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Step 1
Decide what educational philosophy you want the school to have. There are several different ideas about how a deaf child should be educated.
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Step 2
Know that the three main philosophies are Oral, Bilingual-Bicultural and Total Communication. Oral programs focus on audiology, oral rehabilitation and speech development. Bilingual-Bicultural programs strive to teach students how to be comfortable in both deaf and hearing worlds, but focus on ASL and deaf culture. Total Communication strives to use any method needed to help a deaf child communicate; these programs usually use a variety of oral and manual communication methods.
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Step 3
Research the different school options available in your area and look into each one that has that type of program. Visit the schools, talk to the teachers and observe the environment.
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Step 4
Ask about the services provided by the school, especially if your child has other disabilities in addition to her hearing loss. Some schools have great deaf programs but may be weak in other areas of special education.
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Step 5
Get names and contact information for parents of children who attend the school you're considering. Ask them about the quality of the deaf program, their children's progress and any other questions you may have.
