The California Schools for the Deaf provide intensive, specialized services to students with or without additional disabilities whose primary education needs are due to their deafness. An applicant who meets the following criteria may be eligible for enrollment or continued enrollment in the California School for the Deaf (CSD) Instructional Program:

• The applicant demonstrates the ability to learn and/or use American Sign Language as the primary mode of communication to access instruction by attending to communication and others in the environment; demonstrates an understanding or awareness of the intended communication; initiates or sustains interactions with others; and has the ability to respond to instructions in academic, functional, social, and self-care situations.
• The applicant demonstrates that his or her primary educational needs are related to a severe hearing loss with or without additional disabilities.
• The Deaf applicant demonstrates that he or she can benefit educationally from an ASL environment.
• The Deaf applicant demonstrates the ability to access the general education or alternative curriculum with reasonable accommodations without requiring a fundamental alteration of the educational program of CSD.