Arkansas School for the Deaf was established in 1849 and is the only school for students who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing in the state. ASD is intended to serve students, ages 2-21 in our education programs. ASD follows the Arkansas Curriculum Frameworks. This means that our students are studying the same things as their peers in other Arkansas public schools, in addition to specialized courses only offered at ASD.

All of our courses are presented with our student's needs in mind:

• All courses are presented in a highly visual manner

• Barrier-free communication helps maximize each student’s progress

• Low teacher-to-student ratio

• Specialized Reading and Language programs based on research with deaf children

• Coursework meets Arkansas graduation requirements

ASD also offers other specialized programming developed with the unique need of deaf students in mind, including:

• Beyond ASD is an exciting program for young adults aged 18-21. This program helps students in their journey to independently transition from school into post-secondary education or the workplace.

• ASD’s Early Childhood Center is focused on early intervention and language development for deaf and Hard of Hearing children ages 2 – 5. It includes preschool and pre-kindergarten programs designed to develop
  social, emotional, and language skills, and also special Parent and Child classes for 2-year-old children to foster crucial communication and language skills.

• Our Early LEAP program provides statewide services to deaf children from birth through age three. Early LEAP provides resources, services, and connections to families in their hometowns throughout the state