AN EARLY intervention centre that prepares hearing-impaired children for mainstream schools will close in December if it doesn't receive emergency funding.

The St Gabriel's Hear The Children Early Intervention Centre can no longer continue by relying solely on fund-raising and donations.

The centre receives about $20,000 a year from the Department of Education, but isn't funded by the Department of Ageing, Disability and Home Care.

Yvonne Keane, of Kellyville, was ``shocked into action'' and formed Hear The Mums group to lobby the state and federal governments for $210,000 for the centre to keep operating. The group can make a transition to an independent centre for the 12 students enrolled for 2010 if funding is granted.

``The centre means so much to us,'' Mrs Keane said. ``Not only do they help our children but they have taught us how to improve language therapy at home so our children continue to develop.''

Mrs Keane's son Asher was born with mild hearing loss in both ears.

At nine weeks old, he was fitted with hearing aids and began attending therapy sessions at the centre, where staff members helped to ``calm the storm'' when navigating a series of appointments with audiologists, pediatricians, social workers and other specialists.

``We understand why the decision to close had to be made,'' Mrs Keane said. ``It will cater for children with all disabilities from next year.

``We have the support of the school to continue the centre's good work under new management.''

In 1984, the centre was the Australian pioneer of auditory-verbal therapy, which enables children to use what hearing they have to learn language and speech.

In 2001 the centre published the first edition of the St Gabriel's curriculum, which is used around the world.

Some of the parents come from the Blue Mountains for the free auditory-verbal therapy sessions.

Nine out of 10 children progress to attend mainstream schools.

Businesses that would like to support the centre are asked to call 0414685669.