 
At the Moog Center for Deaf Education we teach deaf children to talk and we teach others to do it, too. Located in St. Louis, Missouri, our center
serves children birth to 9 years. In addition through our Professional Education and Outreach Programs we share our successful techniques with
other professionals, and our staff is involved in a number of applied research projects.
Our highly individualized instruction is tailored to each child's present level of achievement and learning style. Children are grouped according
to their abilities in each subject area, including speech, language, auditory skills and academics. Our teachers know how to gear instruction to
be at just the right level for maximum challenge and maximum success. This is not only highly motivating for our children but results in their having
high self esteem.
Our children learn how to talk and understand when others talk to them. They also learn the same subjects as hearing children in preschool and early
elementary school. Our goal is to prepare our children to enter the mainstream whenever they have acquired the skills necessary for competing successfully
with their hearing age mates. This may be anywhere from kindergarten to third grade. The Moog Center serves as a model for other Moog Schools, established
by parents and professional with similar high expectations in cities where there previously had been no oral school. Following is a list of current
Moog Schools: Child's Voice in the Chicago area, Presbyterian Ear Institute Oral
School in Albuquerque, Desert Voices in Phoenix, Northern Voices in
the twin cities in Minnesota, and Ohio Valley Voices in Cincinnati, Ohio, the Moog School
at Columbia in Columbia Missouri, Buffalo Hearing and Speech Center in Buffalo, and Colegio
Las Lomas Oral in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
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- Contact Information
- Directions
- Environs
- Mission Statement
- Educational Philosophy
- History
- Our Staff
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- Parent / Infant
- Preschool
- Academic
- Mainstream
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- Audiological
- Cochlear Implant
- Assessment
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- Summer Session
- Professional Outreach
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- Workshops
- Fundraising
- Alumni
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- Admission
- Tuition
- Financial Aid
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About the School
Contact Information
Jean Sachar Moog, Executive Director
Betsy Moog Brooks, Director of The Moog Family School
Christine H. Gustus, Director of Admissions and Evaluations
The Moog Center for Deaf Education
12300 South Forty Drive
St. Louis, MO 63141
View this location and get directions from Yahoo!
Maps
Phone: (314) 692-7172
Fax: (314) 692-8544
TTY: (314) 692-7282
Email (Jean Sachar Moog): jmoog@moogcenter.org
Email (Betsy Moog Brooks): bbrooks@moogcenter.org
Email (Christine H. Gustus): cgustus@moogcenter.org
Directions
From West of 270 on I64/US40
- Take I-64 /US 40 to Ballas Road exit
- Go south on Ballas to Clayton Road
- Go west (right) on Clayton Road to Municipal Center Drive, at light
- Go north (right) on Municipal Center Drive, which turns, into South Forty Drive
- The Moog Center is the fourth building on the left, just after the curve
From East of 270 on I64/US40
- Take I-64 /US 40 to Ballas Road exit
- Continue from step 2 above.
From North of I64/US40 on 270
- Take 270 South to East I64/US40 exit.
- After merging onto East I64/40, quickly get into far right lane to take the Ballas Road exit.
- Take Ballas Road exit south.
- Continue from step 2 above.
From South of I64/US40 on 270
- Take 270 North to East I64/US40 exit.
- After merging onto East I64/40, stay in the far right lane to take the Ballas Road exit.
- Take Ballas Road exit south.
- Continue from step 2 above.
Environs
The Moog Center for Deaf Education is located in beautiful Town
and Country, a residential suburb about 8 miles west of the city of St. Louis. Our location, near 3 major highways, makes us easily accessible from all parts
of St. Louis and St. Louis County.
We're in Missouri, the "show-me" state, and we believe that to understand what the Moog Center for Deaf Education has to offer, you need to see it.
We hope you will plan a visit and let us show you how we teach deaf children to talk and how our school can benefit your child.
Mission Statement
We teach deaf children to talk and we teach others to do
it too.
