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Tjaqao Brasilia de Educc^ao da Doi.c-
ABEDEV C\
198 _ SAO PAUL'
I BRAZILIAN SEMINAR ON EDUCATION
OP THE DEAF-BLIND ': " ;': " "
* I SEDAV *
PROGRAM
ao Paulo November 6 through 11, 1977 BRAZIL
OVE&BER - SUNDAY
6 12:00/2:00 p.m. REGISTRATION TUCA
R. Monte Alegre, 1024
3:00 p.m. INAUGURAL SESSION
Prof. Dorina de Gouvea Nowill - Brazil
Prof; Ana M. Rimoli de Faria Doria - Brazil
/ - MONDAY
9:00/10:15 a.m. DEFINITIONS, RESPONSIBILITIES AND RIGHTS OP
THE DEAP-BLIND
Dr. Richard Kinney - U.S.A.
President, The Hadley School for the Blind
10:45/12:00 DEFINITIONS, RESPONSIBILITIES AND RIGHTS OP
THE DEAF-BLIND (The History of the Education
of the Deaf -Blind in the World)
Dr. Edward J. Waterhouse - U.S.A.
Ex-Director of Perkins School for the Blind
12:00/2:00 p.m. LUNCH TIME
2:00/2:30 p.m. ABEDEV ACTIVITIES IN BRAZIL
Prof. Geraldo Sandoval de Andrade - Brazil
President, Brazilian Association for the
Education of the Visually Handicapped - ABEDEV
Head of SENAI Industrial Training for the
u Visually Handicapped - Sao Paulo
^ Member of the Brazilian Delegation of the
^ World Council for the Welfare of the Blind- WCWB
\ 2:30/3:30 p.m. TESTIMONIAL OP LIFE EXPERIENCES
' Mr. and Mrs. Leonard Dowdy - U.S.A.
Kansas City - Kansas
4:00/5:00 p.m. THE HANDICAPPED: INTEGRATION OR SEGREGATION?
Prof. Jose Geraldo Silveira Bueno - Brazil
Director-General, Division of Education for the
Disorders of Communication, Pontifical
Catholic University of Sao Paulo - DERDIC/PUC
PBOGHA
I SEBAV
NOVEMBER - TUESDAY -
8 9:00/10:15 a.m.
10:45/12:00
12:00/2:00 p.m,
2:00/3:30 p.m.
4:00/5:00 p.m.
NOVEMBER - WEDNESDAY
9 9:00/10:15 a,
10:45/12:00
DIAGNOSIS, EVALUATION AND EDUCATIONAL
PLANNING OP DEAF-BLIND SHILDHEH
Miss Ideke de Lew - Nederland
Coordinator, Technical Department of
Instituut voor Doven
REHABILITATION AND HABILITATION OP THE
DEAF-BLIND IN GERMANY
Dr. Karl-Heinz Baaske - Fed. Hep. of Germany
Director of the School for the Deaf -Blind
and the German Deaf -Blind Center - Hannover
HJNCH
ORGANIZATION AND OPERATION OP CENTERS
AND SERVICES FOR DEAP-BLIND CHILDREN IN THE
UNITED STATES OP AJSERICA
Mr. Robert Dantona - U.S.A.
Coordinator, Centers and Services for Deaf-
Blind Children,
Special Services Branch of the
Bureau of Education for the Handicapped,
Department of Health, Education and
Welfare - Washington D.C.
TESTIMONIAL OP LIFE EXPERIENCES
Prof* Eneida Athayde Pinheiro Werner - Brazil
Prof, Laura Maria Batista Goncalves - BRAZIL
Technical Team&r Multi-Handicapped,
Instituto Helena Antipoff - Rio de Janeiro
TEACHER TRAINING COURSE
Prof. Cristina S. Castro - U.S.A.
Supervisor, Department for Deaf -Blind Childre
Perkins School for the Blind
PEVEIOPMENTS IN PRE-VOCATIONAL TRAINING OP BLI28
THE DEAP-BLIND SCHOOL LEAVERS
Prof. Peter J. Binns - Australia
Supervisor of Residences, The Royal New South
Wales Institute for Deaf and Blind Children
12:00/2:00 p.m. LUNCH
PROGRAM
I SEDAV
NOVEMBER - WEDNESDAY
9 2:00/3:30 p.m.
4:00/5:00 p.m.
PARENTS COUNSELING
Prof. Elizabeth Banta - U.S.A.
Perkins School for the Blind
TESTIMONIAL OP LIFE EXPERIENCES
Miss Chan Poh Lin - Singapore
NOVEMBER - THURSDAY
10 9:00/10:15 a.m.
THE PROGRAMME FOR THE MULTI-HANDICAPPED BLIND
AND DEAF-BLIND CHILDREN AT CONDOVER
Mr. Anthony Jarvis -U. Kingdom
Headmaster, Condover Hall, Royal National
Institute for the Blind - London
10 10:45/12:00
12:00/2:00 p.m.
2:00/3:00 p.m.
3:00/4:00 p.m,
SOCIAL PROFESSIONAL INTEGRATION
Dr. Robert J. Smithdas - U.S.A.
Director, Community Education,
Helen Keller National Center for Deaf -Blind
Youths and Adults
LUNCH
ATTEMPTS TO IMPLANT DEAF-BLIND EDUCATION IN
BRAZIL
Prof. Nice Tonhozi de Saraiva - Brasil
Pedagogic Counselor for the Sectors of
Education of the Deaf and Blind, Service
for Special Education, Municipality of
Sao Bernardo do Campo - SP.
EXPERIENCES IN THE EDUCATION OF THE DEAF-BLIND
IN BRAZIL
Teacher for Deaf and Deaf -Blind
"Vila Santa Maria" Primary and Secondary
State School, Nucleo for the Education of
the Handicapped in Audio communication
11 - FRIDAY .
9:00/12:00
12:00/2:90 p.m.
2:00/5:00 p.m.
MEETING OF GROUPS
LUNCH
PRESENTATION OF RESULTS
CLOSING SESSION with speech by
Dr. Sarah Couto Cesar - Brazil
Director-General, National Center for
Special Education, Ministry of Education and
Culture - CENESP/ifflEC.
. :
■
I BRAZILIAN SEE5INAE ON EDUCATION
OF THE DEAF-BLIND
* I SFDAV *
by Dorina de G-ouvea No will
"Nothing is permanent, except change" — Heraclitus.
From Homer to Helen Keller, mankind has gone through enormous
transformations in all areas of knowledge. Changes have affected
man's attitudes in relation to thor men, thus modifying the
situation of the "blind in society.
The attitudes of the many societies in relation to the "blind have,
through time, become embodied in prejudice and stereotypes, which,
in some cases, remain with us till today.
Berthold Lowenfeld, in his book "The Visually Handicapped Child in
School," studies this problem and establishes four phases in the
evolution of the image of the blind held by societies in general.
They ares
Separation — through annihilation or veneration
Institutionalization
Emancipation
Integration
this last being what we are working toward but do not have totally
within grasp.
In spite of their being related to the evolution of the history
and culture of peoples, Lowenfeld affirms that many characteristics
of these phases are still deeply rooted in the behaviour of
contemporary societies.
Homer, the legendary poet, personifies the phase of separation by
veneration. II is poetic inspiration was attributed to supernatural
powers .
As was Homer, the blind singers of China and the so-called "walking
libraries" of India were respected and venerated for their uncommon
gifts, but were considered as being apart from the societies in
which they lived.
Helen Keller, just as Nicholas Saunderson and Maria Theresia von
Paradis in the eighteenth century, symbolize the phase of emancipat-
ion.
They are the self-taught, who through their creative accomplish-
ments, persistence, and dynamism, inspired the first teachers of
the blind, the visually handicapped, and the deaf -blind*
Concrete movements for the education of the blind are relatively
recent. It was only at the end of the eighteenth century that a
French idealist, Valentin Hauy, decided to teach a young boy,
Francois lesueur, to whom he gave an aim every Sunday as he left
mass at one of the churches in Paris.
Becoming enthusiastic over Lesueur' s perception, Hauy began to
teach him. His success with the lad led him to experiment in the
education of other blind children.
This simple, humble event, made bright by the spirit of a great
teacher, from there on opened the doors of learning and culture
to thousands of blind people.
Among the many things to his credit is Hatty systematization of
the education of the blind, trying to keep it as proximate as
possible with that of the sighted.
The eighteenth century, also known as "the century of the beggars" ?
in its later decades, brought together, in Prance, philosophers
and writers interested in the characteristics of human thought
and intelligence — such as teachers of the caliber of Valentin
Hauy and the Abbe de l'Epee, who devoted himself to the education
of the deaf.
Without a doubt, the example of self-educated blind, such as
Weissemburg and Maria Theresia von Paradis, encouraged Hauy to
work on his educational experiments, for, -until 1784, nothing
had been documented on this type of teaching other than Diderot's
"Lettre sur les Aveugles" , published in 1749.
Diderot was the first person to analyze the thought processes of
the blind and to suggest some principles for their complete educat-
ion. /
Diderot's interest was theoretical and inspired on works such as
Locke's "Essay Concerning Human Understanding". This essay is on
Molyneux', experiment with the possibility of a person blind frcn
"birth, upon acquiring eight through the removal of a cataract,
being able to visually recognize forms such as cubes and spheres,
which he had known by touch. Molyneux proves, through facts,
that transform! of the sense of touch to that of sight does not
exist.
Still analyzing theories of Locke and Berkeley, Diderot in his
"Letter on the Blind" establishes three basic principles for the
teaching of the blind;
1. That the sense of touch of the blind does not become sharper
through loss of vision, but that the loss of one sense-
exacts an increase in attention which feeds on impressions
of the other senses.
2. That we should base a blind person's education on what he
has, not on what he has lost, principally on his contact
with the world.
