Introuction to Deafblindness

                                                                                                                           Daya Rani

Deafblindness  is ‘’A combination of hearing and visual impairments causing such severe  communication , developmental , and educational problems that the child cannot be accommodated in either a programme specifically for the deaf or a programme specifically for the blind .’’{The Education for All Handicapped Children Act (P.L 94-142) of 1975 and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)(P.L.101-476}

Pre-Natal	Peri-Natal	Post-Natal
Mother: Physical Trauma Poor Nutrition Infection Radioactivity Toxic agents Sexually Transmitted Diseases Blood Incompatibility Hydrocephaly Microcephly Syndromes eg.  Down’s Usher’s Alport’s Charge Rubella Other Chromosomal Abnormalities Neurological Disorders e.g Cerebral Palsy	Prematurity of birth Low birth weight Traumatic Birth Injury Respiratory distress Hypoxia Neonatal Acidosis Asphyxia Traumatic Delivery Excess Oxygen	Head injuries Postnatal infections Frequent high fevers Lead poisoning Socio-cultural and Economic factors Mumps, Measles Malnutrition Neonatal Jaundice Epilepsy

What are these Children like?

These Children may have difficulties in same of the following are as

1)      Have  a distorted perception of the world

2)      Appear to be withdrawn  and isolated

3)      Lack the ability to communicate with his or her environment in a meaningful way

4)      Lack curiosity and deprived of many of basic motivations

5)      Have medical problems that level  to serious developmental delays

6)      Are defensive to being touched

7)      Have extreme difficulty in establishing and maintaining interpersonal relationship with others.

8)         Lake the ability to anticipate future events or the results of their action.

9)      Have feeding difficulties and /or unusual sleep patterns.

10)  Exhibit frustration ,

11)  Discipline problems and delays in social, emotional and cognitive development because of the inability to communicate.

12)  Have to develop unique learning styles.

Resources & References

Education of children with Deafblindness and Additional Disabilities (source book for Master Trainers ) NIMH, Voice and Vision

Handbook on Deafblindness (sense International (India)