NCDB Products | Topical Publications - Deaf-Blindness

Topical Publications - Deaf-Blindness

Authentic Assessment

This publication describes a comprehensive approach to assessment called authentic assessment, which emphasizes gathering information about children in their everyday environments during normal activities. It is adapted from a manual called Assessing Communication and Learning in Young Children Who Are Deafblind or Who Have Multiple Disabilities.

Children Who Are Deaf-Blind

Provides details about the population of children who are deaf-blind, including the classification of vision and hearing loss, the types of additional disabilities that may be present, and the causes of deafblindness. Vignettes and photos of four children who are deaf-blind illustrate the diversity of this unique group of children. Information from the population is drawn from annual child count data reported in The National Deaf-Blind Child Count: 1998–2005 in Review.

College Students Who Are Deaf-Blind - February 2011

This publication summarizes a research study on the experiences of 11 college students who are deaf-blind and provides suggestions for ways to support college students with deaf-blindness.

Communication at Home and in the Community

A compilation of responses received from families of children who are deaf-blind regarding strategies to promote communication in the home and community.  Specifically, four questions are asked:  1)  How can we facilitate and promote a child’s individualized mode of communication?, 2) How can we increase the number of people who can effectively communicate with our children?, 3) How can we encourage others to respect our children and feel more comfortable interacting with them? and, 4) How can parents support and promote communication when personal time and energy are limited?  It is a collection of strategies, advice and suggestions.

Communication Fact Sheets for Parents

This collection of fact sheets on the subject of communication is meant to assist parents and service providers to better understand the communication and language modes and systems that may be appropriate for many children and youth who are deaf-blind.  The booklet contains 28 fact sheets, each covering a particular aspect of communication.  The attempt to address fundamental but complex issues related to the communication needs of children with visual and hearing impairments.

Communication Interactions: It Takes Two

This fact sheet provides an overview of how to interact with children who are deaf-blind. Examples of different communication opportunities are provided. Additional resources are listed

Creative Expression: Opportunities for Persons Who are Deafblind

This booklet outlines strategies for creating opportunities to involve persons who are deaf-blind in the creative arts. Examples include music, painting, pottery, weaving, and writing.

Developing Concepts with Children Who are Deaf-Blind

Concepts are the ideas that give meaning to our world. This fact sheet discusses the process by which a deaf-blind child may develop their own unique concepts based on their personal experiences. Discussion involves the necessity of providing experiences to maximize a child's opportunity to develop concepts and the critical element of relationship in providing meaning.

Early Interactions With Children Who Are Deaf-Blind

This fact sheet presents numerous ways you can interact with your young child and offers practical suggestions for giving your child consistent sensory cues. This fact sheet suggests ways you can recognize and then respond to your child's responses and also includes techniques that encourage exploration of the environment.

Expressive Communication

This fact sheet provides information on the nature of expressive communication and the value of such communication. The continuum of expressive communication modes is described with examples often modeled by children who are deaf-blind. The progressive nature of communication is discussed and considered via sensory, motor, and cognitive development. Suggested readings and additional resources are listed.

Harmonious Interactions

Describes the importance of teaching families and educators the techniques to create and maintain high-quality interactions with children who are deaf-blind. Based on research and training activities conducted by Marleen Janssen, Marianne Riksen-Walraven, Jan van Dijk, and Bernadette van den Tillaart.

I Wish I Had...Wisdom From Parents of Children Who Are Deaf-Blind

In this collection, parents from across the country share their thoughts and experiences with regard to their families and their children who are deaf-blind.  In response to the prompt "I wish I had...", parents offer reflections on the past, the wisdom of experience and the things that fill them with hope for the future.

Importance of Orientation And Mobility Skills For Students Who Are Deaf-Blind

For the child who is deaf-blind, movement is an opportunity to gather sensory information, to communicate, and to make choices. Orientation and mobility (O&M) instruction provides a set of foundational skills that can broaden the students awareness of the environment, resulting in increased motivation, independence and safety.

Intervener in Early Intervention and Educational Settings for Children and Youth with Deafblindness

This briefing paper provides information about interveners and their role with individuals who are deafblind.  It describes the work of interveners in early intervention and educational settings provided under the Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) and Individualized Education Program (IEP) for children and youth who are deaf-blind, birth through 21 years of age.  Includes a discussion of issues, concepts, and terminology.

Literacy For Persons Who Are Deaf-Blind

This article discusses the importance of literacy for persons who are deaf-blind, the social function of literacy, and the conditions necessary for the development of literacy.