3. That the deaf -blind can be educated, through the patient and
insistent relating of tactile signs with the object touched.
The third of these principles was, therefore, pronounced almost a
century before the training of Laura Bridgman, deaf -blind,
predecessor of Helen Keller, and contemporary of Ann Sullivan at
the Perkins Institute in the United States.
Laura Birdgman's accomplishments, though elementary, must have
struck deep in that extremely creative soul who was Ann Sullivan.
Summoned by the Keller family, this simple teacher from the Perkins
Institute began to live with Helen and study a means oc communicat-
ion between the deaf -blind girl and the world about her.
Ann is an example of creativity, of love, and perseverance. She
never allowed herself to be discouraged by the daily frustrations
of the inglorious task of establishing a link between the
/.
- 4 -
immensity of an objective and the tiny mind confined "by the dark
obscurity of the double sensorial insensibility.
A fountain of crystalline water and the energetic strenth struck a
spark in a fine aind and brought about that teaching phenomenon,
which, today, the world knows as the Miracle of Ann Suulivan.
A whole educational process was built by these exceptionally
gifted women in spite of Helen's double handicap. Prom their
constant work benefits today fall ur upon hundreds of deaf-blind
all over the world.
Ann, like Hauy, began a system, created methods, developed
procedures that have been consolidated into the methodology now
adopted for the education of the deaf -blind.
I still remember with admiration and enthusiasm my own stay of a
few days at Perkins Institute's Fisher's Cottage in Boston, with
a group of deaf -blind girls. Observation of their agility in the
.activities of daily life, 01 the advantage they took of their
school disciplines, of the tremendous potential of their remaining
senses strengthened my belief in the unknown and unexplored
capabilities of the human being. They were unforgettable days.
The week, which begins today, in the midst of participants
handicapped in audio-communication, will also be for all of us an
experience rich in information, inspiration, and achievement which
will be a high point in the education of the blind in Brazil.
In several countries of the world, innumerable schools and
rehabilitation centers, scientifically equipped, habilitate
hundreds of human beings multi-handicapped, preparing them for a
normal life of useful, profitable work.
A number of dedicated teachers throughout tho world devote them-
selves to the difficult task of constructing an invisible network
of communication among the souls and hearts blocked by deficiency
and the colorful and sonorous world.
To worthy, and, at times, anonymous teachers, we owe the opportunity
of haying with us today people such as Richard Kinney and Mr. and
/.
- 5 -
Leonard Dowdy. They are living examples of the inexhaustable
human potential and incontestable evidence of the validity of the
methods and procedures that can he used by specialists.
In the area of special education, presently, the great preoccupation
of educators and other professionals is, undoubtedly, the atady of
the multi -handicapped.
"The average of incidence of blind children in the population in
general con decrease as nedical science advances, but we can affirm
that in absolute numbers blind children with multi-handicaps will
not decrease". The work that illustrates this is a study done in
1966 by a group of researchers of the American Foundation for the
Blind, titled "Blind Children with Multiple Handicaps".
As campigns for prevention of blindness force down the nurber of
blind, other progress, principally the survival of the prematurely
born, are and will be propionate to the existence of double or
ziulti -handicapped people. Certain epidemic diseases, such as
rubella, for which there is no mass vaccination, are factors
for the increase in the number of shildren with congenital double
or multiple handicaps.
Certainly, medical science, in its continual process of evolution,
will find the ways and means to control and diminish the high
number of multiple handicapped foreseen by recent research in this
specialized area.
The precision of tiie equipment in baby wards, vaccinations, and
programs for early stimulation may contribute to a decrease in the
number of multi-handicapped. In the reality of today, however, the
deaf-blind do exist, and his education and his adjustment to life
is a serious community responsibility. This responsibility is
magnificently expressed in the Declaration of the Eights of
Disabled Persons, approved by the XXX General Assembly of the United
Nations and which says in Article 8^3
/.
- 6 -
"The handicapped have the right to have their special necessities
taken into consideration on all levels of economic and social plan-
ning," .
What is, then, the situation of the education and prof essionaliza- ■
Hon of the deaf -blind in Brazil?
A whole analysis of this intricate problen nust he made, from the
locating of these people 'by age level to the preparation of human
resources and the creation of material resources adequate to the
. specif icneeds of this group of human beings. In fact, those people
are even today still practically unknown of by government and
private, authorities in this country, in the area of special
education.
Two dedicated and untiring pioneers, Nice Saraiva and Ncusa
Bassetto, have been fighting to awaken educators and the govern-
ment to education of the deaf -blind. Their great effort has
today reached a climax with the opening of the I "Brazilian Seminar
on Education of the Deaf -Blind,
The Brazilian Association for the Education of the Visually
Handicapped (ABEDEV), thanks to the farsightedness of its President,
Professor G-eraldo Sandoval de Andrade, concentrated its best efforts
to bringing together representatives of several countries and
Brazilian professionals in an movement v/orthy of our admiration
and applause.
Prom the emancipation of Helen Keller to the integration of Richard
Kinney, the historical, social, and scientific transformations
have come about with dizzying speed, characteristic of the spacial
era of which all of us are a part.
These transformation have led men of today, in spite of the
skepticism of many, to try to better the conditions of life of
their fellow men. This is the sublime mission of the educators
and other professionals involved in special education.
We chose, freely, our field of work. Our part in the worldwide
task of building a world where social justice prevails depends
greatly on how we use our strength and resources to change unjust
/.
preconcepts into valid concepts and to inform the community as
to the hidden and unexplored abilities of the human "being.
History is full of examples of those who knew how to win, dirt does
not always tell of the failures they had to overcome. We cannot
he triumplhant at the start, hut laborers on a long and arduous
job, the integration of the deaf -blind in education, at work, and
in ~jfcn
In moments of frustration and uncertainty, what serves us as an
example is the constructive thought of the inspirer of this
integration, Helen Keller, when she saidj
-" When one door of happiness closes, another opens; many times,
however, we look for such a long time at the closed door that we
do not see the one that has opened for us."
CURRICULUM VITAE - Resume
Jose G-eraldo Silveira Bueno
Rua Cotoxo, 749
05021 Sao Paulo - SP
PERSONAL
Bonis
Marital Status
Wife s
July 9, 1944 in Sao Paulo, SP.
Married
Marcia Maria Sinonetti Silveira Bueno
E D U CA T I 0 N
School of Education
University of Sao Paulo
Pontifical University of
Sao Paulo
Specialization Course
OTHER COURSES
Degree
Year
Licensed, as a 1971
Teacher
Audiology "began in 1974.
Area
School
Supervisor
Audiovisual Methods for Teaching
Brazilian Institute for Social Studies
UNESCO - SP - 1968
- The Development of Language and Communication Disorders
given by Dr. Gertrude L* Wyatt
Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro
- The Hearinf Impaired Child - Hearing Education and Language
Development
"by Dr. C-uy Pordoncini - DERDl/PUCSP , August 1971
PRESENT PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES
Pi r e c to r-G- en oral - Division of Education and Rehabilitation of
" " " Communication Disorders - DERDIC - PONTIFICAL
University of Sao Paulo - PUC/Sao Paulo.
Uni ve r s i t y Pro lessor - Education as Applied to Communication
Disorders, Courses Phono audio logy, Pontifical
University of Sao Paulo
Uni vo rsit y Pro f esso r - Theories of Education as Applied to
Communication Disorders, Courses Phono audio logy,
Pontifical University of Campinas
Universi ty Prof o sso r - The Structure and Function of Teaching in
Elementary and Secondary Schools, Didactics,
Courses Physical Education, The Educational
Society of Guarulhos - SP.
Jose G-eraldo Silveira Bueno pg. 2.
TEACHING- ACTIVITIES
In elementary and secondary schools s
- Instructor at "I L, Peretz" Recreation Center
Brazilian Israeli ti School "Scholem Aleichem" - Sao Paulo, 1964
- Teacher of Brazilian History
Sao Paulo Educational Institute - BERDIC/PUCSP - 1969-1970
In Universities s
- Chaired j "Social Problems of the Audio -Communication Handicapped":
Courses Education, PUC Sao Paulo, 1974.
- Training Course Supervisor; Courses Education, PUC Sao Paulo 1974 ,
- Chaired i Theories of Education as Applied to Communication
Disorders, Course? Phono audio logy, 0X.TC Sao Paulo, from 1973 to
present*
- Chaired; Theories of Educacao as Applied to Communication
Disorders, PUC Campinas, Course s Phono audio logy, 1972 to present.
COURSES, COHERENCES and LECTURES GIVEN;
- Updating course for Teachers of Special Education for the
Hearing Impaired; S.Paulo State Department of Education
DEPJJIC/PUCSP - S.Paulo 1970
- Conference? Pedagogical Evaluation of Dysacustics
Brazilian Association of Infantile Neuropsychiatry
Sao Paulo, February 27, 1973^
- Courses Technology as Applied to Special Education
federal Univers_cy of Eio de Janeiro
January 1976 «
- Updating Coarse for Teachers of the Hearing Impaired
Eederal University of Para and The Para State Department of
Education,, Discipline; Special Methodology for the Hearing
Impaired, Belem, February 1976.
- Training Coarse - Implantation of Pilot Project
Implementation of Proposed Curriculum for the Hearing Impaired
The National Center of Special Education/MEC and DEEDIC/PUC
Sao Paulo, July 1976,
- The Handicapped Child and the Specialist
Extension, Updating and Specialization Service
IUC Sao Paulo, June 1976 .
ELABORATION AND COORDINATION OE COURSES AND PROJECTS
- Coordinator of the Updating Course for the Education of the
Hearing Impaired - CENESP/KEC - DEEDIC/lUCSP - Sao Paulo,
August to November 1974,
- Coordinator of the Course for Updating in the Education of the
Hearing Impaired - "EEESP/lvlEC - BEEDIC/PUCSP - Sao Paulo,
July 1975c
Jo so G-eraldo Silveira Bueno pg.3.
of the Hearing Impaired. CEWESP/ta!C - DEEDIC/PUCSP, Sao Paulo,
July/Sept ember 1975.
