As summer draws to a close in the US, families across the country are preparing for the return to school. For families with children who have peroxisomal disorders, this time of year can bring unique challenges and concerns. At the Global Foundation for Peroxisomal Disorders (GFPD), we understand the complexities that these families face, and are here to provide guidance with this back-to-school series and support as you navigate the new school year.
In this blog series, we have already explored the Pyramid of Learning for deafblind learners, examined Modifications and Accommodations, and discussed the significance of an Individualized Education Program (IEP). We will now discuss the recommended techniques for working with deafblind learners and look forward to continuing this series with topics including assessments, emotional support, and advocacy, as well as actions to take when disagreeing with decisions made by the school district, and more.
Part Four:
Tactile Techniques for Deafblind Learners
As discussed in previous blogs within this GFPD Educational Series, conventional learning methods like incidental learning are uncommon among deafblind learners. This is due to the fact that individuals with deafblindness, like our GFPD Warriors, encounter significant obstacles in accessing education, environment, and communication. The continuous inflow of information that usually comes through sight and hearing is often distorted, diminished, unreliable and/or absent for them. Consequently, direct, hands-on learning and tactile approaches are essential for deafblind children to gather information.
It’s also important to recognize that a child with vision loss relies more on their hearing to make up for what they cannot access through vision, and a child with hearing loss relies more on their vision to make up for what they cannot access through hearing. For deafblind children, one of these major senses cannot adequately compensate for the other. Many people often say, “It is not deaf plus blind, but rather deaf times blind.” This saying stems from the knowledge that “vision and hearing losses are not additive, but rather multiplicative.” This is why children can be so greatly impacted by what seems to be combined mild vision and hearing losses.
You can watch here for a quick 2-minute video shared from Katie Sacra about how deafblind does not necessarily mean an individual has no vision or hearing.
The most effective method to ensure accessibility for a deafblind child is through specialized deafblind intervention. At the GFPD, we understand that not everyone has access to a Deafblind Intervener, which is why we’re sharing these vital tactile strategies that can be utilized by people interacting with your child, including family members and friends.
The Hand-Under-Hand Approach is recognized as a best practice for engaging with individuals who are deafblind. This non-controlling method enables a child to partake in shared experiences, understand that their movements and experiences are similar to others, and assists in preventing the development of passive hands.
One of the most prevalent kinds of help that people give is “hand-over-hand” manipulation (the teacher’s or parent’s hands over the hands of the child). Done too routinely and exclusively, hand-over-hand touch conditions the hands of the child who is deafblind to be passive, to wait for direction from the hands of another, and to avoid reaching out into the world for information and stimulation. It also shifts the child’s attention from the object he is touching to the hands which are on top of his. -Barbara Miles, M. Ed.
The above quote is from an article that I would print or send to all educational professionals working with my son. The complete article is available in English and Spanish at the provided links.
Additional examples and learning opportunities on the Hand-Under-Hand Approach are available through the GFPD Training Series, Why We Use Hand-Under-Hand Facilitation.
Tactile Modeling is a method of conveying information to a child via touch. While individuals without deafblindness can visually observe an activity, the question arises: how does one “observe” without sight and/or with deafblindness? By allowing the child to feel your hands (or another body part, if necessary) or objects during a demonstration, they can tactually recognize what is happening during an activity and/or what is expected of them. Further information on Tactile Modeling can be found here.
Mutual Tactile Attention is an effective method for interacting and communicating with children who are deafblind. And yes, you read that correctly, communicate! It’s one of the many ways to encourage reciprocal interactions, which include communicative exchanges. This method is defined as “joint attention, and sharing an activity or object through non-controlling mutual touch.”
Years ago, I was given the task of selecting one item to engage in a reciprocal interaction with my son, who is deafblind. For some reason, I chose a scarf. It required immense patience, but through this hand-under-hand method, we soon engaged in a meaningful social interaction using the scarf. Click here to discover more about Mutual Tactile Attention and see examples.
Like any strategy, there are factors to weigh, including advantages and disadvantages. We suggest reaching out to your State Deafblind Projects for further details on strategies for deafblind learners, or get in touch with the GFPD for assistance in connecting with additional resources. We hope that these tactile strategies will be beneficial for you, your child, and your team.
Stay tuned for our next blog post in this educational series, where we will explore assessments for GFPD Warriors. Upcoming discussions will also include emotional support, advocacy, steps to take if you disagree with the school district’s decisions, and the implementation of deafblind interventions within the educational environment.
Written By Katie Sacra
Sources: GFPD Webinars, NCDB, Intervener.org, Project SALUTE