Delaware County Intermediate Unit

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Overview

Audiology Support Program

DCIU provides audiological evaluations for babies, pre-school children referred through Early Intervention programs, as well as school-age children through the referral process. In addition, the department provides workshops and is available for consultation for families, teachers, administrators and school nurses. It trains schoo nurses to perform general hearing screenings. The department maintains a loaner bank of amplification equipment that is accessible to all hearing impaired students in the county for whom this hearing technology is recommended within the IEP or Chapter 15 Plan.

Marsha Dworkin, Supervisor
Dr. Irene Merenda, Educational Audiologist

Diagnostic Language Program and Language Classes
Serves children between kindergarten through fifth grade who are found to have a variety of language issues. These students have at least average non-verbal scores on standardized measures of intellectual testing, and present with a moderate to severe disorder of receptive language, expressive language or articulation. The language issues are not due to emotional disturbance, hearing loss, a specific learning disability or pervasive developmental disorder.
Marsha Dworkin, Supervisor

Hearing Support Program
The DCIU Hearing Department is nationally recognized for quality instruction and innovative approaches. The department offers evaluations, instruction and support services for children with hearing loss from age of identification to 21 years old. Auditory and oral methods are used to education students with hearing peers within county public schools. Professionals assess, monitor and matain assistive technology devices to assure that students can fully participate in an inclusive setting.

Marsha Dworkin, Supervisor

Birth to 3 Program for Children with Hearing Loss

This is a family-centered program in which services for a deaf or hard-of-hearing child are provided in his/her natural environment. The emphasis at this early age is to help the family determine the communication option which is based on degree of hearing loss and amplification and technology choices, such as cochlear implant. Sign language is offered to those families who choose that communication mode. If the parents select the oral option, the focus is on the baby/toddler developing a listening attitude by providing aggressive audiological management, a favorable listening environment, a dependency on amplification and integrating listening into daily activities. The program offers: Auditory-verbal therapy, cochlear implant habilitation, multidisciplinary/developmental evaluations, audiological management, parent education and support groups, interagency collaboration with audiological centers and service providers as well as a range of service options.