. Coordinator for the Working Tean of DERDIO/FUCSP
Elaboration of the Proposed Curriculum for the Hearing Impaired
(lrst. through 8th grades of elementary school)
National Center for Special Edueation/MEC - 1975/76.
■ Elaborator, together with Prof. Nadyr da Gloria Haguiara
Cervellini, for he Training of Teachers of the Handicapped in
Audio communication. Courses Pedagogy PUCSP, Sao Paulo,
September 1372.
ICIENTIEIC ACTIVITIES
Research
- Methods for Teaching the Hearing Impaired
Pontifical Catholic University of Sao Paulo
(a Theses still to be completed).
PUBLICATIONS
-"Vocational Orientation for the Hearing Impaired," coll. Alvair
Pentoado Cervellini, Maria Amalia Azevedo Goldberg and Maria
Todescan Bias Batistas "Education Today" n2 14, March/April 74.
li-An Experience in Dramatization in a Specialized School for the
Hearing Impaired," coll. Maria- Cristina da Cunha Pereira and
Marthc Eloiza Carrara M0denesc. Atualizacao em Audiologia e
Foni atria, n^ 3.
- "An Experience in the Area of Physical Education in Specialized
School for the Hearing Impaired," Educac^ao Pisica" , MEC, n^ 23.
•** *-x-*- **-
ICE OF THE PRESIDENT
hard Kinney. B A. LH D
THE HADLEY SCHOOL FOR THE BLIND
STREET, WINNETKA, ILLINOIS 60093, U.S. A
Phone: 312/446-8111
THE DEFINITION, RESPONSIBILITIES AND RIGHTS OF DEAF-BLIND PERSONS
By Dr. Richard Kinney, President
Hadley School for the Blind, U.S.A.
Delivered at the First Brazilian Seminar on the Education of the Deaf-Blind
Sao Paulo, Brazil
November 7, 1977
Colleagues and Friends:
Brazil is a great nation. Geographically, it is the largest country in
the Western Hemisphere. Socially, it is thinking large thoughts about
the welfare of ALL its citizens, as this significant seminar proves. I
am honored and happy to be with you.
You have asked me to speak to you about the definition of deaf-blindness
and about the rights and responsibilities of people who are deaf-blind.
I do so both as an educator who is Chairman of the Committee on Services
to the Deaf-Blind of the World Council for the Welfare of the Blind and
as a deaf-blind person myself. If this twofold viewpoint gives my remarks
added perspective, I am all the happier.
As an educator, I recommend to your consideration the definition adopted
last September in New York City by the First Helen Keller World Conference
on Services to Deaf-Blind Youths and Adults. The definition reads that
deaf-blind individuals are "persons who have substantial visual and hearing
losses such that the combination of the two causes extreme difficulty in
the pursuit of educational, vocational, avocational or social skills."
The key word in the definition is COMBINATION. The person with substantial
visual loss can still hear and listen. The person with substantial hearing
loss can still see and observe. But the person with substantial losses of
both sight and hearing experiences a combination of sensory deprivation
that may cause extreme difficulty in achieving life's most vital goals.
Such a person is by definition deaf -blind.
The foregoing definition has the merit of being functional rather than
technical. Few things could be more heartbreaking than to tell a person
experiencing severe sight-hearing loss that he or she is not quite blind
enough or not quite deaf enough to meet some technical requirement for
help. Life is more important than any technicality!
SPONSORS
'ttsvbufg Pennsylvania
Charlton Heston
Beverly Hills. California
Mrs Waller A Krafll
Chicago. Illinois
Arthur N Magill
National Consultant
Canadian National Instilutt
tor the Blind
Toronto. Canada
agents Professor o( Ecor
nversity ol Minnesota
om,
='
Andrew McNally III
Rand McNally & Company
Deaf-blindness in its extreme form means simply that one cannot see,
one cannot hear, one must rely wholly and utterly on the sense of
touch to communicate with one's fellow human beings. This is precisely
what deaf-blindness means to me as an individual. I cannot see the
brightest light, and if the atomic bomb went off under my chair this
morning, I doubt that I could hear it. But deaf-blindness need not be
total to present severe and special problems requiring wise and special
solutions. If an individual has substantial visual loss and substantial
hearing loss and the combination of the two is causing extreme difficulty
in achieving an education or in securing employment or in enjoying
recreation or in gaining social participation, then that individual
is deaf-blind. That individual needs our help!
As to the rights of deaf-blind persons, the Helen Keller World Conference
on Services to Deaf-Blind Youths and Adults unanimously adopted a
declaration on this very subject. Let me read it to you now and comment
on each article.
Preamble - "Delegates from 30 countries around the world assembled for
this first international conference on services to deaf-blind youths
and adults, welcoming the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights
and the Declaration of the Rights of Disabled persons, have agreed
upon and have adopted the following Declaration specifically concerning
the needs and rights of deaf-blind persons and recommend it to the
attention of the world community:"
Article 1 - "Every deaf-blind person is entitled to enjoy the universal
rights that are guaranteed to all people by the United Nations Declaration
of Human Rights and the rights provided for all disabled persons by
the Declaration on the Rights of Disabled Persons."
This article simply states that deaf-blind people are human beings with
the same basic rights as all other people, including all other disabled
people. Who would deny it? According to Dr. Peter Salmon, a noted
U.S. rehabilitation expert once described deaf-blind people as "vegetables,
I don't know the expert's name, but I trust that by now the "vegetables"
have planted him six feet deep.
Article 2 - "Deaf-blind persons have the right to expect that their
capabilities and their aspirations to lead a normal life within the
community and their ability to do so shall be recognized and respected
by all governments, administrators, educational and rehabilitation
personnel and the general public."
This article states that deaf -blind persons are not only human beings,
but also NORMAL human beings who wish to live normal lives within the
community. They expect the community to recognize both their desire and
their capacity to do so. The things that make you happy or sad, make
deaf -blind people happy or sad. It is as simple as that.
Article 3 - "Deaf-blind persons have the right to receive the best
possible medical treatment and care for the restoration of sight and
hearing and the services required to utilize remaining sight and
hearing, including the provision of the most effective optical and
hearing aids, speech training, when appropriate, and other forms of
rehabilitation intended. to secure maximum independence."
This article refers to our earlier point that deaf-blindness need not
be total. In fact, every bit of residual sight and hearing should
be utilized and enhanced, both through remedial medicine and modern
technology. Since communication is a two-way exchange, any training
that can advance a deaf-blind person's ability to speak will be tremendously
helpful. Please note that the goal sought is to increase the deaf-blind
person's INDEPENDENCE.
Article 4 - "Deaf-blind persons have the right to economic security
to ensure a satisfactory standard of living and the right to secure
work commensurate with their capabilities and abilities or to engage
in other meaningful tasks, for which the requisite education and
training shall be provided."
This article could be summarized as the right to be useful - the right
to work, to contribute, to feel one is giving to others as well as
receiving from others. I have noted that every time a deaf -blind man
or woman gains a paying job, he or she gains new respect. Money is
a great equalizer! The surest passport to independence is an adequately
filled pocketbook.
Article 5 - "Deaf-blind persons shall have the right to lead an independent
life as an integrated member of the family and community, including the
right to live on their own or to marry and raise a family. Where a
deaf-blind person lives within a family, greatest possible support shall
be provided to the whole family unit by the appropriate authorities.
If institutional care is advisable, it shall be provided in surrounding
and under such conditions that it resembles normal life as closely as
possible."
Note that this article not only asserts the deaf-blind person's right to
be part of a family or of a family environment, but also the right to
live alone or to be head of a family. Individual desires and circumstances
will vary, but the right is inherent. I have known deaf-blind persons
who live happily with their parents, deaf-blind persons who are themselves
successful, parents, deaf-blind persons who live independently in their own
apartment and others who prefer the security and comfort of a well-run
institutional home. I myself lived alone in my own bachelor apartment for
5 years as a young man, later marrying a blind woman with normal hearing
and being now the proud father of an athletic 14-year-old son Who specializes
in golf, baseball, and all forms of pictorial art. The right to a family
life is as old as Adam and Eve.
Article 6 - "Deaf-blind persons shall have the right, and at no cost,
to the services of an interpreter -with whom they can communicate
effectively to maintain contact with others and with the environment."
This article emphasizes the vital importance to a deaf-blind person of
interpreter services as a communication link with the community. The
words "cost-free" have caused some controversy, but it was the thought
of the conference that many deaf -blind persons, especially children or
the elderly, simply will not have personal funds with which to employ
interpreters. Whether the answer lies in volunteer interpreters,
interpreters supplied by private social agencies, government-employed
interpreters or a combination of all three will probably depend on the
philosophy and culture of each individual nation. But the right to
communicate is perhaps the greatest single right for which a deaf-blind
person longs. The human mind will break through any barrier to reach
other human minds.
Article 7 - "Deaf-blind persons shall have the right to current news,
information, reading matter and educational material in a medium and
form which they can assimilate. Technical devices that could serve to
this end shall be provided and research in this area shall be encouraged."
This article extends and reemphasizes the right of the deaf-blind person
to information and knowledge about the world in which he lives. After
all, the physical senses are merely channels through which the mind
observes and communicates with the community and the environment. What
really matters is the mind behind the senses. To KNOW is more important
than to see; to UNDERSTAND is more important than to hear.
Article 8 - "Deaf -blind persons shall have the right to engag,e in leisure
time recreational activities, which shall be provided for their benefit,
and the right and opportunity to organize their own clubs or associations
for self-improvement and social betterment."
