Edward

Edward is 11 years old. He is deaf. His mother struggled to care for him and did not enroll him in school, so he moved to Pittsburgh to live with his aunt and uncle. His family can only communicate with Edward at a basic level, since they do not know American Sign Language (ASL).

Edward felt isolated. He had an ASL interpreter at school, but his own proficiency was low. When his case opened, KidsVoice jumped in to make sure that he had the tools needed to master ASL.

The pandemic hit and Edward joined thousands of other children whose special learning needs were not met by remote education. Edward's aunt and uncle are essential workers and had to work during the school day, so he was on his own for remote learning. Instead of catching up with his peers, Edward fell further behind.

KidsVoice advocated for Edward to be enrolled at the Western Pennsylvania School for the Deaf. To do so, his school district would have to agree to cover tuition at the specialized school. Recognizing that they could not meet Edward's needs, his school district agreed.

When Edward visited his new school for the first time, his face lit up. For the first time ever, there were other children he could talk to!

Now Edward is making quick progress. KidsVoice continues to work with Edward’s family to ensure that they have the resources to meet his educational, social, and medical needs.