Deafblind Intervention Certificate

This course introduces the fascinating field of deafblindness and deafblind Intervention. The greatest challenge facing an individual with deafblindness lies in gathering sufficient information from the environment to fully understand what is happening around them. This course explores the impact that deafblindness can have on learning, communication, and social interactions, introduces the four Key Components of deafblind Intervention, and discusses the best practices used in supporting an individual who is deafblind. Participants are led through an exploration of the senses to better understand how to effectively support a person with deafblindness. Course content focuses on the needs of individuals whose deafblindness is congenital or early adventitious in nature and in school settings. This course is designed to be an overview that can be adapted and applied to specific situations.

This course is designed for team members who are currently supporting a student with deafblindness in the BC K-12 education system. 

Upon completion of the course, participants will receive a certificate of standing from POPDB.

Prerequisites:

• Participant must be currently supporting a student with deafblindness in the BC K-12 education system. 

Learning Outcomes:

Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:

• Describe deafblindness in terms of an "information-gathering" disability.
• Describe the impact of deafblindness on an individual's learning, communication, and social interactions.
• Understand and implement best practices in supporting someone with deafblindness.
• Understand how the eye and ear work and describe the role our senses play in gathering information. 
• Understand distance and impact senses and how they affect living and learning.
• Explain and implement communication techniques for people with deafblindness.
• Describe deafblind Intervention and the Four Key Components (Anticipation, Motivation, Communication, and Confirmation).

Individuals with deafblindness gain access to the information they are unable to gather on their own through a process known as Intervention. Through Intervention, individuals with deafblindness are able to successfully interact with the world around them. Intervention enables them to establish and maintain maximum control over their lives. This course expands the understanding of Intervention and the complex role the Intervenor plays in effectively supporting individuals with deafblindness. This course will deepen the understanding the impact of deafblindness, and the importance of access to clear, non-distorted information through Intervention. The philosophy of Intervention and the specific techniques and strategies for effective Intervention will be addressed. 

This course is designed for team members who are currently supporting a student with deafblindness in the BC K-12 education system. 

Upon completion of the course, participants will receive a certificate of standing from POPDB.

Prerequisites:

• Participant must be currently supporting a student with deafblindness in the BC K-12 education system. 
• Participant must have successfully completed Introduction to Deafblindness. 

Learning Outcomes:

Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:

• Demonstrate an understanding of the philosophy and principles of Intervention.
• Describe the roles of the Intervenor, including learning, communication, and social interactions. 
• Implement the Four Key Components of deafblind Intervention (Anticipation, Motivation, Communication, and Confirmation), and provide examples of how these are accomplished.
• Develop an understanding of the importance of Calendar Schedules for an individual with deafblindness. 
• Describe the difference between caregivers, Education Assistants, interpreters, community support workers, and Intervenors.
• Learn effective deafblind Intervention strategies.
• Select appropriate and meaningful activities and materials when working with an individual who is deafblind.
• Demonstrate an ability to successfully adapt materials and activities for an individual who is deafblind.
• Describe the differences between skill development and concept development with an individual who is deafblind and give examples of each.

Intervention for learners who are deafblind is a very complex process that looks different for each individual. This course focuses on the work by Dr. Catherine Nelson and Dr Jan van Dijk and in the book Child Guided Strategies: The van Dijk Approach to Assessment, For Understanding Children and Youth with Sensory Impairments and Multiple Disabilities.

The course will explore Van Dijk and Nelson’s eight observational domains. Participants will develop their observational skills and Intervention strategies to support a student with deafblindness.

This course is designed for team members who are currently supporting a student with deafblindness in the BC K-12 education system. 

Upon completion of the course, participants will receive a certificate of standing from POPDB.

Prerequisites:

• Participant must be currently supporting a student with deafblindness in the BC K-12 education system. 
• Participant must have successfully completed Introduction to Deafblindness and Introduction to Intervention. 

Learning Outcomes:

Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:

• Define Dr Jan van Dijk’s Observational areas and how they impact the student.
• Understand the importance of looking at the whole student.
• Understand the framework of Child Guided assessment and how it supports educational programming.
• Develop observation skills and data collection to support educational programming.

This course will explore current ethical issues and perspectives in deafblindness. It will also examine the impact of deafblindness on an individual's life and on families.

