History of the Southeast Asian Institute for the Deaf |
Originally known as the Total Communication Foundation, Inc., the School, in 1974, opened its first class of two pupils in s church social hall at the corner of La Felonila and La Trinidad in Quezon City. At this time, the target clientele of the school was confined to hearing-impaired children from age 18 months to 5 years. The very limited public response this admission requirements changed the school policy. |
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Until several years back, the school had not specified an upper age limit on enrollment and students in their twenties were still in school. Realizing that this was not healthy for both the older and the younger students, the SAID now sets 19 years as the maximum age that students is allowed to continue school residence.
After two years, the school relocated to a house on Rustia Street in Cubao and then to a bigger house at 52 Dapitan Extension, Quezon City. By this time, the school was already known as the Southeast Asian Institute for the Deaf, Inc 1982, SAID moved to its new site within the Miriam (then Maryknoll) College Compound.
In 1981, the Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports granted a permit for the school to offer the complete elementary program of studies. |
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In 1982, the school was authorized to operate classes in the secondary level of education. The years 1982 and 1986 witnessed the first groups of graduates for the elementary and high school level, respectively.
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The initial thrust of the school aimed at being a model school ofr the education of the deaf in the region and function as a research center for the study of the deaf education. As such, its close ties with Gallaudet allowed it to conduct Summer Teaching Training Programs beinning in the late seventies until the eighties. Professors from the Gallaudet conducted at SAID the following seminars: Sign Language, Language Developement from the Hearing Impaired Sign Communication and Education, Psychology of the Hearing Impaired. In 1986, the Tripartite Education Consortium was Launched in Miriam College, a cooperative venture among Miriam, SAID and Gallaudet. The Program conducted a graduate course for a SAID teachers.
The first teachers of SAID were trained under Frances Parson of the Gallaudet University. From 1976 to 1981, 16 Peace Corps volunteers trained in teaching students with hearing losses rendered teaching duties at SAID. Each batch of volunteers stayed for 2 years in the school. All throughout its history, the school had maintained academic tie-ups with Gallaudet Unversity. Primarily, the Gallaudet helped in the formulation of the academic program of the SAID and regularly conducted summer course for the SAID faculty in the SAID Campus.
In 2004 SAID celebrated its 30th year of providing quality education to its students.
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