MaryAnn Stefko sees the impact early support makes for deaf and hard-of-hearing children and their families. But with some families waiting six to nine months for a diagnosis, access to programs and services can be delayed.
“We know that 90% of deaf and hard-of hearing-children are born to hearing families,” said Stefko, an early intervention teacher at The Scranton School for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Children. “So when a child is born with a hearing loss, families don't know what they don't know, and they don't know what to expect, and it's a very new journey.”
Leaders of the school in South Abington Twp. hope a new center will decrease wait times and increase access to services for children and their families.
Donors and other supporters of the school gathered on Friday morning to ceremoniously start renovations for a school-based wellness center. It will provide audiology services to children across Northeast Pennsylvania, while bringing mental health, behavioral health, speech and language, physical therapy and occupational therapy services together in one space.
Stefko is thrilled for the children who will be impacted.
“Their outcomes, all of a sudden, they become really, really attainable, and that's what every child deserves, and that's what every family wants,” she said.
Making an impact
Visitors to campus first watched the school’s Halloween parade and passed out candy to students. Later, the visitors learned more about how the center’s resources will help those children.
Crews should start construction in November, with work expected to be complete next fall. Renovations will include parts of the first and second floors of the building, the former Lourdesmont school campus.
The school, formerly the Scranton State School for the Deaf, moved to the campus from the Green Ridge section of the city in 2011. The state gave control of the school to the Western Pennsylvania School for the Deaf in 2009. Fifty-six students in preschool through eighth grade attend the local school.
School leaders and area service providers started discussions about a center about three years ago.
“We've seen that families need to travel pretty large distances for follow-up audiology services. We've seen families that don't have the resources and don't know what the next steps are,” said Dean Pettinato, school director. “So we're really trying to be impactful for those families that need additional resources, need support, and we feel that we can support those needs in our community.”
Supporters have contributed nearly $1.7 million for the project, including $850,000 from the AllOne Foundation, $500,000 from the Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation, $220,000 from the William G. McGowan Charitable Fund and $50,000 from the Margaret Briggs Foundation.
Students held shovels in the conference room, and posed with large checks that will make an impact for them and in the future.
“I'm so excited to see this is the beginning of a new chapter, but I think there's so much opportunity for this project to grow and continue, and obviously I'm very excited about it, very passionate about it,” Pettinato said.
