Putting the Pieces Together: VI Professionals Working With Deafblind Students Who Have an Intervener

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Putting the Pieces Together VI Professionals
Working With Deafblind Students Who Have an
Intervener

• Holly Cooper, Ph.D.Texas School for the Blind
  and Visually ImpairedDeafblind Outreach

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• If we dont do it
• Who will?

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Students With Deafblindness

• In Texas we have a total of
• 8196 students with visual impairments
• 384 students who read braille
• 740 students on DB census
• A TVI is twice as likely to have a deafblind
  student as an academic braille student.

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VI Professionals and Interveners A Partnership

• Interveners are important members of the
  educational team for students with deafblindness.
  
• Interveners provide access to the environment and
  on-going support.
• Our students with deafblindness deserve to have
  high quality services provided by professional
  educators.

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Who Are Our Deafblind students?

• Have severe and multiple disabilities without
  standard symbolic communication
• Use some sign language, speech, picture or object
  symbols
• Are functionally deaf and have low vision
• Are functionally blind and have some hearing loss
• Are both deaf and blind
• Are academic learners

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Whats an Intervener?

• A one-on-one paraprofessional working with a
  student with deafblindness
• Interveners may have extensive training, or
  almost none
• Interveners may have extensive experience, or
  almost none

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Whats an Intervener?

• Certified teachers are ultimately responsible for
  developing and implementing the IEP
• Paraprofessionals in the state of Texas can
  re-teach and reinforce what is taught by the
  certified educator or specialist

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What is an Intervener?

• An intervener provides access for an individual
  with deafblindness
• May act as a sign language interpreter
• May support use of object symbols or tactile
  symbols for communication
• May modify materials or instruction provided by a
  teacher
• May provide concept development support which
  includes explaining unfamiliar words, providing
  enrichment activities, providing remedial
  activities
• May provide academic tutoring

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The vision professionals role in teaching a
student with deafblindness

• Provide direct instruction according to the IEP
  (also true for services from an OM specialist)
• Provide consultative services (also OM)
• Observe the student in a variety of different
  settings and activities (also OM)
• Support communication by using appropriate
  communication mode (also OM)

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The TVIs Role in teaching a student with
deafblindness

• Provide instruction and support in literacy
• Provide instruction and support in academic
  learning
• Provide instruction and support in areas of the
  Expanded Core Curriculum (also OM)
• Provide instruction and support in concept
  development (also OM)

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Before meeting the student with deafblindness

• The vision professional should
• Review the students files relating to vision
  diagnosis and etiology
• Review the students files and consult with other
  professionals to gather information relating to
  the students hearing, especially functional uses
  of hearing
• Review the files and consult with other
  professionals to gather information relating to
  the students communication mode.

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Before meeting the student with deafblindness

• If the classroom staff is new to the student, do
  a brief staff development . Include the
  following
• Information about how much the student is able to
  see
• Information about how much the student is able to
  hear
• Some simulator activities involving both gross
  motor and fine motor skills

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Before meeting the student

• Even if youve never met the student before,
  there are topics you know or can find out because
  of your knowledge of visual impairments that you
  should share with the team
• Cortical visual impairment (Christine Roman
  Lantzy and the APH website http//www.aph.org/cvi
  /index.html)
• CHARGE syndrome (David Brown and the National
  CHARGE Syndrome Association http//www.chargesyndr
  ome.org/about-charge.asp)
• Retinopathy of Prematurity and characteristics
  that often accompany it (such as spacial
  orientation problems)

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Before meeting the student

• Tactile learning (June Downing and Barbara
  Miles)
• The impact of vision loss on the students
  ability to use sign language, picture symbols, or
  any visual communication supports (see the ADAMLS
  document for discussion of this
  http//www.nationaldb.org/documents/products/ADAML
  S.pdf)

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The first week of school

• Meet the classroom teacher and intervener
• Find out what the teachers and interveners
  expectations for you are, if any
• Review the current IEP
• Do preliminary scheduling
• Find out what the previous VI professionals did

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What I see in the field

• I see a variety of different students, and the
  way interveners and classroom teachers handle
  the childs services. It runs the gamut.
• The intervener owns the student and the
  classroom teacher has little input because the
  intervener has her own domain
• The intervener owns the student, but she may
  strongly desire direction and participation from
  the classroom teacher and not get it

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What I see in the field

• The intervener and student participate in some
  activities which are teacher directed
• The intervener and classroom teacher both take
  responsibility for the student with
  deafblindness, the partnership may be productive
  or a source of conflict
• The classroom teacher takes primary
  responsibility for the students instructional
  time, the intervener functions much like any
  other aid

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What I see in the field

• The intervener functions much like a sign
  language interpreter, sometimes also providing
  instructional support
• The intervener has little training or experience
  and doesnt know the student and his or her needs
  and abilities

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The vision professionals perceived role

• The instructional team may have very specific
  expectations for the vision professional, or not
• The vision professional arrives, the intervener
  takes a break
• The vision professional arrives, the intervener
  provides communication support and concept
  development, observes and asks questions
• The vision professional arrives, but only the
  intervener can be the students partner

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A collaborative partnership

• We want the intervener and vision professional
  to work together and include the classroom
  teacher in instruction, planning, and evaluation
• The vision professional should get to know the
  student, the intervener, the teacher, the family
  and as many other team members as possible
• The vision professional may take the lead in an
  instructional activity, with the intervener
  nearby to provide support, and to observe so that
  she can repeat a similar activity with the
  student daily, weekly or at appropriate intervals

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The intervener is the only one?

