My Education, My Profession

by Marian Minar

DeafBlind

Definition

A student with deafblindness has a degree of visual and auditory impairment which, when compounded, results in significant difficulties in developing communicative, educational, vocational, avocational, and social skills.

To be considered deafblind the student's vision and auditory impairments can range from partial sight to total blindness and from moderate to profound hearing loss.

Symptoms and Assessment

Districts should have current information that describes the sensory acuities (vision and hearing), physical development, orientation and mobility (skills and knowledge), social development, academic abilities, educational achievement, and communicative competence of students who are deafblind.

This information is best obtained for students who are deafblind through a multidisciplinary assessment process.

Strategies and Planning

The needs of students who are deafblind are varied. Therefore instruction should be adapted and the curriculum modified to reflect individual needs. Many students who are deafblind have potentially useful hearing and/or vision that enhance their potential for integration into the classroom. However, specific intervention and appropriate support should be available in order for each student to develop and learn. The student's educational requirements and any special measures that are to be taken in order to help meet those requirements must be documented in a formal Individual Education Plan.

When an IEP is developed, the following needs should be considered:

  • communication skills;
  • social skills;
  • orientation and mobility skills;
  • visual skills;
  • auditory skills;
  • daily living skills;
  • academic skills;
  • specialized skills in reading (e.g., Braille, large print, closed captioned TV [CCTV]);
  • specialized skills in mathematics (e.g., abacus, Nemeth Code);
  • access to technology (e.g., tape recorders, microcomputers); and
  • study skills and note-taking strategies.

External Links

Rationalle