When we hear the letters L.R.E. in the special education field, we know that they stand for “Least Restrictive Environment”. So what does that really mean? An official definition states that to the maximum extent appropriate, students with disabilities are to be educated with students who are not disabled. To explain it in another … Read more
When it comes to this most wonderful time of the year, there are lots of great smells associated with the season. Just think of the smells of a freshly cut tree, apple cider, pies, cakes, gingerbread, hot cocoa, oranges, and so on. These smells can bring us back to wonderful memories of holidays past. This … Read more
“What you do every day matters more than what you do once in a while. ~Gretchen Rubin Check out this video by Iryna Sharbanov, a teacher of students with deafblindness, on the importance of daily routines: https://youtu.be/skU_arb8NeU Before discussing details about setting up routines, it’s important to identify why they … Read more
Routines, we all have them and we all depend on them. Stop and think about your daily life. How many routines can you count before you leave the house each morning? I think of breakfast, coffee, shower, dressing, making the bed to name a few. When we go to bed at night, we usually know … Read more
It’s hard for us as hearing and sighted people to imagine what it would be like to have a dual sensory impairment. As I get older and my hearing and vision change, I am amazed at how dependent I am on my glasses! Sometimes when I go to the store I might come home with … Read more
“Hey, what’s the big idea?” When reading a story, how do you know what the author is trying to tell you? You figure it out based on your life experiences and what you know about the topic. Learners with combined vision and hearing loss may not have life experiences on which to build when participating … Read more
Imagine sitting peacefully in a really dark room while wearing noise-cancelling headphones feeling relaxed and comfortable. You’re feeling at-ease in the quiet, dark room with your arms resting on the table in front of you when all-of-a-sudden, something grabs your hand and presses it onto a strange-feeling, unrecognizable object. You startle, panic, and scream out … Read more
How do you teach literacy skills to learners with combined hearing and vision loss? It requires communication involvement of the reader to learn and experience the book topic and its concepts. You certainly cannot just read a book aloud, show the pictures, and expect comprehension of all concepts in the story. They most likely have … Read more
How Interesting! Using High Interest/Low Vocabulary Books to Teach Concepts What are your favorite genres to read? Do you prefer historical themes, biographies, science fiction, fiction or informational texts? Anything related to history is my favorite. To tell you the truth, if I were required to read a science fiction story, I could read a … Read more
Parents of children with combined vision and hearing loss have to spend a lot of time explaining their children to new caregivers and teachers as well as to those in the medical field. They have to explain what their child’s likes and dislikes are, what they can eat and how they communicate etc. over … Read more