The National Consortium on Deaf-Blindness

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NCDB HIGHLIGHTS

Technical Assistance

Kansas

NCDB is collaborating with the Kansas State Deaf-Blind Project and the Kansas State School for the Blind to host a family weekend in April of 2010. Families Together, the Parent Training organization in Kansas, is also a participant. Featured presenters will be Susan Bashinski and Marlyn Minkin.  The purpose of the event is to increase family support, advocacy, and leadership.

Family Forum on Collaborative Leadership

In September, 60 parents and representatives of organizations serving families came together in Washington, DC to enhance efforts in family leadership development and to expand our capacity to provide support and services to families of children who are deaf-blind or who have other disabilities.

Participants included representatives from:

• CHARGE Foundation
• National Association for Parents of Children with Visual Impairments
• National Consortium on Deaf-Blindness
• National Family Association of Deaf-Blind
• National Intervener Task Force
• Office of Special Education Programs
• Parents as Collaborative Leaders Project – University of Vermont
• Regional Parent Center TA provider
• SKI-HI Institute – Utah State University
• State Parent Training and Information Centers
• State TA Projects for deaf-blindness
• PACER TA Alliance for Parent Centers

The group identified three areas for collaborative work: family leadership training, transition issues and intervener training and services. Each participant chose to join one of the three groups and participated in a PATH process to lay out the dreams, goals and action steps needed to begin the joint work. Updates of the progress made and lessons learned will be shared with each of the participants and the organizations they represent.

NEWS & EVENTS

Deaf-Blind Children With Cochlear Implants Grant

There are now 27 state deaf-blind projects involved in collaborating with the project with 65 children below the age of 8 being followed post implant and an additional 20 children identified pre-implant. Five families are collecting verbalization/vocalization data with the Language Environment Analysis (LENA) system and a number of new families are interested in using the device with their children. The project is also working directly in natural environment routines in the home with three different early intervention teams. If you are interested in project materials or the developing intervention strategies, contact Kat Stremel. Watch for the new project website, http://www.kidsdbci.org to be up in mid-December and family brochures to be disseminated by the end of the year.

National Leadership Consortium in Sensory Disabilities (NLCSD)

Funded by OSEP, the consortium consists of 24 universities with doctoral programs that have an emphasis in one or more of the three sensory impairment areas: blind/visually impaired, deaf/hard of hearing, and deafblindness. NLCSD will provide a unique doctoral study experience for up to 25 qualified individuals committed to the education of infants, toddlers, children and youth with sensory disabilities. Detailed info at: http://www.salus.edu/nlcsd.

Grants Available for Child Health-Related Expenses

The United Healthcare Children's Foundation has a program that makes grant monies available to help children who need critical health care treatment, services, or equipment not covered or not fully covered by their parents' health benefit plans. UHCCF provides grants to families to help pay for services such as speech therapy, physical therapy, occupational therapy sessions, prescriptions, and medical equipment such as wheelchairs, orthotics, and eyeglasses. Grant applications, criteria and access to online help can be found at http://uhccf.org/.

PRODUCTS & PUBLICATIONS

Online Training Modules

A number of state deaf-blind projects have developed training modules for use in providing technical assistance. They vary in content and format and the following can be viewed on each project’s website.

Idaho
Developing Communication Systems for Children with Severe Disabilities

Indiana
Modules include an introduction to the learner who is deaf-blind, orientation and mobility and person centered planning. View the complete list.

Oregon
Early Communication

Texas
School Based Therapy Training Module

Washington
Washington Sensory Disabilities is building a video bank of practices specific to children who are deaf-blind. To date, five topics are completed and well as their Mini Module Series On Deaf-Blindness.

"Digital Light Box Artwork: Supporting Language and Literacy" is a new book by Wendy Buckley published by APH. Digitized individual art pieces from the APH Light Box Materials for use on the computer.

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Photo Courtesy of 2008 Helen Keller International Art Show

From all of the staff at NCDB
HAPPY HOLIDAYS

Contact information
Phone: 800.438.9376
TTY: 800.854.7013
Fax: 503.838.8150
info@nationaldb.org
http://nationaldb.org

Funded through award #H326T060002 by the U.S. Department of Education, OSERS, OSEP. The opinions and policies expressed by this publication do not necessarily reflect those of The Teaching Research Institute, or the U.S. Department of Education.