Teaching Children Who Are Deafblind: Professional Development for Educators
Module 1 “The Impact of Deafblindness on Learning and Development”
Module 1 is the first in a new series designed for practitioners who want to improve their knowledge of deafblindness and gain practical information that you can put to use right away in the home or classroom. Participants will learn foundational information that’s essential for working with children who are deafblind.
User-Friendly Training
Module 1 is divided into four 30-minute lessons, each delivered in three convenient 10-minute videos. That’s over two hours of training!
Read an overview of the series, module topics, and project plans.
Module 1 Now Available
Access Module 1 →
For information on incorporating this module into your professional development platform, contact support@nationaldb.org.
Announcements
- We are looking for a wide variety of videos and photos of educators, children, and family members. If you are interested in submitting, contact support@nationaldb.org.
- To learn how this module can be incorporated into your training platform, visit Instructions for Professional Development Providers.
- To receive occasional updates (e.g., new modules, user tips), sign up for our mailing list.
Module 2: "Early Intervention for Children Who Are Deafblind"
Production for Module 2: “Early Intervention for Children Who Are Deafblind” is nearing completion. Our anticipated release date is early summer 2023!
Module 2 explores the foundations of early intervention with children who are deafblind and strategies for encouraging communication and concept development. Lessons include ways of expanding a child's world to more people, places, and things as well as important strategies for supporting the transition to preschool.
Here’s what we’ve been up to:
- Research and scriptwriting, with input from content experts Nancy Hatfield, MS, PhD, and Sundie Marx, MS, has concluded.
- The content review and user testing process of the module’s video lessons and accompanying materials has begun.
Meet Our Module 2 Content Experts
Nancy Hatfield
Nancy Hatfield, MS, PhD, is an early childhood consultant, working with early support and preschool teams to address the needs of young children with deafblindness. For more than two decades, she worked for Washington Sensory Disabilities Services, building a statewide system of services for infants and toddlers with sensory disabilities, and recently retired as director of the state deaf-blind project. She began her career earning a bachelor’s in Speech Pathology/Audiology and worked in three early intervention programs for families of deaf/hard of hearing and deafblind children. She completed an interdisciplinary doctoral program from the University of Rochester that focused on language acquisition, psycholinguistics, and early childhood development, and served as a research assistant at the National Technical Institute for the Deaf.
Sundie Marx
Sundie Marx, MS, has had the privilege of serving multiple children with deafblindness, their families, and other stakeholders for more than 15 years as a Teacher of the Deaf-Blind with the Utah Schools for the Deaf and the Blind. She received a bachelor’s in Psychology from Westminster College, a master’s in Developmental Psychology from the University of Pittsburgh, and an Early Childhood Credential and Deafblind Endorsement from the University of Utah. Sundie has a lifelong passion for transforming the lives of children with sensory problems, particularly those with deafblindness. When not with other families, she enjoys spending time with her own family of three girls! All of which keeps her busy running from soccer games to dance performances.
Acknowledgements
We would like to acknowledge and thank all those who are contributing to the development of these modules.
- Described and Captioned Media Program, Media Player
- Brian Daigle, Video Editor
- Eric Taylor at Garden Tiger Studio, Audio Editor
- Susan Becker, Digital Archivist, Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired (TSBVI)
- The children, youth, families, educators, and state deaf-blind project personnel who provided videos and photos
- Arizona Freelance Interpreting Services, ASL and Audio Description
- Content experts, professional development providers, families, and teachers who served as reviewers
- The many professional development providers who provided advice and guidance on the structure and format for the modules
Content Experts
Module 1
Maurice Belote and Michelle Clyne
Module 2
Nancy Hatfield and Sundie Marx