Fairview Elementary is the site of the Hearing-Impaired Program for MCCSC. Students in kindergarten through sixth grade, who are deaf or hard-of-hearing, may attend this program if their needs require more concentrated services. For many of these students who come to Fairview, this is the first time they are with other students who use hearing aids or cochlear implants. This often helps them feel more comfortable in the regular classroom. The goal of this program is to give children the skills and confidence they need to be successful in classrooms with their peers when they return to their neighborhood school or move on to middle school.
Fairview has a specially trained teacher who works with the hearing impaired students. Mary Wicker has worked in this position since January of 1986 when the program was established. When working with the students, an emphasis is placed on communication skills, auditory training, and language development, along with academic skills. Many of the students receive daily instruction in the area of language arts and math from Mrs. Wicker along with support in other academic areas.
Beth Crowe, Fairview’s Speech and Language Pathologist, works closely with Mrs. Wicker to help the students develop skills necessary to be successful. In addition, Fairview has three full time educational interpreters to provide support when the students are in grade level classrooms and in special area classes. The interpreters help to facilitate communication between the child, classroom teachers, and peers.
Fairview is fortunate to have dedicated classroom teachers who are willing to arrange their classrooms and schedules to accommodate students with a hearing loss. Because of the support from the faculty and staff at Fairview, these students are included and accepted by their peers in daily school instruction and activities.