Central Institute for the Deaf

CID has been a blessing for our family in so many ways. Our son started audiology services there when he was 2 months old. He was aided by 3 months. At a year, he was implanted on one side. CID walked with us through it all. The school program is fantastic. Our son is prepared for kindergarten and thriving. We are so thankful for CID. They care about kids and is 1000% shows.

My son attended CID for five years and recently graduated in May of 2023. He is 9 years old now and will be mainstreaming in the fall. My son and I had the most amazing experience at CID and were met with warmth and care from the day we arrived.

My son started the school with 2 hearing aids and we ended with 2 cochlear implants because he became profoundly deaf through the 2nd year of school. My son received unbelievable academic and emotional support throughout his time at CID. All of the teachers, administration, speech therapist and audiologist became family to me. They gave me guidance and confidence to feel I could support my son and his deaf journey. I truly would be lost without CID. I am forever grateful and will always look at everyone from CID as family.

In the spring of 1971, I earned my Master of Science in Speech and Hearing at Washington University in Saint Louis, Missouri (STL). Upon graduation, I was hired by Central Institute for the Deaf teaching speech, language, and auditory training (listening). In 1978, I resigned and was hired by Special School District (SSD) of Saint Louis County, Missouri as a hearing Itinerant teaching in local STL school districts. In 1995, I earned certification as an Auditory-Verbal Therapist (CERT.AVT). I retired from SSD as a substitute for Speech/Language Pathologists in 2001.
There is an African proverb that states, " It takes a village to raise a child." During my long tenure of teaching, and advocating for students with deafness, I have stayed in touch with CID and CID graduates as they entered the "mainstream" in the Saint Louis area. I witnessed year after year the scores of CID alumni in their local school districts and colleges. I feel a great deal of pride in being associated with the "Village at CID" that taught children to LISTEN, TALK, READ, AND SUCCEED!

My daughter was born with moderate to severe bilateral hearing loss. She started attending CID at age 2.5 and continued until she finished kindergarten. She mainstreamed into the public schools starting in first grade. CID taught her to advocate for herself, and her teachers at public school gave her much praise for doing so. She finished high school with a 4.0 GPA. During high school, she raised money for a program called Project Thirst, which digs water wells in remote regions of Africa. Her senior year of high school, she traveled by herself to southern Africa to visit remote tribes where water wells were dug. It was a great learning experience for her in many ways.

She is currently a senior at DePaul University with a 3.9 GPA majoring in Political Science and Psychology. She is volunteering in underserved neighborhoods in Chicago to provide support for students in schools there. She hopes to work for a nonprofit serving the inner city or working with the government to serve disabled.

Thank you CID!!

CID did an amazing job to prepare her for further schooling and her life. She is a strong advocate for herself and wants to serve underprivileged. CID's excellent staff and programs prepared her to succeed and be of service. Thank you CID for helping our daughter grow and succeed.

Great School, Great teachers and support. CID has been incredibly amazing. Our daughter started when she was almost 5 and only knew 2 words. After joining CID , she learnt 200+vocabulary words , sentences and long sentences. Teachers and all the other staff members are absolutely great. We never expected our daughter to have such impressive progress within short time. It could have not been possible without CID. CID has given her Confidence, skills and most importantly language. Our daughter loves going to her school and never wants to skip any school days. CID provided classes for us (Parents) how to support her at home. We truly appreciate CID for offering great services and scholarship to our daughter. We will always be thankful to CID.

CID has been wonderful, every step of the way, from navigating our daughter's initial diagnosis, to working with our scheduling needs to enable her to attend the toddler program, to helping her thrive in the preschool. The communication from the school is unparalleled and we have felt supported every step of the way. Our daughter LOVES school at CID and we have been blown away by how much she is learning, from her listening and spoken language skills, to self advocacy, to preliteracy skills, preschool math, and more. The teachers, leadership, and staff at CID are incredible and have helped our daughter grow to be the happy, confident, talkative, 3.5 year old she is today. We are so grateful that we found CID and for everything it has done for our daughter and our family!

With my charitable dollars, I choose to donate to CID. For three reasons.

1) To show my gratitude as a proud graduate of this school.
2) To pay it forward to help other children succeed.
3) To compliment the school staff for its professionalism and passion.

CID has thrived for more than 100 years, which takes more than luck. I hope others come aboard to support this worthy organization.

