Practices and strategies to promote access to learning
Deaf-blindess is primarily a disability of access; that is, a child who is deaf-blind relies on others for access to information that is needed for learning, communication, and development. Fortunately, there are many instructional strategies, accommodations, and other supports available to help promote access and learning.
Children who are deaf-blind have very limited “incidental learning,” which sighted-hearing children gather naturally, such as from observing others or watching others, observing objects and actions, and listening to voices and other sounds. Children with deaf-blindness need to be intentionally taught these concepts and ideas.
To learn about strategies to promote learning of all kinds, check out these resources from the National Center on Deaf-Blindness:
- Educational Practices: Promoting Learning
- Foundational Knowledge in Deaf-Blindness: Utilizing Routines
- Impact of Deaf-Blindness on Learning
If you have or know of a child with deaf-blindness, visit the National Center on Deaf-Blindness webpages on Communication Basics and Overview of Communication Methods to learn more.
