Project Description:
The South Dakota Deaf-Blind Project is located within the Center for Disabilities, Dept. of Pediatrics at the USD School of Medicine and Health Sciences. The Project is designed to provide technical assistance to families and educational and medical personnel as well as other service providers who work or live with a child, birth through 21 years old, who has a combination of a vision and hearing loss.
Deaf-blindness is a unique disability that can create significant developmental challenges, particularly in the areas of language and communication. A high percentage of children with deaf-blindness also have other significant disabilities, further complicating their development. Most families have no background or experience to prepare them for having a child who is deaf-blind and few professionals in South Dakota have any formal training in the unique needs of deaf-blind children. The South Dakota Deaf-Blind Project is designed to fill these gaps in knowledge, skills and experience in order to positively impact the lives and education of children who are deaf-blind. With the Reauthorization of IDEA ’97 and the increased accountability required in No Child Left Behind, it has never been more imperative that positive outcomes for children with disabilities, including those who are deaf-blind, be measurable and documented. The Project places renewed emphasis on capturing evidence of child change in children served by the project through the upcoming grant cycle.
The goals of the project include:
•Early identification of possible combined vision and hearing loss in order to provide appropriate, individualized services at the earliest possible time.
•Providing an appropriate, full array of technical assistance to enhance the ability of educators and service providers to meet the unique needs of children who are deaf-blind.
•Improving outcomes for children and young adults who are deaf-blind as they transition through stages of their education and into adult life.
•Enhancing the ability of families to bond with, support, and meet the needs of their deaf-blind child.
•Collaborating with other agencies and organizations within South Dakota to build the capacity of communities to meet the needs of children who are deaf-blind.
Keyword(s):
deaf, blind, dual sensory loss, sensory impairment
Core Function(s):
Training Trainees, Performing Technical Assistance and/or Training
Area of Emphasis
Education & Early Intervention, Quality of Life
Target Audience:
Professionals and Para-Professionals, Family Members/Caregivers
Unserved or Under-served Populations:
Racial or Ethnic Minorities, Disadvantaged Circumstances, Geographic Areas, Reservation, Rural/Remote, Urban, Specific Groups
Primary Target Audience Geographic Descriptor:
State
COVID-19 Related Data:
N/A