This article draws attention to the fact that life is not all work and
earnest endeavor, but should also contain a vital element of recreation
and enjoyment. Having much in common, many deaf -blind people take pleasure
in sharing activities with other deaf -blind persons. Mutual life enhancement
is one of the great foundation stones of civilization.
Article 9 - "Deaf-blind persons shall have the right to be consulted on all
matters of direct concern to them and to legal advice and protection against
improper abridgement of their rights due to their disabilities."
Again and again deaf-blind people have cried out for a larger part in shaping
their own destinies. The right to make one's own decisions is the basis
of freedom. Like all other people, deaf -blind persons need options
from which to choose, choices from which to select. Only by exercising
his or her judgement can a deaf -blind person function as a fully equal
citizen in the community.
The enumerated rights of deaf-blind persons will not be achieved
in a day or a year or any specific time. Some may call the foregoing
articles idealistic dreams. Yet the world is built on dreams -
dreams that have come true or are in the process of coming true.
Most beautiful of all, dreams imply responsibility.
The deaf -blind person who demands knowledge and training as a right
also accepts the responsibility to develop his own potential for the
benefit of the community.
The deaf-blind person who insists on respect and independence as a
right also affirms responsibility for his own actions and respect for
the rights of others.
Handicapped or unhandicapped, we are all human beings living on one
planet and sharing one destiny. What does life require of us but to
do our best for ourselves and for each other?
I seminArio brasileiro de educaqao de deficiente audiovisual
A DECLARATION of rights of
DEAF-BLIND PERSONS
I SEDAV - ABEDEV
HELEN KELLER
WORLD CONFERENCE ON SERVICES TO DEAF-BLIND YOUTHS AND ADUL
Conference Tin me: "The Deaf-Blind Person in the Community"
11-16 SEPTEMBER 1977
DR. RICHARD KINNEY, Conference Chairman and Chairman
of WCWB's Committee on Services to the Deaf-Blind
700 Elm Street, Winnetka, Illinois 60093 United States
Tel: (312)446-8111
A DECLARATION OF RIGHTS OF DEAF-BLIND PERSONS
adopted by the
Helen Keller World Conference on Services to Deaf-Blind Youths and Adults,
sponsored by the Committee on Services to the Deaf-Blind of the World Council
for the Welfare of the Blind; September 16, 1977, New York City, U.S.A.
PREAMBLE
Delegates from 30 countries around the world assembled for this first international
conference on services to deaf-blind youths and adults, welcoming the United Nations
Declaration of Human Rights and the Declaration of the Rights of Disabled Persons,
have agreed upon and have adopted the following Declaration specifically concerning
the needs and rights of deaf-blind persons and commend it to the attention of the
world community:
ARTICLE 1
Every deaf-blind person is entitled to enjoy the universal rights that are
guaranteed to all people by the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights and
the rights provided for all disabled persons by the Declaration on the Rights
of Disabled Persons.
ARTICLE 2
Deaf-blind persons have the right to expect that their capabilities and. their
uear-Diina persons nave tne rignt to expect tnat tneir capabilities and.tneir
aspirations to lead a normal life within the community and their ability to do
so shall be recognized and respected by all governments, administrators, educat
and rehabilitation personnel and the general public.
ional
ARTICLE 3
Deaf-blind persons have the right to receive the best possible medical treatment
and care for the restoration of sight and hearing and the services required to
utilize remaining sight and hearing, including the provision of the most effective
optical and hearing aids, speech training, when appropriate, and other forms of
rehabilitation intended to secure maximum independence.
ARTICLE 4
Deaf-blind persons have the right to economic security to ensure a satisfactory-
standard of living and the right to secure work commensurate with their capabilities
and abilities or to engage in other meaningful tasks, for which the requisite
education and training shall be provided.
ARTICLE 5
Deaf-blind persons shall have the right to lead an independent life as an
integrated member of the family and community, including the right to live on
their own or to marry and raise a family. Where a deaf-blind person lives within
a family, greatest possible support shall be provided to the whole "family unit by
the appropriate authorities. If institutional care is advisable, it shall be
provided in surrounding and under such conditions that it resembles normal life
as closely as possible.
ARTICLE 6
Deaf-blind persons shall have the right, and at no cost, to the services of an
interpreter with whom they can communicate effectively to maintain contact with
others and with the environment.
ARTICLE 7
Deaf-blind persons shall have the right to current news, information, reading
matter and educational material in a medium and form which they can assimilate.
Technical devices that could serve to this end shall be provided and research
in this area shall be encouraged.
ARTICLE
Deaf-blind persons shall have the right to engage in leisure time recreational
activities, which shall be provided for their benefit, and the right and' opportunity
to organize their own clubs or associations for self- improvement and social betterment.
ARTICLE 9
Deaf-blind persons shall have the right to be consulted on all matters of direct
concern to them and to legal advice and protection against improper abridgement
of their rights due to their disabilities.
For purposes of implementation of the DECLARATION OF RIGHTS OF DEAF-BLIND
PERSONS, the definition of deaf-blind persons adopted by the Helen Keller
World Conference on Services to Deaf-Blind Youths and Adults is as follows
"Persons who have substantial visual and hearing losses
such that the combination of the two causes extreme
difficulty in pursuit of educational, vocational, avo-
cational, or social skills".
BIO-DATA
RICHARD KINNEY, PRESIDENT
THE HADLEY SCHOOL FOR THE BLIND
700 ELM STREET, WINNETKA, ILLINOIS 60093, U.
Phone: 312/446-8111
Dr. Richard Kinney — Educator, Lecturer, Poet
Blind since age 7, deaf since age 20
Born: June 21, 1923 East Sparta, Ohio U.S.A.
Degrees: B.A., Summa cum laude, Mount Union College, Alliance, Ohio - 1954
L.H.D., Mount Union College, Alliance, Ohio - 1966
L.H.D., Loyola University, Chicago, Illinois - 1977
Author of: INDEPENDENT LIVING WITHOUT SIGHT AND HEARING (textbook)
FLIGHT OF ARROWS (poetry) FLUTES BEYOUNG THE DAY (poetry)
ENCORE (poetry) HARP OF SILENCE (poetry)
Articles, essays, short stories, poems and humor in various periodicals,
including the New Outlook for the»Blind, The Rehabilitation teacher,
The Reader's Digest, Epos, etc., Blindness: 1968
Relevant Braille (course text)
Speaking Experience :
Radio, TV, and platform in 35 countries; guest lecturer at Harvard,
University of Chile, National University of Paraguay, University of Riyadh
luncheon or dinner talks — estimated at 1,500.
Awards: Citation of "Meritorious Service to Literature"
Midland Author's Society
Helen Keller GOLD MEDAL for Literary Excellence
Anne Sullivan GOLD MEDAL
Dialogue: Public Service Award, 1969
Illinois Handicapped Citizen of the Year, 1970
Lions Ambassador of Goodwill, 1971
Member: Pi Gamma Mu, Social Science Honor Society
Sigma Alpha Episilon Fraternity
Advisory Committee for the/\Center for Deaf-Blind Youths and Adults
Department of Health, Education and Welfare, Washington, D. C.
American Association of Workers for the Blind, Member, Board of Directors
Winnetka Lions Club
Chairman of the Advisory Committee on Services for the Deaf-Blind of the
World Council for the Welfare of the Blind
North Shore Chess Club
International Platform Association
Family
Widower with a 14 -year-old son, Clark
Listed in: Who's Who in America Directory
Who ' s Who in the World
Sigma Alpha Epsilon Directory
Dictionary of International Biography
Recent Activities:
Chairman, World Conference for Deaf-Blind Youths and Adults, September, 1977
>na«j Bernstein
George Bush
Mam-o Doud Eisenhower
Get tsy burg Pennsylvania
Hor Serene H.ghness
Edwin B Duophy. M D
*d Bntta.n HI
Ophthalmology CNnic
Harvard Unrven.ly
nkeri Trull Company
Regents Professor of Economics
Arthur N Magill
George Shearing
National Consultant
North Hollywood. Calilorn
Canadian National Institute
lot the Blind
American Ma. re
Andrew McNally III
Rand McNally A Company
I seminArio brasileiro de educaqao de deficiente audiovisual
DEFINITIONS, RESPONSABILITIES AND
RIGHTS OF THE DEAF-BLIND (THE
HISTORY OF THE EDUCATIONS OF
DEAF - BLIND OF ALL THE WORLD)
EDWARD J WATERHOUSE
SEDAV - ABEDEV
Definitions, Responsibilities and Rights of the Deaf-Blind
(The History of the Education of Deaf-Blind of all the World)
Paper presented at First Brazilian Seminar for the Education of the Deaf-Blind
Sao Paulo, November 1977.
Edward J. Waterhouse, Director (Retired), Perkins School for the Blind
Watertown, Massachusetts
USA
Definitions. Who are the deaf-blind? In a world which has no universally-
accepted definition of blindness or of deafness, it is not surprising that there
are more than one definitions of deaf -bl indness in use in various countries,
and even within the same country .
These definitions fall into two groups. In the first the prevailing
definitions of blindness and deafness are combined. In the second group the
fact is recognized that even slight losses of hearing or of vision, which when
alone, would not have been a serious problem, can, when combined, lead to
problems of communication so severe that special programs for education and
rehabilitation are needed to enable the handicapped person to develop his
capabilities and take a self-respecting place in society.
At the Helen Keller World Conference on Services to Deaf-Blind Youths and
Adults, sponsored by the Committee on Services to the Deaf-Blind of the World
Council for the Welfare of the Blind, held in New York City in September 1977,
and attended by delegates from about 30 countries, many of whom were themselves
deaf-blind, the following definition was unanimously adopted. "Deaf-Blind
individuals should be defined as persons having such substantial visual and
hearing losses that the combined impairments cause extreme difficulty in the
pursuit of educational, vocational and avocationn] goals."
