Is My Child Really Deafblind?
You, as a parent, may think, “My child isn’t deafblind; she can see . . . or he can hear.” What is important to remember is that there are all types and degrees of vision and hearing loss in children who are deafblind. Very rarely are we talking about a child with total blindness and complete deafness, although that does happen. In addition, often a child may have an impairment that only affects one eye or one ear or is diagnosed with a progressive loss that currently may not be a problem.
Please don’t be afraid to use the term deafblind, especially if it helps people understand that your child has some very unique needs. Educators, service providers, community members and others need to understand that with a little extra effort they can make the world accessible to your child with deafblindness. Without these accommodations, your child may be denied access. Just like a child in a wheelchair who needs a ramp to enter the school building, if your child can’t get to the information because his eyes and ears aren’t receiving all the information, he is not able to access his education fully.
Deafblindness is a combination of vision and hearing loss that affects a person’s ability to communicate, learn and access information. Many people who experience deafblindness have some usable hearing and/or vision. Deafblindness varies from person to person. Although no two children who are deafblind are alike, many share similar needs.
Find support by getting in touch with the Deafblind project staff. We can provide help with early identification and intervention; resource linkages and materials, family-to-family connections; home visits to collaborate on your specific concerns, workshops, on-line courses and conferences.