The Center for Hearing and Speech (CHS) was founded in 1947 by four parents who wanted their children with hearing impairments to communicate by speaking instead of using sign language. 

The school, formerly called Houston School for Deaf Children, was housed in a cottage on Austin Street and served eight children its first year.  Today, CHS is the only full-service resource in Houston to identify and teach children with hearing impairments to listen and speak without sign language.   

 Throughout the years, many things have changed. Technology and teaching techniques have improved and opened the doors to even more opportunities.  Through time and support, the organization has developed from a small school to a full-service facility providing education, audiology, speech-language pathology and family support services.

But one important thing has remained the same - our commitment to helping deaf children.  From the beginning, specialized instruction and personal attention through low teacher-student ratios have been a priority.  In a 1968 article about the school in the Houston Times, it says, “…it is essential that they receive instruction in small classes under the guidance of trained and experienced personnel.” 

For more than six decades, CHS has provided the highest quality education and services for children with hearing impairments.  As the organization has grown, so has the dedication of its staff, volunteers and donors. 

CHS has helped thousands of children gain the listening and speaking skills they need to be successful in the mainstream world.  Though times continue to change, this commitment to improving the lives of deaf children never will.