My daughter, Rachel was adopted from Russia at 9 months old. She was tiny and delayed in many ways, but was babbling appropriately. It was a total shock to me when a routine 18th month check up turned up a permanent hearing loss. From the first phone call to CID, I received factual information in a caring way. I felt like coming home the minute that I stepped into the door on the first visit and our journey was made so much easier with the expertise from everyone at CID. We started with home visits for a few months and then entered the Family Center. I always knew that the hearing loss might be progressive and by age 5, my daughter qualified for a cochlear implant. Again, the expertise and caring from CID made that bridge much easier to cross as my daughter then became bimodal. We had fun participating in studies from audiology and helping those who came after us. I used to laugh as my daughter animatedly chattered in the car, full of excitement about her day! We met so many families with interesting stories along the way. When the time was right, we moved on to other schools. The caring foundation came along with us as we still meet people and staff from many parts of our CID journey. Today, Rachel is a senior in a mainstreamed high school and preparing to enter college for mechanical engineering. She is an honors student and respected by teachers and peers. The once shy little girl is a leader in her school and tutors other students in math skills. The foundation from CID is priceless to us!

Thank you for being kind, for caring, listening, and shaping our son's future. We are so proud of him and all that he has accomplished at CID. Thank you for giving our son the knowledge, patience, and tools he will need to become a great student, friend, and overall AWESOME human being. You all are Superheros to us!

I don’t even want to think about where my daughter would be without the love, support and encouragement from our CID family. From the first email response I received I immediately felt like we were finally in the right place in the most capable hands and we never looked back. Every single person we’ve worked with at CID is knowledge in hearing loss, language development, device maintenance and just raising a toddler. Nothing frazzles them and you can see their passion for helping the kids in everything they do. We are forever grateful for this new, unexpected family and we wouldn’t have it any other way.

When we learned our baby boy had permanent hearing loss, we turned to CID. Our son Peter began to have visits from teachers of the deaf and he then joined new friends in the Family Center at CID. Peter learned to talk, and we were amazed by the support and instruction he received. The teachers, audiologists, speech pathologists and occupational therapists worked together to help him develop and reach new milestones. Peter then moved to the pre-K department at CID and then to the primary department for Kindergarten. He developed strong reading skills that benefit him to this day. Peter mainstreamed as a 1st grader and he is now a sophomore at our public high school with his older brother. We are so proud of everything he has accomplished, and we will always be thankful for the foundation for learning that he built at CID.

CID was the place I spent my two years during graduate school, learning from some of the best teachers and audiologist in the country, and working with the children to teach them Listening and Spoken Language. It was an honor to be a part of the community at CID and gain my skills as a Teacher of the Deaf. I returned two years after graduate school for continuing education and continue to receive support, resources, and guidance from CID. I appreciate this very much as a teacher in a rural and remote place in Hawaii. Thank you, CID, for all that you do for the teachers, professionals, and students.

I have been a volunteer and a board member for CID for over a decade. This is a nonprofit that you feel great giving your time and money to...the work they do to help each child progress and be happy and healthy is truly remarkable. No student is ever turned away because of financial need. Their students work hard and eventually leave CID to mainstream into schools with hearing peers - going to their graduation ceremony is truly inspiring.

Our children, Ivy and Ian were diagnosed as profoundly deaf at birth. It was a moment in our lives filled with uncertainty and fear of the unknown. We didn’t know what kind of future would be possible and available to them.

Ivy and Ian’s special education journeys with CID started in January 2013. We have been so blessed to have amazing CID educators in their entire lives. Audiologists, teachers, and the other staff were all in one place to provide full support to our kids every day. It was an incredible lifetime experience when they started to learn how to listen, talk, and read.

CID educators are enthusiastic supporters, they taught us how powerful a feeling it is to be independent from a non-verbal world. We always felt secure within CID boundaries. CID has had our back and advocated for the best in our children’s education.

Now it’s time for us to grow and step out of these boundaries. It is daunting but Ivy and Ian feel confident and ready for anything this world has to offer.

Thank you so much for making all these things possible in their future and helping us dream big. We are no longer uncertain and fearful for our children's future.

CID and its staff has been another home and family to Avynn and our family. Without a doubt, we knew we were in good hands. This is such a bittersweet moment, that we’ll hold on to for a lifetime. CID was the start of Avynn’s education and will be a piece of her forever. CID and its staff Rocks!!!

