Preparing pre-service teachers in the field of Deafness and Multiple Disabilities to become highly qualified professionals is crucial issue within Deaf.

Preparing pre-service teachers in the field of Deafness and Multiple Disabilities to become highly qualified professionals is crucial issue within Deaf Education. Current

research shows that over one-third of the deaf and hard of hearing students in our schools have multiple disabilities. Almost two thirds of all students who have visual impairments also have at least a secondary disability. Educating professionals and

parents about deafness and these disabilities is the best way to ensure optimal learning environments for all students, especially for students who are multiply

disabled.This presentation is designed to provide information and resources for teachers of

Deaf-Blind/Multiply Disabled Students; although parents and other professionals may also benefit from information. While the focus is to provide information about deaf-

blindness, information regarding blindness and vision problems (excluding deafness or multiple disabilities) has been included for a more in-depth understanding of how

visual impairments may influence students with other disabilities. Information includes legal definitions of deaf-blindness; various statistics of prevalence of blindness in the United States and among deaf and multiply disabled students;

information in current practices in deaf-blind education; links to images that simulate various vision losses and their descriptions; and medical causes of deaf-blindness.

The last section presents two types of Internet resources for professionals and parents. The first presents a series of links to websites that serve as resource

centers and advocacy organizations for deaf-blind individuals. The second section presents a series of links to websites that provide information about specific special

education and legal procedures. Descriptions of websites are provided.The information was gathered from a variety of resources; at the conclusion of the

slide is a resource page outlining these resources.

Presentation Overview• How is deaf-blindness defined in IDEA '97? • How many students in the Unites States are considered Deaf- Blind?

• How common is blindness among Deaf or Hard of Hearing students?

• How common is blindness among students with multiple disabilities?

• How are blind students in the United States typically educated (program registration, educational placements, reading medium)?

• What does a blind student actually see? (View images that show the various vision losses.)

• What are the causes of deaf-blindness?

• What kinds of resources are available to teachers, parents, and other professionals who work with deaf-blind students?

Definitions in "Definitions Used in this Part" Section of Part 300 - Assistance for States for the Education of Children with Disabilities (300.7 (c)(2) defines Deaf- Blindness as:

"..concomitant hearing and visual impairments, the combination of which causes severe communication and other developmental and educational needs that they [Deaf-Blind students] cannot be accommodated in special programs solely for children with deafness or children with blindness."

Source:http://www.ideapractices.org/law/regualtions/glossaryIndex.php








The National Deaf-Blind Child Count Summary (as of December 1, 1999) reports 10,198 students (ages 3 - 21) in the United States. This information was collected by Teaching Research in cooperation with state and multi-state Deaf Blind projects.

Source:http://www.tr.wou.edu/ntac/census.htm








Prevalence of Multiple Disabilities Among Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students

Gallaudet Research Institute (2001)

Source:Gallaudet Research Institute (January 2002)Regional & National Summary of DataFrom the 2000-2001 Annual Survey of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children & YouthWashington, DC: GRI Gallaudet University

Number of students Percentage of students

Total Deaf Students Surveyed

43,415 100

Legally Blind 704 2.0

Low Vision 495 1.4








The Council of Schools for the Blind Learning Outcomes Project (McManon 2002)

(Data collection from 23 State Schools for the Blind)

Source:

http://www.lighthouse.org/educ_stats5.htm (page 4)

Total Blind Students Surveyed 1,962

Students with Visual Impairment Only 39.9%

Students with Secondary Disability 60.4%

"The incidence of blindness in children with multiple disabilities is more than two-hundred times that found in the general population; one-third of children with partial sight and two-thirds of children with blindness have other developmental disabilities."

Source:Batshaw, M. Children with Disabilities., Paul H. Brookes Publishing Company: Baltimore, MD. 2002 p 188.








Education PlacementsOffice of Special Education & Rehabilitative Services

(OSERS) Report

Source: http://www.lighthouse.org/educ_stats5.htm (page 3)

Total Blind Students Surveyed(Students aged 6 - 21 who received Vision Services during 1997-1998)

26,070

Regular Classrooms 48.28 %

Resource Rooms 19.27 %

Separate Class 17.65 %

Public Separate Facility 3.82 %

Private Separate Facility 1.99 %

Public Residential Facility 7.33 %

Private Residential Facility 1.04 %

Home-bound/hospital 0.61 %

Reported Reading Mediums (1999)

Source:Lighthouse International http://www.lighthouse.org/educ_stats5.htm (page 1)

Total of Blind Students Surveyed(Legally blind students registered with American Printing House for the Blind as of January 5, 1999)

57,696

Braille Readers 5,557 10 %

Visual Readers 14,571 25 %

Auditory Readers 3,832 7 %

Prereaders15,387 28 %

Nonreaders (do not fit into any of the above) 18,349 32 %








Lighthouse International has a series of images showing how a person sees the same picture with normal vision, cataracts, corneal pathology, muscular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, retinitis pigmentosa, and hemianopia. Click on the link below to view images. Visiting this web site link also provides additional information about each of these disorders.

