St. Joseph Institute for the Deaf

What St. Joseph Institute for the Deaf does

St. Joseph Institute for the Deaf, operating as St. Joseph Hearing + Speech, is a private nonprofit organization founded in 1835 that delivers listening and spoken language (LSL) education and early intervention services to children who are deaf or hard of hearing, primarily from birth through age 8. It operates two physical campuses — its Indianapolis, Indiana headquarters at 9192 Waldemar Road and a regional location in Brentwood, Missouri — and reports serving 335 infants and toddlers through Early Intervention and 169 students through its preschool/primary school programs in the 2024-2025 academic year. Core service lines include in-home Early Intervention (birth-3) delivered through state First Steps programs, full-time and part-time auditory-verbal preschool and primary education at the Indiana campus, and Outreach Services that train and support mainstream schools serving students with hearing technology. The organization's underlying technology layer is the iHear tele-practice platform, which extends LSL therapy and outreach consultations to families and schools beyond commuting distance of the two campuses.

The business model combines three revenue streams: (1) tuition and fees from preschool/primary programs (quote-based, not publicly disclosed), (2) state government reimbursement through the Indiana First Steps and Missouri First Steps early intervention systems, and (3) charitable contributions solicited via an online donate portal, monthly giving club, planned giving program, and fundraising events. Go-to-market is multi-modal: direct-to-family outreach through community playgroups, library and community-center pop-ups, and bi-monthly Parent and Professional Education Program (PEP) webinars; channel-partner delivery via state First Steps agencies, the Indiana CDHHE network, and partner school districts (including Missouri's Special School District); and referral relationships with pediatric audiology and cochlear implant centers. The organization is governed independently (EIN 43-0653494) and has historical affiliation with the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, St. Louis Province, with no venture capital, private equity, or institutional investor ownership indicated.

Name

St. Joseph Institute for the Deaf

Legal name

St. Joseph Institute for the Deaf

Website

https://sjid.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1835

Operating status

Operating

Short description

St. Joseph Institute for the Deaf (dba St. Joseph Hearing + Speech) is a 190-year-old nonprofit that provides listening and spoken language early intervention, preschool/primary education, and school outreach services to deaf and hard-of-hearing children in Indiana and Missouri.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Special Education Services for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing

NAICS

Offices of Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapists, and Audiologists (621340), Elementary and Secondary Schools (611110)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Vision & Hearing Early Intervention Services (EDACAFAN)

akta.pro secondary industries

Deaf/Hard of Hearing & Vision Services (Audiology, Interpreting, Orientation & Mobility) (EDAJAKAI), Assistive Hearing & Communication Access (Captioning, Hearing Support, Transcription) (EDAFAKAC)

Keywords

• Deaf education services
• Listening spoken language
• Early intervention programs
• Pediatric hearing loss
• Auditory-verbal therapy

Headquarters

HQ city

Indianapolis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Educational Services: Revenue from preschool and primary school programs. Families pay tuition for full-time and part-time auditory-verbal education services at the Indiana campus.
2. Donations and Fundraising: Charitable contributions from individuals, corporate donors, and fundraising events. Organization accepts donations through online portal, monthly giving club, and planned giving programs.
3. State-Funded Early Intervention: Reimbursement through Indiana First Steps and Missouri First Steps state programs for early intervention services delivered to eligible infants and toddlers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

St. Joseph Institute for the Deaf, operating as St. Joseph Hearing + Speech, provides Listening and Spoken Language (LSL) education, early intervention, and outreach services for children who are deaf or hard of hearing. The organization delivers full-time and part-time preschool/primary school programs at its Indiana campus, in-home early intervention for infants and toddlers through state First Steps programs, and outreach services to schools and professionals — all supported by the proprietary iHear tele-practice platform for remote service delivery.

Product overview

St. Joseph Hearing + Speech provides a unified suite of Listening and Spoken Language (LSL) services for children with hearing loss and their families. The organization operates two primary service streams: direct therapeutic/educational services (Early Intervention for ages 0-3, Preschool/Primary School for ages 3-8, and Outreach Services for school-age students) delivered both in-person and via iHear tele-practice; and family/community support programs (Community Events, Hear It Begins, LSL Resources, and Hearing Technology Information). Services are accessible through two locations in Indiana and Missouri, with partnerships through state First Steps programs and local school districts.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Early Intervention Services (Birth-3 years) In-home Listening and Spoken Language services for infants and toddlers with hearing loss, offered through state First Steps programs in Indiana and Missouri, available in person or via iHear tele-practice.
• Preschool/Primary School Services (Ages 3-8) Full-time and part-time auditory-verbal education for children using Listening and Spoken Language, delivered through partnerships with Indiana school districts at the Indiana campus.
• Outreach Services Training and support for professionals working with students using hearing technology and spoken language. Outreach specialists assess student needs, develop goals, and provide services for auditory, social, self-advocacy, and academic skills, available in person or via iHear teletherapy.
• iHear Tele-practice Services Remote therapy and intervention services delivered via video platform, enabling families to access specialized Listening and Spoken Language services regardless of geographic location across Indiana and Missouri.

