Student Development
(Narrator) There are several types of skills students need to achieve their dreams. These include skills related to self-advocacy, communication, technology, social interactions, community involvement and independent living. In the past several decades new technologies opened a whole new kind of support for students who are deaf-blind to develop these skills. It takes a great deal of planning and support for them, because of the lack of access they have to their environment. They need ongoing support from their families, educators, and service providers. 
(Katie) Advocacy, advocacy means to me, to advocate for myself, to stand up and say, "I need this, I need tactile interpreters or I need voice interpreters or Braille, accessible formatting, accessible... communication," advocating for myself. 
(Danielle) Advocacy means to me being able to let people know what your needs are, so that you can be successful.
(Melissa / Interpreter) In regards to self-advocacy, you have to let people know your communication needs. For example, if someone is signing too low or too far to the left or right for you to follow them, you need to be able to tell them to sign in a specific box or location. I need to describe to them my visual space so that they can sign within that same area. They may also need to wear specific clothing and to not wear large bracelets or earrings, because it's so visually distracting. I have to be able to let interpreters, SSPs, friends and family members know what I need. Also, those needs change at nighttime. 
(Elizabeth) An SSP is really important for the deaf-blind, specially the students because they are still learning. They are learning their communication needs, they are learning how to actually let people know what that need is and an SSP is able to get-- help them communicate that information maybe probe them to be like, "Can you see me okay? Do you need me to move a little bit?" And the SSP-- if they start when they're younger, then as they move through they are able to identify and start advocating for themselves and say, "Hey, this is what I need to access this communication." 
(Kelly) I've learned a lot about the variety of technology, the variety of communication options that are available and how those can be combined and I think that that piece is really critical and really nice for the students who are here, because they get to have exposure to other students who are like them, but not necessarily exactly like them. So they get their world open to different ways of communicating, traveling... They get to observe others advocating for themselves even in this environment, you know, asking for clarification, asking to sit where they need to sit, making sure that their technology is available, so getting to observe others and be around others who are advocating for themselves and who are, you know, interacting on this level, not to mention the speakers and the information that they are receiving about how important it is for them to continue that. 
(Martha) She is very self-determined on her own. That has been one thing that we've really not had to worry about with her. But I guess it's more the independent living skills that-- making her do more around the house, doing her own cooking and learning to take care of herself and washing clothes and doing things that we typically do for her a lot. Because when she goes off to college there is not going to be anybody to do that for her, except for herself. 
(Jana) What do you think it'll look like after you leave, when you go home? 
(Martha) Um... I hope that she'll gain a lot from this experience, learn to self-advocate for herself more, I think that we've also in the past done that for her sometimes and, I mean, she's been good about it, at times, at school, they've told me that if she has had a substitute interpreter or somebody, she will go to them and say, you know, "I didn't really understand this interpreter, " she'll talk to her deaf-ed teacher and advocate for herself some at school, which we're glad and proud of her for that, but I do think, and one of the things that they talked about in our last thing was, as they transition, let them start making their own doctor's appointments or doing things and I've realized we do all of that for her. I also usually interpret for her when we get a doctor's appointment a lot of times. I need to start letting her decide, you know, she needs to get her own interpreter and how to go about doing that. And teaching her some of those skills too. I It has been very valuable for me. I started realizing a lot of things that we really need to start working on. And I am glad that we came when she was only 16 because now that gives us time to work on those skills. At first I was worried because I saw that there were ages 16 - 22, and I thought gosh she is going to be one of the youngest students here and was a little worried about that but now I am really glad she came when she was younger.Ê 
(Emily) What I take a look at is our whole population of young adults and students that are on census. That goes from the whole spectrum of those who have more significant challenges on top of their vision and hearing loss to those that are going to be college bound or more looking at that college and career path. We need to bridge that chasm. We need to help them to meet others, so that they understand what are their needs. So as the young people who can self advocate, they being to advocate not only for themselves but for the whole group of deaf-blind.Ê
(Tracie) I think that she has taught me that she has the determination and the will power to stand up for her self. And Katie has said, she came to my room last night, and she said, ÒMom I learned so many things. She learned that there are people out there that are doing things that are truly amazing to her. She was so Ê by what Cody taught her over the weekend, that he was teaching them not only could they dream but they could find ways of achieving that dream.Ê
(Colleen) One he hit the middle school age, um, I requested a note taker, or demanded a note taker because it was necessary. He had a good one the one year,Ê then he had a bad one, so we are pushing for a new one, so that has been a big necessity. He misses about 60% of what is going on in the class with a FM System. And I think a lot of teachers and professions donÕt realize just because he has an FM system for support, that it is not a cure all. It is not a catch all.Ê
(Jose) And one of the things that I keep reminding the teachers as we have our IEPs and get together is that even with everything that we are doing it doesnÕt even put him on a even keel with the other students you know. And to think that just because he has the support, he is on a even level, and he is not. And you know, they donÕt realize how much extra work it is for him to do it. It comes to mind one day I asked him to write all the notes for everything because he wasnÕt going to have a note taker the next day, and I gave him an incentive. If you write all these notes, you know you will get to have your iPad for whatever amount of time. And He gets home that next day, he bring all these notes that he wrote, barely legible, but he brought them home. But he was so tired. It took so much out of him. He slept the rest of the day. He couldnÕt even do homework. So itÕs a real eye opener when you realize how much harder it is, it doesnÕt put those kids on a even keel, but we gotta give them at least a fighting chance.Ê
(Emily) One of the things that we think is really important when we have a transition institute, we build in multiple layers of activities so that we look at a true transition experience. So you bring together young people from different places, and we want them to kind of celebrate where they are from. So we make sure they tell us about what they are interested in, what are maybe gifts and talents they have. So that they are becoming role models for each other. So that they say ohhh I didnÕt know deaf-blind people could do that. I might want to try that too. So we build in what are their skills. The other piece that we know is that itÕs important to have things that you do outside of the academics, outside of the focus on the career and college ready.Ê ThatÕs all important and we want to build those skills, but what are you going to do for fun, how are you going to socialize, how are you going to have a rich life. So we want to give them that opportunity.Ê
(Vicky Magliocchino) To become a leader as you grow and attend school, and possibly college, it is important to be involved in many activities. Like clubs, after school activities, sports or theater. These types of activities offer you a variety of skill sets. Once you become interested in a specific area, then you can become a leader within that group. For the future of deaf-blind organizations, youth or teenagers will need to assume the roles of leadership and take our place for the longevity of the organizations.Ê