Previous Monthly Update - April 2022
Impact Report
Each year, we ask state deaf-blind projects for input on our work and use the feedback to build on our strengths, address concerns, and inform and guide future activities. We are excited to share the NCDB 2021 Impact Report. It summarizes data collection methods and describes how our collaborative efforts led to significant progress and accomplishments.
Increasing Recognition and Use of Qualified Personnel: Texas
Texas has made significant efforts to recognize, train, and support qualified personnel for children who are deafblind, including a range of activities and initiatives related to interveners and teachers of students who are deafblind (TDBs). The crowning achievement occurred when Texas became the third state to recognize TDBs. Read all about it in our latest State Success Story.
EI Toolbox – Health Care System
Hospitals, clinics, private practices, and health care personnel often serve infants and toddlers, so they can be important allies in helping to identify and refer children with deaf-blindness to early intervention services and state deaf-blind projects. To learn more about the health care system and how you can build partnerships to address early ID and referral in your state, visit the Health Care System section of the Early ID and Referral Toolbox. For more information, contact Emma Nelson.
Access to the GEC Webpage
Check out NCDB's new webpage on Access to the General Education Curriculum. It includes an article by NCDB on foundational legal requirements and standards, a document listing academic content standards and assessments for each state, additional key documents, and recordings and associated materials for webinars conducted in March 2022.
New Articles
Hartman, E. S., Lueck, A. H., Chen, D., Montano, A., & Edstrand, K. (2022). Designing intervention strategies for young children with cerebral/cortical visual Impairments (CVIs). Visual Impairment and Deafblind Education Quarterly, 67(1).
Wolthuis, K., Bol, G., Minnaert, A., Janssen, M. (2021). Analysis of the relationship between the content and effectiveness of an intervention based on the Layered Communication Model to improve communication. Journal of Deafblind Studies on Communication, 7, 43-79.
US-Canada Intervener Community of Practice
The US and Canada intervener community of practice is hosting a workshop called "'I'm so much more than that'–The Role of the Intervener/or." To register, see the flyer Munch 'n' Learn: A Brown Bag Workshop.
New Article in ZERO TO THREE Journal
An article by NCDB’s Emma Nelson, Robbin Bull, and their ECTA colleagues has been published online by ZERO TO THREE Journal. “The Importance of Identifying Infants and Toddlers with Combined Vision and Hearing Loss” describes how a newborn benefits from services offered by her state deaf-blind project, provides data on the number of infants and toddlers who are deaf-blind, and offers resources for families and providers.
NICE Process
Over the past few months, NCDB has received several questions about the National Intervener Certification E-Portfolio (NICE) process. If you are new to the NICE process, the NCDB Technical Assistance and Support for NICE document walks you through the TA process we use for access to the NICE system. You can always find this document on our IQP Initiative homepage (look in the Interveners section near the bottom of the page, under the Certification tab). If you have any questions, contact Kristi Probst.
Archived Monthly Updates
If you are looking for a prior months update, please email support@nationaldb.org and we can send you a PDF of any previous monthly update.