African American female teacher signing to Caucasian male student with hearing aid, overlaid with title "deaf and hard of hearing program"

Photo of staff and students wearing masks in front of a white board.

Photo of staff smiling in a classroom.

Deaf and Hard of Hearing Educational Services

The Van Buren ISD Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH) Team provides academic instruction through services that support each student's learning needs as determined by their Individualized Educational Planning (IEP) Teams. Students with severe levels of hearing loss typically receive services from the Deaf and Hard of Hearing team and attend Mattawan Consolidated Schools.

DHH Teacher Consultants

DHH Teacher Consultants provide a range of services to our students, their families, and staff working with Deaf and Hard of Hearing students as soon as a hearing loss is identified and students are deemed eligible through an IEP. The consultant supports language development, social/emotional growth, advocacy and academic skills. Cheryl Marks services students within our DHH Team at Mattawan Consolidated Schools, while our Consultants for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing service students on a continuum of supports at other local districts, VBISD Programs and Non-Public placements.

DHH Educational Interpreters

An educational interpreter must effectively communicate classroom information between the teacher, the Deaf student and other hearing students according to the language level of the student and the goals of the Individualized Education Plan (IEP). In addition to the traditional school day, interpreters may also assist with extra-curricular school-based activities when appropriate.

DHH Paraeducator

Our DHH Paraeducator provides supports for our students in a variety of ways throughout the school day. This includes collaboration in the classroom, note taking, assisting during lunch/recess and making materials to support students and other team members.

Staff

Photo of Jodi Carroll

Jodi Carroll, DHH Program Supervisor

Photo of Cheryl Marks wearing a dark jacket.

Cheryl Marks, DHH Teacher Consultant

Photo of Kristi Hyder

Kristi Hyder, DHH Educational Interpreter

Photo of Emily Kimmel-Kurtz wearing a jean jacket.

Emily Kimmel-Kurtz, DHH Educational Interpreter

Photo of Hope Kooyers wearing a black shirt.

Hope Kooyers, DHH Educational Interpreter

Photo of Rachel Roe wearing a white shirt.

Rachel Roe, DHH Paraeducator

Resources

Camp Chris Williams: Camp Chris Williams is a one week summer camp for DHH youth 11-17.

Classroom Interpreting: The site is maintained by Boys Town National Research Hospital in Omaha, Nebraska, an international research and treatment for children with hearing loss and related communication disorders.

Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services: Our mission is to provide equal communication access, education, and advocacy to the Deaf, Blind and Hard of Hearing in pursuit of all life’s opportunities.

Language Priority: Language Priority is a Deaf-owned business and was founded by Sara Miller in 2019. Sara is a full time teacher of the deaf and hard of hearing and is the content creator behind the Instagram account @adventuresindeafed. She uses her platform to raise awareness about deafness, language acquisition, American Sign Language, Deaf culture and the Deaf community.

MDELIO: MDE-LIO provides consultation, training, and resources to families and educational teams serving students who are Blind or Visually Impaired (BVI) and/or Deaf or Hard of Hearing (DHH). MDE-LIO's vision is to ensure equal access to a quality education for all students who are BVI and/or DHH.

Michigan Hands and Voices: We support families of children who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing (DHH) regardless of language or communication mode.  We are a network of parents, professionals, and DHH individuals.

Michigan School for the Deaf: Residential school for Deaf and Hard of Hearing students. Located in Flint, Michigan.

Signing Savvy: Signing Savvy is a sign language dictionary containing several thousand high resolution videos of American Sign Language (ASL) signs, finger spelled words, and other common signs used within the United States and Canada.