About the Center

The Center for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Education serves all children ages birth through school exit who reside in Indiana.

The Center provides assessment, services, information and recommendations related to communication, language development, and education of deaf and hard of hearing children, following children across time with parent permission. The Center also works with early intervention programs and schools for positive long-term outcomes.

The Center for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Education was established through Indiana Code 20-35-11 by the Indiana General Assembly.   Through the Center, the Indiana State Department of Health works with families and professionals to ensure that children receive important follow-up and other services.

Available Services:

• Audiology
• Family Support
• Early Intervention
• Educational Consultations
• School Program Reviews
• Teacher of Record (TOR) Services
• Multidisciplinary Assessments (Psycho-Educational, Languae/Communication, Social/Developmental, Grossmotor, Finemotor and Sensory functions as needed.)
• Technical Assistance (e.g. IEP support, educational interpreting consultation, observations)
• Transition Assistance (Part C to Part B and Post-Secondary)

Center Purpose

As stated in Indiana Code, the purpose of the the Center for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Education:


“…is to support parental choice, including the full continuum of communication options (including American sign language, other forms of sign language, cued speech, listening and spoken language (oral), or any combination of these skills).” (IC 20-35-11-3)

To fulfill this purpose:

“The center shall carry out the following duties in an unbiased manner to ensure that children who are deaf and children who are hard of hearing acquire optimal language skills and academic abilities, regardless of the mode of communication used:

(1) Monitoring and tracking the identification, early intervention, education, and successful transitions of children who are deaf and hard of hearing from birth through twenty-one (21) years of age and who are enrolled or preparing to enroll in early intervention services, preschool, elementary, or secondary school.

(2) Developing student learning opportunities.

(3) Providing family support.

(4) Developing child assessment service models, consistent with federal and state early childhood intervention and special education law, for the following:

(A) Audiological assessments.
(B) Social and developmental assessments.
(C) Communication (including language) assessments.
(D) Academic achievement assessments.

(5) Providing classroom assessments of instruction, acoustics, and other environmental aspects.

(6) Assessing professionals who provide students with sign language interpreting, oral interpreting, cued speech transliteration, and captioning services.

(7) Providing consultation to school corporations in providing services to students who are deaf and students who are hard of hearing.
(8) Acting as a liaison with all state agencies that provide services to individuals who are deaf and hard of hearing, including the department of education, the state department of health, the family and social services administration, and the Indiana School for the Deaf.” (IC 20-35-11-4)

Center Vision

Deaf and hard of hearing children will have the resources and support to reach their full potential..

Center Mission

To promote positive outcomes for all deaf and hard of hearing children
through information, services and education.

Center Values

We Value:
• Families as decision makers
• Self-Advocacy
• Unlimited Potential
• Collaborative Relationships
• Quality services

Guiding Principles

The Center for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Education will:

1. Provide information regarding all communication opportunities to support parents in making informed decisions based on the child/student’s unique needs and the family’s priorities and values.

2. Honor the child/student as an integral part in any decision making process.

3. Respect, welcome, and support children and their families across geographic locations, communication preferences, languages, and cultures.

4. Honor each child’s right to acquire optimal language skills and academic abilities.

5. Demonstrate a seamless collaborative model when working with families, schools, other agencies, and providers including the deaf, hard of hearing, and hearing communities.

6. Provide comprehensive, evidence-based, and objective information, resources, and services for auditory, visual, and instructional best practices to all deaf and hard of hearing children, families, professionals, and programs.

7. Provide expert leaders who embrace and practice the tenets of cultural and linguistic diversity.

8. Manage the use of tracking and monitoring systems for individual child/student and program performance to guide state, local, and individual services, programs, resources, and professional training as a priority of the Center.