Our Philosophy

We believe programming that is developmentally based and that focuses on the whole child, will maximize the learning experiences of the child.

We believe that children learn best in a “learning through play” environment with guidance and encouragement.

We believe that preschool children who are deaf and hard of hearing require specialized programming to maximize their communication development.

We believe children who have deaf parents benefit from specialized programming focusing on both, American Sign Language and spoken language development.

We believe that building partnerships with parents result in positive outcomes for children and families.

Our Goals

To provide an environment that respects the individual uniqueness of children and empowers them to reach their maximum potential in all areas of development.

To offer assistance as families access information and resources within their communities.

To develop partnerships with families, supporting them as they encourage their children’s development.

Our Services

Our program is site based. Our staff have expertise in deafness, early education and communication.

Program activities are designed to enrich the learning environment and meet the individual communication needs of each child.

We serve children who have...

• Mild to Moderate Hearing Loss
• Severe to Profound Hearing Loss
• Cochlear Implants
• Deaf Parents
• Delays in other areas of development in addition to hearing loss

"Small group work"

We provide...

• Classroom options which are designed to meet the unique communication needs of children, using a diverse range of intervention.
• Information about communication choices
• Speech and Language Services & assessments
• Occupational and Physical Therapy Services & assessments
• Developmental screening
• Home visits
• In-home sign language classes
• Supports for parents
• Information about community resources

Classroom Settings

For children who will benefit from instruction using sign language. Programming emphasizes language acquisition through the use of American Sign Language (ASL) and visual cues.

For deaf and hard-of-hearing children who will benefit from an environment that includes various methods of communication. Programming emphasizes language acquisition through sign language, speech and listening skills.

For children who primarily use spoken language to communicate. Children who can detect speech sounds using hearing aids or cochlear implants would benefit from this setting. Children listen to and practice spoken language on a daily basis.

For hearing children who are deaf parented. It focuses on both spoken English and ASL acquisition.

Note: If you are thinking about having your child attend our program, you will be invited to meet with Connect staff to learn more about our classroom settings.

What we want you to know...

The Early Childhood program is for:

• children who are deaf and hard of hearing between the ages of 2 ½ - 5 ½ as of September 1
• hearing children who are deaf parented and between the ages of 2 ½ and 4 ½ as of September 1

For children who meet Alberta Special Education funding criteria:

• Additional fees are not required
• Transportation is included

For children who do not meet Alberta Special Education Funding criteria:

• A monthly program fee is required
• Parents are responsible for transportation

Our Team

The Early Childhood Services team at Connect Society includes Teachers, Deaf Educators, Teaching & Speech Language Assistants, a Speech Language Pathologist, a Social Worker and a Program Coordinator.

Occupational and Physical Therapists work on site with children as needed.