Transcript Deaf-blindness - Northwest ISD Moodle

Deaf-blindness
Although the term deaf-blind implies a complete
absence of hearing and sight, in reality, it refers to
people with varying degrees of vision and hearing loss.
The type and severity differ from person to person.
The key feature of deaf-blindness is that the
combination of losses limits access to auditory and
visual information.
Deaf-blindness has one of the lowest incidence rates of
all disabilities, yet it is one of the most diverse in terms
of learning profiles. Despite the initial perception of
deaf-blind meaning total blindness and no hearing,
many deaf-blind children have enough vision to be
able to move about in their environments, recognize
familiar people, see sign language at close distances,
and perhaps, read large print.
According to the National Deaf-Blind Census, more deafblind people have some functional use of their vision
than have some hearing. However, deaf-blindness
restricts the lifestyle and many activities that deaf-blind
persons can achieve. When hearing and vision both fall
into the ranges of severe or profound losses, the
immediate world may well end at one’s fingertips.
When both vision and hearing are affected,
especially from birth or early in life, natural
opportunities to learn and communicate can be
severely limited.
More than 90% of children who are deaf-blind
have one or more additional disabilities or health
problems and some may be identified as having
multiple disabilities rather than deaf-blindness. In
these cases, the impact of combined hearing and
vision loss may not be recognized or addressed.
There are many causes of deaf-blindness.
Those that are present or occur around the time
a child is born (congenital deaf-blindness)
include prematurity, childbirth complications,
and numerous congenital syndromes, many of
which are quite rare.
Deaf-blindness may also occur later in
childhood or during adulthood due to causes
such as meningitis, brain injury, or inherited
conditions
Many experts in the United States and other countries
believe that the population of children who are deafblind has become more severely disabled over the past
several decades. This may be due, in part, to advances
in medical technology that have increased the survival
rates for premature infants and children with very
serious conditions, who are also deaf-blind.
Usher Syndrome, an inherited condition that
causes hearing loss and progressive vision loss,
is not typically associated with other significant
challenges.
. Usher Syndrome is due to a gene irregularity which is
present from birth with effects appearing gradually over
the course of the years. Hearing loss is usually present
from birth or soon after and can range from moderate to
profound. Vision loss is progressive and can occur in late
childhood to early adolescence. It is not possible to
predict how much sight will be lost. Usher Syndrome is
believed to account for almost half of all deaf-blind cases.
. In the United States, there is a prevalence of
Usher Syndrome in Louisiana especially.
Fifteen to twenty percent of students with deafblindness have Usher Syndrome and thirty
percent of all individuals in Louisiana are in
three isolated parishes.
There are three important characteristics that
teachers, family members and support service
providers (SSPs) should consider: feelings of
isolation, problems with communication, and
problems with mobility.
The deaf-blind world is ultimately restrictive,
so it is especially important for teachers and
family members to address the obstacles facing
the deaf-blind person accordingly.
Behavioral and emotional difficulties are often present in
deaf-blindness. Including deaf-blind students in various
activities are critical to reducing the feelings of isolation
that are often associated with deaf-blind. A chief objective
of working with deaf-blind would be to create a sense of
inclusion to combat the terrible feelings of isolation.
Communication
Communication is critical to the deaf-blind person, perhaps
the greatest challenge that faces them. Many deaf-blind
children never learn to talk, therefore they are dependent
on others to help them learn to communicate. The ultimate
goal is to enable the deaf-blind person to function as
normally as possible in the real world with as much
independence as possible. Communication can often be
enabled via interpreters, books, and electronic
communication devices.
However, for many deaf-blind individuals, the way they
approach the world is through touch. Therefore, manual
communication forms such as sign language, body
language, and gestures are the primary means of
communicating. Tactile signing is a manual form of
communication in which signs are conveyed via touch. The
fingers are essentially placed in the other person’s palm to
convey information and communication.
Mobility is another serious challenge that faces deaf-blind
students. Again, the goal is to provide as much freedom
and independence as possible for the deaf-blind person as
the progress into adulthood. Deaf-blind people’s severely
restricted abilities often put them in potentially dangerous
situations. Purposeful movement, or becoming aware of
one’s environment, changing locations, seeking protection
from the danger, and deciding when to move are goals that
deaf-blind people and their support staff strive for.
The goal of facing the many challenges of deaf-blindness is
to prepare them for independent living and maximize their
talents and abilities the best way possible. Many deaf-blind
adults are able to lead independent or semi-independent
lifestyles and have fulfilling work and social lives. Again,
the degree of independence and freedom a deaf-blind
person experiences will depend on the quality of education
and support they have been receiving since childhood.
Across the nation, 675 infants and 9,452 children and
young adults aged 3 to 21 were identified and reported as
deaf-blind on December 1, 2007. An additional 47 students
were reported who will continue to receive services through
the end of the school year in which the student turns 22
years old; thus a total of 10,174 infants, children and young
adults were identified as deaf-blind and in need of early
intervention and educational services.