Clearly this definition covers many people who are not generally considered
to be deaf-blind. In countries where presently those persons who have only light
perception or less are considered blind, and where definitions of deafness are
equally stringent, this all-embracing definition may have to wait a long time
before acceptance. In the United States, however, a definition based on this
concept was adopted by the U. S. Department of Education almost 10 years ago.
In the United Kingdom and parts of Western Europe as well as in Australia and
Japan similar definitions are in use. These cover the majority of deaf-blind
people in the world who are being served in some way or another.
As research is carried out in both America and Europe into the problems of
deaf-blind children and adults, the severe effects of the accumulation of visual
and auditory defects become clearer, and the wisdom of this type of definition
becomes more evident.
Under this broad definition, the variety of persons covered is great. There
are relatively few who suffer total blindness and total deafness, and of these
only a small fraction have been without sight and hearing since birth. A larger
number, like Helen Keller, were normal at least until late infancy, and frequently
for years longer.
The victims of maternal rubella, who in the United States and the United
Kingdom at present make up the majority of deaf-blind children, generally have
some degree of both residual sight and hearing, though both losses, existed at
birth .
The other major cause of deaf-blindness, Usher's Syndrome, while congenital,
causes early deafness but the loss of vision is usually delayed until early
adulthood .
Since this conference deals with education rather than rehabilitation, a
large group of deaf-blind persons, who in some countries constitute the majority,
need not be discussed, but should not be overlooked. These are the elderly blind
who go deaf and the aging deaf who lose their sight and also the older men and
women who lost both sight and hearing. And, of course, all deaf-blind people
eventually grow old.
So we find victims who lost their hearing before acquiring language and
speech require very different treatment than those whose hearing loss came
later in life. And, of course, the degree of loss makes a tremendous
difference in how a person can function and the services he will require.
Responsibilities and Rights
It is indeed most fortunate for me that shortly before preparing this pape
I was able to attend the Helen Keller World Conference referred to above. Hert
I listened to a number of intelligent and well-educated deaf-blind men and women
speak about what they need from society, and what they in turn should be expected
to give. I make no apology for reading to you today, in full, "A Declaration of
Rights of Deaf -Blind Persons" which the Conference adopted unanimously. The
committee responsible for this ringing challenge to society, and the delegates
who gave it their approval, both included deaf-blind persons. For the first time
in history, I believe, the deaf-blind spoke for themselves.
Article 1
Every deaf-blind person is entitled to enjoy the universal rights that are
guaranteed to all people by the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of
Disabled Persons.
Article 2
Deaf-Blind persons have the right to expect that their capabilities and
their aspirations to lead a normal life within the community and their ability
to do so shall be recognized and respected by all governments, administrators,
rehabilitation personnel and the general public.
Article 3
Deaf-Blind persons have the right to receive the best possible medical
treatment and care for the restoration of sight and hearing and the services
required to utilize remaining sight and hearing, including the provision of
the most effective optical and hearing aids, speech training, when appropriate,
and other forms of rehabilitation intended to secure maximum independence.
)
Article 4
Deaf-blind persons have the right to economic security to ensure a satisfactory
standard of living and the right to secure work commensurate with their
capabilities and abilities or to engage in other meaningful tasks, for which
the requisite education and training shall be provided.
Article 5
Deaf-blind persons shall have the right to lead an independent life as an
integrated member of the family and community, including t;he right to live on
their own or to marry and raise a family. Where a deaf -blind person lives
within a family, greatest possible support shall be provided to the whole
family unit by appropriate authorities. If institutional care is advisable,
it shall be provided in a surrounding and under such conditions that it
resembles normal life as closely as possible.
Article 6
Deaf-blind persons shall have the right, and at no cost, to the services
of interpreters with whom they can communicate effectively to maintain
contact with others and with the community.
Article 7
Deaf-blind persons shall have the right to current news, information,
reading matter and educational material in a medium and form which they can
assimilate. Technical devices that could serve to this end shall be provided
and research in this area shall be encouraged.
Article 8
Deaf-blind persons shall have the right to engage in leisure time
recreational activities, which shall be provided for their benefit, and the
right and opportunity to organize their own clubs or associations for self-
improvement and social betterment.
Article 9
Deaf-blind persons shall have the right to be consulted on all matters
of direct concern to them and to legal advice and protection against improper
abridgement of their rights due to their disabilities.
In this Declaration of Rights, are not the deaf-blind saying to us in effect
"We too possess certain 'inalienable Rights, that among these are the
Pursuit of Happiness'," as declared in the historic American Declaration of
Independence .
To summarize, the deaf-bl,ind said "Give us the training, the tools, and
human companionship, and we will be normal members of society." May I stress
"human companionship". Time and again in the conference the deaf-blind called
"loneliness" their greatest burden. This follows Helen Keller's own statement
that "The deaf-blind are the loneliest people on earth". I would like to stress
this point, for it is so easily overlooked, and yet it requires no professional
training or expensive equipment to befriend a deaf-blind child or adult.
Fortunately, the manual alphabet is being learned today by countless hearing
people as its significance is brought to public attention. Some of our
national television newscasts and many other programs in the United States
include an interpreter for the deaf. While this cannot help the deaf-blind
directly it serves to educate the public to the value of this special means
of communication.
The deaf-blind people in New York were deeply conscious of the fact that
they cannot succeed in life on their own. They recognized that they would be
dependent on others all their lives. They realized what a challenge this is
to their self-respect. They were aware that their debt to society could not
be repaid in full and they acknowledged their responsibility to respond to
the fullest degree possible by performing their jobs with efficiency, and
responding to help given with courtesy and good will. Unless society accepts
the principle that handicapped persons have certain inalienable rights which
the more fortunate people of the world are x^illing to guarantee, the
deaf-blind will forever be second class citizens.
H j story
Time permits only a brief account of the history of the Education of the
Deaf-Blind of all the World.
As is well-known, the first deaf-blind child to be successfully educated
was Laura Bridgman who entered Perkins in 1837. Even more famous is the
remarkable teacher-pupil experience of Anne Sullivan, a Perkins graduate,
and Helen Keller who studied at the school for several years.
It seems that there are today more deaf-blind children being educated in
the United States than in the rest of the world combined. This, of course,
is partly the result of the massive rubella epidemics of 1964 - 65. There
are over 2,000 receiving educational services of one kind or another in the
United States .
Europe
According to Dr. Jeanne R. Kenmore (Reference I) programs for educating
deaf-blind children were begun in France (1860), Sweden (1882), Germany (1887)
and Finland (1889). In each case the number of pupils was small. In 1977 only
350 children were reported as being educated in 13 countries as follows:
Great Britain
101
German Federal Republic
53
U.S.S.R.
51
Italy
26
Netherlands
25
France
25
Switzerland
18
Sweden
14
Denmark
11
German Democratic Republic
9
Norway
7
Spain
6
Finland
A
Inte^ra^ao-Socio Professional
Outside Europe there are no published figures, but Australia and Japan both
have extensive programs. Programs also exist in Canada, New Zealand, Taiwan,
Jamaica, Iceland, Israel and the Republic of South Africa. A small group is
being taught in Bombay. A start has been made in Ibadan, Nigeria and plans
are afoot in Kenya. You are well aware yourselves of the work in Argentina
and Brazil. There are probably other programs unknown to me.
Generally speaking, outside of a few countries, the education of the
deaf -blind is anywhere from fifty to a hundred years behind services for
blind children.
In many countries of Africa, Asia and South America, the existence of
deaf-blind children is denied by authorities though statistically this
seems unbelievable. However, some small progress is being made. When next
you meet, which I hope will be in a few short years, someone may be able to
report great advances.
I thank you for your kind attention
REFERENCES
Jeanne R. Kenmore and others, in STATE OF THE ART:
Perspectives on Serving Deaf-Blind Children - 1977.
338 pp.
Southwestern Regional Deaf-Blind Center,
Office of Special Education,
< aliforn*ia State Department of Education,
771 Capitol Mall
Sacramento, California 95814
DEAF-BLIND BIBLIOGRAPHY. 1977 edition. 186 pp.
Perkins School for the Blind,
175 North Beacon Street,
Watertown, Massachusetts 02172
Proceedings of Helen Keller World Conference on Services
to Deaf-Blind Youths and Adults. September 1977.
To be published early in 1978 by the Hadley School for
the Blind, 300 Elm Street, Winnetka, Illinois 60093.
BIOGRAPHICAL DATA - EDWARD J. WATERHOUSE (DIRFCTOR, RETIRED) ,
PERKINS SCHOOL FOR THE BLIND
Born in England, 1902. Graduated from Queens College. Cambridge University
in 1930. Emigrated to America in that year. Joined the staff of Perkins School
for the Blind in 1933 and, except for a leave of absence during the war years,
remained on the staff until 1977. Appointed Manager of the Howe Press 1946
and fifth Director of Perkins 1951. Resigned the Directorship in August 1971.
Consultant to the sixth Director September 1971 - June 1977. Was awarded
Honorary Litt . D. Degree by Gallaudet College, Washington, D.C. in 1957.
International ("o unci I for the Education of the Visually Handicapped -
Secretary, 1952-62, Chairman, 1962-67. Secretary of Conferences in the
Netherlands 1952. Norway 1957, West Germany 1962 and Chairman of Conference
at Perkins in 1967. Chairman of subcommittee on the deaf-blind 1964 to 1974,
member 1962 to present.
World ; ouncil for the Welfare of the Blind - Participated in conferences
at Paris 1954, Rome 1959, New York City 1964, New Delhi 1969, and Sao Paulo,
Brazil 1974. Member of WCWB Deaf-Blind Committee 1969 to the present.
Awarded the Migel Medal for Outstanding Service to the Blind by the American
Foundation for the Blind 1966.
