Deaf-Blind: Resources

Professional Development

2022 -2023 DEAF-BLIND WEBINAR SERIES

The Colorado Deaf-Blind Project is pleased to announce a series of webinars that will be offered once a month throughout the 2022-2023 school year.

Time for all webinars: 3:30 -5:30 p.m.

January 25, 2023: Topic Settings for the Early Communicator
February 8, 2023: Virtual Stories: Sharing the Story of Your Child and Family with Educators
February 22, 2023: Tactile Strategies
March 29, 2023: Tactile Sign Language

Participants: Colorado parents of, and professionals working with children from birth through 21 years with significant support needs, including deaf-blindness. The focus is on learners who are not yet proficient in verbal and/or sign language.

Training Expectations: Full attendance of any session is a requirement. Please do not sign up for these training events if you cannot commit to the entire two hours.

Registration

Please be aware that: It is a policy in the Exceptional Student Services Unit (ESSU) that all training registrations must be closed 2 weeks prior to the event to address all the conference/meeting logistics needs. Additionally, registration for ESSU events is non-transferable and cannot be given to another participant.

Register for
DB Webinar Series

2023 SUMMER INSTITUTE ON DEAF-BLINDNESS AND SIGNIFICANT SUPPORT NEEDS
Communication Matrix: From Assessment to Implementation

Dates: June 27-28, 2023
8:30 am - 4:30 pm on both days

Location: Adams 12 Conference Center - 1500 E. 128th Avenue, Thornton, CO 80241

Content: When assessing the early communication skills of children and youth who are deaf-blind service providers and families can struggle to find tools outlining what a child can do. The Communication Matrix is an observational tool and behavioral inventory that pinpoints how a child at the earliest levels of communication uses multiple modes to express themselves, with or without speech or sign language.

Objectives:

List a variety of communicative behaviors students use to express themselves
Understand the characteristics and features of the 7 levels of communicative functioning in the Matrix
Identify the reasons Early Communicators express themselves
Practice basic administration and scoring of the Communication Matrix
Develop language around the Educational Needs of students based on Matrix results
Review examples of how Communication Matrix results can be used to set goals and plan instruction

Registration

When registering please indicate if you require any accommodation(s). Please note that all registrations must close two (2) weeks prior to the event to address all the conference logistic needs.

DB Summer Institute flyer

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) 503-4647
Email Tanni Anthony

Gina Herrera
Phone: (303) 253-0451
Email Gina Herrera

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If you have problems with broken links or accessing the content on this page, please contact the Exceptional Student Services Unit at ESSU@cde.state.co.us. Please copy the URL link for this page into the email when referencing the problem you are experiencing.