Deafblindness: An Introduction

1. Deafblindness: An Introduction Nevada Dual Sensory Impairment Project University of Nevada, Reno MaryAnn Demchak, Ph.D. Project Director

2. Contact Information MaryAnn Demchak Nevada Dual Sensory Impairment Project/299 University of Nevada, Reno Reno, NV 89557 Toll-free: 1-877-621-5042 Email: mad@unr.edu Website: http://www.unr.edu/educ/ndsip/

3. Purpose of this Presentation Participants will understand: • What deafblindness, or a dual sensory impairment, is • The diverse nature of deafblindness • Critical factors influencing the effects of deafblindness • The challenges or impact of dual sensory impairments

4. What is Deafblindness?-- The Legal Definition Deafblindness, or dual sensory impairment, refers to the concomitant hearing and visual impairments, the combination of which causes such severe communication and other developmental and education problems that the individual cannot be accommodated in programs solely for individuals who are deaf or blind (2004, IDEA)

5. The Diversity of “Deafblindness” • Although “deafblind” implies a total absence of vision and hearing, this is not the case • Most children who are deafblind have residual hearing and vision • There is no single profile of a child who is deafblind

6. How Might Vision Be Impacted? • Low vision (visual acuity of 20/70 to 20/200) • Legally blind (visual acuity of 20/200 or less or field restriction of 20 degrees or less) • Light perception only • Totally blind • Diagnosed progressive loss • Cortical visual impairment

7. How Might Hearing Be Impacted? • Mild loss (26-40 dB loss) • Moderate (41-55 dB loss) • Moderately severe (56-70 dB loss) • Severe (71-90 dB loss) • Profound (91+ dB loss) • Diagnosed progressive loss • Auditory neuropathy

36. What Might You See & Hear Simulations DVD: Sensory Perspectives (from SKI-HI)

37. Critical Factors that Influence the Impact of Deafblindness • Age at onset of loss • Accompanying disabilities • Degree, type, and stability of vision and hearing loss

38. Critical Factors that Influence the Impact of Deafblindness • Age at onset of loss • Congenitally deafblind • Adventitiously deafblind • One sense congenitally impaired; other loss acquired • Accompanying disabilities • Degree, type, and stability of vision and hearing loss

39. Critical Factors that Influence the Impact of Deafblindness • Age at onset of loss • Accompanying disabilities • Cognitive impairments • Physical impairments • Complex health care issues

40. Critical Factors that Influence the Impact of Deafblindness • Age at onset of loss • Accompanying disabilities • Degree, type, and stability of vision and hearing loss • Progressive losses

41. Impact of Deafblindness on Development • Limited access to information • Movement • Learning • Emotional development • Communication • Receptive • Expressive

42. Accessing Information • Vision and hearing are our distance senses • Even a mild loss can have a serious effect • Hearing is our only sense that can “bend around corners” • Vision takes in more information all at once than any other sense • Fragmented or distorted information often acquired with a dual sensory loss

43. Movement • Seeing objects and hearing sounds influences motivation to interact with the environment • When vision and hearing impaired, motivation is diminished

44. Learning • Incidental learning • More likely to require formal instruction on “topics” others acquire incidentally • Concept development • Abstract concepts more difficult to learn • Mental imagery • Challenging to construct mental images of simple objects

45. Emotional Development • Bonding and attachment behaviors • Sense of self and body image • Motivation • Perception of safety • Isolation

46. Communication • Early communication involves movement • Infants gain experiences in using their actions to influence people and objects in their environments, form of early communication • They may not understand their actions influenced those around them or caused something to happen

47. Communication • They do not have the same opportunity to acquire symbols to represent their communication • They do not have repetitive, meaningful exposure to incidental use of objects, pictures, sign language, speech • May have difficulty finding communication partners • May have difficulty finding common topic

48. Communication & “Problem” Behaviors • “Problem” behaviors serve a purpose for the child • All behavior can be communicative • Behavior does not have to be intentional to be communicative • Behavior is influenced by events in the setting • Understanding the message behind “problem” behaviors can be difficult

49. It Is Important to Remember: • Children who are deafblind-- • Require thoughtful and unique educational approaches • Can participate in almost any activity • Communicate in a variety of ways

50. What if you are working with a child who is deafblind and would like assistance? Contact the Nevada Dual Sensory Impairment Project