
About Clarke Speaks Up
Families and professionals rely on Clarke Speaks Up to learn about uplifting stories from the Clarke community and up-and-coming news from a leader in the field.
The Clarke Speaks Up blog is the exciting evolution of the annually released Clarke Speaks magazine, allowing Clarke to publish content on a regular basis for our community.
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6 min read
Kindergarten is a major transition for young children and their families, and the skills required to take this exciting step won’t be established with last-minute worksheets and number games. At Clarke, preparation for kindergarten begins when a family enrolls in our early intervention (EI) services—and ideally before a baby is even six months old.
6 min read
6 min read
Clarke may be best known for its expertise in helping children with hearing loss develop their listening and spoken language skills, but this process takes place within a larger framework of support to develop many other crucial skills, like executive function and interpersonal communication.
6 min read
3 min read
Already a fierce advocate for the deaf, Anita Diemand left Prince Edward Island (PEI), Canada, in 1970 to enter Clarke’s teacher training program in Northampton, Massachusetts.
3 min read
3 min read
Ryan was 18 months old when his parents learned he was hard of hearing. He began wearing hearing aids at age two and then enrolled at Clarke as a boarding student when he was five.
3 min read
3 min read
“Clarke helped me with hearing and building confidence—tremendously,” Christine says. “Because of their trust in me and the confidence they built in me, I was able to go to a mainstream school with hearing people and be around all people—deaf and hearing.”
3 min read
2 min read
We asked the Clarke community: What are you grateful for this year?
2 min read
7 min read
Childhood friendships help to establish many of the social intelligence skills and coping mechanisms necessary for success in adulthood.
7 min read
4 min read
Since our founding in 1867, Clarke has prepared children who are deaf or hard of hearing to succeed in mainstream schools and the wider world. But soon after our 50th anniversary, Clarke faced catastrophe.
4 min read
3 min read
For the past 18 years, Melanie has worked as a nurse in the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit at Boston Children’s Hospital, ranked the number one pediatric hospital in the country.
3 min read
2 min read
“You never know how important your job is until a situation like this happens,” says Kim Lavender, when asked about her work during the COVID-19 pandemic.
2 min read
3 min read
“I love my job,” Natalia says. “I want to take care of my grandmas and grandpas and aunties and uncles. But there’s constant worry. I’m afraid. Am I protected enough?”
3 min read