Deaf-Blind: Resources

COVID-19 and Special Education

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COVID-19 resources for special education

Professional Development

2022 Summer Institute On Deaf-Blindness & Significant Support Needs

June 13-14, 2022
8:30 AM - 4:30 PM

In-Person
Denver Metro Area

Day 1: Communication Fundamentals and a Few Extra Tidbits for Good Measure

Communication is at the core of everything we do with children and youth who are deafblind. Supporting students who are deaf-blind to become proficient communicators can challenge family members and even the most skilled and experienced educators. But there is rarely anything as thrilling as watching a child successfully communicate for the first time, whether it is to name an object or action or whether it is to express an emotion or describe an abstract concept. Day one of a two-day training will include a focus on the features of communication that are unique to children who are deaf-blind and/or who have significant support needs and offer evidence-based strategies that address the needs of emerging communicators. The session will also cover the use of authentic assessment data to drive decision making, how to manage large transdisciplinary teams, the impact of stress and anxiety on communication, and will debunk the myth that it is ever too late to become a competent communicator.

Day 2: Teaching Social Skills, Facilitating Friendships, and Preparing Students to Have Wonderful, Self-Determined Lives

There may never have been a more important time to focus on social skills, friendships, and self-esteem. Children and young adults are growing up in what public health experts are calling the loneliest generation in recorded history. What can families and educators do to ensure that these students have the skills they need to live rich, self-determined lives that include meaningful engagement and lasting friendships? This session will include strategies that can be implemented right away to address these critical issues, including strategies for facilitating and maintaining natural peer relationships, and the development of communication systems that support making and keeping friends. The session will also cover independence and interdependence and how they are influenced by familial cultural factors, the ways in which social relationships change throughout children’s lives, and the importance of maintaining a presence on social media in the 21st century.

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Registration

When registering please indicate if you require any accommodation(s). All accommodations must be requested no later than two weeks prior to the event. Requests made after this time cannot be guaranteed.

Register for
Summer Institute

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.

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.

Colorado Resources for Families of Children who are Deafblind

National and International Resources Specific to Deaf-Blindness:

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:

Tanni Anthony
Phone: (303) 866-6681
Email Tanni Anthony

Gina Herrera
Phone: (303) 866-6605
Email Gina Herrera

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