Early Learning Center (ELC)

The Early Learning Center (ELC) and the Parent Infant Program at TSD both support Deaf and hard-of-hearing students but serve different age groups and focus areas.

Early Learning Center (ELC): The ELC is a full-day program designed for preschool and pre-kindergarten students, emphasizing play-based learning to develop literacy, social-emotional skills, and critical thinking. It offers an ASL-English bilingual environment, engaging families as essential partners in their child’s learning journey.

Parent Infant Program (0-3): PIP is a family-centered program offered by the Statewide Outreach Center (SOC) at TSD. Children who are deaf and hard of hearing under the age of 3 qualify for Early Childhood Intervention (ECI) services through their local ECI provider.  SOC collaborates with ECI to provide a teacher of the deaf for these services which includes our Parent Infant Program.  The PIP program offers home visits and enrichment opportunities such as site-based and community activities that focus on language acquisition. To learn more about services provided to families, please visit the Statewide Outreach Center website: https://www.texasdeafed.org/. 

Both programs prioritize bilingual learning in ASL and English, tailored to the developmental needs of each age group, with an inclusive, family-centered approach that nurtures each child's growth.