This document was created by the New York Deaf-Blind Collaborative to help teams to think about how best to support communication for learners who are deafblind or who have multiple disabilities. There is a space for student notes at the end of each section.
Behaviors
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Reflexive Actions
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Examples:
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Body tension & relaxation
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Changes in breathing & heart rate
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Facial and visual reflexes (grimace, smile, squinting, blinking)
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Strategies
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Make yourself physically available
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Interpret what the child’s behavior might mean
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Provide feedback to let the child know that you are responding to his/her action
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Use touch cues and name cues consistently
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Purposeful Actions
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Examples:
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Moving toward or away from item, taking wanted item or throwing/dropping unwanted item
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Intentional facial expression not directed at a person (smile, frown)
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Self-injurious behaviors
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Sensory-seeking behaviors
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Strategies:
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Joint attention to objects and activities
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Interpret the function of the behavior
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Involve yourself in the action & the action when child is involved in sensory-seeking behaviors
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Consistent use of touch cues, name cue
Communication Variations
Concrete Symbols: Tangible Symbols, Object Cues, Photos & Drawings
Symbolic Language
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Abstract Symbols
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Examples
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Strategies
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Create a first words inventory and share with the team
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Model combinations of words many times (“more”+”drink”) in targeted activities
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Use concrete symbols in a calendar system to plan and review the day
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Provide opportunities to practice multiple times in an activity
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Combined Symbols
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Examples
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Strategies
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Model examples of combined symbols, in more activities and with more people
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Plan activities that provide opportunities to practice combinations
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Increase exposure to formalized language
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Create an updated vocabulary inventory to share with the team
Formalized Language
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Examples:
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Teach specific grammar, syntax, and other rules of language
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Provide access to fluent individuals, including peers
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Target higher language goals and integrate into literacy goals
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Provide constant access to language across environments
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Strategies
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Teach specific grammar, syntax, and other rules of language
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Provide access to fluent individuals, including peers
-
Target higher language goals and integrate into literacy goals
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Provide constant access to language across environments
