For Teachers of Children Who Are Deafblind

The trend in recent years has been for all children to attend their local schools, including those with deafblindness or multiple disabilities that include visual impairment. However, there are still many challenges to providing quality services to all students: lack of trained teachers, scarcity of materials, and little information about these students’ needs.

The articles in this section explore some of the obstacles and offer suggestions for making education accessible to students with deafblindness and multiple disabilities.

Behavior Issues

Difficult Behavior and How to Manage Them (sic), Sense International (India)
This 10-page booklet examines challenging behavior as a child’s method of communication, and suggests teaching strategies to address the behavior.

Classroom Teaching Techniques

Inclusive Education For Children With Deaf-Blind [sic], International Council for the Education of People with Visual Impairment (ICEVI)
An overview of inclusive education. Addresses preparation and implementation, curricular approaches, communication, and a comparison of service delivery models.

Teaching Reading and Writing Skills for Deafblind, Sense International (India)
Creating a literacy-rich environment; introducing reading and writing skills to students with deafblindness.
PDF version (not accessible to screen readers)

Teaching Strategies and Management of Deafblind Children, Sense International (India)
Practical suggestions for teaching children with a combined vision and hearing loss, including the importance of routines; strategies for organizing the environment.

Communication

Communicating, Sense International (India)
A discussion of the necessity of establishing communication, with specific suggestions for students with deafblindness.

Let’s Communicate, World Health Organization (WHO)
This Zimbabwean article discusses communication, assessment, and goal planning for children with disabilities. Includes information on play, communicating in everyday situations, and working in groups.

Privilegiar La Niñez: Valor del Juego Simbólico en Niños Sordociegos. Su implementación, International Council for the Education of People with Visual Impairment (ICEVI)
The importance of communication and play in the education of children with deafblindness. English title: "Deaf-Blindness: A Possible Educational Approach ‘Giving Priority to Childhood’”; in Spanish.

Programas Funcionais-Ecologicos Para Surdocegos Congenitos, International Council for the Education of People with Visual Impairment (ICEVI)
Characteristics of individuals with deafblindness; features of a functional communication program. English title: “A Functional Ecological Program for Congenitally Deaf-Blind”; in Portuguese.

Fostering Development

Sensory Integration, Sense International (India)
An introduction to sensory integration disorders, including suggested activities, information for parents, and a screening checklist.

Orientation & Mobility

Orientation and Mobility for Deafblind People, Sense International (India)
This 9-page booklet gives an overview of orientation and mobility for people who are deafblind, a description of the role of the O&M instructor, and a skills checklist.

Transition

Transition Services for Young Adults who are Blind with Multiple Handicaps,International Council for the Education of People with Visual Impairment (ICEVI)
How to develop a functional curriculum for students with visual impairments and additional disabilities. Emphasis on working with the family and the community; an overview of the Individualized Transition Plans.