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
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
By Jen Chao What is CHARGE? It is an all-encompassing genetic syndrome that affects the entire body. CHARGE occurs in week 2 of pregnancy, when a chromosome flips to cause five defects, typically before the mother knows she’s pregnant. The diagnosis is identified by the presence of the same 5 defects, each letter standing for … Read more
Trajectory Shift: Let’s Start a Revolution! (A Parental Perspective) If you are a parent of a child with disabilities, have you ever felt like no one understands them? In a world that often sees a person’s disability before it sees the person, do you desire for your child to be seen for “all” of who … Read more
Many of us have played the game of Charades. It’s when a person acts out words or phrases and players have to guess what the person is trying to communicate. The person is not allowed to use verbal communication to give hints to the players. The participants must determine the word or phrase … Read more
Experience books provide very highly motivating and meaningful methods of developing communication and socialization within literacy lessons/events. They provide opportunities for students to use objects, pictures, or words that are familiar to them across different settings and with different people. The topics are endless and can grow with the student. These books are great for … Read more
By Nancy O’Donnell The Usher Syndrome Coalition – Building the Usher Syndrome Community, One Person at a Time. Usher syndrome (USH) is the most common genetic cause of combined deafness and blindness. It is a rare disease, impacting an estimated 400,000 individuals worldwide and 20-50,000 individuals in the United States. (1,2) While there is currently … Read more
Looking for summer ideas for your child or students with DeafBlindness? Check out this presentation about summer fun opportunities!
Tangible symbols are object or picture representations to support communication development. Chris Russell shares some very valuable information about using an individualized tangible system for individuals with DeafBlindness. DB Session: Chris Russell Tangible Symbols