Deaf Facility

‘Achieving the best for our students’

ABOUT THE FACILITY
The Forest Hill Deaf Facility provides secondary age students with quality education in an inclusive environment within a mainstream school.  Students learn alongside their deaf, hearing impaired and hearing peers and participate in all aspects of a rich and active secondary school life. The Facility building is specifically designed with exceptional resources and provides a welcoming, supportive base for deaf and hearing impaired students.

ENTRY TO THE FACILITY
Eligibility to the Facility is open to students who have a bilateral sensori neural moderate, severe or profound hearing loss and is determined by an Educational Needs Questionnaire. The student is then enrolled in the college and a program support group is convened to determine the student’s needs.

COMMUNICATION APPROACH
The Forest Hill Deaf Facility believes all deaf and hearing impaired students can and should be able to become successful learners with a strong first language in either English or Auslan and appropriate development of communication strategies. All deaf and hearing impaired students are given the opportunity to use and develop their chosen method of communication through speech and listening or sign language. This may include the use of interpreters, note takers, radio frequency units and audiological management.

STAFF
The Facility is staffed with teachers of the Deaf and educational interpreters who recognise the unique educational needs of Deaf and hearing impaired students. Some teachers of the Deaf are proficient in Auslan, others have expertise in oral education. They are dedicated to providing opportunities and support to enhance learning in a mainstream environment.

SERVICES
The Facility offers the following services to Deaf and hearing impaired students based on individual student needs:

• Individualised program plans

• Individual/small group intensive teaching sessions in:

                        * Audiological management

                        * Communication strategies

                        * English tuition

                        * Specific subject clarification                          

• Oral support and note taking in class

• Auslan interpreting and clarification in class

• Excursions and camps

• Excellent computer resources

• Regular visits from Australian Hearing

• Speech program

• Acoustically modified rooms

• Sign language choir

• Innovative Auslan cross-curricular projects

AUSLAN LOTE
At the VCE level, Auslan is offered as an after-school language (LOTE), once a week in a three hour block. It is available to both deaf and hearing students from our school and from the wider community. A fee applies.

FAMILY SUPPORT
Families are encouraged to be involved in their child’s education through participation in regular Program Support Group Meetings and are kept up to date through a Facility newsletter distributed each term. Support is also available to parents requiring assistance with:

• Transportation to school
• Accessing counselling for students
• Linking to other support services

We currently have 20 students enrolled in the Forest Hill Deaf Facility.

FURTHER INFORMATION

For Further Information about Forest Hill College and the Deaf Facility, including eligibility criteria please contact:

Amanda Purcell

Deaf Facility Manager

Forest Hill College

Mahoneys Road,

Burwood East 3151

Melways Reference: Map 62 C5

Phone:   9814 9444

Fax:         9887-8126