Quick look: OCDE’s Connections program has expanded its Deaf and Hard of Hearing with Disabilities services to preschoolers through a new inclusive site at Fullerton Head Start, where students with and without disabilities learn and grow together. The program emphasizes early exposure to multiple languages and cultivates empathy, communication and inclusion for all learners.
In January, OCDE’s Connections program launched its first-ever Deaf and Hard of Hearing with Disabilities program at Mann Elementary. Now, the program is expanding to the preschool level through a partnership with Fullerton Head Start.
While the new site shares the same mission, the Connections program at Fullerton Head Start will operate a bit differently. Here, Connections students are fully integrated into classrooms with Head Start peers who do not have disabilities. This inclusive approach creates a unique learning environment that benefits all students.
For Connections students, early exposure to multiple languages is a key component for long-term success. English, American Sign Language (ASL) and Spanish are used daily in the classroom, helping students build well-rounded communication skills and laying a strong foundation for future learning.
For Head Start students without disabilities, the benefits are more evident in their social-emotional behaviors. According to Kamica Barnes, OCDE’s assistant director of Special Education, they learn empathy, become more inclined to help others and grow more comfortable interacting with peers who are different from them. Some students have even begun learning basic ASL, using signs to communicate with their classmates who are deaf or hard of hearing.
This emphasis on inclusion reflects Orange County Superintendent Dr. Stefan Bean’s 5-3-1 Plan for OCDE and its top priority of improving outcomes and innovating new supports and opportunities for all students — including those in the earliest levels of education.
OCDE’s Connections program provides specialized educational services for students with significant disabilities, emotional disturbances and those who are deaf or hard of hearing. With 48 classes across 13 sites, the program offers a structured environment and curriculum that meets each student’s differing needs.
Looking ahead, the program aims to create more inclusive and integrated learning opportunities at higher grade levels for its Connections students.