John Tracy Clinic for Preschool Deaf Children

The John Tracy Clinic for Preschool Deaf Children is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing worldwide parent-centered services to young children with hearing impairment and offering affected family�s hope, guidance, and encouragement. Louise Tracy, wife of actor Spencer Tracy, to provide educational programs, without charge, to young deaf children and their families, founded the Clinic in 1942. The Clinic offers a variety of programs to serve families in Southern California. Free services for children from birth to age six include hearing screenings in preschools and daycare centers throughout the greater Los Angeles area; complete audio logical tests at the Clinic�s downtown location for any child suspected of having a hearing loss; classes and support groups for parents of hearing-impaired children; and demonstration home programs to show parents how to use activities in the home to guide their infants or newly diagnosed deaf toddlers in the development of communication skills. Additional services include a demonstration preschool program for children from ages two through five that emphasizes language, speech, cognitive, and social development; a correspondence education program to educate and provide emotional support to families from all over the United States and worldwide; and, in conjunction with the University of Southern California, a graduate teacher education program to train new teachers of hearing impaired individuals. The John Tracy Clinic is an affiliate of the National Distance Education Council, the National Association of Private Schools for Exceptional Children, the Alexander Graham Bell Association, the Council on the Education of the Deaf, the Conference of the Educational Administration Serving the Deaf, and the Convention of American Instructors of the Deaf. Educational materials include brochures, a regular newsletter entitled “Bulletin,” and fact sheets.