tuition support. So that Desert Voices is the
beneficiary of your generosity, please specify Desert Voices on the memo portion of your check. Mail your contribution to the Arizona Scholarship Fund
at PO Box 2576, Mesa, AZ 85214-2576. ASF also accepts donations through credit cards, payroll deductions, and bank drafts. (480) 497-4564
- If you are an Arizona resident, send your contribution through the Valley of the Sun United Way donor choice program either through your employer payroll
deduction program or directly to the United Way at 1515 E. Osborn Road, Phoenix AZ 85064. Desert Voices' students will be the beneficiary of 90% of your
funds if you will include our agency code # 0853, and mailing address along with your donation.
- Send your contribution directly to Desert Voices at 3426 E. Shea Blvd., Phoenix, AZ 85028, where 100% of your donation will benefit children through
tuition support, classroom materials, expanded programs and community outreach.
Getting In
Admission Procedures
All applicants are evaluated for hearing, speech, language, and learning
ability to determine if our school would be an appropriate educational placement for the child and to assist in properly placing the child in our program.
Our school calendar generally follows the traditional public school calendars in the Phoenix metropolitan area from mid-August to the end of May. We also
offer summer school during the month of June.
Desert Voices Oral Learning Center admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs and activities
generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin in administration
of its educational policies, admission policies, scholarship and loan programs, and other school-administered programs.
Tuition and Financial Aid
As a private school, Desert Voices charges yearly tuition, to be paid over ten months. Summer school is available for an additional fee. Tuition charges to
parents are a sharing of the total costs of instruction. Parents are encouraged to approach their school district and insurance company for funding, prior
to seeking financial assistance from Desert Voices. Desert Voices contracts with public school districts to provide oral education services to children in
their district. Financial aid scholarships are available based on need. Our philosophy is that no child will be turned away based on financial reasons.
Desert Voices also has a service contract with the Arizona Scholarship Fund a school tuition organization that assists
parents in raising tuition funds for their child and the school the child attends.