Source: http://www.lighthouse.org/resources_lv_compare.htm








Major Causes of Deaf- Blindness

Syndromes •Trisomy 13 •Ushers •Down

Multiple Congenital Anomalies •CHARGE Association •Fetal Alcohol Syndrome •Hydrocephaly •Maternal drug abuse •Microcephaly

Prematurely Congenital

Prenatal Dysfunction •AIDS •Herpes •Rubella •Syphilis •Toxoplasmosis

Post-natal Causes •Asphyxia •Encephalitis •Head injury/trauma •Meningitis •Stroke

Source:http://www.tr.wou.edu/dblink/overview.htm Adapted from Etiologies and Characteristics of Deaf- Blindness Helen & Kennedy, (1994), p. viii, Table 1.








Resource Centers and Advocacy OrganizationsA Deaf- Blindness Web Resourcehttp://www.deafblind.co.uk

Very extensive pages; topics include: terminology, web links to conferences, list of magazines and journals related to deaf- blindness, list serve providers, equipment for deaf- blindness, communication, windows, and web access for deaf-blind individuals.

Disability Specific Web Siteshttp://www.disserv.stu.umn.edu/disability/index.html

Provides links to huge index of disabilities, including deaf- blindness.

See/Hear Newsletterhttp://www.tsbvi.edu/Outreach/seehear/summer01/summer01.pdf

Link to a PDF version of the See/Hear quarterly newsletter about visual impairments and deaf-blindness for families and professionals. Topics with additional articles include: family, programming, syndromes/conditions, and news and views.

NICHCY Publicationshttp://www.nichcy.org/disabinf.asp#top

Links to 14 fact sheets and 3 briefing papers on specific disabilities, includes deafness and visual impairments.

American Association for the Deaf-Blind (AADB)http://www.tr.wou.edu/dblink/aadb.htm

Seeks to encourage independent living for individuals who are deaf-blind; provides technical assistance to persons who are deaf-blind, families, educators, and service providers.

…cont’d.Deaf-Blind Link: National Information Clearinghouse on Children Who are Deaf-Blindhttp://www.tr.wou.edu/dblink

Through federal funding Deaf-Blind Link serves as an information and referral service that collects, develops and distributes information to help improve the education and lives of children and youth who are Deaf-Blind.

Helen Keller National Center for Deaf-Blind Youths and Adults (HKNC)http://www.helenkeller.org/national

HKNC is a national program that provides evaluation, short-term comprehensive vocational rehabilitation training, work experience training and assistance to deaf-blind clients for job and residential placements.

Deaf-Blind Childhttp://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Meadows/5939

Provides parents of deaf-blind children with information resources and opportunities to communicate experiences and share children's profiles.

Texas School for the Blind & Visually Impairedhttp:// www.tsbvi.edu/

Collection of deaf-blindness information, topics include curriculum planning, adaptive technology, assessment, discussion rooms for families and mentor programs.

American Foundation for the Blindhttp://www.afb.org

1) information about blindness, low vision, Helen Keller, advocacy, education employment, technology, web accessibility; 2) directory of services: finding organizations that provide services to blind individuals; 3) community: message boards, job listings, events, announcements; 4) bookstore: AFB press catalogue, subscription to journals; 5) access to online subscriptions to blindness related journals.

Library of Congress National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicappedhttp://www.loc.gov/

Library of Congress official web site; provides links to services for individuals with disabilities and blindness.

Resources Related to Special Education Law and Procedures

IDEA 97 Final Regulations - Glossary of Definitions and Acronymshttp://www.ideapractices.org/law/regulations/glossaryIndex.php

A detailed listing of acronyms used in the final regulations and definitions used in Part 300 (Assistance to States for the Education of Children with Disabilities, Other Definitions).

IDEA Practices - Professional Development Resourceshttp://www.ideapractices.org/resources/index.php

Links to information resources for a variety of topics, including assessment and accommodations, behavior/discipline, family and community, IEPs/IFSPs and many more!

Part IV Department of Education - Educating Blind & Visually Impaired Students; Policy Guidance; Noticehttp://www.ed.gov/legislation/FedRegister/other/2002-2/060800a.html

Describes background information to educators about their obligations to provide blind and visually impaired students with appropriate education services in the least restrictive environment. Also provides information about procedural safeguards so parents are aware of their rights, background, in general, evaluation requirements, IEP development & content requirements instruction in Braille, assistive technology, orientation & mobility services, LRE & provision of services, procedural safeguards.

NICHCY - OSEP Reviewed Materials on IDEA 97http://www.nichcy.org/idealist.htm#definitions

List of selected published materials that have been reviewed by OSEP, a section on blind and visually impaired children, link to requirements of Part B of IDEA for blind/visually impaired students. OSEP - Regulations & Policy

http://www.ed.gov/offices/OSERS/OSEP/Policy/

A variety of links, including links to the IDEA Law, IDEA Regulations, FAQs, and other publications.

A Final Thought…

"Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much."

~ Helen Keller

Resources(listed as shown in presentation)

http://www.ideapractices.org/law/regualtions/glossaryIndex.php

http://www.tr.wou.edu/ntac/census.htm

Gallaudet Research Institute (January 2002)Regional & National Summary of DataFrom the 2000-2001 Annual Survey of Deaf and Hard ofHearing Children & YouthWashington, DC: GRI Gallaudet University


Batshaw, M. Children with Disabilities., Paul H. Brookes Publishing Company: Baltimore, MD. 2002 p 188.



http://www.lighthouse.org/resources_lv_compare.htm

Preparing pre-service teachers in the field of Deafness and Multiple Disabilities to become highly qualified professionals is crucial issue within Deaf.

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