louisiana deafblind project cassondra glausier coordinator deafblindness: defining, educating &...
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Louisiana Deafblind ProjectCassondra Glausier
Coordinator
Project Updates
What deafblindness?
Associated terminology
Prevalence of deafblindness
Causes of deafblindness
The challenges dual sensory impairments
Accurate identification practices
Resources for families and parents
Technical Assistance & Dissemination
Transferred To the Human Development Center
Office of Special Education Programs (5year)
Children birth through 21 years old
Both vision & hearing loss present
Services are at no cost & are confidential
A Deafblind Project is located in every state
Training, Support, and Resources Information and Referral IEP & Transition Teams Technical Assistance to Families &
Educators Statewide Project & Registry Resource Library LA Deafblind Project Website Project Facebook Page
Project website & other TA documents
Print or video resources
SPARKLE Project
Family-to-family network and call
Project sponsored trainings
Help in finding resources
Home and/or school visits
Facebook Page Resources
How do you refer a child? What happens after a child is referred? What assistance can be provided? How does a family or service provider get
assistance? Where is assistance provided? Is there a cost? What are the benefits?
Referral packet reviewed
Potential phone calls for clarification on some questions
Intro binders mailed to parent and service provider: TA request forms, all tip sheets, newsletter & more
Introductory phone call and/ or visit
“Concomitant of hearing and visual impairments, the combination of which causes such severe communication, developmental and education problems that the individual cannot be accommodated in programs solely for individuals who are deaf or blind.”
(2004, IDEA)
Deafblindness is a disability of ACCESS to information and communication.
Children and youth with deafblindness have a combination of hearing AND vision loss that limits access to auditory and visual information, impacts communication, or restricts participation in daily activities and environments.
The effects of the combined losses, even if both are mild, create unique
challenges for the child, family, & educator.
Affects 10,000 children across USA
3 in 100,000 births
91 children in Louisiana
70 known causes
Louisiana high impact of Usher Syndrome
Any level of the dual sensory loss
Although “deafblind” implies a total absence of vision and hearing, this is not the case with most individuals who are deafblind.
Most children and youth who are deafblind have some useable hearing and/or vision.
There is no single profile of a learner who is deafblind.
A deaf individual who cannot see
Or
A blind individual who cannot hear
Deafness + Blindness = Deafblindness
Deafblindness / Deaf-Blindness
Co-Occurring Sensory Loss
Dual Sensory Impairment / Loss
Combined Vision and Hearing Loss
Multidisabled (with sensory loss)
Usher Syndrome CHARGE Congenital Rubella Severe Head Injury Stroke Cytomegalovirus Meningitis Undetermined Hydrocephaly
Trisomy 21 Cornelia de Lange Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Maternal drug use Tumors Hydrocephaly Direct Trauma Prenatal/Congenital Postnatal/Noncongenital Microcephaly
Age at onset of loss
Degree, type, and stability of vision and hearing loss
Accompanying disabilities (90%)
Support variables
Children under identified
Children under referred
Under a different category
Community awareness
Understanding of the term deafblind
Accommodations consider both losses
Address sensory loss early to optimize sensory function.
Appropriate intervention of developmental and/or academic challenges.
Access and communication needs are identified and supported through strategies and possible adaptive equipment.
Sensory Social and Emotional / Relationships Communication
◦ Receptive
◦ Expressive
Motor / Movement Limited access to information Cognitive / Learning / Academics Activities of Daily Living / Self Help
A great deal of learning comes from observing and imitating of what others are doing.
Child may develop unique learning style.
Concept development External / internal world confusion.
May develop fragmented or distorted concepts due to lack of full experience.
Abstract concepts may be more difficult to learn
Look for us on Facebook
www.facebook.com/lsuladbp
Project SPARKLE – www.sparkle.usu.edu
Family Engagement Network
www.hdc.lsuhsc.edu/ladbp
National Consortium of Deafblindness www.nationaldb.org
American Association of Deafblind www.aadb.org
National Association for the Deafblind www.nfadb.org
Helen Keller National Center www.hknc.org
Texas School for the Blind/Visually Impaired www.tsbvi.org
Perkins School for the Blind www.perkins.org
Louisiana Deafblind Project www.hdc.lsuhsc.edu/ladbp
Louisiana for the Deaf & Visually Impaired www.lsdvi.org
Federal Quota Funds [email protected]
Affiliated for the Blind www.Affiliatedblind.org
Lighthouse Louisiana www.lighthouselouisiana.org
Louisiana Rehabilitation Services www.laworks.org
Louisiana Center for the Blind www.lcb-ruston.com
If you have a child who has a hearing and vision loss at the same time and would like assistance who do you contact?
Louisiana Deafblind Project
Hand in Hand Remarkable Conversations Deaf-Blind Perspectives Deaf-Blind Infants and Children: A Developmental
Guide, by J.M. McInnes and J.A. Treffry, University of Toronto
Press, Toronto, Canada, 1997.National Consortium on Deaf-blindness
Thanks to the following projects: NV, NM, UT, NY, MN, CO, WY