Supporting Communication for Learners who are Deaf-Blind and/or have Multiple Disabilities

By Chris Russell

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

• Reflexive Actions
  • Examples:
    • Body tension & relaxation
    • Changes in breathing & heart rate
    • Facial and visual reflexes (grimace, smile, squinting, blinking)
  • Strategies
    • Make yourself physically available
    • Interpret what the child’s behavior might mean
    • Provide feedback to let the child know that you are responding to his/her action
    • Use touch cues and name cues consistently

• Purposeful Actions
  • Examples:
    • Moving toward or away from item, taking wanted item or throwing/dropping unwanted item
    • Intentional facial expression not directed at a person (smile, frown)
    • Self-injurious behaviors
    • Sensory-seeking behaviors
  • Strategies:
    • Joint attention to objects and activities
    • Interpret the function of the behavior
    • Involve yourself in the action & the action when child is involved in sensory-seeking behaviors
    • Consistent use of touch cues, name cue

Communication Variations

• Unconventional Communication Variations
  • Examples:
    • Pulling hand or clothing
    • Vocalizing towards a person
    • Directed facial expression (to a person or item)
  • Strategies:
    • Interpret the function of the unconventional communication
    • Model conventional gestures and shape unconventional gestures
    • Use hand-under-hand signing
    • Use concrete symbols for anticipating activities

• Conventional Communication Variations
  • ​Examples:
    • Pointing
    • Shaking head yes/no
    • Looking back/forth between person & wanted item
    • Waving hi/bye
  • Strategies
    • Model increased number of conventional gestures in more activities
    • Provide increased exposure to accessible language (sign, speech, AAC, print/Braille)
    • Target specific meaningful, functional words that are throughout the day
    • Use concrete symbols in a calendar system to plan and review the day

Concrete Symbols: Tangible Symbols, Object Cues, Photos & Drawings

Symbolic Language

• Abstract Symbols
  • Examples
    • Expressive or receptive use of single utterances
    • Spoken word or sign
    • Alternative & Augmentative Communication (AAC) systems
    • Print or Braille
  • Strategies
    • Create a first words inventory and share with the team
    • Model combinations of words many times (“more”+”drink”) in targeted activities
    • Use concrete symbols in a calendar system to plan and review the day
    • Provide opportunities to practice multiple times in an activity

• Combined Symbols
  • Examples
    • Two or more abstract symbols, words or signs produced together; Examples: ‘more drink’, ‘play finish’
  • Strategies
    • Model examples of combined symbols, in more activities and with more people
    • Plan activities that provide opportunities to practice combinations
    • Increase exposure to formalized language
    • Create an updated vocabulary inventory to share with the team

Formalized Language

• Examples:
  • Teach specific grammar, syntax, and other rules of language
  • Provide access to fluent individuals, including peers
  • Target higher language goals and integrate into literacy goals
  • Provide constant access to language across environments
• Strategies
  • Teach specific grammar, syntax, and other rules of language
  • Provide access to fluent individuals, including peers
  • Target higher language goals and integrate into literacy goals
  • Provide constant access to language across environments