No Limits Theater Group, Inc.

The primary objective of the No Limits program is to help children with a hearing loss function at an age-appropriate level so they can mainstream with their hearing peers and graduate from college. Specific objectives include the following:

1. Students with hearing loss will increase their language levels by two years after attending No Limits for one year, as measured by annual standardized receptive and expressive language assessments.

2. Students with hearing loss will improve auditory skills by 95% and will increase vocabulary by learning a minimum of 20 new words per week as measured by annual standardized assessments.

3. Students with hearing loss will improve confidence, as measured by their ability to initiate spontaneous conversation with adults and peers, to participate actively in peer discussions, and to present a graduation speech in front of hundreds of people.

4. Students with hearing loss will show a depth of understanding of concepts pertaining to music and theater arts as measured by pre and post-tests.

5. Parents will gain self-advocacy skills and will be able to understand and explain the IEP process, as measured by pre and post tests.

No Limits provides a unique program of five core areas:

1) Performing Arts: No Limits is proud of its National Theater Program, which provides a language-enriched performing arts environment where children build confidence and public speaking skills. Music, art, and dance are incorporated into the Theater Program as well as the after-school Educational Centers.

2) Speech/Language/Listening Therapy: Due to the high cost of private speech therapy, even average income families cannot afford to pay for the training their children desperately need. No Limits believes every child deserves to receive these services regardless of economic background and addresses this issue by providing 4 hours of speech/listening/language therapy each week at no cost to the families. No Limits has over 20 paid certified teachers of the deaf who work with students to help them catch up to their hearing peers.

3) Parent Education: No Limits believes that commitment from parents is key to the success of our children. Parents are required to attend weekly parent classes taught by guest presenters covering topics including advocacy, IEPs, technology and other resources.

4) Direct Instruction-Literacy: No Limits students meet twice a week with literacy experts who work to improve their overall reading, writing, comprehension, vocabulary, phonemic awareness, phonics and fluency. Literacy teachers work closely with speech and language therapists to maximize results. Critical thinking and problem solving skills are also strengthened with a strong focus on STEM.

5) Audiological Management: No Limits provides a loaner hearing aid program so its students will no longer go a day without hearing. Early on, No Limits realized that replacement hearing aids can take up to 6-8 months with state sponsored CCS insurance, which translates into 6-8 months without hearing for a child. Thanks to donated hearing aids from the Starkey Foundation, No Limits is able to provide loaner hearing aids at no cost.

In 1996, No Limits was founded as a theater program to help children improve communication skills, expand vocabulary and grammar, cultivate creativity, and develop public speaking skills. In 2002, the No Limits program was extended beyond the theatrical arts to provide individual auditory, speech, and language training year-round. No Limits has opened additional centers in Las Vegas, Nevada and Oxnard, California pioneering the expansion of its services to reach more communities in order to help deaf children learn the essential skills needed to graduate from college and become successful, productive members of society. Thanks to the generous support of our partners, No Limits will continue to build on its strong foundation and provide low-income students with hearing loss with the tools that they need to succeed in school and in life.

To date, No Limits has produced over 125 theatrical productions across the country, reaching a half million people nationwide. No Limits had the distinct honor of making history as the first time deaf children who speak performed at the prestigious John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and recently made history with its hit production Silent NO MORE at the world-renowned Carnegie Hall in New York City.

In 2002, No Limits expanded to provide auditory, speech and language training year-round to impoverished deaf children in the Los Angeles area. The after-school center also offers bi-weekly literacy classes, weekly parent education and advocacy training, academic tutoring, STEM, arts enrichment, and a Leadership and Mentoring Academy for teens. No Limits has opened additional centers in Las Vegas, Nevada and Oxnard, California pioneering the expansion of its services to reach more communities in order to help deaf children learn the essential skills needed to graduate from college and become successful, productive members of society.

As No Limits looks towards the future, No Limits is excited to continue its grassroots effort to change public policy by educating people across the world about the struggles and triumphs of people with hearing loss who have been raised using spoken language rather than sign language through a national production and book entitled Silent NO MORE. The show has been performed across the countries with different cast members sharing their inspiring stories to sold-out audiences, including performances at the John F. Kennedy Center for Performing Arts and Carnegie Hall. Because of the desire to bridge the gap between the Deaf community and oral community, all productions have been followed by a Q&A session between the audience comprised of Deaf and oral individuals and the cast. These discussions have sparked a positive conversation about the needs of both communities and how to join efforts. This powerful production is revolutionizing the landscape of the field, helping individuals with hearing loss find their voice and a future with no limits.