2020 Parent Institute Canceled

The Institute for Parents of Preschool Children Who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing is canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

We are sorry to announce that this year’s Institute for Parents of Preschool Children Who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing is canceled.

This decision follows the Governor’s executive orders to keep schools closed, keep people home, maintain social distancing and promote public health during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

The Institute is a one-week program for parents of children ages 5 and under who have a significant hearing loss. It takes place on the campus of the Illinois School for the Deaf in Jacksonville each June.

Participating parents attend daily lectures by experts in the field to learn about raising a child with hearing loss.

Although we cannot gather in person, parents can still access presentations from the Institute’s experts.

As a supporter of the Institute, the University of Illinois at Chicago’s Division of Specialized Care for Children (DSCC) has made these presentations available online so they can benefit more families of children with hearing loss.

Videos on each topic are posted on the Illinois Sound Beginnings website.

Parents and caregivers can watch each presentation at their own pace in the comfort of their own home.

We will announce details for next year’s Institute after organizers determine a date.

If you would like more information about the Institute, call us at (800) 322-3722 or email Institute@exchange.dscc.uic.edu.