Publications - Editor of the Perkins "Lantern" since 1952-1971. Contributor
of numerous articles to professional journals on the education of the blind and
deaf-blind both in the United States and in other countries.
Married the former Sina Fladeland in 1934, has one daughter, Mrs. Elizabeth
McCurdy of Bath, Maine, and two grandsons.
<
ACTIVITIES OF THE BRAZILIAN ASSOCIATION FOR TtiE EDUCATION OF THE
VISUALLY HANDICAPPED IN BRAZIL
GERA1.DO SANDOVAL DE ANDRADE
PRESIDENT OF ABEDEV
1. HISTORY
1.1. important precedents
1.2. Creation of the entity
l.j. First Board of Directors
1.4. Activity plans of uhe present Board.
2 . PROGRAMMING
2.1. Creation of Delegations
2.2. Creation of the Louis Braille Museum
2.3. Organization and up-dating of members ' personal history
2.4. 1st Brazilian Encounter of Tecnnicians on Orientation
and Mobility - IV ENBRATOM
2.5. Sociological Research (AtsEDEV/Rondon Project)
2.6. Course-Seminar
2.7. 19 SEDAV (ist Brazilian Seminar on the Education of
Audio-Visual Handicapped
2.«. Other plans.
CURRICULUM VITAE - Resume
Geraldo Sandoval de Andrade
R. Prof. Carlo c Rath,
n° 198
05462 Sao Paulo - SP
Rone; 211-1986.
Present Occupations Head of the SEMI Service of Industrial
Training for the Visually Handicapped.
DUC A.TI0NAL BACKGRAOUKD
i, Primary School - Ginasio Chanpagnat (Marianist Order) ,
Franca, State of Sao Paulo
Observations Total loss of vision due to a hunting accident
during school vacation. January 1938.
1938/1940 The search for recuperation of sight at
0 phthalmo lo gi c al c linic s .
2. Secondary School - Official Institute for the Blind "Sao Rafael",
Bolo Horizonte, Minas G-erais. 1941-1947
3. Teacher College , Institute of Education "Fernao Bias" , Sao Paulo,
SP. 1956-1958.
4. Course in Psychology, School of PJri^osophy, Sciences and Letters,
University of Sao Paulo. 1965.
5. Various Training and Specialization Courses %
~ Psychological Counseling, SHNAIa
- Clinical Psychology, Foundation for the Book of the Blind in
) Brasil.
- Work Psychology, Federation of the Industries of the State of
Sao Paulo.
G0 Training at the Patronato de Cegos, Buenos Aires, Argentina
January 1952
7. On September, October and November 1969 observer at;
- American Foundation for Overseas Blind - N.Y.
- The Industrial Hone for the Blind Rehabilitation Center - N.Y.
- The Hew York Association for the Blind, The Light House - N.Y.
- Blind Industries of California Inc.
jos Angeles, Cal,
India Blind Relief Association, New Delhi, India.
Virganand National for Blind Girls, New Delhi, India,
Unione Italians dei Ciechi - Roma, Italy.
G-eraldo Sandoval de Andrade - 2 -
- Insti turbo Statale di Instruzione per gli Educatori dei Ciechi,
Rona, Italy
- L' Union dcs Aveugles de G-uerre, Paris, "France,
- If1 Ami tie des Aveugles de Prance, Pari a , Prance.
- Association Valentin Hauy - Paris, Prance,
Professional Occupations and Activities g
I began at the Foundation for the Book of ~che Blind in Brazil as a
teacher in the hone of the handicapped and from there "began to guide
the initiation of researchs for a market for work for the visually
handicapped in the State of Sao Paulo, 1952-1955.
As a result of this work I was invited to join the SENAI, and was
put in charge of the Service of Industrial Training for the Visually
Handicapped, here in Sao Paulo. Later I was promoted to Supervisor
of the Selection and Guidance of the Trained , and now am Head of
the Service of Industrial Training for the Visually Handicapped of
SENAI 0
- Member of several technical committees for the professional
rehabilitation of the visually handicapped.
- Member of the World Council for the Welfare of the Blind - WCWB.
- Brazilian Delegate , as designated by the President of the Republic,
to the IV World General Assembly of the World Council for the
Welfare of the Blind. New Delhi, October 1969 .
- Pounding Member of the Brazilian Association of Educators of
the Visually Handicapped.
- Permanent Member of the Pauiista Society of Psychology.
- Member of the Study Center "Roberto Mange".
PUBLICATIONS
- "Professional Utilization of Blind Workers", SENAI, 1955.
- "Experience with PMC Test on the. Blind, - Latin-American
Psycho-technic Seminar,
- "Blind Workers in Pauiista Industries", SENAI, 1968.
- Three Documentary Films, SENAI, 1956, 1968 and 1975.
- Several Articles and interviews published in journals in cities
visited to promote the employment of the visually handicapped.
Geraldo Sandoval de Andrade
further Professional Activities
Implantation of the Service of Industrial Training for the
Visually Handicapped for the SENAI of i
Bahia, 1963-1964-1965? Minas Gerais, 1970; Espirito Santo, 1971?
Guanabara, 1973; Ceara, 1973; Rio Grande do Norte, 1973;
M araiihao, 1973; Paraiba; Para; and Parana.
Consultants Educandario Sao Jose Operario and Federal Technical
School, Compos, Rio de Janeiro, to promote the employment of
visually handicapped and the admission of students with the same
deficiency in the second school.
- Participated as speaker and/or observer at several Seminar and
Congresses on applied psychology and professional rehabilitation;
among then;
- Pan-American Conference for the Prevention of Blindness and
Services to the Visually Handicapped - Sao Paulo, 1954.
- Latin- American Seminar on Psychology - Sao Paulo, 1955.
- International Congress on Social Work, Rehabilitation Sector,
Petropolis, R.J. , 1961.
- Second Brazilian Congress on the Education of the Visually
Handicapped, Brasilia, DoP. 1968.
Studies and Researches
Began the first researches done among 450 paulista industrial firms
to identify and classify the work market for the visually handicapped a
2000 anaiises wore made on jobs considered compatible with a
condition of a visually handicapped. The same studies were carried
our in Bauru, Ribeirao Pre to, Franca, Campinas, Limeira. Piracicaba,
Sorocaba, Vinhcdo, Mogi das Cruses, Santos, in the State of S.Paulo;
Belo Horizonte (MS); Salvador (BA); Vitoria (ES); Campos (RJ) -
1952-1971.
Elected President of the Brazilian Association for the Education of
the Visually Handicapped - ABEDEV, in Cur itib a (Parana), 'luring the
IV Brazilian Congress for the Visually Handicapped- July 27/31,1975.
1977 - Counselor of the Anne Sullivan Foundation.
A Speech About i-iv Life :£cperiences
Leonard C, Dowdy
When I was ly years ola, I lost my sight and hearing clue to
sleeping siciaiess and high fever which lasted nine weeks. At age four
there was much activity with many people coming to see me. One such
visitor was a teacher from Perkins. She showed my parents how she could
teach me communication by placing my hai.-ds on her face. My grandfather
took me on a long and frightening b*aln iddtf to -Perkins. After getting
used to the tram, my irxgnt leic me Dut l scull reiusea to eo ud tne
oauiroora. it shook so terribly and there was a strong, peculiar smell that
bothered me.
I started school at age five. Miss Hall taught me the Tadoma method,
which ner^ s placing the fingers on the neclc, hand on the cheek, and thumb
on the mouth to feel the movement of facial expression and lip movement as
words are formed, I learned 65 words the first year and doubled that the next
year. During the next fifteen years I learned how to read, type, spell; do waih,
history, geography, and all sorts of handcraft, like woodwork, metal and
other things. Of course, speechworK and rhythm with the piano, and learning
how to sing were vital parts of the program, t lease don't ask me to sing
any now; it's been so long I'm rusty at it,
After leaving Perkins, I lived in new York City for 5 months,
working and living at a special home for the blind and deaf -blind, I learned
how to run many different machines "and do many different kinds of jobs,
but was never satisfied. I did not care to, live there either with all the
tall buildings and no grass for so many blocks. Being homesick,! left for
home in Missouri.
I lived with my mother and brothers for two years, trying ay luck
on a chicken farm one year , and then in town I did very little: chair
caning or fixing pop wooden cases, but found too much time on my hands and
being close to a nervous breakdown, moved to Kansas City. I have been there
25 years, and have had experience on jobs at several places. At age 26, I
met my first wife , and did some part time vocational teaching at the
school for the deaf in Iowa, but we broke up in one year. Ever since age 29
when I met Betty, my second wife, she introduced me to the deaf world and
we did much travelling around America, and visited five European countries,
Canada, and now Brazil.
After living in the apartment for five years, after getting married,
we bought our own home. Being home owners can be a rough experience, but
we like it better than apartment life, where nothing exciting happens. A
few years ago my carpenter friend taught me how to build my workshop on the
outside, but I did 90 percent of the work inside, even putting in the
electrical wires and wall sockets. You see, I also had another friend who
was a "jack of all trades." You may wonder what "'made in the workshop. I
made a bookcase, a desk out of a sewing machine cabinet (which was never
finished), and ray first collection cabinet, but that was torn down. Now I
am making my second attempt at a larger china cabinet. You see, a long
time ago Perkins, my school, did not teach me all the tricks in woodwork of
how to run power tools, so I have had to teach myself the hard and long way,
with many failures and worlds of patience, but not with perfection, because
I destroy them, when things go wrong. I have made many other things,
such as tables out of closet doors, a small storage shed for the lawn
mower, a machine that cuts grass, and made a large box for storing lumber.
