TDB Toolbox – Texas Deafblind Project

TDB Toolbox for Teachers of Students who are Deafblind & Other Team Members

Resources for the TDB and Other Team Members

A young woman who is deafblind use one hand to listen to her intervener and one hand to review the braille display on her note taking device.

As part of the TDB Pilot Program we have compiled a set of resources that you may find helpful. Some of these you may want to share with other educational professionals and paraprofessionals, some with family members, and some are included for your use with the student who is deafblind.

These resources include articles, tools for assessment and the development of the IEP, and podcasts. Some of these have been developed by Texas Deafblind Outreach and others come from the National Center on Deafblindness.

TDB Menu

Teachers of Students Who Are Deafblind

Articles

- - Blaha, Robbie and Moss, Kate, 2006. Issues in Deafblindness: When the IEP is Aligned with the General Curriculum. See-Hear Newsletter, Texas School for the Blind & Visually Impaired, Austin, TX.
  - Blaha, Robbie and Moss, Kate, 1997. Let Me Check My Calendar. See-Hear Newsletter, Texas School for the Blind & Visually Impaired, Austin, TX.
  - Blaha, Robbie and Moss, Kate, 1991. Make It Routine. P.S. New! Texas School for the Blind & Visually Impaired, Austin, TX.
  - Hagood, Linda and Moss, Kate, circa 1990. Conversations without Language: Building Quality Interactions with Children who are Deaf-Blind. See-Hear Newsletter, Texas School for the Blind & Visually Impaired, Austin, TX.
  - Miles, Barbara, 2003. Talking the Language of the Hands to the Hands. National Information Clearinghouse on Deaf-Blind, Monmouth, OR.
  - Miles, Barbara, 2005. Overview on Deaf-Blindness. National Information Clearinghouse on Deaf-Blind, Monmouth, OR.
  - Miles, Barbara and McLetchie, Barbara, 2004. Developing Concepts with Children who are Deafblind. National Information Clearinghouse on Deaf-Blind, Monmouth, OR.
  - Peterson, Deanna, 2018. Kersten’s Calendar in Deanna’s Class, Texas Deafblind Outreach, Texas School for the Blind & Visually Impaired, Austin, TX.
  - Smith, Millie, 1995. Here’s Looking at You, Mom: The Role of Gaze in Early Attachment. Visions Newsletter, Texas School for the Blind & Visually Impaired, Austin, TX.

Assessment Tools

- - Blaha, Robbie and Carlson, Brad, 2007. Assessment of Deafblind Access to Manual Language Systems (ADAMLS), The National Information Clearinghouse On Children Who Are DeafBlind, Monmouth, OR.
  - Assessment Matrix for Students who are Deafblind (handout), 2018. Texas Deafblind Outreach, Texas School for the Blind & Visually Impaired, Austin, TX.
  - Hagood, Linda, 2006. Basic Infused Skills Assessment (handouts). Texas School for the Blind & Visually Impaired, Curriculum Department, Austin, TX.
  - Informal Functional Hearing Evaluation (IFHE), 2018. Texas Deafblind Outreach, Texas School for the Blind & Visually Impaired, Austin, TX.
  - Hurst, K. and Obrzut, P. , 2016. Tips on Completing the Functional Scheme – Active Learning Space.
  - HomeTalk: A Family assessment of Children who are Deafblind. Bringing It All Back Home Project. John Harris, Nancy Hartshorne, Tracy Jess, Harvey Mar, Charity Rowland, Nancy Sall, Shaunie Schmoll, Philip Schweigert, Linda Unruh, Nancy Vernon, Tandy Wolf
  - Kitchen, Sara, 2009. The Communication Matrix by Charity Rowland, Ph.D., _©1990, 1996, 2004: WHAT IS IT? & HOW DO I DO IT? (handout). Outreach Programs, Texas School for the Blind & Visually Impaired, Austin, TX.
  - Roland, Charity, 2009. Assessing Communication and Learning in Children Who Are Deafblind or Have Multiple Disabilities, Design to Learn Projects, Oregon Health & Science University.
  - Sensory Learning Summary (Handout), 2017. Texas Deafblind Project, Texas School for the Blind & Visually Impaired, Austin, TX.
  - Summary of Deafblind Specific Evaluation Tools (handout), 2017. Texas Deafblind Project, Texas School for the Blind & Visually Impaired, Austin, TX.
  - Taylor, E., Stremel, K. and Steele, N. 2006. Classroom Observation Instrument for Educational Environments Serving Students with Deaf-Blindness, The National Information Clearinghouse On Children Who Are Deaf-Blind, Monmouth, OR.

IEP Development Tools

- - IEP Quality Indicators for Students with Deafblindness, 2009. Texas Deafblind Outreach, Texas School for the Blind & Visually Impaired, Austin, TX.
  - Determining the Need for an Intervener, 2015. Texas Deafblind Outreach, Texas School for the Blind & Visually Impaired, Austin, TX.
  - Let’s Talk Deafblind Eligibility FAQ & Answers, 2016 (revised 2020). Texas Deafblind Outreach, Texas School for the Blind & Visually Impaired, Austin, TX.
  - Specialty Set Special Education Paraeducator Intervener for Individuals With Deafblindness, 2016. Texas Deafblind Outreach, Texas School for the Blind & Visually Impaired, Austin, TX.
  - Role of the TDB Role FIE Eligibility, 2016. Texas Deafblind Outreach, Texas School for the Blind & Visually Impaired, Austin, TX.

Intervener Information

Intervener Job Description, April 2022. National Center on Deafblindness, Helen Keller National Center, 141 Middle Neck Road, Sands Point, NY 11050.

TDB Job Description and Pilot Project Information

Blaha, R., Cowan, C. and Herzog, T., revised 2020. Itinerant Teachers of Deafblind (TDB) Caseload vs. Workload: Determining the Amount and Type of Services for Students with Deafblindness, Texas Deafblind Outreach, Texas School for the Blind & Visually Impaired, Austin, TX.

Why Do We Need Teachers of Students with Deafblindness? (handout) 2012. Texas Deafblind Outreach, Texas School for the Blind & Visually Impaired, Austin, TX.

Podcasts

- - A Sense of Texas Podcast- TDB Pilot
  - A Sense of Texas Podcast- Early Childhood Intervention
  - A Sense of Texas Podcast- O&M at a Distance
  - A Sense of Texas Podcast- Barbara Miles
  - A Sense of Texas Podcast-Emotional Literacy
  - A Sense of Texas Podcast- Transition
  - A Sense of Texas Podcast- Interaction