Cid knows how make you feel welcomed and not different! You feel like you’ve become part of the greatest family out their from day one! CID will forever be our home and second family

Mickey started at CID in December 2005 and it was the best decision I made. They was amazing in teaching him hownto talk and be himself. I love this school and would recommend it to anybody who has a def child. The teachers and staff goes ubove and beyound for the children there. Thank you CID.

The education my child receives at CID is absolutely amazing. The one on one attention that she receives is phenomenal. We live an hour from school and I'd drive 3 hours to be able to have her attend this school. We love our CID family.

1978-80 I was in the teacher training program which launch a 35 year career in DeafEd. As I look back at the methods and techniques I learned at CID I feel grateful for the experience. Nothing compares to the devotion and persistence ( and outcomes) the teachers there had and still have! Although I worked at a state school for many years I continued to utilize the hands-on , visual methods, the in- depth language instruction and the attention to speech and auditory training. Parents: please push for excellence in the schools your children transition to, as I have recently witnessed public schools dropping effective teaching as they try to comply with standardized tests.

We love Central Institute for the Deaf!! We relocated our family from Alabama to St. Louis after hearing about this wonderful school. Our son was implanted with Bilateral Cochlear Implants when he was one years old. We really wanted him to learn how to listen and use spoken language and we couldn’t find anything like this school in Alabama. Our son Mason is going on his 5th year at CID and we couldn’t be happier and he is talking up a storm with his peers. His little sister Maddie now attends as a hearing peer and is just as happy. Thank you CID teachers and staff for all your hard work and dedication to our children. We love you guys so much and you will forever be a part of our family������������������

CID provided a priceless service for my family and our daughter. The discovery that our daughter was deaf was the beginning of a very confusing and scary time. Fortunately, we were introduced to the team at CID, who helped our daughter gain the skills she needed to communicate and grow academically very quickly.

In her time at CID, our daughter went from being 2 years behind her hearing peers to 2 years ahead of them academically - within just a few short years!

This experience has inspired in her a lifelong love of learning. She is now a senior in high school and doing wonderfully well, with her eyes set on college.

Our family will never forget the vital role of Cental Institute for the Deaf in our daughter’s success, nor could we ever repay it.

When Logan was about 1½ we learned that our sweet little baby was deaf. At 18 months old, Logan was using 1-2 words total, and he received the tiniest hearing aids I have ever seen. Logan’s future was a little cloudy as we tried to picture how his and (our) lives would change….after a lot of research we learned that we had a choice, and that deaf kids CAN learn to talk!

At age 3 Logan had (maybe) 50 words in his vocabulary, and he would use 1-2 word phrases. He attended a local preschool but we found out that he wasn’t participating in class, so we began the search for something more. Our internet search brought us to CID's web page. My husband and I visited and when we saw the school and heard the kids singing – we knew Logan needed to attend.

I will remember his first day at CID's summer school as a huge turning point.

Logan sat down with three other kids in his class, and he looked at the boy to his left and the little girl to his right. Turning to me and said, “Look! Hearing aid!” At that moment I knew we did the right thing. At the end of six weeks of summer school Logan had doubled his vocabulary, and he was using 3-4 word sentences! To say we were amazed is an understatement.

Logan joined CID full time for the 2008-2009 school year, and continued to make huge growth. He was excited to graduate in May of 2018, and move into his homeschool. He loves school and being with his friends, and he has a great love of learning.

Logan's success is thanks to the dedicated teachers and staff at CID. We can’t imagine what Logan’s life would be without their help.

Our son was born with bilateral mild to moderate hearing loss, which was not a surprise, being that it runs in the family. Even still he was the youngest to have to have assistive devices. It was overwhelming, and CID took that burden and helped carry it. We began our journey with him at 6 weeks old. Tomorrow our little guy will begin classes in the ECC department and we are thrilled. Numerous times throughout the past 3 yrs we have been a part of the CID team for his needs, I have been brought to tears. They really care and have the children's best interests at heart. They not only help our boy, but have gone out of their way to help me with my own hearing loss. They welcome you as part of the child's team. From the moment we set foot in the school on our first tour three years ago, we knew we were at the right place. His hearing loss is progressive, and our goal was to give him as much of a foundation for spoken language and listening as we could, while we could. And that is exactly what they are accomplishing. I am grateful we have this opportunity to be a part of such a wonderful organization.