The Moog Center provides a supportive and stimulating learning environment for children who are deaf and hard of hearing and their families. From the time we
begin working with children and their families our program focuses on helping the children learn to use spoken language well enough for that to be their means
of communicating. Our emphasis on very young children underlines our belief in capitalizing on the critical learning period for language, namely birth to five
years. In order to fulfill this mission our program includes the following goals:
- Help each child gain self-confidence and achieve success in a carefully structured, nurturing environment
- Help families learn what they can do to accelerate their child's development of spoken language
- Individualize instruction in all aspects of spoken language development as well as cognitive and academic skills typical of children in preschool and early
elementary grades
- Assist each child in learning all the basic academics and skills that hearing children are learning
Educational Philosophy
We Believe ...
Deaf children can learn to talk
The more children hear, the easier it is to learn to talk.
The more children talk, the better they get at talking.
The earlier children start talking, the faster they learn.
The more targeted the instruction, the better children learn.
The more parents learn, the more they can help.
The more fun we have, the harder we work.
The harder we work, the more fun we have.
History
Our Center was founded in 1996 by a group of innovative,
experienced teachers and dedicated and determined parents with high expectations. Over 75% of our families have moved to St. Louis so their children could
attend the Moog Center for Deaf Education.
Our school is now 11 years old and we have 120 alumni. In celebration of our 10th anniversary, parents of the Moog Center wrote Journeys
With Our Children,
a book in which they share touching stories of experiences with their children. Journeys with Our Children can be purchased from the Moog Center. (See publications)
In addition to the programs we provide to families and children from birth to 9 years of age, we also have had a commitment to teaching others to implement
our successful curriculum. Moog curriculum Schools in Albuquerque, Buffalo, Chicago, Cincinnati, Minneapolis, Phoenix and Columbia, Missouri as well as in
Buenos Aires, Argentina are providing children and families in their areas with the opportunity to learn to talk. We help teachers, speech language pathologists
and audiologists improve their skills through workshops at Moog Center, in-service training and coaching on-site at their schools and presentations at national
and international conferences. Throughout our history our focus has been on excellence in teaching and high standards of achievement.
Our Staff
Our Staff includes 15 full time educators
and 3 speech-language pathologists. In the school we have a teacher-pupil ratio of about 1 to 3 and in the Family School toddler program, that ratio is closer
to 1 to 2. Twelve of our staff has more than 20 years experience teaching deaf children to talk. We have four pediatric audiologists who have been certified
by ASHA, AAA and are Board Certified in Audiology with a specialty in Cochlear Implants.
The staff at Moog Center has taken a leadership role in oral deaf education. We provide training to other teachers, serving as invited speakers to workshops
and in-service programs throughout the country. Our teaching staff has the know-how, dedication, experience and energy to make a significant difference for
the children we teach. Our pediatric audiologists are especially skilled in working with young children, including infants and toddlers, and in working with
both cochlear implants and digital hearing aids.
Educational Programs
Our educational programs include our Family School, primarily for children
in the birth to three-age range, and our School program for children ages 3 to 9. Our focus is on teaching the children spoken language as well as all the
school subjects that normal-hearing children typically learn in preschool and early elementary grades. Our goal is for the children to mainstream into schools
with their hearing age mates as soon as they have acquired the skills to compete successfully.
The Family School at the MOOG CENTER FOR DEAF EDUCATION provides services to families of deaf children from birth to three. We believe that the earlier we get
started, the better chance the child has o f catching up.
Parents and professionals share in the responsibility of teaching and learning, and listening and talking. The combination of education and support for families
creates a collaborative environment where parents are crucial members of the team.
Parent / Infant Program
In our birth-to-three program we
provide:
- Individual Family Sessions
- Support Groups
- Informational Meetings
- Toddler Classes
- On-Site Audiology
In our individual sessions, we provide information and support to parents. We help them learn how to help their child learn to talk. We also
invite other family members and caretakers who have routine contact with the child to come and learn with us.
In our support groups, parents discuss their concerns and challenges and help each other reach solutions. Our experienced staff members facilitate
these meetings. As we listen to parents, we learn from them and they learn from each other. This is a time for sharing opinions and feelings as well as sharing
experiences.
