ERIC Number: EJ848407
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2004
Pages: 12
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0042-8639
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Young Children Who Are Deaf-Blind: Implications for Professionals in Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services
Chen, Deborah
Volta Review, v104 n4 p273-284 2004
Children who have both a hearing loss and a visual impairment are a very small but extremely heterogeneous low incidence group. These children vary greatly in the types and degrees of visual impairment and hearing loss. The majority of them have some usable vision and/or hearing, and many have additional disabilities. Most professionals (i.e., teachers, speech and language therapists, and audiologists) providing deaf and hard of hearing services may not be experienced in working with a child who has a visual impairment in addition to a hearing loss. However, these professionals play a critical role in facilitating early identification and providing early intervention services to infants and pre-schoolers who are deaf-blind. This article identifies high risk factors associated with deaf-blindness. It provides relevant definitions, basic information on types of visual impairment, ways to enhance the child's use of vision and touch, and considerations in working with a young child who is deaf-blind.
Descriptors: Children, Incidence, Severity (of Disability), Multiple Disabilities, Allied Health Personnel, Infants, Preschool Children, At Risk Persons, Early Intervention, Visual Impairments, Hearing Impairments, Deafness, Vision, Identification, Deaf Blind
Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. 3417 Volta Place NW, Washington, DC 20007. Tel: 202-337-5220; Fax: 202-337-8314; e-mail: periodicals@agbell.org; Web site: http://www.agbell.org
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Early Childhood Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A