Planning Literacy Instruction for Children with Deaf‐Blindness

There is a lot to consider when planning literacy instruction for children with deaf‐blindness. These questions will help you plan successfully.

Always Ask Yourself

• Are you exposing children to literacy activities and experiences every day?
• Are you using the child’s most alert times to engage in activities?
• Is the child positioned in a manner that is both functional and comfortable?
• Are environmental supports in place to facilitate the child’s use of residual vision and hearing? (e.g. size, contrast, location, presentation of materials, distance)
• Did you identify yourself to the child at the start of the interaction?
• Are you close enough so the child knows you are there?
• Have you identified the child’s preferred method(s) of receiving information (receptive communication)?
• Have you identified the child’s preferred method(s) of communicating with others (expressive communication)?
• Are all communication partners using the child’s preferred communication method(s)?
• Are the cues you are using specific to and appropriate for the child?
• Are you following a consistent prescribed routine during all literacy activities?
• Are all communication partners using the same cues during routines and activities?
• Does your pacing match that of the child?
• Are you allowing enough wait time for the child to process, move his or her body and respond or initiate?
• Are you promoting active participation?
• Are you allowing the child to be as independent as possible?
• Do you let the child know when you are leaving his or her space?

Article by Literacy for Children with Combined Vision and Hearing Loss. Click HERE for PDF.
Photo: Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired