Transcript Deaf-BlindPP

Deaf-Blind
ASL I Spring 2009 Final
Ms. Maclin MBHS
Links:
www.deafblindinfo.org/FAQ.asp
http://www.msab.state.mn.us/DBC/notable_deafblind_people.htm
http://www.actionfund.org/ohsay/saysee18.htm
http://www.theinterpretersfriend.com/db/tchg-db-chldrn.html
http://www.senses.asn.au/services/communication/
http://www.tr.wou.edu/tr/dbp/sep2004.htm
What does DeafBlind mean?
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Does DeafBlind mean completely blind and
completely deaf?
 NO. It is common for people who are
DeafBlind to have some residual hearing
and/or vision.
 DeafBlindness is a combination of vision loss
and hearing loss that prevents access to
communication, the environment, and people.
A person who is DeafBlind may or may not
have other physical or cognitive(mental)
disabilities.(each is different).
The definition detailed…
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Legally, children in the US are called
“deafblind” if they have “such severe
communication and other developmental and
learning needs that the persons cannot be
appropriately education in special education
programs solely for children and youth with
hearing, visual or severe disability
impalements, without extra assistance to help
them learn/function in life and attend school.
 There are over 400,000 DeafBlind people in
America!
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70…
There are over 70 things/diseases that can
cause DeafBlindness.
 Some of the most well-known are:
Usher’s Syndrome, Herpes, Prader-Willi,
Strokes, Severe Head/Brain Injury,
Meningitis, Maternal Drug Use, Infectious
Diseases, Down Syndrome, Fetal Alcohol
Syndrome, Hunter Syndrome,
Cytomegalovirus(CMV), Direct trauma to the
ear/eye, Chromosome deficiencies,
premature birth, complications during birth
and after.
The Main Types and Causes
(this will be on the test)
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1. Congenitally DeafBlind CHARGE
Syndrome
Congenital Rubella Syndrome
Prematurity
CMV (Cytomegalovirus)
2. Born Deaf/Hard of Hearing; Acquired Vision
Loss Usher Syndrome
Diabetes
3. Born Blind/Vision Impaired; Acquired
Hearing Loss Norrie’s Disease
Illness
Trauma
Meningitis
4. Acquired hearing and vision loss Aging process
Trauma
Illness
Babies and steps of formation
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A woman should have a baby at/around
40 weeks. That is when everything has
developed. If a baby comes before 24
weeks then their ears will not have been
developed and there will be a hearing
impairment. The eyes develop last and
they are completed by week 24 at the
earliest & 26 at the latest.
Usher Syndrome...
Approximately 3 to 6 percent of all
children who are deaf and another 3 to
6 percent of children who are hard-ofhearing have Usher syndrome. In
developed countries such as the United
States, about four babies in every
100,000 births have Usher syndrome.
 http://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/hearing/
usher.asp
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Inherited Genes....
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Usher syndrome is inherited, which means
that it is passed from parents to their children
through genes. Genes are located in almost
every cell of the body. Genes contain
instructions that tell cells what to do. Every
person inherits two copies of each gene, one
from each parent. Sometimes genes are
altered, or mutated. Mutated genes may
cause cells to act differently than expected.
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Genetic disorders can be caused by a change(s) in a gene.
Every individual has two copies of the same gene. Genetic
disorders are inherited in different ways. Usher syndrome is a
recessive disorder.
Recessive means:
a person must inherit a change in the same gene from each
parent in order to have the disorder
a person with one changed gene does not have the disorder,
but can pass either the changed or the unchanged gene on
to his or her child
An individual with Usher syndrome usually:
has inherited a change in the same gene from each parent
An individual who has one changed Usher syndrome gene is
called a carrier. When two carriers of the same Usher
syndrome gene have a child together, with each birth there is
a:
1-in-4 chance of having a child with Usher syndrome
2-in-4 chance of having a child who is a carrier
1-in-4 chance of having a child who neither has Usher
syndrome nor is a carrier
Type 1
Hearing
Vision
Vestibular
function
(balance)
Type 2
Type 3
What to do when you encounter a
DeafBlind person:
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Because DeafBlind people have lessened
hearing and sight, they depend more on their
other senses, which includes smell. One
should try to avoid either too much natural
body odor or too much artificial odors. This
means one should bathe well, take care of
oral and axillary (arm pit) odor, and avoid
strongly perfumed products. One should also
wash one's hands frequently to avoid passing
one's own germs on to DeafBlind people, or
from one DeafBlind person to another.
When you first meet, touch the person's
shoulder to let them know you are there,
if they are standing. If they are seated,
touch the back of the hand, and when
they raise it, slide your hand underneath
theirs.
 Don't tap back or arm, since they won't
know which way to turn.
 Be flexible with your communication
method, your client may be new or have
special needs. We will discuss
communication options later.
 So, state your business first, then chat.
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Etiquette.
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Be aware, that since you are talking to them,
you may need to help them to the bathroom
or guide them to a place. If you need to leave,
explain why and when you will be back.
Identify yourself each time you meet.
Think of everything you say as a promise.
Respect their privacy. Don’t ask personal Qs.
Don’t joke around until they know you and
you know them. They can’t see/feel facial
expressions.
Communication Options
How they communicate:
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They use:
POP(print in palm)
Tactile
CV (close vision)
Distant signing
Tracking
Limited space/tunnel vision
Tactile fingerspelling
Sim-com if they have some hearing
Braille
Sign language in the hands or close to their eyes.
Specifics of the surroundings to
be aware of:
The lighting you are in should be bright without glare. Don't
face the DeafBlind person into the sun or major light source.
If you are Hearing, hard-of-hearing DeafBlind people may
need you at their better ear and to sit away from noise.
 If the person uses both hands to receive ASL, it's best to sit
facing with knees interlaced. If one-handed, 45-90 degrees
is best.
 Sign with energy and clarity, despite feeling restricted, but
don't be wild.
 Don't duck head to make signs like MOTHER, since it will
obscure the difference between signs that differ only in
location, such as MOTHER, FATHER, and FINE. Hunching
also makes your signing space smaller.
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Remember
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Remember the DeafBlind person can't see head
nods, head shakes, q and who questions and other
grammatical markers. This information must be
added by additional signs, such as FOR~SURE,
DOUBTFUL, QUESTION-MARK, and so on.
For tactile signing, don't switch dominance (switching
from left-handed signing to right-handed signing or
vice versa) although it is natural in ASL.
If you are continuously spelling, pause slightly
between words. If you are signing, pause slightly
before fingerspelling a word and slightly afterwards to
check for comprehension.
If the DeafBlind person uses sight to read
signs, watch their eyes to see if you are going
outside their receptive sign space.
 When the DeafBlind person puts out their
hand, they are requesting (back-channel)
feedback, respond with YES, OH-I-SEE,
WHAT-CAN-I-SAY, and so on.
 Touch is especially important for DeafBlind
people. It is their link with the world. It can
show you are nervous, withdrawn, friendly,
tired, or bored. You may be uncomfortable
"holding hands" during pauses, but it is best
to wait for the DeafBlind person to break
contact. It keeps that link and makes it easier
for the DeafBlind person to get your attention.
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Be Aware…
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Don't tease by poking, tickling, or jostling, even
though your intentions are friendly. We can see
things like that coming and are startled when we
don't.
If the person's hands are heavy, it may mean they are
tired or having difficulty understanding. Be aware of a
need for a break in the conversation or interpretation.
Be careful that clothing is dark unless you have a
dark complexion. Many DeafBlind people are even
more sensitive to bright colors than a sighted Deaf
person. Take off rings or bracelets, and keep
fingernails trim. Don't wear strong perfumes or
colognes.
Guiding them…
Let the DeafBlind person take your arm just above
the elbow. Don't push them ahead of you or take their
elbow. Some people prefer to put their hand on top of
the guide's hand or on their shoulder. Start with the
most common method but follow the DeafBlind
person's preference if it is different. Natural body
movement will tell the DeafBlind person if you are
turning, etc.
 If you will use an escalator or elevator, tell them
shortly before you will be getting on.