In our weekly educational meetings, the focus is
on information about hearing loss, language development, cochlear implants, and child development. We discuss strategies, techniques, and activities for helping
children learn to talk. These weekly meetings are good times for parents to ask questions and share practical ideas for raising a child with a hearing loss.
Our Toddler Class program has two main components: individual sessions and group experiences. This combination provides the child with opportunities
to use new vocabulary, concepts, and ideas in a variety of learning environments. For two-year-olds, individual instruction is effective for working on developing
new skills and allows us to adapt the pacing of activities and the focus of instruction to fit each child's style and rate of learning. While individual sessions
provide an opportunity to introduce new language and vocabulary, the classroom provides opportunities for communication in the context of play activities. We
have the highly energetic teachers that it takes to keep up with these very active toddlers.
We know that the more a child hears, the quicker and better he will talk. The Moog Center has four pediatric audiologists on staff. Their experience and talent
in working with infants and toddlers is a major factor in our children learning faster and talking better. Our audiologists are skilled in fitting all types
of hearing aids on very young children, sometimes as young as a few weeks. They are also adept at programming cochlear implants, even on children as young
as a year old. They are on site so they are immediately available for trouble shooting whatever devices the children are wearing. For children who are deaf
and hard of hearing, getting access to sound through well fitted hearing aids and cochlear implants has a huge impact on their learning. Our children attest
to that.
For information about our parent infant program, contact Betsy Brooks at (314) 692-7172 ext. 204 or bbrooks@moogcenter.org.
Preschool Program
At age three, children enter our full-time Preschool program.
For half of the day, the children are engaged in highly focused activities designed to accelerate their learning of spoken language - including listening skills,
speech, vocabulary, and development of connected language. For these activities, the children are taught in groups of two or three. For the other half of the
day, children are in a preschool classroom. They engage in activities typical of regular preschool and early elementary with an emphasis on stimulating spoken
language and providing and opportunity for children to use the skills they learn in the focused language activities.
At the Moog School, we believe that deaf children learn to talk by talking. Our daily schedule, with small homogeneous groupings and a focus on spoken language
development, ensures that our children have lots of opportunity to practice talking. And, the more they practice, the better they learn.
Academic Program
Our children not only learn to talk, but they also learn
all the other subjects that are taught in preschool and early elementary grades so they can successfully mainstream into schools with hearing children. Our
early elementary program includes instruction in reading, math, science, social studies and the use of computers, in addition to programs in art, music and
physical education. A major focus is on learning to read, because reading provides the foundation for all other learning.
Learning is fun when you are successful. Our teacher-pupil ratio of about one to three and our small learning groups make it possible for our teachers to provide
each child with individualized instruction, capitalizing on strengths and adapting to each child's needs, abilities and learning style. Our teachers have the
skills to gear the level of work to be challenging, while at the same time providing the support necessary to ensure success for each child. Being successful
is not only highly motivating for our children but results in increased self esteem. Learning to talk is hard work for deaf children, but our teachers make
sure it is also fun.
The dedication, knowledge and talent of our teachers are immediately apparent even to a first time visitor to our classrooms. Seeing the children learn and
enjoy learning makes the teaching effort well worth it. Our teachers set the tone of our school, creating a learning environment that disguises hard work and
makes learning exciting.
With our on-site audiology services, our audiologist can closely monitor the children's cochlear implants and hearing aids. The top priority for our audiologist
is for each child to have a device that is fitted to provide maximum access to sound. Keeping the children aided with devices that are properly fitted and
working is essential to their success. We have the equipment for testing hearing and for programming cochlear implants and digital hearing aids: so, when necessary,
adjustments can be made to whatever device a child is wearing. Each year approximately 80% of our children have cochlear implants and our audiologists are
true specialists in this area.
Mainstream Program
One of our goals at the Moog Center is to prepare our deaf
children to successfully enter classes with hearing children when they are ready. As part of the transition from Moog School to a mainstream setting, we provide
information and advocacy sessions with our parents. We also offer staff in-service and peer in-service when that is needed.
