What is John Tracy Clinic expertise in?

There seems to be a bit of a round robin by certain Deaf people in taking pot shots at the John Tracy Clinic program. What some Deaf people don't seem to understand is that the JTC program is very specific in what it can offer and the support they can give to parents of kids from age 0 to 5 years old that were diagnosed with hearing loss. Obviously, if an organization has a specific expertise in what it can offer then that is what they can offer and nothing else. The expertise at John Tracy Clinic is in spoken language which can be used with any other communication approaches. 

John Tracy Clinic offers information and distance courses for families of children with hearing loss ages birth to five. The focus is language development with ideas for learning through child play and family routines. The expertise at John Tracy Clinic is in spoken language which is emphasized in onsite programs such as the Parent/Infant Program and Preschool, as well as via Distance Education for Parents, but many of the techniques can be used in any communication approach. The key is to provide children with early and complete access to communication to help them fully develop their language skills. Development of complex communication skills helps children be ready for school. There are no limits to what children with hearing loss can achieve.

Many techniques used in the JTC spoken language program can be used with other communication choices or options such as Auditory-Verbal, Auditory-oral, Cued Speech, Total Communication, and Formal Sign Language (American Sign Language (ASL) or Sign Language of other countries).  It is obvious that JTC recognizes ASL but that is not their area of expertise. Their area of expertise is spoken language. It has always been like that. They do recognize that there is no one shoe size fits all and that the parents are the ones who make their own informed decision regarding their child with a hearing loss when it comes to communication and language options.

What does JTC offer?

1) Early detection of hearing loss and information on individualized intervention

2) A spoken language learning opportunity for infants and preschoolers who are deaf and hard-of-hearing and their parents

3) Guidance, support and instruction for parents in the special skills necessary tohelp their children learn spoken language

4) Distance education serving parents and families throughout the world

5) Over 60 years of experience in teacher and professional education

Again, John Tracy Clinic main area of expertise is and has always been in the spoken language area. Without their help I would not be who I am today as seen in my video dedication to JTC. May they continue for many more decades.