Wisconsin Educational Services Program for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (WESP-DHH)

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Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction

• Wisconsin Educational Services Program for the
  Deaf and Hard of Hearing (WESP-DHH)
• Outreach Program

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The Dreaming

• It takes a village
• 1998 - Facilitated identification of needs with
  DHH teachers conducted regionally
• 1999 - Needs shared with Stakeholder groups
  including parents and people both urban and rural
  areas

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Evolution of WESP-DHH

• 2000
• Mission / Vision was developed by stakeholders
• Strategic Plan drafted by Advisory Committee
• Proposal to the DPI Superintendent and
  legislature
• 2001
• Bill passed with funds to support a newly
  designed Wisconsin Educational Services
  Program-Deaf and Hard of Hearing WSD and
  Outreach Program.
• 2003
• Outreach Director hired a new beginning

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The Wisconsin Design
Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI)
Special Education Team
Wisconsin Educational Services Program
for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (WESP-DHH)
WESP-DHH Wisconsin School
Outreach Program for the Deaf

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WESP-DHH Outreach Mission.

• The Outreach Program supports children who are
  deaf, hard of hearing and deafblind by providing
  a broad array of services to families and
  educational programs. Services and supports are
  determined based on the childs needs.

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Wisconsin Statistics
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Consultant Staff

• Can assess and consult in a variety of areas
• Educational achievement
• Speech development
• Language development
• Auditory development
• Sign communication development
• Social/emotional development
• Deafblindness
• Communication access

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Consultant Staff

• Services Provided to School Districts and Birth
  to 3 Programs
• Assessment and Evaluation
• Consultation
• Written Evaluations and Recommendations
• Participation in the IFSP / IEP team meeting
• Staff in-service and training

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Unique Programs

• Guide-By-Your-Side
• Deaf Mentor Project
• Parent Conference
• Deafblind Services
• Captioned Media
• ASL Distance Learning

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Guide-By-Your-Side A Parent-to-Parent Program

• Guides are parents of children who are deaf, hard
  of hearing or deafblind.
• Service is free-of-charge.
• Bilingual guides are available.
• Provide in-home support to parents of a newly
  identified child

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Deaf Mentor Project

• Provides a Deaf Mentor to any family with a child
  who is deaf or hard of hearing and under the age
  of 6 to
• Teach the family American Sign Language
• Model interactions with the child
• Share aspects of Deaf Culture
• Modeled after the Deaf Mentor
  project from SKIHI in Utah

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Annual Statewide Parent Conference

• Over 120 families at this years conference
• Led by parents
• Deaf and hard of hearing role models
• Variety of activities
• Latino family outreach efforts

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Distance Learning Opportunities

• Currently
• Broadcast from W S D American Sign Language as a
  world language to high school students
• Future Plans
• ASL classes for parents statewide
• Staff courses

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Deafblind Services

• Collaborative Workgroup currently meeting to
  vision and develop a collaborative statewide
  plan, including
• Deafblind Coordinator, WESPDHH
• State Consultants, DHH and VI, Dept. of Public
  Instruction
• WI Center for Blind and Visually Impaired
• Federal Deafblind Project (WDE)
• Office for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing
• Division of Vocational Rehabilitation
• Helen Keller Regional Resource Center

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Professional Development
Supports

• Year round conferences and workshops
• Networking and Professional Support
• DHH teachers, Educational Audiologists,
  Educational Interpreters, etc.
• Professional Library Clearinghouse of materials
• Presentations for School Administrators

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Future dreaming

• Use of technology-distance learning-sign language
  for parents
• Pen Pals program
• Shared Reading Program
• Latino Family Focus
• Literacy-based Summer Programming for kids
• In-home Auditory Training for parents (similar to
  Deaf Mentor Project)
• Chat rooms for professionals

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Collaborative partners for change

• WI Department of Public Instruction State
  Consultants
• Wisconsin School for the Deaf
• Wisconsin Center for the Blind and Visually
  Impaired
• Division of Vocational Rehabilitation
• Federal Deafblind Project
• Department of Health and Family Services
• Wisconsin Sound Beginnings (EHDI program)
• Office for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing
• Wisconsin Birth to Three Program
• Wisconsin Personnel Development Project
• Wisconsin Families for Hands and Voices
• Stakeholders

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Together it Works!
Parents and Families
Schools
National Organizations Resources
State Health Agency
State Education Agency
Birth to 3 Programs
Communities
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Wisconsin Educational Services Program for the
Deaf and Hard of Hearing (WESPDHH)

• For more information, contact
• Marcy Dicker Dropkin
• Outreach Director
• 262-787-9540 v/tty
• marcy.dropkin_at_wesp-dhh.wi.gov
• Or visit our website
• www.wesp-dhh.wi.gov