Children with typical hearing and vision learn to communicate by watching and listening to others. But children who are deafblind have limited access to learning this way. They need knowledgeable educators who understand how deafblindness impacts learning--who know how to assess a child's communication and plan for and engage in meaningful…

Introduction: Children who are deafblind have unique educational needs, especially when it comes to developing a foundation for recreation. This foundation includes a well-rounded physical education program. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of adults who are deafblind as they recall their involvement in physical…

Small-set segmental identification experiments were conducted with three deaf-blind subjects who were highly experienced users of the Tadoma method. Systematic variations in the positioning of the hand on the speaker's face for Tadoma produced systematic effects on percent-correct scores, information transfer, and perception of individual…

This theme issue presents personal perspectives and approaches to self-advocacy from individuals who are deaf-blind. Individual articles are: (1) "Self-Advocacy: Attaining Personal Stature" by Michelle J. Smithdas; (2) "The American Association of the Deaf-Blind: A National Consumer Advocacy Organization" by Jeffrey S. Bohrman;…

Timeout, a widely used approach with severely handicapped and deaf blind students, is nevertheless potentially aversive and should not become a routine procedure. The decision to employ timeout from positive reinforcement should be based on careful consideration of the child's behavior, the severity of the target behavior, and the need for…

The paper discusses general considerations for selecting recreation/leisure skill targets for deaf/blind severely disabled individuals along with specific leisure task/materials adaptations. A pilot study is also presented illustrating such considerations and adaptations in teaching deaf/blind young adults to operate a tape player. (Author)

The paper analyses issues in the hearing assessment of multihandicapped deaf-blind children. The experiences of the authors as consultants to centers for deaf-blind children are briefly noted. Advantages and disadvantages are considered for two basic approaches to hearing assessment: the electrophysiologic in which electricity from neural…

This article presents suggestions and proven effective strategies for determining eligibility, conducting diagnostic workups, and providing vocational rehabilitation services to individuals with deaf-blindness. It emphasizes that the optimal rehabilitation process begins before the clients transfer from educational programs. (Author)

A checklist is presented for evaluating classroom environmental design for students with dual sensory impairments, and for identifying environmental features that promote communication, independent mobility, student anticipation of events, and self-initiation of activities. Checklist items reflect a variety of considerations including ambience,…

This study examined issues of communicative control for residential program staff and eight individuals with deaf-blindness and mental retardation. For six of the subjects, communication was initiated and dominated by others in the environment. Rate of communication with other residents and visitors was extremely low. Implications for…

This informational flyer discusses the provision of educational services within general education classrooms to students with severe disabilities, including deaf-blindness. The legal basis for inclusion is reviewed, a rationale for full inclusion is offered, a working definition of full inclusion is provided, best practices and benefits of full…

The publication is intended to dispel misconceptions about the vocational rehabilitation service needs of deaf-blind persons. The first of five sections presents a history and comments on the philosophy of working with deaf-blind persons. Five programmatic definitions of deaf-blindness are offered. Section 2 addresses communication modes, aids,…

This tipsheet offers suggestions for the instructor who has a student with both a vision and a hearing loss, stressing that the first step is to talk with the student to determine what modifications are necessary. Specific recommendations are offered for the following areas: (1) use of student aids/accommodations (such as interpreters, notetakers,…

This article describes a three-component package to facilitate social supports for students who are deaf-blind in general education classes. The components are: ongoing provision of information, provision of interactive, multiple communication media, and facilitation of social interactions. Case studies of four students with deaf-blindness…

Three major limiting factors are outlined: the lack of appropriate psychological tests, the dearth of properly trained psychologists, and the failure to obtain complete case histories. Several methods of overcoming these drawbacks are described. (Author/DLS)