THE EDUCATOR
Winter 1999
International Council for Education of People with Visual Impairment
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JOHN TRACY CLINIC CORRESPONDENCE LEARNING PROGRAM
FOR PARENTS OF YOUNG DEAF-BLIND CHILDREN
John Tracy Clinic, an educational center for deaf
preschool children and their parents, was founded in 1942 by Mrs. Spencer
Tracy. Its goal has been to find, encourage, guide and train the parents
of young deaf children to reach and help their children, by providing the
parents with on-site services and its worldwide correspondence courses.
Since 1973, the clinic has offered a home study service to young deafblind
children and their parents through the John Tracy Clinic Correspondence
Learning Program for Parents of Young Deaf-Blind Children.
The Correspondence Learning Program
The Correspondence Learning Program, available in
English and Spanish, is an individualized program consisting of 12 basic
lessons that cover family relationships, information about deafblind children,
ways of communicating and a series of learning steps in seven areas of
development. Through initial information provided by the parent, an individual
lesson is assembled to meet the needs of each family. Depending on the
ability and age of each child and the amount of time parents can devote
to the lessons, it takes one to two years to complete the program.
Individual help
Parents are required to report to the clinic at
the end of each lesson. From these reports, the clinic's staff is able
to adapt the printed lessons to the special needs of the family. This is
done through individual letters which offer families information, guidance,
encouragement, and training. A new lesson is mailed when the previous one
is completed and the report received.
What the Lessons Cover
Communication is a part of living, not a separate, unrelated
skill that can be learned; therefore, the growth and development of the
whole child are put first. Each lesson contains a section on communication.
Each family will also receive learning steps in the areas of development
that are of most concern: gross and fine motor skills, eating, sleeping,
toilet training, dressing/undressing and personal hygiene.
Family Relationships
Everything parents feel, not only toward their child,
but toward each other and the world around them - everything they do in
front of their child - contributes to the child's character, personality,
feelings about and attitudes toward the world, and to the child's ability
to communicate. The program, therefore, devotes a great deal of attention
to the feelings and emotions of parents.
Special Sections
The Correspondence Learning Program's basic lessons
deal with specific areas of interest to parents:
1. The deafblind child's characteristics and behavior
2. Vision
3. Hearing
4. Discipline and setting limits
5. Toy and play equipment
6. Language building experiences
7. Creative activities and materials
8. Self-esteem
9. Building social independence
10. Health
11. Community resources
12. Looking ahead
Who Can Enroll In The Course?
Any parent or guardian of a deafblind child can
enroll in the Correspondence Learning Program for Parents of Young Deaf-Blind
Children.
What Does It Cost?
This program, like all John Tracy Clinic Services,
is FREE OF CHARGE to parents enrolled in the course. A bound volume of
the complete course, for which there is a nominal charge, is available
to interested people, organizations, or professionals working with deafblind
children.
How to Enroll
Parents may enroll by calling (213) 748-5481. From
outside the Los Angeles area, they may use our toll-free 24-hour line,
(800) 522-4582, or write to: Director, Correspondence Education, John Tracy
Clinic, 806 West Adams Boulevard, Los Angeles, California 90007.
Include the child's name and age and the family's
full name and address in the first letter. A referring agency may send
a cover letter of report, but the parents themselves should be encouraged
to contact the clinic directly.
This version of the John Tracy Clinic Correspondence
Learning Program for Parents of Young Deaf-Blind Children was supported
by California Deaf-Blind Services. The program is available in English
and Spanish.