The experience is suitable for SLP and Audiology majors who are interested in working with Deaf and hard of hearing children, as well as Deaf Ed majors. It's not just for students planning to become teachers of the deaf. SLP and Audiology students have done this in recent semesters and have loved the experience. You use your ASL, build great fluency, and learn a tremendous amount about children with hearing impairments. It's a great foundational experience and looks terrific on your resume for your graduate school application. To be eligible, students must have completed at least 72 credit hours and at least the third level ASL. Students should also have completed CSD 308K and (recommended) CSD 360M.

The experience is a package of field work and a course that accompanies it. Students register for two 3-hour courses in the Curriculum and Instruction department that count as upper division electives on your CSD degree. The field work comprises 12-15 hours per week, on an individually-tailored schedule, working with teachers and students at the Texas School for the Deaf (7 weeks in one class, spring break, then 7 weeks in a different class). Students get lots of hands-on experience in classroom settings (terrific for improving ASL skills) and also have the opportunity to observe and participate in other aspects of the education experience, such as ARD meetings. The course that accompanies the experience is for interns only, and it's essentially a comprehensive theory & practice "how-to" course in teaching Deaf children. It's taught at TSD once a week (currently scheduled W 4:30-7:30) by a Master Teacher at TSD, Donna Altuna, who also serves as the internship coordinator/supervisor.

Register for EDC 364 (internship) and EDC 331E. Remember, these are upper-division hours *not* in the College of Communication, so there's no problem with going over the maximum hours you're allowed in CSD.