ERIC Number: ED548229
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2014-Sep
Pages: 19
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Interveners in the Home and Community: An Under-Recognized Imperative
Wiley, David; Fagbemi, Mike; Filek, John; Kirscher, Cathy; Morrow, Susanne Morgan; Reiman, John; Rohr, Lisa; Taylor-Snell, Emily
National Center on Deaf-Blindness
A person who is considered deaf-blind is someone who is deaf or hard-of-hearing in combination with a visual impairment or blindness. The range of capabilities and support needs of individuals with deaf-blindness varies substantially from person to person because of differences in the extent of partial vision or hearing, if any, or the presence of additional conditions such as intellectual or physical disabilities. In all cases, however, deaf-blindness results in difficulties detecting, gathering, and prioritizing reliable auditory and visual information from communication partners and the surrounding environment. Information received without support can be incomplete, fragmented, or distorted and especially difficult to obtain from a distance. A lack of easy access to visual and auditory input typically results in severe information gaps--gaps in knowledge about what is happening here and now and gaps in conceptual knowledge. In addition, a person who is deaf-blind often has difficulty knowing where things are located, moving safely, and recognizing and interacting with people, places, and things. In the United States there has recently been increased awareness of the value of employing trained interveners to provide access to sensory information and communication for the purpose of fostering independence for individuals with deaf-blindness. Although this awareness is a positive development, to date it has benefited almost exclusively children and youth in school settings and has overlooked the importance of intervener services as an option for both children and adults in their homes and communities. The goals of this paper are to: (1) raise awareness of the need for intervener services in home and community settings; (2) describe how these services are different when provided in home and community settings; and (3) provide suggestions for increasing recognition and understanding of intervener services in home and community settings. Two appendices present: (1) Questions for Discussion by IEP Teams of Students Who Receive Intervener Services; and (2) Interveners Compared to Other Support Roles. [This report was prepared by the Home and Community Workgroup, a workgroup established to explore the use of intervener services in home and community settings.]
Descriptors: Deaf Blind, Intervention, Children, Adults, Sensory Experience, Independent Living, Paraprofessional Personnel, Financial Support, Supervision, Professional Autonomy, Family Environment, Community Involvement, Community Influence, Individualized Education Programs, Services
National Center on Deaf-Blindness. Teaching Research Institute Western Oregon University 345 North Monmouth Avenue, Monmouth, OR 97361. Tel: 800-438-9376; Fax: 503-838-8150; e-mail: info@nationaldb.org; Web site: http://www.nationaldb.org
Publication Type: Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: Office of Special Education Programs (ED/OSERS)
Authoring Institution: National Center on Deaf-Blindness (NCDB)
Identifiers - Location: Minnesota; Texas
Grant or Contract Numbers: H326T130013