Quantifiable outcome

• 335 infants and toddlers served in 2024-2025 through early intervention
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Indiana First StepscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState early intervention program through which St. Joseph provides in-home listening and spoken language services to eligible infants and toddlers with hearing loss in Indiana.
• Missouri First StepscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState early intervention program providing in-home early intervention LSL services to eligible families in Missouri, available in person or via tele-practice.
• United WaymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner providing funding and community support to help St. Joseph reach families in need of hearing and speech services.
• AG Bell AcademymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademy for Listening and Spoken Language that provides continuing education opportunities for St. Joseph professionals.
• Hear INcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndiana organization focused on hearing healthcare that collaborates with St. Joseph to serve children and families statewide.
• CDHHE (Children's Digital Health Hub)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndiana health network through which St. Joseph provides early intervention services as part of comprehensive hearing healthcare.
• OPTIONcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganization supporting listening and spoken language services that partners with St. Joseph on outreach and professional education.
• Butler UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity partnership for communication sciences and disorders, potentially providing training opportunities and academic collaboration.
• University of AkronminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partnership with university communication program, potentially for student training and research collaboration.
• Wash U Audiology (Washington University)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with university audiology program for clinical collaboration and expertise sharing in pediatric audiology.
• Special School DistrictcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMissouri school district partnership providing educational services and support for students with hearing loss in the St. Louis area.
• Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, St. Louis ProvinceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounding religious order that maintains connection to the organization, providing historical ties and community support.
• SJEM (St. Joseph Education Ministry)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducation ministry network that collaborates with St. Joseph on educational programming and mission alignment.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Emerging players

• Hear Indiana: Indiana-focused hearing healthcare organization collaborating with St. Joseph on services statewide. Comparable in serving families of children with hearing loss within the same regional geography.

Direct peers

• OPTION Schools / OPTION Inc: National network supporting listening and spoken language programs at schools for the deaf. Listed partner of St. Joseph; provides comparable infrastructure for LSL program development and outreach.
• Summit Speech School: New Jersey nonprofit providing listening and spoken language services, early intervention, and preschool programs for children with hearing loss. Direct overlap in mission and therapeutic approach.
• Central Institute for the Deaf (CID): Nonprofit affiliated with Washington University offering audiology, speech-language, and listening and spoken language education for children with hearing loss. Overlaps directly in service mix, age range, and clinical expertise.
• The Learning Center for the Deaf (TLC): Massachusetts nonprofit serving deaf and hard-of-hearing students with educational, clinical, and community programs. Comparable in serving children with hearing loss through school-age, though broader in communication modalities.
• Tucker-Maxon Oral School: Oregon-based nonprofit oral school serving deaf and hard-of-hearing children with auditory-verbal therapy and preschool/primary programs. Directly comparable educational model and target population.
• Clarke Schools for Hearing and Speech: Multi-location nonprofit providing listening and spoken language services, early intervention, and school programs for children with hearing loss. Closely comparable in mission, age-range served, and oral education methodology.
• Sound Beginnings: Utah-based program providing early intervention and preschool LSL services for children with hearing loss. Comparable in early childhood focus and auditory-verbal methodology.

Broad incumbents

• Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (AG Bell): National membership and advocacy organization supporting listening and spoken language outcomes. Listed partner of St. Joseph; serves as the broader industry umbrella for LSL education and credentialing.

Others

• CaptionCall by Ultratec: Provider of captioned telephone services and assistive listening technology for people with hearing loss. Adjacent ecosystem participant serving the deaf/hard-of-hearing population through complementary technology.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@st.josephinstituteforthede69
• Facebookfacebook.com/sjid.org
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/st-joseph-institute-for-the-deaf
• Instagraminstagram.com/stjosephhearing

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about St. Joseph Institute for the Deaf