2024 Early Hearing Detection & Intervention Conference
March 17-19, 2024 • Denver, CO
3/19/2024 | 9:40 AM - 10:05 AM | The Deafblind Child Count: Identifying Deafblind Infants Takes a Village | Capitol 7
The Deafblind Child Count: Identifying Deafblind Infants Takes a Village
Children ages birth - 21 who are deafblind have unique needs that require specific interventions to create access and build foundational skills to achieve developmental outcomes and successful engagement in instruction. A large number of those who are deaf-blind are not identified as such and therefore do not have access to appropriate interventions and opportunities. The National Center on Deafblindness is using the National Deaf-Blind Child Count and other information to draw attention to under identification through a range of efforts such as analyzing and using data to highlight disparities and needs, building collaborative relationships to improve identification, and producing information to raise awareness.
Deafblindness has a profound impact on a child’s ability to access and develop communication, language, and concepts. Supporting families through the identification process is an integral first step in supporting infants and toddlers who are deafblind. A deeper understanding of their unique needs will increase the ability of families to partner with providers and identify services that support their child’s development. Compounding the already complex issues of identification is that approximately 87% of children and youth who are deafblind have multiple disabilities. Limited research and a range of anecdotal information from professionals in the field suggests the prevalence of vision and hearing impairments in the population of individuals with multiple disabilities is significantly higher than currently reported. This presentation will discuss strategies to improve identification and referral of children who are deafblind.
- Participants will increase knowledge of the under identification of infants and toddlers through observing and discussing the national deafblind child count data
- Participants will learn what collaborative relationships exist across the US between EHDI, H & V, and state deafblind projects
- Participants will identify what activities and efforts could be pursued in their states to improve identification of deafblind infants and referral to state deafblind projects
Presentation:
3478265_16453EmmaFricke.pdf
Handouts:
Handout is not Available
Transcripts:
CART transcripts are NOT YET available, but will be posted shortly after the conference
Presenters/Authors
Emma Fricke
(Primary Presenter), Helen Keller National Center, enelson@helenkeller.org;
Emma Nelson, MS Ed is the Initiative Lead for Early Identification and Referral at the National Center on Deaf-Blindness (NCDB). She is certified as an early childhood special educator and has taught infants, toddlers, and preschoolers with complex needs including deaf-blindness in classrooms, community, and home-based settings. Before coming to NCDB, she served as Project Director for Vermont’s Federal Deaf-Blind Project. Emma is trained in Cortical Visual Impairment (CVI) and earned her Master's degree at Hunter College in Early Childhood Special Education with a concentration in severe and multiple disabilities and deaf-blindness.
ASHA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
• Receives Salary for Employment from National Center on Deaf-Blindness.
Nonfinancial -
No relevant nonfinancial relationship exists.
AAA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
Financial relationship with Helen Keller National Center/National Center on Deaf-Blindness.
Nature: Grant employee.
Nonfinancial -
No relevant nonfinancial relationship exists.