This course is designed for team members who are currently supporting a student with deafblindness in the BC K-12 education system. 

Upon completion of the course, participants will receive a certificate of standing from POPDB.

Prerequisites:

• Participant must be currently supporting a student with deafblindness in the BC K-12 education system. 
• Participant must have successfully completed Introduction to Deafblindness and Introduction to Intervention. 

Learning Outcomes:

Upon completion of the course, the student will be able to:

• Analyze and evaluate personal and professional viewpoint and value systems and how that impacts working with an individual and their family.
• Describe the grieving process as it relates to the loss of the senses of vision and hearing from a family perspective.
• For students with deafblindness, identify specific concerns for socialization and inclusion, and develop advocacy strategies to address them. 

This course will look at the various etiologies of deafblindness, including the anatomy and physiology of the eye and the ear. The impact of losses in these areas will be discussed along with strategies to encourage learners with deafblindness to learn to effectively use whatever vision and hearing they do have. 

This course is designed for team members who are currently supporting a student with deafblindness in the BC K-12 education system. 

Upon completion of the course, participants will receive a certificate of standing from POPDB.

Prerequisites:

• Participant must be currently supporting a student with deafblindness in the BC K-12 education system. 
• Participant must have successfully completed Introduction to Deafblindness and Introduction to Intervention. 

Learning Outcomes:

Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:

• Describe visual acuity loss, field loss, contrast sensitivity, cortical visual impairment, and oculomotor problems.
• Describe the different types of hearing loss (conductive, sensorineural, mixed, unilateral, Auditory Neuropathy Spectrum Disorder) and how the environment impacts hearing loss. 
• Describe the impact of combined vision and hearing loss on learning, communication, social / emotional development.
• Describe and implement strategies and techniques that support visual and auditory development.

This course will look at issues in Orientation & Mobility (O&M) as it relates to individuals with deafblindness. Students will learn the purpose and role of Orientation & Mobility in the life of a person with deafblindness. 

This is a hybrid course consisting of instruction online in addition to an in-person component. 

IMPORTANT:

The purpose of this course is for information only. It does not qualify the Intervenor or Educational Assistant (EA) as an instructor for O&M. Participants are required to sign a statement acknowledging that they are not qualified to teach O&M. 

This course is designed for team members who are currently supporting a student with deafblindness in the BC K-12 education system. 

Upon completion of the course, participants will receive a certificate of standing from POPDB.

Prerequisites:

• Participant must be currently supporting a student with deafblindness in the BC K-12 education system. 
• Participant must have successfully completed Introduction to Deafblindness and Introduction to Intervention. 
   

Learning Outcomes:

Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:

• Describe what O&M is and the differing roles of the O&M Instructor and EA / Intervenor. 
• Describe the role of O&M in the life of individuals who are deafblind.
• Demonstrate understanding of O&M strategies and techniques that individuals with deafblindness may use.
  • Students will participate in O&M simulations in-person with a qualified O&M Instructor. 

The primary role of the Intervenor is to provide the person with deafblindness with sufficient information to make informed choices and decisions about their own life. This cannot happen without an effective communication system that emphasizes both receptive and expressive communication. Communication flows and intertwines through every interaction, activity, and aspect of life. The Intervenor is an ongoing communication partner for the person with deafblindness, while constantly providing information and encouraging the person they support to be expressive. This course offers an in-depth study of the strategies and approaches used to teach communication. Participants will learn a variety of teaching approaches and strategies that will enhance their ability to provide an effective communication environment for individuals with deafblindness. Participants will also be provided with opportunities to explore and problem solve options around their student's specific needs.

This course is designed for team members who are currently supporting a student with deafblindness in the BC K-12 education system. 

Upon completion of the course, participants will receive a certificate of standing from POPDB.

Prerequisites:

• Participant must be currently supporting a student with deafblindness in the BC K-12 education system. 
• Participant must have successfully completed Introduction to Deafblindness and Introduction to Intervention. 
   

