Auditory and visual impairment

[Guest guest]

wrote:

>Is there anyone who is affected with both visual and auditory

problems or has a child with both problems? I want to make things easier

for Jill and I'm not sure what I should be doing. I would love some

common sense tips on dealing with these problems together.

;

I would start by checking out the vision and auditory support systems in

your own state/province. National Institute for the Deaf has an

extensive Support system as I am sure, its counterpart for the blind! I

don't know where you live, so I can't be more specific. The search

engines should be able to help guide you here if you enter key words

such as eg: visual, support, California

Another thing that I would start on now, if your child is able

physically is a means of communication. Sign Language is an obvious one

for deaf/hearing disabled people --- but did you know that there are

sign language adaptations for deaf/blind people to use. These sign

adaptations rely on touching the sign configuration of the hands (the

best explanation that I can come up with!)

Many community adult education night programmes have sign language

courses. Sign language is a " fun " language to learn and could be a

family bonding issue as both parents and children can use it and enjoy

it. It is a very beautiful language: it is the means of expression of a

proud and in many ways isolated culture. START NOW to learn so that the

basis is there lest the auditory problems increase. I am sure that, if

you can't find the specific deaf/blind signs, you will be able as a

family effort to come up with a meaningful family adaptation of the

recognized " deaf " sign for family communication purposes.

Another thing that also may be an option for you is to learn braille,

since it is also tactilely based. Again this is something that all the

family can participate in!

I must emphasize that it has been my experience in teaching deaf

children for many years that, rather than a " spoken " language inhibitor,

*any* form of effective communication which attaches a symbol for a

person, place, thing or activity will actively assist a " spoken "

language, should speech be available as an option.

Another thing I would be developing actively is developing tactile

" meaning " ! By that I mean that you play games which develop sensitivity

to touch, to shape, to vibration. I had a very successful congenitally

profoundly deaf student who was a ballet dancer. She was accepted into

the teaching programme of the Canadian National Ballet School in Toronto

after she graduated from a regular Grade 12 programme. She learned

through sign language interpreters; she danced by feeling the vibrations

from the music in her feet! She is now teaching deaf kindergarten

students after having achieved a Master's degree in deaf education. See

-- it can be done. Her parents were as doggedly determined as you mito

parents are and were only willing to compromise if it were in their

daughter's best interest. Also I never had any kind of an interview

without both parents being there!

Hope there is something here that you can use -- even if it is only

encouragement!

Jean