Reviewed are observational techniques for rating the communication of deaf-blind multihandicapped children, and reported is an initial study of the diagnostic observational competency of 75 speech pathologists at 5 levels of training and experience. (LC)

POSITION PAPERS, DISCUSSION, AND RESEARCH PROPOSALS COVER COMMUNICATION, LEARNING, REHABILITATION, AND RESETTLEMENT. COMMUNICATION PROBLEMS OF THE DEAF BLIND ARE RELATED TO OTHER CONCEPTS OF COMMUNICATION. VERBAL SYMBOLS AND NONVERBAL SOUNDS IN COMMUNICATIVE PERCEPTION AND THE COGNITIVE AND AFFECTIVE ROLES OF THE LANGUAGE OF SOUND IN RELATION TO…

The bibliography provides information on screening and assessment instruments and techniques appropriate for use with visually handicapped (VH), aurally handicapped (AH) or deaf blind children. Materials on VH populations (numbers indicated in parentheses) are organized according to the following categories: materials on visual screening…

The final report describes a project to devise and field test methods of assessing short-term memory in deaf blind children. It is explained that four tests of short-term memory were devised (Body Touch - Sighted Version, Body Touch - Blind or Blindfolded Version, Removed Object Test, and Finger Touch Test) and field tested with 32 children (8-15…

Included in the proceedings of a 1973 workshop on the education of deaf blind children are four papers on aspects of diagnosis and remediation. Roger Seelye discusses vision, visual anomalies, and the implications of low vision conditions such as cataracts, glaucoma, retrolental fibroplasia, and optic atrophy. The low vision aids workshop is…

Presented are 26 papers and four Association reports given at the 1970 national conference. Among the papers are the following titles: "Educating the Multihandicapped Blind Child", "Regional Centers for Deaf-Blind Children--A New Hope", "The Multiply Impaired Visually Handicapped in the Residential School", "The Multiply-Impaired…

Residual hearing capabilities of nine severely and profoundly retarded deaf-blind children (7-13 years old) were determined with an operant procedure that allowed the children to respond by making a selection between two responses, one which resulted in the presentation of auditory reinforcement or one which resulted in no reinforcement.…

The special issue presents a collection of 10 studies presented at a major workshop on Usher's Syndrome (a condition of congenital deafness accompanied by progressive loss of vision) which was sponsored by the South Central Regional Center for Deaf-blind Children in Dallas, Texas, September, 1977. (IM)

The exploratory study examined the effectiveness of the Van Dijk method of developing language skills with four deaf-blind infants and their mothers over a two-month period. Findings indicated increased expressive/elocutionary communicative output with concomitant reduction in self-stimulatory, abusive, and tantrum-like behaviors. (DB)

A screening program for vision problems and Usher's Syndrome (a common cause of deaf-blindness) among 210 hearing-impaired students found 44 percent had significant vision problems and 1 percent had Usher's Syndrome. The program involved an interagency network of school, health care, and support personnel and utilized a dilated ophathalmological…

This paper presents an assessment instrument developed for use with both deaf-blind children and adults. Designed to assist in individual program planning and to measure progress, the 199 item inventory is organized in six major categories with 19 subsections. It has been field tested using 271 deaf-blind persons. (Author/BS)

This publication presents examples of research findings that are being put to practice to improve educational services to children with deaf-blindness. Each program description includes photographs and a highlight of key practices. Individual selections are: (1) "Early Intervention: Beginning with Babies" (Deborah Chen), which describes a project…

This booklet provides information designed for individuals who are involved in the transition planning process both for persons with deaf-blindness and for persons with other disabilities. The purpose of the guide is to introduce common misperceptions encountered during transition planning, components of transition planning, and the transition…

Sixteen deaf-blind, retarded, preschool postrubella children (mean age 6 years) were tested in an operant procedure which allowed them to select preferred illumination feeback as reinforcement for operating a simple two-choice lever switch. (Author/MC)