 Pause before going up or down stairs
 For doors, the guide should enter first, holding the
door for the DeafBlind person.
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Continued…
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In narrow spaces or crowded areas, bring your
elbow or guiding hand behind you to show them
that they need to be behind you rather than side
by side. You can also put their hand onto your
shoulder.
When seating a DeafBlind person, place their
hand on back of the seat or arm of chair. Guiding
them so that their leg touches the seat. For
booths, place their hand on the table edge and
slide it in the direction you wish them to go.
Rules:
Never abandon a DeafBlind person in
unfamiliar surroundings.
 Always tell the person where you're going
and when you will be back. If the person is
not sitting, it is best to lead them to something
secured to the floor or a wall so they can hold
on to it or touch it from time to time to keep
their bearings.
 Tell/explain the surroundings…who is
around…what the place looks
like…furniture..etc.
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How do they learn?
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Parents and teachers can learn to use the manual alphabet
and sign language. The manual alphabet (or finger-spelling
as it is sometimes called) is a bridge between American Sign
Language and English. It is a series of hand motions which
depict letters. In some instances the fingers are positioned to
resemble print letters. Other letters are formed by arbitrary
hand positions which bear no resemblance at all to print
letters. The manual alphabet and sign language can be used
to teach deaf-blind children. For example, when a deaf-blind
baby is handed a doll, the mother finger-spells "d-o-l-l" into
the baby's hand. Of course, the baby has no idea what the
mother is doing. Hearing children don't know what the word
"doll" means either. They learn its meaning by hearing it said
over and over again and by associating it with the cuddly toy.
Deaf-blind children make the same association between a
doll and the finger-spelled word for it.
Cont…
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When people become blind later in life, they
already have language skills. Therefore, the Braille
dot patterns are explained to deaf-blind persons
through finger-spelling or sign language. After
Braille skills are learned, communication
possibilities expand, at least in communicating with
another Braille user.
 Most deaf-blind children begin some form of
education before they can walk. Usually a teacher
comes to the home and helps the parents learn
how to work with the child. Federal law requires an
education for deaf-blind children from early
childhood through age twenty-one.
Also…
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It is also possible to communicate with
deaf-blind people by tracing the shapes
of block letters on the palm of their hand
with an index finger. Capital letters
should be printed and cursive writing
should be avoided. This method can
also be used by people with no
specialized training.
Do blind people see in their
dreams? Do they see in color?
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People who are blind do dream. The dreams of
people who have been blind from a very early age
(called “congenital blindness”) tend to be different
from those who are blind now but had sight before.
Those who are congenitally blind often have dreams
that include more instances of sounds.
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Both groups experience dreams as imaginatively
rich as those of sighted people.
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Whether or not congenitally blind people dream in
images has been studied, but the findings have been
mixed – some studies conclude that congenitally
blind people do not dream visual images, while other
reports conclude that they do.
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There are two categories of blind people
(1). Who are blind by birth : These people do not
see colors in their
dream. Their dreams includes only noises &
emotions.
(2). Who became blind due to any happening in life:
These people see
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colors in their dreams but the intensity of the colors
is associated with
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the time when they last seen the colors in their
original life before being
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blind.
 http://www.afb.org/message_board_replies.asp?Topic
ID=638&FolderID=3
Sharon Grassick Experience
teaching DeafBlind:
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“In my experience, sharing the interests of the child by offering
your hands UNDER his can be a very effective way of
developing 'communication', instead of shaping his hands into
formal signs that may have no meaning for him yet. When he
offers to share his toys with you, follow what his hands are doing
and share his exploring. Make your hands available to him, next
to his, and allow him to use your hands, rather than you
directing his hands. Follow his lead. First, we must acknowledge
and 'interpret' the communication efforts of the child before we
can expect the child to understand our formal signs. If a child
has very few signs, accept HIS signs by imitating them UNDER
his hands, then modeling the sign for what you think he is trying
to tell you (again with your hands under his). If he has enough
functional vision, modeling the signs within his field of vision
may be sufficient.
continued
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If there is no useful vision, model the sign UNDER his
hands. (If the child will not initially keep his hands on
yours long enough to follow the signs, then making
the sign on his arm or back of his hand may be
useful). We can then build on HIS communication,
towards a more formal system, when the child is
ready. This approach will also foster a trusting
relationship with the child, as it gives more control to
the child, and allows him to learn the power of HIS
communication.”
