Deaf & Hard of Hearing

We are so proud to be the home of Denver Public Schools’ center-based program for students who are Deaf/hard of hearing (D/HH). Here at Carson, we provide intensive, language-based services to students who are D/HH in grades ECE-5. Students in the program are placed by their IEP team and require the support of a Teacher of the Deaf to progress in their academics and communication skills. At Carson, our goal is to empower our students who are D/HH with language so they can access and succeed in the grade-level curriculum at a level commensurate to their grade-level, hearing peers. We subscribe to a comprehensive communication philosophy: the belief that all children, no matter their communication modality, deserve equitable access to communication and English language proficiency. We use our expertise in language development to meet each child’s individual communication needs, incorporating listening and spoken language, signed languages, Cued Speech, and combinations of these. Students in the D/HH program spend parts of their day learning alongside their hearing peers in a variety of settings, including the traditional classrooms. Students are supported by our Colorado certified Teachers of the Deaf (ToD), D/HH paraprofessionals and Educational Sign Language Interpreters.

The communication needs of a student who is deaf or hard of hearing, as identified in their IEP and on their communication plan, are used in conjunction with a child’s social, emotional, and academic needs to determine the best level and type of intervention and instruction. The Carson D/HH program serves our district’s students whose hearing loss significantly impacts their access to instruction and language development. Our program promotes high expectations and growth in academics and English language development utilizing the Colorado Academic Standards and the DPS Expanded Core Curriculum to prepare students for success in school and in the community.

Questions about our D/HH program? Please contact the Low Incidence Disability Program Manager, Michelle Chacon, at Michelle_Chacon@dpsk12.org. Students MUST have an IEP and be recommended by the IEP team for placement at Carson Elementary in order for students to enroll in the D/HH program.

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