In Northeast Pennsylvania, a new center aims to transform the way services are provided to deaf and hard-of-hearing children by significantly reducing wait times. Families currently experience long delays, sometimes up to nine months, before receiving a diagnosis and accessing crucial support programs.
Sarah Hofius Hall
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WVIA News
MaryAnn Stefko, an early intervention teacher at The Scranton School for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Children, highlights a critical issue: “We know that 90% of deaf and hard-of-hearing children are born to hearing families. When a child is born with a hearing loss, families don’t know what they don’t know, and they don’t know what to expect, and it’s a very new journey.”
The school in South Abington Township is embarking on a significant initiative. A new center is under development to enhance service availability for children and their families. This center will integrate audiology services with mental health, behavioral health, speech and language, physical therapy, and occupational therapy services.
Community Support and Engagement
Community members, donors, and supporters came together at the school’s campus for a ceremonial start to the renovation of this wellness center. The event coincided with the school’s Halloween parade, adding a festive touch to the proceedings. Attendees learned about the potential benefits the center’s resources will bring to local children.
Construction is slated to begin in November, with completion expected by the following fall. The renovations will cover parts of the first and second floors of the building, previously hosting Lourdesmont school. The school was relocated from the Green Ridge section of the city in 2011 and currently serves 56 students from preschool through eighth grade.
According to Dean Pettinato, the school director, the center aims to alleviate the challenges families face in accessing necessary resources: “We’ve seen that families need to travel pretty large distances for follow-up audiology services. We’ve seen families that don’t have the resources and don’t know what the next steps are. So we’re really trying to be impactful for those families that need additional resources, need support, and we feel that we can support those needs in our community.”
Financial backing for this project has reached nearly $1.7 million, with significant contributions from the AllOne Foundation, the Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation, the William G. McGowan Charitable Fund, and the Margaret Briggs Foundation.
Amidst the construction plans, students actively participated by holding shovels and posing with large symbolic checks, marking a promising future. Pettinato expressed his enthusiasm, stating, “I’m so excited to see this is the beginning of a new chapter, but I think there’s so much opportunity for this project to grow and continue, and obviously I’m very excited about it, very passionate about it.”
Sarah Hofius Hall
/
WVIA News
