Deafblind

The term "deafblindness" is defined as a combination of a vision and hearing loss, requiring specific instructional strategies that address the presence of both sensory impairments.  Many children and youth who are deafblind have varying degrees of vision and hearing loss.  It is the combination of the vision and hearing loss that compounds the impact on how an individual interacts and learns.  Deafblindness, especially if present from birth, affects natural opportunities to learn and communicate. 

Through PaTTAN, the Deafblind Initiative offers a variety of training, technical assistance, and resources to assist educators in assessment and  instruction for students who are deafblind.  The deafblind initiative offers family involvement activities, such as family to family networking, an on-line study group for families, an annual conference, and Family Leadership Network training.