Online Tutoring for Deaf Students – Check Out VASLA
Thadeus Brown is a deaf educator who has worked in both mainstream and residential settings. Brown, who is also deaf, grew up attending mainstream education. It was through these experiences that he “witnessed firsthand the inequities and lack of resources in the system” for deaf students. Within mainstream grades K-12, approximately 450,000 are deaf and hard of hearing students. It is estimated that more than 45% of deaf adults are underemployed or unemployed.
The rise of virtual learning rocketed because of the COVID-19 pandemic. It was then that Brown, along with two other co-founders, became very aware of a critical need. Sean A. Maiwald and David T. Uzzell, both of whom are also deaf and mainstream educators, recognized with Brown that access to ASL based resources is desperately limited.
They began to develop the Virtual American Sign Language Academy (VASLA), the only full-service education business in ASL. They also noted that there were limited deaf role models. Through this program they are able to have a positive impact on deaf student outcomes.
Initially, VASLA was developed for tutoring deaf students affected by the pandemic. Popularity has grown and services expanded. Now, anyone can receive tutoring in a number of subjects such as math, reading, writing, science, and English. All subjects are given utilizing American Sign Language. The program does not offer tutoring in developing ASL skills.
The pilot phase launched in January 2021 with beta testing in May 2021, followed by the full launch of tutoring services a few months later. The opening of the online school is set for 2023-2024.
This model is based on
- High quality tutoring provided in ASL
- Curriculum resources for educators
- Mentoring and coaching: 1 to 1 Support and Guidance
- Content: Resources for the community
- Courses and test prep: ACT/SAT Prep, GED Prep
- Transition support: FASFA, college and work preparation
The resources are available at anytime from anywhere. Tutoring prices vary based on level of education. There are hourly based prices as well as complete packages such as for ACT preparation. A list of these can be found at Services | Virtual ASL Academy (vasla.org).
For more information on the services that VASLA offers, you can submit a message at Contact Us | Virtual ASL Academy (vasla.org). They will contact you to help discuss your needs.
