Resources for Professionals

DeafBlind Resources for Special Educators

DeafBlind Resources for Special Educators (External Site).

This Google Site is a living site and was created to be a beginning one-stop shop for resources for special educators, including teachers of blind/visually impaired, teachers of deaf/hard of hearing, teachers of developmental cognitive disabilities, teachers of physical/health disabilities, and others who might be on the child who has combined hearing and vision loss educational team. Resources for early childhood special educators for DeafBlind children ages birth through two years are also included.

Intervener Services

Are Intervener Services Appropriate for Your Student with Deaf-Blindness? An IEP Team Discussion Guide (National Center on Deaf-Blindness) (External Site)

Within the context of an individual student’s IEP, this guide may be used to determine if intervener services should be provided to a student as part of his or her related services and supplementary aids (adaptations) and services. IEP teams may find, however, that it also informs broader IEP discussion and a number of areas including: a review of evaluation data, the student’s communication needs and access, present levels of academic achievement and functional performance, particularly how combined hearing and vision loss affects a child’s involvement in the curriculum. A Google Form is also available for teams to collaborate and is found on the DeafBlind Resources for Special Educators Google site.

Literacy

Literacy for Children with Combined Hearing and Vision Loss: ALL Children CAN Read (External Site)

This site is for individuals interested in beginning or enhancing literacy instruction for children with combined vision and hearing loss. Its content is also designed to improve literacy instruction for children with multiple disabilities and other complex learning challenges

Check our Literacy page for additional resources.

Pyramid of Learning: Sighted/Hearing Vs. Deafblind Learning

A Family’s Guide to Interveners for Children with Combined Hearing and Vision Loss (External Site) is a wonderful resource for families and school teams to understand the role of the intervener. This includes the pyramid of learning (External Site) graphic that illustrates the impact of combined hearing and vision loss has on access to people, information and the environment.

Understanding Deafblindness

Because deafblindness is such a rare incidence, it’s important for families and school teams to understand the multiple ways people who have combined hearing and vision loss are impacted. A person who is deafblind is one who cannot simply be thought of as a blind person with an additional disability (and therefore able to function without help in an environment geared toward helping people who are blind). A person who is deafblind also cannot simply be thought of as a person who is deaf and has an additional disability, but could easily be accommodated in a school program for children who are deaf. Even putting persons who are deafblind into the category of “severely or multiply disabled” will not, by itself, do justice to the nature of their disabilities and their needs. Read

Chapter 2 from Remarkable Conversations: A Guide to Developing Meaningful Communication with Children and Young Adults Who Are Deafblind" (External Site) to learn more.

Why Deafblindness and Autism Spectrum Disorders Look So Much Alike

Since professionals have become more aware of autism spectrum disorders, sometimes students with combined hearing and vision loss (deafblindness) may be misdiagnosed.  It is important to understand how the two differ. "Why Deafblindness and Autism Spectrum Disorders Look So Much Alike" (External Site) provides professionals and family members with important information to understand the impact of combined hearing and vision loss as presented by Julie Maier from California Deafblind Services.