Children who are Deafblind with Additional Disabilities

A young boy delights in sharing water play with his teacher.
A young boy delights in sharing water play with his teacher.

Children who are born with complicated physical and medical issues and who are also deafblind, face huge barriers in acquiring the skills they will need to live quality lives. Family members and educators may not know where to begin to assess the child’s needs and capabilities, to set educational priorities, and provide quality programming.

Many of these children have greatly limited stamina and struggle with chronic pain, so available time for learning is often very restricted.  They may also be easily overwhelmed triggering seizures, crying,  total shutdown, or other behaviors that impede learning.  

What do we do to support these individuals? This section of our website explores important information about what makes these children tick, how to assess them for developing programming, and suggestions for instructional strategies to improve their access to instruction.