I am inspired every time I walk through the front doors of CID! We adopted our severely, profoundly deaf son from India at age 4 1/2. Even before we brought him home to the USA, Lynda Berkowitz of CID was willing to look at videos and reports of our son to get an idea of his issues and how he could be helped by CID. Shortly after we brought him home, he received bilateral cochlear implants and started school at CID. Although being nearly age 5 is considered late intervention for a child to receive cochlear implant‘s, CID‘s masterful teaching and
state -of-the- art organization gave our son the opportunity to learn to hear and speak! He is now 15 years old and in a traditional public school setting doing very well! We are so very deeply grateful for the opportunity that our son had to attend CID and for the resulting life-changing opportunities he is now experiencing.

Our family will forever be indebted to Central Institute for the Deaf (CID). Our son, Trey, spent three years at CID. The experience for the entire family was nothing short of amazing. The Family Center and ECC Programs supported him as he minimized language and developmental gaps, established self-advocacy skills, and optimized use of his hearing devices to interpret the world around him. More so, CID provided Trey a firm academic stepping stone that will serve him for years to come. CID also allowed family to remain a priority when Trey and his typically hearing sister, Amelia, were able to share one year together while she was enrolled in the Hearing Peer Program. When asked to talk about his favorite part of CID at graduation, Trey replied, “My friends and teachers are sure fun, and I like doing all the cool stuff and learning. I’m like a genius now!”

My son Mark received an amazing foundation for learning in a caring and loving environment.
I cannot say enough good things about the school. The staff is top notch.

My granddaughter, who was born with microtia, attended the program for 2 to three year olds. I can't say enough about the school. She received daily 1 to 1 therapy, as well as participating in the daily class program. The teachers were enthusiastic and very knowledgeable. There was great communication, with weekly progress reports. They had wonderful field trips and creative projects. Its a first class school in every way.

My great-niece has been a part of the CID family since birth. Now 5 years old, she continues to grow with confidence each day. Have heard wonderful things about CID for years but having family member be a participant in your organization confirms beyond words what a great place for her to be a part

I love CID! They were wonderful with my granddaughter. I can think of nothing negative about our experience with CID. The employees were all extremely helpful, knowledgeable, and polite.

I have been around this organization for years now and they do phenomenal work with youth!

My daughter was a student here from 2011-2018. She would not be where she is today without CID. We are forever grateful to them!

Many years ago as a high school volunteer I was truly impressed with all I saw at CID: hard working students, devoted teachers, and a place of learning and joy. Now as a member of the CID board I am even more in awe of the inspiring work they do. They have helped thousands of kids find their voices and learn to navigate a hearing world, while supporting families, educators, and healthcare professionals with expertise and support. It feels great to give to CID because you know that the money is being well used to improve lives. We are so fortunate to have this school as a pillar in the nonprofit St. Louis community.

We moved to St. Louis when my son was 2 1/2 in large part so he could attend CID. It's one of the best decisions I have ever made! It is far and away the best school I have ever seen. The faculty and staff are all so kind, bright, and inclusive; the facility is beautiful with great acoustics; the student-teacher ratio is amazing. Love our CID family! Nico is now a mainstreamed 8th grader and is rocking his classes, most of which are honors/advanced. Thanks, CID! The amazing foundation you gave him is such a huge part of his success.

We moved from Utah to St. Louis so my daughter could attend CID. It was, without a doubt, the best choice we have ever made. CID changed the trajectory of her life. She learned to listen and speak, advocate for herself and to read and love reading. We could not be more thankful for CID.

When we found out our son was deaf, we received immediate and comprehensive support from staff at CID. Staff worked with us during every step of assessing his hearing loss, preparing for cochlear implant surgery, educating us as parents about hearing loss, and teaching our son how to listen and speak. He's now turning 4 years old, and measures at or above average in all areas of development including language skills in comparison with hearing peers. His success can be attributed to the skilled, compassionate staff who work with him daily.

The Central Institute For The Deaf (CID) has been, and continues to be, an extemely positive experience for my entire family. My daughter, Kennedy, was born with congenital CMV that has slowly taken her hearing. Now completely deaf, but aided by two cochlear implants, I cannot tell you how incredible it is to talk to my 3 year old, and have her talk back to me and have us both understandeach other! CID has made it possible for my daughter to not only live in a hearing world, but to one day conquer it. - Kevin Berghoff