Programs and services for people with vision or hearing loss www.ridbc.org.au
About RIDBC Royal Institute for Deaf and Blind Children (RIDBC) is Australia s largest non-government provider of therapy, education and cochlear implant services for children and adults with vision or hearing loss, their families, and the professionals who support them. RIDBC supports people with vision or hearing loss to lead fulfilling, confident and engaged lives. Our services are tailored to meet an individual s needs and stage of life, supported by our highly qualified and experienced team of professionals specialising in vision and hearing loss.
Why choose RIDBC? Support We pride ourselves on working in collaboration with families, children and adults to tailor services that support and fit your individual needs and life goals. Experience We are experts in sensory disability. RIDBC has been supporting Australians with vision or hearing loss for over 150 years. Our staff are highly skilled and experienced, and undertake rigorous professional development through RIDBC Renwick Centre Australia s leading provider of professional education in sensory disability. Specialists You will be supported by a team of professionals who specialise in vision or hearing loss We build a team of experts around your individual needs, including teachers, therapists, audiologists, orthoptists and a range of specialist consultants.
Services and locations We provide a broad range of services, locations and flexible support options. No other provider is more suitable than RIDBC to provide specialist vision and hearing loss support services. Our services are provided in convenient locations across Australia; in the local community; or direct to your home, through high quality videoconferencing. Value for money As a charity, the delivery of RIDBC services is supported by generous donations which means we can offer you a level of service that is above and beyond, to ensure you and your family receive all the support you need. RIDBC works across Australia to support children and adults of all ages who have vision or hearing loss.
Our services RIDBC services are delivered with a focus on family centred practice. We pride ourselves on working in collaboration with families, children and adults to tailor services that support and fit your individual needs and life goals. RIDBC is a registered provider with the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) which is a new way of providing support to people with disabilities, their families and carers. Visit our NDIS services portal to find out more http://ndis.ridbc.org.au
RIDBC Early Learning Programs Vision or Hearing Impairment Children with vision or hearing loss get the best possible start to life when they, and their families, receive immediate support and assistance through quality early intervention. Vision and hearing loss can have an impact on all areas of a child s development. We will work with you to develop an individualised plan for your child, providing support services to develop your child s skills to help them reach their full potential.
RIDBC Teleschool and Telepractice No matter where you live, RIDBC can use videoconferencing technology to deliver our specialist education, therapy and cochlear implant support services directly to your home or local facility. RIDBC Teleschool provides education and therapy services to children with vision or hearing loss in regional and remote areas of Australia, including individual and group classes; parent networking and education programs; support to develop a range of communication options; braille tuition and vision loss support; and transition to school and school support. We also use videoconferencing technology to give adults and children access to many of our other services, including assessment, diagnostic and therapy services.
RIDBC Allied Health RIDBC provides a range of allied health services for children and adults with vision or hearing loss, including diagnosis, functional assessments and therapy services that are holistic in focus and can include areas relating to additional disabilities. Our team of specialist staff, including speech pathologists, occupational therapists, orthoptists, physiotherapists, psychologists and teachers work co-operatively to achieve the best possible outcomes and a tailored service that meets your specific needs. We can also provide support for your family or for other professionals in your care team, to better ensure you achieve your specific goals.
SCIC Cochlear Implant Program Recognised internationally as a leading cochlear implant service, RIDBC s SCIC Cochlear Implant Program achieves world class outcomes for people with severe to profound hearing loss, and is the largest cochlear implant program in Australia. SCIC Cochlear Implant Program provides audiology assessments to determine if an implantable hearing device is a suitable option for children and adults who gain little or no benefit from a conventional hearing aid, and then coordinate the entire process, including the initial surgery, device switch-on, mapping and ongoing audiology, and rehabilitation support from our team of specialist staff.
RIDBC Jim Patrick Audiology Centre RIDBC Jim Patrick Audiology Centre is a family friendly audiology clinic offering a full range of audiological services, incorporating the latest technology for hearing assessment of children from birth onwards. The centre is staffed by a leading team of paediatric audiologists and services include diagnostic audiology, behavioural testing, electrophysiological studies, and speech perception testing, through to support for technology such as high powered hearing aids and cochlear implants. RIDBC supports children from their first weeks of life, through their schooling and teenage years, into young adulthood and beyond.
RIDBC Preschools RIDBC operates specialist preschools for children with vision or hearing loss, which operate on a reverse-integration model, where children with vision or hearing loss attend alongside children from the local community, who are excellent language and learning models for their peers. All children receive specialist education from our expert teaching staff. Our preschools will prepare your child to transition to school life with a focus on language, literacy, numeracy and social skills. We offer a specialist preschool for children who are blind or who have significant vision loss, including those with additional disabilities. We also offer preschools for children with hearing loss who are learning to listen and speak, as well as a specialist preschool for children learning Auslan (Australian Sign Language). RIDBC also provides preschool support for children in mainstream preschool settings. Our preschools will prepare your child to transition to school life with a focus on language, literacy, numeracy and social skills.
RIDBC Schools RIDBC runs three schools, RIDBC Garfield Barwick School which caters for children with hearing loss who listen and speak with the aid of cochlear implants or hearing aids, and prepares them to transition to mainstream school. RIDBC Thomas Pattison School which offers a bilingual educational program for deaf students up to Year 10 who use Auslan and English. RIDBC Alice Betteridge School which caters for school-aged children who have a significant vision impairment, combined with an intellectual impairment. All schools support students with a NSW Board of Studies curriculum that is adapted to suit individual needs where required.
RIDBC School Support Service RIDBC School Support Service offers specialist educational services to independent schools to assist children with vision or hearing loss to effectively access the mainstream school curriculum. This may include one-to-one support for your child, including reading and writing in braille, the use of access technology or low vision aids in the classroom, preparation of alternative format learning materials, and support with hearing devices. We also provide support for teaching staff about the best ways to accommodate children with vision or hearing loss in their classrooms and how to structure lessons. Additionally, students may access a consultative service from RIDBC s range of therapists including, Psychology, Audiology, and Speech Pathology.
RIDBC Renwick Centre RIDBC Renwick Centre is Australia s leading provider of professional development and research in areas related to the education of children with vision or hearing loss. The Centre offers postgraduate programs (at Masters and Doctoral degree levels) and an extensive program of continuing professional education for teachers, therapists, and a range of other associated professionals. Through the Renwick Centre, RIDBC helps to ensure that services for children with sensory disabilities and their families across Australia and around the world are based on current evidence and are delivered by skilled and knowledgeable professionals. World-class facilities provide an excellent environment for study and the research and development of new techniques in assessment and a wide range of interventions for children with vision or hearing loss. Among the facilities is the Rydge Family Library which houses the most extensive collection of books and resources in special education for children with sensory disabilities in Australia.
Contact RIDBC s services are provided in convenient locations across Australia; in the local community; or direct to your home, through high quality video conferencing technology. We provide a range of services for children and adults with vision or hearing loss, their families and the professionals who support them. Support is available for children, adults and families from non-english speaking backgrounds and RIDBC also runs programs specifically designed to accommodate Indigenous Australian children, adults and families. Please contact us to discuss your individual needs and goals and find out how we can best support you. Service Enquiries 1300 581 391 General Information 02 9871 1233 (TTY/V) Email info@ridbc.org.au Web www.ridbc.org.au Post Private Bag 29, Parramatta, NSW, 2124 2016 RIDBC /ridbc @ridbc @ridbc