I had to destroy it though, because the wall and the wood box became warped
and I had to put in a new wall, I mean the outside wall, and cover up the
whole outside with roofing shingles to protect the wood from the weather,
I hope most of you will be interested in hearing a little about
the religious part of my life. To make things brief and to the point, first
of all, I had a fine christian teacher as a little boy, who had the Love of
God and taught me about Jesus and the Cross. As a young man, I studied many
different churches, but found nothing I was looking for. Then in the last
few years after my Sister in the Holy Spirit showed me through her Testimony
what the Lord did for her, the Lord came into my life, and I received
the joy of the Holy Spirit. Jesus our Living Son g€ God IS the Living Son,
who was given to us, that by dying on the Cross, iie set us free from sin, I
rejoice in the Lord, because the Catholics nowadays have more freedom to
read the Bible, but the most important gift I believe is Jesus Christ as our
personal saviour. I am not here to preach, but to sharfe the Lord with you.
I wish you to feel free to Praise the Lord and not to bu ashamed to confess
the Lord with the mouth, believing in the heart that God raised Christ from
the dead.
Now let me take you back 25 or so years ago and tell you the most
exciting thing that ever happened to me. When I moved to Kansas City, a
big city 90 miles from my hometown Sedalia, Missouri, I knew nothing about
the city and felt lost among strangers in a strange place, I was introduced
to some church friends and thstitook me into their family. The fi^st day they
took me home to dinner. After the meal, we sat around the table, and talked
for three hours about the city, names of streets, buses, and her oldest son
made up some instruction cards and took me to the bus. He got in the car,
and followed me as I learned how to hand the card to the driver. When
he tapped me on the knee, I got off. Max met me, showed me how to transfer
to another bus line. Whew I was excited and nervous, but that was the
greatest experience and joy to be able to travel alone. After one year, I
even took my first long-distance train ride alone. I have flown in the
airplane several times alone, but someone drives me to the airport, and
someone meets me when I get off.
For the first few years as homeowners, we tried our hands at
gardening and planted many kinds of flowers and plants. When the season
was finished for the year, and the plants went to sleep, they looked just
like weeds. I dug them up by mistake so we gave up gardening, but occasionally
we do plant tomatoes. When Betty and I both experienced poison ivy from
working in the flower bed or pulling up weeds, we gave up most of the outdoor
work, because poison ivy is so unpleasnt.
In the early years in our home, I attempted grass cutting two
ways. One way, with a drum in the center of the yard, and a cable from the
center to the edge of the yard. As I pusbfthe lawn mower around and around,
the circle got: smaller and smaller, but the four corners of the yard did
not get cut, so I had to walk around looking for the corners and cut the
grass by feeling with the foot or hand. Another way, putting up pipes,
and stringing up thin ropes two feet apart, stretched between two pipes.
Then after finishing, take everything down and put them away. That
consumed a lot of time. Now we hire other boys to cut it for us.
For the first many years at the Peterson Mfg. Company where I work
now, I used to assemble lights for trailer trucks but got so worn out, and
so very sleepy from doing the same thing year after year. Then I worked on
the pump jline making tire pumps, but +hen I got oil into the skin of my legs
and arms % caused me some skin discomfort, so I gave it up and went back to
light making. About 3 years ago the light assembly line was discontinued,
and they put us in another department where we do many different kinds of
jobs. I like it so much better than the light making job, which was so hard
on the hands and left me completely exhausted at the end of every day.
For one year, while Betty was at Perkins, I worked at the Braille
writer factory, which was right on the Perkins ground, I did many kinds
of jobs, some of them were very tedious and delicate, I even worked wityi
some parts so tiny that I had to powder my handsfbo Hep the parts from
sticking to the skin. We did nolajLike living in Boston very well, and were
so happy to return to our own cozy house,
Because of my dependence on the Tadoma method, I sometimes run
into strangers who are cold and refuse to put my hand to their face even after
I give them my special instruction card, which tells them how to talk to me.
So that means I had to walk away from them and find another more friendly
person, more willing to try to talk to me.
Jobs I have done, but they were very brief, for a few weeks t making
mattresses and box springs, which is very good; \n a battery company for
trucks, cars and tractors, a very bad job for the blind, unless they work
in a shipping department which is easier on the hands; and making ropes
for horses, very good work but not enough business.
Testimonial Of My Life Experiences
Betty K. Dowdy
I was born deaf and I went to a school for oral deaf at the age of
four. At the school, the teachers did an excellent job teaching me how to
read lips and speak fluently. When I was 8 years old, the teacher took me
to an eye doctor because I had some problems with my vision, such as near-
sightedness, tunnel vision, and night blindness. The doctor confirmed that
I was suffering from the disease of Retinitis Pigmentosa. I had to sit
close to the teacher to read her lips. I could not read some papers that
wore written with a fine pencil, so I asked everybody to write with a
heavier pen. When I graduated, I was able to read lips fairly well and to
speak clearly enough to enter a public high school. During the four years
in high school, I was one of the very few deaf at the school, but I was able
to adjust quite well.
When I was in Gallaudate College, the only college for the deaf,
my vision began to worsen so I had to go through college with some difficulty.
Reading books caused me a lot of eye strain and when ever I went outdoors,
I had to wear two pairs of sunglasses. I had to wear glasses with sunglasses
clipped to them. When communicating with other students who used the
deaf sign language, reading signs was difficult for me. Because the signs
got out of the range of my limited vision, I prefered to use the Manual
Alphabet.
Shortly after my graduation in 1950, my mother died of cancer.
I did the housekeeping and cooking for my father. After a year I got a
job in a mattress factory, a workshop for the blind. During my employment
at the workshop, I was taught how to read Braille . In 195^, the vocational
rehabilitation for the blind decided I was capable enough to be transf ered
to be able to work at the hospital. I am still working at the same place and
its been twenty- three years. Now I am blind with very little light
perception. For recreation and fellowship, I used to go to the club for
the deaf every Saturday, One Saturday, in 1956, the preacher brought
Leonard Dowdy to the club and there I met him and because it was leap year,
I asked him to go out with me. We dated for 5 months before we got married.
It was a tough decision to marry a deaf -blind man, but we seemed to be very
compatible, so I thought it was alright. I was very impressed in Leonard
for being so independent and being capable of doing so many things, such as,
travelling on buses to and from work, communicating with the hearing
people, cooking, and woodworking. W# lived in a three room apartment for
5 years. After that, we bought our own home. During our early marriage, as
we sat side by side, Leonard would be reading Braille, I would be watching
television, which very close beside me. Reading the newspaper became harder.
When I noticed Leonard laughing while reading Braille, I was very jealous
because I was missing reading the good things, so I had to learn how to
read Braille, Now, reading is my favorite entertainment.
When we lived in the apartment our doorbell was connected to a
light which I could see from each of the three rooms, but Leonard could
not see the light. So, if a visitor knew Leonard was home, he would
stamp his feet at the door to get Leonards attention. When we bought a
home of our very own, the light system was discontinued. We hooked a fan
on wheels to the rtoorbell system and we rolled it from room to room with
a long trailing cord. Later we got tired of moving the fan around because
I was too active. We then decided to buy six fans, one for each room,
including the bathrorm. They were hoisted up in the corner of each room
near the ceiling, out of the way. Later we had our own telephone which was
also hooked up to the same doorbell unit. So whera the fans start blowing
we have to check the phone first and then go to the door. ,
When I could no longer read lips by sight, I took 1 year of
training at Perkins in 1966, to learn the new method through vibration,
called Tadoma. I was able to understand my teacher a little, but could not
understand other people, I was discouraged and felt I was too old to
learn the Tadoma method. MX means of communication with other people
is, the sign language, the Manual Alphabet, or printing on the palm of the
hand, Leonard is still ahead of me since he is an expert at the Tadoma method
At home we hired a secretary to help us with our banking, paying
the bills, reading mail, getting groceries, and making phone calls. She
visits us about twice a week. Whenever I need her for extra help, I call
her on the phone and ask her questions. She responds with saying yes three
times or no once and I am able to feel the vibrations in a speaker next to
the phone. Recently we became the proud owners of a Braille Telephone
Teletype (TTY). this machine is our biggest blessing because it lets me
communicate with other deaf people who own the TTT. I feel all deaf -blind
people should own this machine, but unfortunately it is still very expensive..
We are active in the church and go there 3 times a week. There are
many deaf people in the church and some of them act as our interpreters.
We like to travel to anywhere in the USA, 2 times ajyear, to one of the
conventions for the deaf or deaf -blind. This way we are assured of mAny
volunteers to assist us.
We have held jobs for many years and make a comfortable Having.
Although there are not many services for the deaf -blind in our city, we
are thankful because we can keep many friends to help us when we need it.
Inspite of our double handicaps we seem to do as well as others around us.
Recently we celebrated our 21st wedding anniversary and I have not regreted
marrying Leonard. I have never been depressed over my handicap because
I am reminded of my husband who has the same handicaps. We keep ourselves
busy so we do not get bored. Leonard is a "jack of all trades" and is
able to r^^^air some things around the home. We try to keep our shelves
stocked with food. We have special compartmantsi in our cupboard for keeping
canned goods. We have extra supplies of household goods and clothes, so
we never run out of neccessities , Occas ionally we make mistakes, such
as opening the wrong oan, burning food, or ioismatching socks. We do know
that other people around us do make mistakes, too.
We like to help other deaf blind people and share our ideas and
experiences with them. Leonard and I have some problems, such as trying
to find each other in the house or outside. When inside, if we cannot find
each other, one of us would ring the door fan and if outside, we have a
buzzer hooked to the doorbell system which has a long trailing cord
about 50 feet long.
THE HANDICAfPEU: INTEGRATION Ok SEGREGATION?
Jose Geraldo Silveira Bueno
RESUME"
The author analyzes rhe problem of the social integration of
the handicapped, from rhe following premise: are there real
possibilities of integration for the handicapped?