Staff In-service: A presentation for staff of receiving schools explains hearing loss with a focus on the particular student's loss, the impact on communication
and learning, and recommendations for necessary support services and accommodations.
Peer In-service: An in-service for the children in the mainstream class helps them gain an understanding of what it is like to have a hearing loss and provides
tips on how to talk to the student in their class who is deaf or hard of hearing. The presentation is geared to the children's level and hands-on activities
make this in-service program fun and easy for the children to understand.
For students not alumni of Moog School, we will provide phone consultation and occasionally an in-service program at a particular school or school district.
What our parents say
"She has so much fun, she doesn't even realize she's
working hard and learning a lot". Evelyn S.
"It truly is a miracle. When he walked into first grade, he was ready". Pat D.
"We have chosen the best oral education for our son. How blessed we are". Ann M.
"You've made a difference in the lives not just of our child, but our entire family". Paula R.
To learn more about what our parents say, read Journeys with our Children available through our publications department.
For information about our School Program, contact Betsy Brooks at (314) 692-7172 ext. 204 or bbrooks@moogcenter.org
Clinical Services
Assessment
At the Moog Center, we specialize in evaluating deaf and hard-of-hearing
children under age 9, and making educational recommendations. Our evaluation includes testing in the areas of hearing, speech, language, reading and learning
ability. After the testing, our evaluation team meets with parents to discuss their child's strengths and weaknesses and to help identify ways to improve the
child's School Program. Visiting our school program can also be helpful to parents in learning how we work with our children and what can be expected for children
similar to their child.
Our Comprehensive Educational Evaluation can help parents learn:
- How their child is doing
- How their child compares with others;
- What level skills their child has
- What services to ask for
- How their child can get the most out of school
The members of our evaluation team not only have many years of experience working with deaf children, but also have developed many of the tests that have become
standard tools for evaluations of children who are deaf and hard-of-hearing.
Jean Sachar Moog, and other staff members at the Moog Center,
have participated in the development of the following tests for deaf children:
- Grammatical Analysis at Elicited Language (GAEL)
- CID Phonetic Inventory
- Speech Intelligibility Evaluation (SPINE)
- Early Speech Perception Test (ESP)
- Speech Perception Instructional Curriculum and Evaluation (SPICE)
- Teacher Assessment of Grammatical Structures (TASL)
To learn more about our evaluation program or to make an appointment for an evaluation, please contact Christine Gustus at (314) 692-7172 ext 401 or cgustus@moogcenter.org.
Cochlear Implants
We have four pediatric audiologists to serve the families and
children in our Family School and School as well as alumni who continue to receive services from Moog Center. All four have extensive experience with very
young children and with cochlear implants. Both skills are critical as more and more of our children are getting their implants at one year or shortly thereafter.
We provide MAPping on-site at our school and this is very advantageous since typically 80% of our children have cochlear implants and we know how important
access to sound is for those learning to talk. We believe that optimal access to sound has a huge impact in terms of rate of progress in children. Our skilled
pediatric audiologists are able to respond within an hour if a child has a problem or if a cochlear implant needs "tweaking." This has resulted in
our children achieving excellent speech perception skills, which has contributed to their accelerated learning. Our audiologists have also participated in
research studies designed to evaluate various aspects of cochlear implant performance. As increasing numbers of our children are getting bilateral cochlear
implants our audiologists are busier than ever.
Additional Programs
Professional Education and Outreach
In our mission statement we state, "We teach deaf children
to talk and we teach others to do it too." We fulfill this commitment in a number of ways. Members of Moog staff teach three courses in the Washington
University Professional Program in Deaf Education. We offer student teacher placements for deaf education students, practicum and observation for students
in speech pathology and communication disorders, Clinical Fellowships for Speech-Language Pathologist and practicum and residency opportunities for students
pursuing an Au.D degree in Audiology. We also offer workshops at the Moog Center for teachers, speech-language pathologists and audiologists, parents and others
working with deaf and hard of hearing children. In addition to workshops conducted at Moog Center, we offer workshops for professionals through in-service
programs provided on site for schools and for school districts.
