The TJX Foundation’s donation will support programs to help young deaf and hard-of-hearing children acquire school readiness skills.

Elizabeth DeRosa, ASD Development Associate; Chad Abdow, TJX Representative; and Jeff Bravin, Executive Director of ASD. Submitted photo

Submitted by American School for the Deaf

TJX Foundation has generously given support to the American School for the Deaf’s Early Childhood Development Program (ECIP), a component of ASD’s Early Childhood Services, and monitored and evaluated by the State of Connecticut’s Birth-to-Three Program.

This program provides the resources necessary for young deaf and hard-of-hearing children to acquire language and cognition skills, as well as prepare them for successful formal schooling.  ECIP conducts home visits and provides audiological services; cochlear implant services; loaner hearing aids; physical and occupational therapy to pre-school deaf and hard-of-hearing children, age birth to three.

Since 90 percent of deaf children are born to hearing parents, ECIP’s information and services foster understanding and acceptance of deafness and its issues and prepares them to fulfill their role as caregivers. Many of ECIP’s services are rendered in a natural environment, such as the home, with daily routines used as learning opportunities.

Executive Director Jeff Bravin said, “We are extremely grateful to the TJX Companies for their support of this very important ASD program. Early Intervention is critical to a deaf or hard of hearing child in developing language – the earlier resources are provided, the better prepared a child is when they reach school age.”

Caring for others is an important part of the culture at TJX. The primary mission of The TJX Foundation is to support programs that provide basic-need services to disadvantaged children, women and families in communities where they do business. In 2014, on a global basis, TJX Companies supported over 2,200 organizations. In the U.S., much of their charitable giving is coordinated through The TJX Foundation, which funded almost 1,700 nonprofit organizations.