Learning Outcomes:

Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:

• Describe the impact that deafblindness has on an individual's ability to learn and communicate effectively.
• Describe the approaches used to teach communication an individual with deafblindness.
• Describe the major goals for an effective communication system.
• Understand and implement practical strategies for establishing intentionality, choice-making, and expressive language.
• Describe the importance of student-initiated interactions.
• Demonstrate how to provide opportunities for an individual to initiate interactions.
• Nurture a communication environment that encompasses both receptive and expressive communication. 

Deafblindness is a diverse, low incidence disability that may or may not co-exist with other disabilities. Intervenors support students who are deafblind and have a wide range of physical, sensory, medical, emotional, and academic support needs in BC classrooms. In the introductory courses, participants focused on relating the course content to the student they currently support. In this course, participants will look more broadly at all types of students who have deafblindness and how to provide Intervention in the inclusive classroom.

This course is designed for team members who are currently supporting a student with deafblindness in the BC K-12 education system. 

Upon completion of the course, participants will receive a certificate of standing from POPDB.

Prerequisites:

• Participant must be currently supporting a student with deafblindness in the BC K-12 education system. 
• Participant must have successfully completed Introduction to Deafblindness and Introduction to Intervention. 

Learning Outcomes:

Upon completion of the course, students will be able to: 

• Provide Intervention for students across the deafblind continuum in inclusive classrooms.
• Work with your team members to adapt materials and curriculum for students with deafblindness.
• Develop a basic understanding of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and how to use the framework to support deafblind Intervention.
• Develop a philosophy of inclusion based on the understanding that all students are learners and have a right to education delivered in ways that make sense to them.

People born with deafblindness do not automatically learn about the common activities of home and community that their sighted/hearing peers take for granted. Watching and listening to others does not teach learners with deafblindness the necessary skills or even allow them to make sense of life's common activities. They must learn from hands-on experience of real-life situations, relevant to their own needs and interests. 

Everyday activities allow learners with deafblindness to understand and interact with the world they live in. The Intervenor provides information and access to the world of everyday life for an individual with deafblindness. The learner may then grow as an informed, active participant. 

This course is designed for team members who are currently supporting a student with deafblindness in the BC K-12 education system. 

Upon completion of the course, participants will receive a certificate of standing from POPDB.

Prerequisites:

• Participant must be currently supporting a student with deafblindness in the BC K-12 education system. 
• Participant must have successfully completed Introduction to Deafblindness and Introduction to Intervention. 

Learning Outcomes:

Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:

• For an individual with deafblindness, describe the value and importance of:
  • Learning within everyday activities to expand awareness of the world and engagement in it (community-based, school-based activities, home-based, recreational, self-care, service, and inclusion). 
  • Social and communication development as a natural component of activities of everyday life.
• Describe:
  • Functional activities for individuals with deafblindness.
  • Expanding participation in functional activities.
  • The Four Stages of Learning for an individual with deafblindness and the Spiral of Participation.
  • The PEO Model of Occupational Performance.
• Demonstrate an ability to:
  • Analyze your your student's participation in activities to inform learning objectives. 
  • Demonstrate an ability to analyze and adapt environments and modify activities for your student. 
  • Plan, implement, and document activity routines.
• Demonstrate effective strategies to expand the informed active participation of an individual with deafblindness.
• Discuss inclusion for an individual with deafblindness as it relates to curriculum that is centred in every day activities.

This practicum experience will give the Intervenor, who is currently and directly supporting a student with deafblindness, an opportunity to assess their skills, identify skill areas they need to work on, and benefit from constructive feedback from a specialist in the field of deafblindness.

This course is designed for team members who are currently supporting a student with deafblindness in the BC K-12 education system. 

Upon completion of the course, participants will receive a certificate of standing from POPDB.

Prerequisites:

• Participant must be currently supporting a student with deafblindness in the BC K-12 education system. 
• Participant must have successfully a minimum of seven (7) courses from the Deafblind Intervention Certificate Program.

Learning Outcomes:

Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:

• Demonstrate their ability to create a responsive/reactive environment.
• Demonstrate their skills in providing Four Key Components of Intervention (Anticipation, Motivation, Communication, and Confirmation).
• Demonstrate their ability to present receptive communication in a way that works for the individual they support.
• Demonstrate their ability to encourage and foster expressive communication.
• Demonstrate their ability to foster concept and skill development. 
• Demonstrate their ability to follow through on program implementation.
• Demonstrate a sense of professionalism.