Region 4 Regional Day School Program for the Deaf: Opening a New World of Sound at the Houston Zoo for Students Who Are Deaf and Hard of Hearing

 

For eight-year-old Cayla Reed, a trip to the zoo usually means auditory overload. The booming calls of animals, the constant hum of crowds, and the echoing presentations over tiny speakers all collide into a chaotic jumble she struggles to interpret.

 

But on a crisp November morning at the Houston Zoo, she experienced something new. Wearing “Deafinitely Cayla” T-shirts, the eight-year-old and her family gathered around a towering giraffe to listen to a zookeeper’s presentation. Thanks to a hearing assistive technology (HAT) device connected through Bluetooth to her cochlear implant, Cayla heard every word the zookeeper said—no struggling to understand, no confusion, just clear sound.

 

“She told me, ‘This is streaming directly to my ears,’” said Wyesha Wade, Cayla’s mother. “She was really learning. She didn’t have to say, ‘Mom, what did they say?’ She could hear for herself.”

 

This breakthrough moment was just one of many that unfolded at the zoo that day. Cayla and her mother were among 49 families who attended the second annual Region 4 Family Zoo Day in November 2024. Organized through the Regional Day School Program for the Deaf (RDSPD) Family Support Network, the event brought together 136 people, including students, parents, and volunteers, for a day of accessible animal presentations and hands-on activities.

 

“I saw some parents’ lightbulbs go off,” said Paige Hutto, the Region 4 RDSPD Education Specialist who leads the Family Support Network. “They’d say, ‘Oh, I didn’t realize how much my child was missing.’”

 

Hutto and her team planned the event to ensure every child could actively participate. Zookeepers used digital modulation (DM) systems—devices that connect directly to students’ hearing aids or cochlear implants to deliver clear audio without background noise. ASL interpreters and Spanish translators were also on hand to make the experience enjoyable for all families.

 

“We believe in total access, whatever it looks like for that student,” Hutto explained. “As hearing people, we kind of just innately know how to listen. But a student who’s deaf and hard of hearing, they actually have to learn how to listen. It’s something that we, as deaf educators, teach them.”

 

For Wade, the day was about connecting Cayla with others like herself. “A few weeks ago, she said she loved her new school and the people around her,” said Wade. “After that, I started looking for other events for her to participate in outside of school.”

 

What they found at the Family Support Network’s zoo day exceeded their expectations. Cayla and her family met other families with similar experiences, tested specialized equipment, and connected with support services.

 

“She retained so much of what she learned that day,” Wade said. “Typically, she can get off task, but at the zoo, she stayed focused and engaged. It showed us that there’s so much she can achieve with the right tools and support.”

 

The experience also brought a new level of awareness to Cayla’s extended family. “My family learned so much about Cayla,” said Wade. “They used to think that was just her [personality], but now they understand that there are others like Cayla. They are much more supportive and understanding of her needs now.”

 

The outing was part of the Family Support Network’s broader mission to bring together families of students who are deaf and hard of hearing and offer meaningful experiences. Far exceeding its initial scope, Hutto said the network—which began during the pandemic with only 5–10 families meeting over Zoom—has now grown to serve more than 200 families across the Region 4 RDSPD’s eight member districts and charter schools. The network hosts monthly educational sessions and semester outings to foster community and learning.
 

“Deaf education is definitely a labor of love, and [the Family Support Network has] really grown probably beyond anybody’s imagination,” Hutto said. “It’s really nice to build those bridges between home and school.”

 

From Zoom meetings to family outings, the network continues to grow. Monthly educational sessions cover everything from reading strategies to college preparation, while biannual meetups create spaces where families can learn and connect. At each event, parents help shape future programming and ensure the network meets their changing needs.

 

Most importantly, every gathering reinforces the program’s core mission: ensuring each child has access to educational opportunities and every family has the support they need to help their children succeed.