Deaf-Blind: Resources

Professional Development

2024 SUMMER INSTITUTE ON DEAF-BLINDNESS AND SIGNIFICANT SUPPORT NEEDS

The 2024 Summer Institute on Deaf-Blindness and Significant Support Needs will be held on June 24-25 with featured speaker Chris Montgomery. The theme of this two-day training is From Interaction to Formal Language - Becoming the Excellent Observer and Thoughtful Communicator with Children who are Congenitally Deafblind. 

Credit: The course will be offered for up to 15 CDE / ACVREP clock hours. One graduate level semester hour will be offered for those participants who attend the two full days and write an application paper. This is a two day training. All participants must attend both full days to receive the clock hour certificate.

• Participants will need to attend both days of the training. Priority will be given to team working with Colorado children and youth with deaf-blindness.
• Registration is limited to Colorado residents.

For more information or questions about the institute contact Tanni Anthony at anthony_t@cde.state.co.us.

Registration for 2024 DB Summer Institute

Registration will close on May 20, 2024.

Questions regarding registration, please contact Roberta Curtis.

2024-2025 Colorado Deaf-Blind Project Webinar Series

The Colorado Services for Children and Youth with Combined Vision and Hearing Loss Project will be hosting three webinars to kick off the new year. Each of these webinars is 90 minutes in length and focuses on specifically designed instruction for learners with deaf-blindness and/or significant support needs.  We will be posting the 2024-2025 Colorado Deaf-Blind Webinar Series in August 2024.  Stay Tuned!

** Training is for Colorado personnel only

Please be aware that:

• It is a policy in the Exceptional Student Services Unit (ESSU) that all training registrations must be closed two weeks prior to the event to address all the conference/meeting logistics needs.

On-Demand Professional Learning Specific to Deaf-Blindness

Pediatric deafness/hearing loss is addressed in five training modules on topics that detail (a) the importance and methods to detect and identify early-onset hearing loss; (b) the mechanics of how we hear; (c) the types and incidence of early-onset deafness/hearing loss; (d) the degree of hearing loss; and (e) causes and risk factors for early-onset hearing loss.

• Early Hearing Detection and Intervention
• How We Hear 
• Types of Hearing Loss
• Degree of Hearing Loss 
• Etiologies and Risk Factors of Hearing Loss 

Lending Library

A lending library is maintained with up-to-date books, articles, workshop materials, videotapes, and manuals related to the topic of vision and hearing loss.Lending library materials are mailed out upon request.

• Lending Library Inventory 2018 (XLS)
• Lending Library Request Form (PDF)

 Colorado Resources for Families of Children who are Deafblind

• Deaf-blindness (CDE) (PDF)
• Deaf-blindness: Educational Service Guidelines (Perkins Scout)
• Family Voices (Colorado)
• Hands and Voices (Colorado Office)
• Helen Keller National Center - Rocky Mountain Office
• Parents of Blind Children (Colorado)
• Parent to Parent of Colorado
• Peak Parent Center
• Special Education - Parent Information and Resources
• Special Education - Parents Encouraging Parents  Conference

National and International Resources Specific to Deaf-Blindness:

• American Association of the Deaf-Blind (AADB)
• Center for Literacy and Disability Studies
• Communication Matrix
• Deafblind International
• Experience Books (Washington Sensory Disability Services)
• Hands and Voices
• Hands and Voices - Colorado Office
• Helen Keller National Center for Deafblind Youth and Adults (HKNC)
• Interveners and Children Who Are Deaf-blind
• Intervener Resource Page (NCDB)
• Intervener Resources, Videos, and Recommendations (NCDB)
• Literacy for Children with Combined Vision and Hearing Loss (Literacy Website Resources)
• National Center on Deaf-Blindness (NCDB)
• National Family Association for the Deafblind (NFADB)
• National Organization of Rare Disorders (NORD)
• Path to Literacy
• Promoting Literacy - Emergent  Writing
• Sibling Support Project
• Tarheel Reader- a collection of free, easy-to-read, and accessible books on a wide range of topics

National Resources Specific to Children with Disabilities

• NORD - National Organization of Rare Disorders

For more information about the Colorado Services for Children and Youth with Combined Vision and Hearing Loss project, please contact: