The Shepherd Centre

The Shepherd Centre is a charity which began in 1970 helping deaf and hearing-impaired children learn to listen and speak so they can reach their individual potential. Over 30% of children attending our early intervention program have additional disabilities to hearing loss.

We provide our services free of charge to families and only receive limited government funding, we rely heavily on the generosity of the community to help us continue to make a difference.

Our Vision

To enable children who are deaf and hearing-impaired to develop spoken language so they may fully participate in the hearing world and in so doing reach their full potential.

Our Mission

To assist children who are deaf and hearing-impaired achieve spoken communication within the family, the educational setting and within the wider community by involving parents and the community in the education and development of the child.

To develop the skills of the parents and carers, by providing an intensive infant and preschool program, so that children may acquire speech and language, principally using their residual hearing with the use of appropriate listening devices (eg. hearing aids or cochlear implants).

To develop language, listening, speech and social skills to facilitate integration of the child with their hearing peers at the earliest possible opportunity and ensure integration continues throughout life.

Our Philosophy

To assist children who are deaf or hearing-impaired use their residual hearing to learn the skills they need to acquire speech and language and to enable them to live comfortably in the wider community. These skills will enable the adult who is deaf or hearing impaired to have choices in lifestyle, occupation and mode of communication.