• Some, but not the majority, of students with
  deafblindness will need to have the intervener be
  the one who has hands-on the student. Why?
• The child is withdrawn and isolated and has
  little interest in interacting with people,
  especially strangers
• The child has characteristics similar to autism
  and has difficulty trusting or tolerating
  strangers
• The child has severe acting-out behavior that may
  be triggered by unfamiliar people and routines

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The intervener is the only one?

• Ultimately the goal of education is increased
  independence
• While a student with deafblindness may always
  need additional support
• Learning to interact with a variety of people is
  the goal for all students with deafblindness

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A few words about names
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Name signs and symbols

• Learn the students sign name
• Ask the intervener, teacher, or AI teacher to
  help you choose a sign name
• If the child uses tactile symbols, make a symbol
  for your name.
• If the child uses pictures, give them two or
  three copies of your photo in the appropriate size

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Names My earrings are my symbol

• Some professionals use a tactile accessory
  associated with the individual such as a
  bracelet, ring, earrings, long fingernails, etc
• This approach can be appropriate for some
  students with very limited communication skills

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Names My earrings are my symbol

• In most cases I discourage the use of
  accessories and apparel items from being used as
  name symbols
• Why?

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My earrings are my symbol

• Is what you have chosen really with you all day
  every day?
• Is what you have chosen really distinct from
  other adults (lots of women wear ear rings)?
• Is making tactile contact with the item
  accessible and socially appropriate?
• A name sign or symbol should be an item that can
  be used for anticipation and discussion

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Name symbols

• Choose an object symbol, tactile symbol or
  picture symbol
• (If the student doesnt use conventional
  communication)
• Say hello and goodbye to the student every
  time you visit, and use your name sign or symbol

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When the intervener is the handsWhat am I
supposed to do?
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When the intervener is the hands

• Observe the child doing several different
  activities with the intervener
• Design an activity for the student, based on the
  IEP and evaluation
• Before or after school, demonstrate the activity
  to the intervener with her acting as the student
  and you acting as the intervener
• Tell the intervener the purpose of the activity,
  and what actions to look for (visual tracking,
  trailing a wall, exploring objects tactually)

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When the intervener is the hands

• During your time with the student, introduce
  yourself or have the intervener introduce you
• Let the intervener conduct the activity, make
  comments, answer questions
• Try to arrange for some physical or visual
  contact between yourself and the child, sit
  nearby, hand objects, take turns interacting with
  the materials, etc
• Say good-bye to the student when you are finished

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Intervener-led activities

• Suggest to the intervener the frequency and
  duration of the activity
• Provide a data collection sheet, talk about how
  to record data
• Observe the intervener on subsequent visits, try
  to get the student to let you become more
  involved in the activity by taking turns,
  handling objects, making comments
• Bring in new items to add to the activity
  occasionally new toys, lotions, things that make
  interesting sounds

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Supporting Manual Communication

• If the student has very limited communication,
  get a list of the signs the student uses
  expressively and learn them
• Learn the students sign name
• Use your own sign name, and the names of other
  familiar people
• Know what tactile sign looks like for a blind
  person (video clip) and be sure the staff knows
• If the student has a substantial vocabulary, have
  the intervener act as your interpreter

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Supporting Object Communication

• If the student uses object symbols, the TVI
  should be an active team member involved in
• Selection of appropriate objects(keep in mind,
  visual, motor, natural occurrence)
• Setting up the calendar box and symbols
• Showing the staff members how to use it, and
  using it yourself

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Supporting Literacy

• If the student is able to use some conventional
  communication, the TVI should be involved in
  supporting early literacy skills
• Be sure to give info to staff about appropriate
  media tactual, vs. visual
• If visual learning media is used make sure staff
  knows size and contrast issues
• Infuse literacy into as many daily activities as
  possible
• Use experience stories

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Supporting the Expanded Core Curriculum

• For students with the most significant
  disabilities, use these resources
• Active Learning approach of Lili Neilson
• Sensory Learning Kit by Millie Smith from APH
  http//www.aph.org/advisory/2005adv10.htmlP4
• Activity Routines (see Independent Living Skills
  from TSBVIs curriculum department)
  http//www.tsbvi.edu/publications/il.htm

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Supporting the Expanded Core Curriculum

• For students who have some communication and
  motor abilities, use these resources
• Activity Routines (see Independent Living Skills
  from TSBVIs curriculum department)http//www.tsb
  vi.edu/publications/il.htm
• FACES curriculum(not excellent, but its
  free)http//www.esc12.net/faces/default.html
• Calendars by Robbie Blaha, from
  TSBVIhttp//www.tsbvi.edu/publications/calendar.h
  tm
• Communication by Linda Hagood, from
  TSBVIhttp//www.tsbvi.edu/publications/calendar.h
  tm
• Better Together by Linda Hagood from
  TSBVIhttp//www.tsbvi.edu/publications/calendar.h
  tm

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Supporting the Intervener

• Schedule time weekly to talk to the intervener
  and teacher to plan, communicate, and update
  information
• Stay in contact with the family, write in the
  students communication book
• Listen to the interveners concerns. Talk about
  vision and health issues. Know the childs
  disabilities and how they affect vision, health
  and overall functioning

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Supporting the Intervener

• Observe and advise the intervener on life skills
  issues such as toileting, dressing, self-feeding,
  tolerating variety in food, etc.
• Be aware of sleep cycle problems which can be
  common in students with functional blindness, and
  CHARGE, talk with intervener and family about
  these issues
• The more significant the students vision loss,
  the more the vision teacher should be involved in
  the education and support of the child and
  intervener

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Additional Resources

• Remarkable ConversationsBarbara Miles, Marianne
  RiggioPerkins School for the Blind (publisher)
• Tactile Strategies for Children Who Have Visual
  Impairments and Multiple DisabilitiesDeborah
  Chen and June DowningAFB Press

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The end