Dec.

5, 2016

Deaf-Blindness

According to Chen, D. (2004). Young children who are deaf-blind: implications for
professionals in deaf and hard of hearing services. Deaf-Blindness is a disability that
causes a child to have both a vision and hearing loss. It defines the as having a
Concomitant hearing and visual impairment which causes severe communication and
other developmental and education needs that cant be accommodated in a special
education program. It specified in the article that Infants who are deaf-blind exhibit
decreased initiation and interactive behavior. According to the National Deaf-Blind
Child Count (NTAC 2001), it was reported, 10627 children and youth between birth to
21 years are receiving early intervention or special education service in the United
States. I like that even age of 21 you can still be able to receive early intervention or
special education.

Some effects of this disability are hearing and vision are both simultaneously
reduced, which can effect a childs overall development of their communication skill, as
well as their other vital functions. According to Holte, L., Prickett, J., Van Dyke, D.,
Olson, R., Lubrica, P., Knutson, C., & Brennan, S. (2006). Issues in the evaluation of
infants and young children who are suspected of or who are deaf-blind. It also stated
that The causes of deaf-blindness in infants and young children are frequently grouped
into 4 major: genital infections; environment and fetal exposures; and post-natal
causes. When trying to interact with a child who is both deaf and blind may be much
more difficult, than interact with a child who is not.

Research has found the social interactions between young children with and
without disabilities occur most frequent and are enhanced by the use of regularly
scheduled free-play periods with consistent peers Stated Luiselli, T. E., & Luiselli, J.
Inclusive education of young children with deaf-blindness: A technical assistance model.
I think this is safe for children with a disability to be able to interact, with the kids without
a disability.

Deaf-blindness present significant developmental challenges to the infant or

toddler and his or her family. . According to Holte, L., Prickett, J., Van Dyke, D., Olson,
R., Lubrica, P., Knutson, C., & Brennan, S. (2006). Issues in the evaluation of infants
and young children who are suspected of or who are deaf-blind. Therefore, how I will
include and provide support to the child family is by helping the child get better with their
communication skills, and their cognitive development. Another way that I can provide
support to the household is by telling the family that they should starting communicating
to the child, even if it having a little conversation. A pediatric ophthalmologist to get the
childs eye checked out can evaluate family. They can also get their child screened by a
professional.

The model of curriculum that I would use for a child with a deaf-blindness
disability that would be most appropriate for the child is their communication skills,
which refer to the exchange of messages between the speaker and a listener. I think
that this would be appropriate for the child because it stated Communication and
language development for children who are deaf-blind is a critical issue. said Luiselli, T.
E., & Luiselli, J. Inclusive education of young children with deaf-blindness: A technical
assistance model. So to work on this part of the child curriculum would be good for the
child to be able to communication about what they want, or if they need something.

Some of the thing in the learning environment that you would need to for a child
with a deaf-blind disability that you would need to focus on is the lights, the level of the
noise in the classroom, having tactile cues, spatial cues, and the position of the
materials in the classroom. How a teacher helps a child with a deaf-blind disability to
adapt to the classroom environment, maybe having the child and their family come in a
couple of time before school starts to play and move around in it. This will help the child
to figure out how the classroom is, where things are.

The strategy that I would use with a child that is diagnosed with this disability is
to take my time and work with the child on any developmental thing he/she may need to
learn about or do over and over again for when they get older. Like being able to go to
the bathroom on their own.

The way how I will be observing and documenting the childs progress in the
classroom from when he/she started till now, is by making sure anything new he/she
many learn how to do on their own, and taking note of the progress that he is making.
Now even making progress on his own also with the other children in the classroom to.
After I have to take some note of the child progress, I will be able to share it with the
parents. They would be able to see how their child is doing in the classroom.

The way in which I would be able to help the child transition into a kindergarten
class is by; maybe one day out of the week I can bring them to the kindergarten class
for the child to see how everything is set up. Perhaps in class instead of the child doing
Prekindergarten work, I can have the child doing work that they would be doing in a
kindergarten class.

At the beginning of this project, I just thought about a child who was deaf-blind
was a child who could not hear or could not see, and I knew that the child would have
complications in his/her life. Therefore, when I did some research on what a deaf-blind
child was all about it gave me more information then what I knew on what that child may
go through. Like not being able to communication with someone or being able to hear
must be difficult, because coming into a classroom it going to be hard for the child
because he would be in a room with other kids that is different from him.
 Work Cited Page

Chen, D. (2004). Young children who are deaf-blind: implications for

professionals in deaf and hard of hearing services. Volta Review, 104(4), 273-284.

Holte, L., Prickett, J., Van Dyke, D., Olson, R., Lubrica, P., Knutson, C., & ...
Brennan, S. (2006). Issues in the evaluation of infants and young children who are
suspected of or who are deaf-blind. Infants & Young Children: An Interdisciplinary
Journal Of Early Childhood Intervention, 19(3), 213-227.

Luiselli, T. E., & Luiselli, J. (1995). Inclusive education of young children with
deaf-blindness: A technical assistance model. Journal Of Visual Impairment &
Blindness, 89(3), 249.