Overview
Children who are deafblind function at all different levels, depending on a number of factors. They may be able to read print and use speech to communicate or they may be braille readers who are profoundly deaf. They often have additional disabilities and may use limited symbolic communication. What resources are available to support their literacy development?
Children who are deafblind benefit from knowing what to anticipate. Deafblind Specialist Robbie Blaha discusses the importance of calendar systems, including why they’re important and tips on how to create them at home and school. She notes that all calendars build on a child’s communication system. Do you know what components a successful calendar should have?
Stories can be shared in many formats, not just books. Adapting storytelling for a child who is deafblind will depend on many factors, especially personal interests, the amount of vision and hearing the child has, their age, cognitive abilities, and motor skills. Looking for Ideas and strategies for creating story boxes for students who are deafblind?
Reading together is a great strategy to develop your child’s love for literacy, to teach new concepts and language and to support bonding. Would you like to see how Liam’s mom created successful joint reading experiences using ASL?
How do we join the person who is deafblind in sharing their world, a world experienced through touch? How do we arouse curiosity? What is the path to bonding?
Created by the Texas Deafblind project, Deafblind Interaction is designed to engage readers in the spirit of thoughtful inquiry, rather than bulleted lists of procedures. It makes use of questions that prompt the user to think about the world of learners who are born with a combined vision and hearing loss.