For more details see workshop descriptions in News and Information Section. Those interested in learning more about any of these
programs, please contact Karen Stein at (314) 692-7172 ext. 400 or kstein@moogcenter.org
Summer Sessions
We have a summer session for children in our School Program, which includes
half-day classes for our children ages 3-8, Toddler classes in our Family School for our children ages 18 months to 3 years. We also have a summer workshop
in July for parents of children 5 years or younger. While parents attend class, their children who are over age two can also attend classes taught by Moog
Center staff. The dates for the 2008 Parent Workshop are July 16 through July 20. For more information see workshop descriptions in News and Information.
For more information about this
program contact Betsy Brooks at 314-692-7172,
ext. 204 or bbrooks@moogcenter.org
News and Information
Workshops
The following workshops will be offered
at the Moog Center in 2007-2008. For your convenience, the Moog Center now offers onsite workshops for larger groups. If your staff or district
is interested in scheduling one of the workshops onsite for your school or your district, please contact Connie Ciavirella at 314 692 7172 or cciavirella@moogcenter.org.
January 24-25, 2008 - $350
Cochlear Implant Programming
For cochlear implant audiologists who work with infants and children
This workshop will address cochlear implant programming techniques for optimizing access to sound and protocols for monitoring progress in children at various
developmental levels. CEU's available. Contact: Connie Ciavirella 314-692-7172 cciavirella@moogcenter.org.
February 21-23, 2008 - $425
The Earlier They Get Started, The Faster They Learn To Talk
For teachers and SLPs providing early intervention services to children with hearing loss
This workshop will focus on helping parents work with their own children and strategies for working with very young children themselves to develop listening
and talking. CEU's available. Contact: Betsy Brooks 314-692-7172 bbrooks@moogcenter.org
Strategies for Teachers of Mainstreamed Students
For teachers who have a deaf or hard of hearing student in their classroom
Learn effective strategies that work with deaf/HH students who are mainstreamed into your school setting. Topics to be discussed include: hearing loss and effects
on language, academic difficulties, assistive listening devices, and support services.
Language Instruction for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students
For teachers and speech/language pathologists
This workshop will focus on teaching strategies and techniques for accelerating spoken language development in deaf and hard of hearing children from 3 to 8
years. Topics include: assessment, appropriate goal selection, and activities. CEU's available.
The More They Hear, The Better They Talk
For pediatric audiologists who work with infants and young children
The workshop will focus on the impact of audiologic management on the development of spoken language, amplification fitting techniques, monitoring of auditory
skill development, and successful communication with parents and teachers. CEU's
Publications
Teaching Activities for Children
who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing
A Practical Guide for Teachers, Jean Sachar Moog, Karen Kusmer Stein, Julia J. Biedenstein, Christine H. Gustus
Book: $29. This book is available in Spanish and English versions.
This book tells about how we teach deaf children to talk at the Moog Center and at the other Moog Curriculum Schools. It presents a way of thinking about teaching
deaf children to talk. In this book, we explain our philosophy and provide overall guidelines to help teachers decide what to teach, and how and when to teach
it. A major focus is on the "how to" for a variety of language activities, including many sample lessons as well as ideas and resources for other
activities. Teaching Activities is intended to be used by teachers as a practical guide to teaching children who are deaf and hard of hearing to talk.
My Baby and Me: A Book about Teaching Your Child to Talk.
Betsy Moog Brooks
Book: $38.95. This book is available in both English and Spanish
My Baby and Me has been written for parents and families of young children who are deaf and hard-of-hearing and for professionals helping these parents.
Developed with the comments and guidance of many parents of children with hearing loss - it offers strategies and techniques for helping children develop spoken
language skills, ideas and suggestions for language learning activities, and also answers questions about hearing and hearing loss. It provides parents with
spaces for taking notes as well as a variety of invaluable resources. My Baby and Me is organized in a convenient binder format, which gives parents
places to collect and store medical information, reports and other information about their child. The book can be personalized throughout for a particular
family using their child's name. Professionals who use My Baby and Me as a part of their Parent-Infant curriculum use the generic, "your child" version.
