Literacy for Students with Multiple Disabilities

For students with deafblindness or multiple disabilities that include blindness, literacy may call for options other than braille or print. This section offers many suggestions for creating tactile representations of experiences, modifications and adaptions to teaching techniques, and appropriate reading materials.

Accessing the Curriculum Frameworks through English Language Arts: Literacy, In Touch – New England Center Deafblind Project
Martha Majors's newsletter article (p.4) defines literacy for students with blindness, deafblindness, or additional disabilities and explores alignment of the curriculum with the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks. (requires Adobe Acrobat Reader)

Emergent Literacy for Children who are Deaf-Blind, Project SALUTE
This information sheet offers advice for creating tactile representations of real life experiences.

Every Child Is a Potential Reader, In Touch - New England Center Deafblind Project
Patricia Weismer and Deirdre Leech share specific strategies (pp. 6-13) for teaching reading to children with deafblindness or multiple disabilities, including suggestions for adapting reading materials, modifying pictures and books, creating a literacy kit, and sample assessment activities. (requires Adobe Acrobat Reader)

Literacy Around Every Corner, In Touch – New England Center Deafblind Project
Patricia Weismer and Deirdre Leech list activities to make literacy fun for students with deafblindness. (requires Adobe Acrobat Reader)

Literacy For Persons Who Are Deaf-Blind, DB-LINK
Barbara Miles defines literacy, its social functions, and the conditions necessary for its development. She includes numerous specific suggestions and activities to increase literacy skills.

Focus on Literacy, with Particular Focus on Writing Skills, Colorado Services for Children who are Deafblind
This entire newsletter issue is devoted to development of literacy skills for students who are deafblind; including extensive information on assistive technology and on the role of speech language pathologists in facilitating literacy development. (requires Adobe Acrobat Reader)

Literacy Ideas for Children with Visual Impairments and Multiple Disabilities, e-Advisor
Deirdre Walsh shares ideas and adaptiations for "literacy activities for children with multiple disabilities," including story boxes, story boards, and adaptive equipment for the computer. (requires Adobe Acrobat Reader)

Promoting Literacy and Communication for Students with Multiple Disabilities, Including Visual Impairments, Blindness, and/or Deaf-blindness, The Center for Literacy & Disability Studies - University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
North Carolina has developed "model demonstration classrooms" focusing on literacy and communication development for students with deafblindness and other disabilities. This document is an overview of the "innovative approaches, materials, and technologies" being developed in the program. (requires Adobe Acrobat Reader)

Promoting Literacy through Emergent Writing, Nevada Dual Sensory Impairment Project
"Tips for Home or School" are suggestions for encouraging children with significant disabilities to write. (requires Adobe Acrobat Reader)

Tools for Literacy, Family Connect for Parents of Children with Visual Impairments
This article introduces the range of literacy options for children with multiple disabilities, including print, braille, and symbol systems.

Web-Based Organizations and Internet Resources

Early Literacy for Students with Multiple Disabilities or Deafblindness, Perkins School for the Blind
Deirdre Leech’s webcast explores the meaning of literacy for students with multiple disabilities or deafblindness, and discusses specialized formats that maximize access.

Literacy: Every Child is a Potential Reader, Perkins School for the Blind
Follow these links on the Perkins website to learn about various aspects of literacy, including story boxes, literacy kits, and assistive technology

Literacy, National Consortium on Deaf-Blindness
NCDB offers extensive resources on literacy, including products, articles, publications, bibliographies, internet resources, and research.

See also Education of Students with Multiple Disabilities