What Programs and Resources Does SDDeaf (SDSD) Offer Beyond Clinic Visits?

SDDeaf (SDSD) offers more than clinic appointments: it runs a Shared Reading Project, ASL Anywhere, camps for deaf and hard-of-hearing children, a Smoke Alarm Program, and statewide outreach that partners with school districts. These resources are aimed at families, educators, and professionals across South Dakota, and SDSD also maintains listservs to share program information, trainings, and upcoming events.

Family and early-language resources

Shared Reading Project

SDSD lists a Shared Reading Project as a downloadable PDF resource. It is grouped with the other family-facing materials on the site, so it is the first place to look if you want guidance on reading with a deaf or hard-of-hearing child at home.

ASL Anywhere

ASL Anywhere is also offered as a PDF resource. It sits alongside the camps and smoke alarm materials, which suggests it is a practical, self-serve guide rather than a scheduled class. The site does not publish a schedule, cost, or enrollment process for either PDF, so treat them as starting materials and confirm details with SDSD directly.

Camps for deaf and hard-of-hearing children

SDSD links to a separate website for camps. The site does not list dates, ages, or registration steps, so use the camp link as the entry point and check with SDSD for the current season.

Safety and community programs

Smoke Alarm Program

The Smoke Alarm Program is published as a PDF. It is listed with the other program resources rather than under clinic services, so it is a community-safety offering rather than a clinical appointment.

Listservs

SDSD maintains several listservs and uses them to send program information plus upcoming trainings and events. The published groups are:

• SD Birth-3 Providers
• SDSD Families
• SDSD Professionals and Stakeholders
• SDSD Sign Language Group
• SD Special Education Directors
• SD Superintendents

Subscription is managed through links on the SDSD site. If you are unsure which group fits you, the family and professional lists are the broadest starting points.

Outreach across South Dakota

SDSD's "Reach Across SD" figures show how far the program extends beyond its two clinics. For 2024-2025 the site reports 714 clients served, up from 329 in 2009-2010. That total includes 121 clients ages 0-5 and 593 ages 6-21, with 34 having graduated. The same reporting lists 166 new client referrals, 19 multidisciplinary evaluations, 20 student evaluations completed, and partnerships with 15 school districts.

The staffing behind that outreach is listed as 2 pediatric audiologists, 4 audiology assistants, and 14 outreach consultants. For families and educators, the practical takeaway is that school-district partnerships and outreach consultants are the route to services when a clinic visit is not the main need.

Clinics, for when you do need an appointment

Programs and clinic contact are separate. The published clinic details are:

The site also lists a Rapid City address at 1220 Mt Rushmore Rd, Suite 2, with the same phone and fax, plus a text line at 605-799-1945.

One current caveat: SDSD states that Rapid City Clinic phones are intermittently working. While that is the case, it directs people to call 605-641-7411, email [email protected], or text 605-799-1745.

How to decide where to start

• You want at-home language and reading support: start with the Shared Reading Project and ASL Anywhere PDFs, then ask SDSD which listserv fits your family.
• You want a camp or community program: use the camps link and the Smoke Alarm Program PDF, and confirm current offerings with SDSD.
• You are an educator or district contact: the special education directors and superintendents listservs, plus the 15 district partnerships, are the relevant entry points.
• You need an evaluation or audiology appointment: contact the Sioux Falls or West River clinic directly, using the alternate Rapid City numbers while its phones are unreliable.

The site does not publish prices, eligibility rules, or enrollment deadlines for these programs, so confirm those details with SDSD before relying on any of them.