Mainstream Tips Series: Tips for
Kids and Tips for Friends
Book: $6.00. Valerie M. Frigo, Karen K. Stein and Christine H. Gustus
These two books are
fun, easy-to-read booklets designed to help children who are deaf and hard of hearing, and all those who work and play with them, learn effective communication
strategies. Tips for Kids, written especially for children with hearing loss in a mainstream classroom, offers ideas about listening and talking with new friends,
teachers, and staff. Tips for Friends is designed for coaches, neighbors, babysitters, aunts, uncles and all other friends of children who are deaf
and hard of hearing. It provides important information about hearing loss and its impact on communication, as well as helpful hints and tips about communicating
with children who have hearing loss.
Teacher Assessment of Spoken Language (TASL).
Manual: $24. Rating Forms and Reference Forms: $8 for packages of 10. Jean Sachar Moog and Julia J. Biedenstein
The Teacher Assessment of Spoken Language (TASL) is a spoken language rating form developed at the Moog Center for Deaf Education designed to document the development
of sentence structure in children who are deaf and hard-of-hearing. A manual accompanies the rating forms and describes the criteria for rating.
Team Tracking Form
Forms: $6 per pad (indicate whether for cochlear implant or hearing aid)
The Team Tracking Forms were created to help Audiologists and Therapists/Teachers work together to provide better services to children with cochlear implants
and hearing aids. The forms are double-sided, with one side to be completed by the child's Audiologist and the other side to be completed by the child's Therapist/Teacher.
The back and forth communication between Audiologists and Therapists/Teachers helps enhance the services provided. 50 sheets per pad.
Journeys With Our Children
Written by the Parents at Moog School
Book: $10.00
Journeys With Our Children is a book that was written and published in honor of the 10th anniversary of the Moog Center. In Journeys
With Our Children, parents
of deaf students who attended Moog Center share touching stories of experiences with their children. This book will be of interest to other parents of deaf
children, especially those just starting their journeys. Professionals working with deaf children and their families will also gain new insights into how parents
view their experiences.
Shipping charges for ALL publications orders are 10% of purchase price
For more information about these publications or to order, please contact the school office at 314 692 7172.
Alumni
Congratulations to the 10th Anniversary Alumni of The Moog Center
There are 112 of you - 54 girls and 58 boys
70% of you moved to St. Louis to learn to talk
You came from 30 different states
80% of you have cochlear implants
You range in age from 5-21
You have spent an average of 3 years at the Moog Center
The earliest start at Moog was 7 weeks old
Age at graduation ranges from 4-12 years
Your career interests cover a wide range from dog sitting to cochlear implant surgeon
Your least favorite thing about school is homework
Your most favorite memory of Moog is the playground!!
Where are you now?
7 of you are now in college
19 of you are in high school
27 are in middle school
56 are in elementary school
3 are in preschool
Getting In
The primary criterion for admission into our
program is that our program can benefit the child. Typically that means that the child has a significant enough hearing loss and language delay to need the
kind of special education program we offer and demonstrates a potential for learning to talk.
Admission Procedures
The first step is to contact Betsy Moog Brooks, Director of the Moog School and the Family School. She will talk with parents about their child and will explain
what our program has to offer. As part of the admission process, parents will be asked to send information regarding their child's program and spoken language
skills. If the child is over age three, an evaluation will be scheduled along with a tour of the school. The more information we have about the child, the
better we will be able to advise parents regarding what our program has to offer. Parents may contact Betsy by calling (314) 692-7172 or by email bbrooks@moogcenter.org.
Tuition
Parents with children under age three are eligible for Missouri First Steps, a state program that provides financial support for children from birth to age
three. The tuition for the School program for the 2007-2008 school year is $24,100. Financial aid is available.
Financial Aid
Financial aid is based on need and families who need support are encouraged to complete a financial aid application. We also work with families to identify
additional sources to help provide financial support.