Let’s Look at the DeafBlind
alphabet
(please see attached)
Famous Deaf….
Robert Smithdas (1925- )
born near Pittsburg, PA
normal development until age 4 years when contracted
cerebrospinal meningitis, resulted in total blindness and near
deafness; totally deaf by mid-teens; received receptive
communication through block letter printed on palm and Tadoma
method (right thumb on speaker’s lips and fingers on vocal
cords), and retained clear speech
at Perkins learned braille, and by teens avid reader, reading 3 – 4
books in one weekend
at 12 years started writing poetry; became member of Poetry
Society of America; honored as Poet of the Year (1960)
scored 98 out of 100 on Harvard’s pre-entrance exam >
graduated cum laude from St. John’s University (1950;
classmates transcribed textbooks into Braille > first known
DeafBlind to receive Master’s degree in U.s., in Vocational
Guidance and Rehabilitation of the Handicapped at New York
University (1953)
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Robert cont…
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-Director of DeafBlind services at Industrial Home for the
Blind in New York > now Director of Community Education
at Helen Keller National Center for DeafBlind Youth and
Adults in Sands Point, NY; lectures about deafblinds’
capability if given opportunity, arranges tours at Center,
edits national newsletter)
-published “Life at my Fingertips” (autobiography) and
“City of the Heart” (poems)
-earned honorary degrees from Gallaudet University,
Western Michigan University, John Hopkins University
(1980)
-felt modern day DeafBlind not receive recognition for
success in education and employment because “blocked by
shadow of Helen Keller”
-deep sea fishing, gardening, art collecting, gourmet
cooking
Jeff Bohrman
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Usher Type 1, now totally DeafBlind (cochlear implant help with
sounds, not speech)
Clarke School for the Deaf.> Bachelor’s degrees in Biology and
Pharmacology from Dickinson College and University of Pittsburgh >
Master’s degree in Pharmacology-Pharmacognosy from University of
Illinois > Ph.D. degree in Pharmacology-Physiology from University
of Pacific Stockton
past positions as teaching assistant, post-doctoral investigator,
research toxicologist and research pharmacologist
Project Director for Ohio DeafBlind Outreach Program, part of
Comprehensive Program for Deaf at Columbus Speech and Hearing
Center: take census of DeafBlind people in Ohio, assess needs, link
to appropriate services
past president of American Association of DeafBlind; Director of Ohio
DeafBlind Association; advisory Board of Helen Keller National
Center; Advisory board of DeafBlind Link (National Clearinghouse on
Children who are DeafBlind); standing committee of National
Coalition on DeafBlindness; National Interpreter Training Advisory
Board (develop manual on DeafBlind interpreting in Connecticut);
Consumer Advisory Council for Ohio Relay Service; Ohio Interest
Group for Individuals with DeafBlindness
Medick winner (1996: outstanding visually-impaired person)
role model with sense of humor
Kim Powers
-Usher Type 1
-noticed as amature actress on San Antonio theater production by
top Kaleidoscope executive, who introduced her to station’s
president > star of her own Award winning television talk show
series, Kim’s World, air Saturday mornings on San Antonio-based
Kaleidoscope cable network, reaching out to nearly 20 million
people in more than 35 states (founded 1990); through
interpreters, captioning for deaf and voice narration for blind
show physically challenged children that anything is possible:
draw on own life experiences (e.g., how to identify clothes by
texture, how to travel independently, how to interact with animals
at zoo, dancing, horseback riding, etc.); dress up as storybook
character to interpret and discuss literature with children
-as volunteer gives inspirational talks to disabled children in schools,
lectures to teacher for disable children; co-host syndicated TV
special, Helen Keller: The Magic Within, along with a team; host
Paralympics Games for physically disabled athletes in Atlanta on
paid TV
-snow skiing, bungee jumping, scuba diving