National Transition Follow-Up Study of Youth Identified as Deafblind: Parent Perspectives

Describes the results of a study that surveyed parents of deaf-blind youth (age 18-24) who had already left school, to find out about their children's post-school experiences relating to education, employment, living arrangements, and community involvement.

Overview on Deaf-Blindness

This overview provides fundamental information on deaf-blindness. Topics include causes, challenges, communication, orientation and mobility, education, transition, and family issues. The fact sheet is written for all audiences, especially parents, and professionals new to the field. Agency resources are listed and selected readings are referenced.

Parent Perspectives On...Communication, Behavioral, and Instructional Strategies for Children and Youth Who Are Deaf-Blind

The booklet presents parent perspectives on: communication, positive behavioral strategies, and important practices in instructional strategies.

Path to Symbolism

This publication describes the importance of early communication experiences for the development of symbolic communication in children who are deaf-blind. The publication is based on research and review articles by Susan Bruce (Boston College) and colleagues. Two recent studies by these researchers are highlighted. The first is on the use of gestures in children who are deaf-blind and the second is on the rate of intentional communication acts in children with severe disabilities, including deaf-blindness.

Psychological Evaluation of Children who are Deaf-Blind: An Overview with Recommendations for Practice

This fact sheet provides answers to frequently asked questions about psychological evaluations for infants, children and adults who are deaf-blind, we hope to clarify the evaluation process and the active roles that may be taken by everyone who is involved—family members, professionals, educators, and the student. Finally, by discussing quality indicators and desired outcomes, we present ways to view and use the evaluation process so it will benefit the student to the greatest degree possible.

Receptive Communication - How Children Understand Your Messages to Them

Deaf-blind children communicate through a variety of receptive communication modes. This fact sheet helps the reader design a program that will assist the deaf-blind child, especially the child with additional disabilities, move up the ladder of communication complexity. Additional tips are given for sending messages and the expectations for the child's response. Suggested readings are listed.

Recommendations on the Training of Interveners for Students who are Deafblind

This document  outlines training practices and competencies recommended for intervener training. Includes a common understanding of the definition and role of an intevener, a list of recommended competencies, levels of learning for staff development and training,  recommended training practices and a checklist of considerations for developing an intervener training system.

Recreation and Leisure

Everyone benefits from recreation and this fact sheet shares practical information on how to get people who are deaf-blind with cognitive disabilities involved with recreational activities. The focus is on recreational activities for pre-adolescent children through adult. Included are the steps required to develop a recreational plan. Examples of recreation activities with different people who are deaf-blind. A listing of national organizations and additional readings is included.

Research to Real Life - 2001

This publication, produced by DB-LINK, demonstrates how a selection of federally funded research projects are making a difference in the lives of children who are deaf-blind through improved practices and techniques in education. Also available on CD-Rom.  Contact DB-LINK at NCDB

Research to Real Life - 2006

Produced by DB-LINK, this publiction highlights six federally funded research projects and the practices and findings relevant to the education of children who are deaf-blind. Also available on CD-Rom. Contact DB-LINK at NCDB.

Self-Determination for Children and Young Adults Who Are Deaf-Blind

This paper explores how self-determination applies to individuals who are deaf-blind and how it affects families, educational programming, and service delivery. Provides information on the underlying principles of self-determination, and practices that foster self- determination including access to the environment through communication and vocational and work experiences.

Sexuality Education for Individuals Who Are Deaf-Blind and Significantly Developmentally Delayed

A book for parents and professionals, this new text offers information and instructional guidance for delivering sex education to deaf-blind students who also have cognitive disabilities. Issues of self-expression related to gender identity, modesty, and appropriate touch are discussed. Specific instruction is included for menstruation, masturbation, hygiene, health, and sexual abuse. 

Talking the Language of the Hands to the Hands

It is important to understand what role the hands play in typical development, and in the development of children who are blind and children who are deaf. This understanding will help educators, parents, and friends interact as skillfully as possible to facilitate the development of the hands of the person who is deafblind.

Teaching Prelinguistic Communication

This publication describes the findings of a study on the use of adapted prelinguistic milieu teaching (PMT) for children who are deaf-blind. In adapted PMT, an instructor, working one-on-one with a child, uses a variety of strategies to teach and encourage children to use gestures and vocalizations to communicate intentionally.

Transition

This publication describes the importance of in-depth transition planning to meet the unique needs of children and youth who are deaf-blind and the requirements of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act as measured by Indicator 13.

Universal Design for Learning

This issue of Practice Perspectives describes the basics of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and how it applies to students who are deaf-blind.  The information is intended to help teachers, parents, interveners, and individuals with deaf-blindness better understand UDL so that they can actively participate in the development of UDL practices.