18th ANNUAL EARLY HEARING DETECTION & INTERVENTION MEETING
March 3-5, 2019 • Chicago, IL
3/10/2015 | 1:45 PM - 2:15 PM | Communication with Infants & Toddlers who are Deafblind | Clements | 7
Communication with Infants & Toddlers who are Deafblind
In the U.S., there are roughly 10,000 children who are deaf-blind. Deafblindness is a low incidence disability and within this population of children there is great variability. Ninety percent of children who are identified as deafblind have additional physical, medical, and/or cognitive disabilities.
Although the term deafblind implies a complete absence of hearing and sight, in reality, it refers to children with varying degrees of vision and hearing loss. The key feature of deafblindness is that this combination of loss limits access to auditory and visual information and creates unique challenges for communication and education. As a result, families often face difficulties in securing the knowledge and resources needed to support their children. Students who are deaf-blind require special teaching methods and accommodations to succeed as learners and because the majority of these children receive their education in their local schools, there is an increased need for specialized professional development to train teachers and service providers.
Parents are often unsure of communication options available for a child who is deafblind. This presentation will provide information about various communication modes, methods, and options for families who have infants and toddlers with deafblindness. We will also discuss communication compared to meaningful communication, early and prelinguistic communication, and typical language development in a child who is deafblind.
- Learn the federal definition of deafblindness.
- 2. Learn the definition of communication and identify the differences between communication and meaningful communication.
- 3. Learn 5 different communication options that a child who is deafblind may use.
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Presenters/Authors
Tabitha Belhorn
(POC,Primary Presenter), Ohio Hands & Voices, tbelhorn@gmail.com;
Tabitha Belhorn is a parent of Deaf child. She has worked with families for 13 years, providing resources, guidance, and support to families of children who are deaf or hard of hearing. She has experience supporting families of children who are deaf, hard of hearing, deafblind, and deaf plus additional disabilities. She is the Executive Director of Ohio Hands & Voices and Ohio ASTra Coordinator. She serves as the Regional Coordinator. Tabitha has presented on a variety of topics such as special education law, educational advocacy, preschool transition, and family support and is a co-author of the Communication Planning Guide for Students Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing.
ASHA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
No relevant financial relationship exist.
Nonfinancial -
No relevant nonfinancial relationship exist.
Leanne Parnell
(Co-Presenter), Ohio Center for Deafblind Education, lparnell@ohiodeafblind.org;
Leanne has a background in Deaf Education and ASL/English interpreting. She has worked in the Deaf/Deafblind communities for many years. She has experience working with families and children, as well as adults who are deaf and deafblind.
Leanne is currently the Outreach Specialist at the Ohio Center for Deafblind Education. She coordinates many of the training opportunities, including INSITE, VIISA and SKI*HI. She is also responsible for organizing DBTAP visits, the Mentor Program, Milestone Packets, Lending Library and product requests.
ASHA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
Nonfinancial -