ERIC Number: ED437765
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 1999
Pages: 23
Abstractor: N/A
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Montana's IDEA Services for Children and Youth with Deaf-Blindness Project. (State Project-1a). Final Report-- 10/1/95-9/30/99. Performance Details for Last Reporting Period-- 3/1/98-9/30/99.
Montana State Office of Public Instruction, Helena.
This final report discusses the outcomes of a 4-year federally funded project designed to identify children in Montana who are deaf-blind and to provide training and technical assistance to improve the quality of special education and related services in Montana for children ages birth through 21 who are deaf-blind. The project was devised to meet the needs and concerns identified by families, service providers, and educators. These needs were transformed into six major Project goals: (1) public awareness; (2) identification of children who are deaf-blind; (3) provision of family services; (4) provision of technical assistance to service providers and educators; (5) community coordination and collaboration; and (6) project evaluation and management. By implementing objectives and activities in those goal areas, the Project helped to reach the following benefits: (1) families derived the benefits associated with early and accurate identification; (2) families accessed individualized supports that enabled them to carry out educational and therapeutic activities; (3) families were provided with the necessary information and support to advocate for school services; (4) families accessed current information and training opportunities on deaf-blindness; (5) service providers took greater advantage of resources available to support students who are deaf-blind; (6) service providers became more capable of delivering appropriate services to children who are deaf-blind; (7) the specialized services required became more integrated; (8) service providers continued to develop their skills and change their practices; and (9) teacher trainers infused information about the needs of students who are deaf-blind in preservice training curriculums for early intervention personnel. The report further discusses the context of the project; objectives; activities; problems encountered and solutions; and implications for policy, practice, and research. (CR)
Descriptors: Adolescents, Agency Cooperation, Children, Deaf Blind, Delivery Systems, Disability Identification, Early Identification, Early Intervention, Elementary Secondary Education, Family Involvement, Infants, Inservice Teacher Education, Postsecondary Education, Preschool Children, Preschool Education, Preservice Teacher Education, Professional Development, Related Services (Special Education), Teacher Education, Technical Assistance, Toddlers, Transitional Programs
State Deaf-Blind Project, Office of Public Instruction, PO Box 202501, Helena, MT 59620-2501. Tel: 406-444-4426; e-mail: froman@staate.mu.us.
Publication Type: Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: Special Education Programs (ED/OSERS), Washington, DC.
Authoring Institution: Montana State Office of Public Instruction, Helena.
Identifiers - Location: Montana
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A