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Contra Costa County Office of Education

District Services
Our Mission: To ensure that every child with a hearing loss is fully engaged in the learning process with access to communication, development and academic performance to afford him or her the opportunity to develop to his or her fullest intellectual and personal potential to function.
Students who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing have unique educational needs. Contra Costa County Deaf/Hard of Hearing Student Services strives to provide resources for educators, families, and the community for the 18 districts we serve. We draw on research, experience and proven best
practices to design a blueprint for meeting the needs of this exceptional group of students.

Typical DHH Itinerant Services 
3 - 21 years of age
  • Communication Strategies
  • Language Development
  • Auditory Skills Development
  • Speech Development
  • Cognitive and Play Development
  • Parenting Strategies
  • Information regarding Amplification Options
  • Sign Language Development
  • Literacy Development
  • Role Model and Peer Opportunities
  • Language Development 
  • Instructional Accommodations
  • Environmental Accommodations
  • Hearing Assistance Technology
  • Educational Interpreting
  • Transcription/Captioning
  • Counseling
  • Advocacy/Self-Advocacy
  • Audiological Management
 
 
 

Audiology Services

audio booth


audioContra Costa County Office of Education has one Educational
Audiologist who serves the entire county
. An Educational Audiologist is able to deliver a full spectrum of hearing services to all children, particularly those in educational settings. Audiologists are trained to diagnose, manage and treat hearing and balance problems. Educational audiologists are members of the school multidisciplinary team who facilitate listening, learning and communication access via specialized assessments; monitor personal hearing instruments; recommend, fit and manage hearing assistance technology; provide and recommend support services and resources; and advocate on behalf of the students. Educational audiologists provide evidence for needed services and technology, emphasize access skills and supports, counsel children to promote personal responsibility and self-advocacy, maintain student performance levels, collaborate with private sector audiologists, help student transitions and team with other school professions to work most effectively to facilitate student learning.
 
Audiological assessments can be completed at the CCCOE East County Student Programs - Turner campus (4207-B Delta Fair Blvd Antioch, CA 94509) for any student served by CCCOE on a referral basis. If you need additional information regarding this service, please contact Laura Hillebrandt the DHH Instructional Assistant.
 

DHH STRIDE Program

Early Start Deaf/Hard of Hearing Educational Specialists (Birth to age 3)

 
Name (click to email) Phone
Sarah Buhre (925) 754-0934 x13
Nina Mostepan (925) 754-0934 x 13

DHH Preschool

COE Diablo Vista Deaf/Hard-of-Hearing Preschool Program
Preschool is an exciting time of language enrichment and social development. From birth to age five, a child’s brain develops rapidly. Providing a high-quality educational environment is critical during those developmental years. Brain development has an immense impact on their ability to learn and succeed. All deaf/hard of hearing children need access to strong language models which is vital to Kindergarten readiness and will have a lasting impact on their lives.
 
Our CCCOE Deaf/Hard of Hearing Preschool Program at Diablo Vista Elementary in Antioch focuses on enriching language acquisition, as well as social emotional development. We believe in students acquiring skills through playing, building, creating, exploring, and experimenting as part of the learning experience. By exposing our students to a variety of vocabulary words, sentence structures, and open-ended questions, we model and reinforce conversation. Engaging in meaningful conversation lays the foundation for communication, problem solving, and relationship building. In addition, practicing social emotional skills enables our students to learn more about themselves and the world around them, which enhances their abilities to succeed in and outside of school.  Since our students come to us from a variety of backgrounds, hearing levels, and differing speech skills, we tailor instruction to meet their unique needs and learning styles. We strive to partner with families to empower our deaf/hard of hearing students.
 
Our class meets Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 8:30 AM to 11:30 AM. Instruction is based on California’s Preschool Learning Foundations, using theme activities that thread all subject areas including literacy, math, science, social studies, and technology. A primary key to this program is engaging story times and fun play opportunities. 
 
Deaf/Hard of Hearing Pre school Program (3-5 years)

Debbie O'Neil (teacher)  Diablo Valley Elementary School              Room 2
Megan Reither (IA)
Ariana Harris (IA)
 
 

Parent Resources

Referral Process

  • Identification & Referral
  • Collaboration with families, educational personnel
  • Conduct Specialized Assessment
  • Placement Considerations (continuum of service options)
  • IEP/Section 504 plan
  • Training and support for staff and parents
 
CONTACTS

CONTACTS

Deaf/Hard of Hearing Educational Specialists 

Name (click to email) Phone Region
Jacqie Mosqueira (510) 919-0377 Far East County Region
Patty Ruotolo (707) 338-1645 Lamorinda Region 
Destiny Castellanos  (925) 230-9769 County Wide Region
John Tracy (707) 863-1779 East County Region
  

Educational Audiologist

Name (click to email) Phone Region
Katie Ugarte (925) 837-6007 ext. 2108 County Wide
 

Department Assistant

Name (click to email) Phone
Laura Hillebrandt (925) 777-2000, ext 1114