In the first place, he analyzes the aims of the education of
the handicapped and reaches the conclusion that they must be
of integration in the general social environment, even thougn
the concrete results obtained are far from desiradle. So
far, very little has been aone for the effective insertion of
the handicapped in his community: the majority of results are
still not heart-warming and a great number of professionals
seem content with analyzing one specific aspect, such as pro-
fessionalization, and few analyze the problem in a general sense
Although the problems are still immense and the results not
yet satisfactory, the author aoes not. feel that the solution
lies in incentivating and helping to create isolated sub-
communities ot handicapped. The real sense of a democratic so-
ciety is to provide a productive, conscious and Individually
satisfying participation both of those who can be considered
the "majority as well as the "minorities, be they racial, reli-
gious, political or of handicapped. The creation of sub-commu-
nities may facilitate the joo of the authorities, out it is
not, in any way, the best solution for the minorities.
In second place, the author analyzes the various aspects that
comprise the social integration of the handicapped, the factors
relating to his future family life, his professional activities,
and, finally, his role as an efiective member of a community.
.02.
Then, the author analyzes the pr$:iples and processes ot rehabili-
tation and their relation to social integration. He indicates a
falacy, which to his mind is probably the most important: the fact
that educators try, at any price, to fit an entire population of
handicapped into their theoretical scheme of references. These
references should serve as a guide-line for the work of the tech-
nician, but each individual should be evaluated separately, as
well as his environment, so that the procedures used in his reha-
bilitation be the most suited to his needs and of feasible appli-
cation in tne milieu it is done, what we cannot permit is that
professionals keep warring and trying to prove that their proce-
dures are the most correct and efficient because tney are based
in a more correct body of theoretical principles. This dispute is
highly wholesome when studies are being made to further the under-
standing of the problems of the handicapped, but not when it in-
volves human beings in a dispute which may bring us recognition
but that will inevitably be harmful to the very individuals we
claim are the very essence of our work. As an example he points
out the ever present debate between residential schools, day
schools and the various systems of medical attendance. The
partisans of eacn of these systems tend to foster this steril
and fruitless competition, whose results are highly negative
tor the handicapped individual, who should be the center and aim
of our activities , and not of an irrational dispute.
Another point that requires attention is the area of action neces-
ef fective
sary to permit the/integration of the handicapped. Therefore he
analyzes the four areas he considers fundamental: a) the prepa-
ration of the handicapped; b) the preparation of his parents;
c) the preparation 01 the professionals; d) the preparation of
the community. ■
.Oj.
Finally, the author presents a few suggestion on now to benetit
trom the lessons learned from specialized text-books, ana those
that practical experience has taught us, so that we may accom-
plish, better and better, the work of socially integrating the
nandicapped.
_X>MFT.
Diagnosis, evaluation and educationale programming
of deaf-blind children.
Speech to be given at the First Brazilian Seminar for the
Education of th Deaf-Blind in Sao Paulo November 6-12, 1977
by Miss Lieke de Leuvu
I am very honored to be able to ■ participate in the First
Brazilian Seminar for the Education of the Deaf-Blind here
in Sao Paulo.
This First Brazilian Seminar for the Education of the Deaf-
Blind is a historical highlight of paramount interest in the
history of special education in Brazil, even in Latin America.
I congratulate the organizing committee especially the
president Mr. Geraldo Sandoval de Andrade. Also congratulations
to the programming committees with their successes in their
extensive work.
Our deaf-blind department of the Institute for the Deaf in
Sint Michielsgestel , the Netherlands maintains relations,
already for many years with Miss Neusa Bassetto from Sao Caetano
do Sul and Mrs. Beatriz Ana Rosini de Laurino from. Cordoba in Argentin,
Both ladies had participated in the teacher-training course for
teachers of the deaf-blind in our Institute for the Deaf in 1969
and 1973* Frequent correspondence takes place between Sao
Caetano do Sul and the Netherlands on all kinds of subjects
concerning deaf-blind children. Miss Neusa Bassetto has impressed
us as a very idealistic, hard working, and knowledgeable woman.
Last July seven members of our staff of the Institute for the
Deaf in St .Michielsgestel had come to Rio de Janeiro to conduct
a two week training course for teachers of the deaf. Sixty-two
participants from all over Brazil had come tc Rio de Janeiro.
The need for this course was felt by a Dutch mother of a deaf
girl who lives in Brazil for over thirty years* Mrs May Bijleveld
do Couto initiated ' the idea for this training course fox- teachers
of the deaf.
The realization had taken place by her inspiration and through
national and federal cooperation of persons and agencies such as:
- Diretora Professora Sarah Couto Cesar of Centro Nacional de
Educa-'ao Especial
- Professora Myrthes de Luca Wenzel of Secretaria de Educacao e
Cultura do Estado do Rio de Janeiro. -
- Professora Esther Ozon Montfort of Assessoria de Desenvolvimento
de Recuraos Humanos.
and many others.
During the three weeks in Ric de Janeiro I gained soms information
on the tremendous problems the nation of Brazil has to face in
education:
- the enormous number of normal school age children which have
to be served.
- the shortage of trained and qualified teachers.
- the shortage of schooibuildings and schooloquipment .
- the long distances the children have to travel in thia vast
country.
- the illiteracy of so many parents.
-2-
And most striking in special education:
- the late ages of referral to special programs for the deaf
- un3uf f icient diagnosis and differentiation within the
category of handicaps.
- the little number of hours per day or per week the child
was able to receive training and education.
However, the visits to several school for the deaf in Rio and
the lectures to the teachers impressed me greatly. The idealism
of the Brazilian teachei's, the love and onderstanding they
showed for their children, was very impressive.
Idealism, love for children, intuition are very importent
characteristics for all teachers especially fcr teachers of the
deaf-blind. But these qualities are not enough. The education
of deaf-blind children is very difficult indeed.
The training and education of deaf-blind children must be based
on sound theoretical foundations in the teachers in order to
free deaf-blind children out of their tremendous isolation.
Each deaf-blind child has to reach his or hers utmost capacity.
That is the child's human right and the adults obligation.
•3-
5.
The deaf-blind department .in Sint Michielsgestel, the Netherlands
Just as a scheme of reference I would like to give some
information about the education of deaf-blind children in the
Netherlands. The deaf-blind department San Rafael is located
on the campus of the Institute for the Deaf in St .Michielsgestel .
It is the only department for deaf-blind children
in the Netherlands which offers an educational program.
Because of the fact that no facilities are available in Belgium,
we do accept children from Belgium from Flemish speaking parents.
The Netherlands is a very small country in comparison to 'Brazil*
only 350 kilometers from north to south and 250 kilometers from
east to west. The country counts 13i? million inhabitants.
The Institute for the Deaf is the only catholic school for the deaf
in the Netherlands. Thi3 institute was founded in 1840 and is a
partially private organization. Priests, brothers and sisters had
always played a very important role in the care and the education
in our institute. Al this moment about 500 pre-lingually deaf
pupils are enrolled. Practically all of them are residential
students. I emphasize the term deaf. In many countries the
definition deaf is used very loosely. According to our philosophy
the term deaf and hard-of-hearing has to be defined as follows:
- a child will be called deaf when is hearing loss is so severe
that - even with the best amplification and with the best possible
auditory training-he never will reach a level of understanding
speech mainly by hearing v. Uden 1951, 19&8).
Usually the child's hearing loss is over 90 dB Fletcher-index,
I.S.O. The deaf child has to acquire language mainly by his
visual sense, namely by lipreading. His residual hearing has to
be trained to support his lipreading.
"Nevertheless all these children can wear hearing aids, even
the deafest among them, as a help for lipreading, especially
with respect to the rhythm of language". (v.Uden 1952. 1968)
- a child will be called hard-of-hearing when he can acquire
language by its main channel of hearing. Lipreading has to
be trained to supplement the auditory input.
The term "pre-lingual" is used when the hearing loss is congenital
or acquired before the age of three and the child has not yet
acquired a symbolic system (v.Uden 1968).
The educational program for deaf children and children who are
hard-of hearing is different,. This requires school solely for
the deaf and solely for the hard-of-hearing.
Ve have in our country 5 schools for the deaf and approximately
20 schools for the hard-of-hearing.
In our Institute for the Deaf all deaf children, also the
multihandicapped, are educated orally as much as possible.
The normal deaf children are educated purely orally according
to the maternal reflective method developed by Dr. A. van Uden
(v.Uden 1952, 1968).
In comparison to other deaf-blind departments in the world our
deaf-blind department is relatively young in existence. In 1961
the first deaf-blind ruoella girl was admitted in the Institute.
In January 1 962 we started the deaf-blind department with 5
rubella children in a small house, hue to the increase of enroll-
ments a new building had to be designed in 1967* As far as I know
it is the first new building in the world especially designed
for deaf-blind children. <-
According to our phylosophy school and residential setting must
be fully integrated in one continuum program during the children's
waking hours. No separate school building and no separate residential
building have been built. School and residence ax-e fully integrated
in one building.
The way a mother educates her little child in hex- home, the way
she engages the child in all the domestic activities such as setting
the table, cleaning up, doing the dishes etc. was kept in mind
for educational programming.
At this moment 20 children are enrolled and all are residents.
Their ages range from 3 to 20 years of age. Nine classroom teachers
and 27 houseparents or child-care workers are serving these
children daily. Also other teachers and specialists are working
for special classes and subjects such as speech, gymnastics,
swimming, physio-therapiy , music, mobility-training, arts and
crafts, coocking and home economics, prevocational training etc.
The 28 children are divided over 5 units, 5 groups. Arranging
these children in groups is very, very difficult but has to be
done carefully especially from educational point of view. The
children should be combined in a group according to their level
of functioning and the communication method they use. A child
who can acquire oral language should not be in the same group
where f ingerspelling or signing is used by other children.
The criteria for placing the child in the right group - the level
of functioning and the method of communication - can only be
found by good diagnosis and evaluation of the child. Medical and
psycho-educational assessment should be done by very experienced
and knowledgeable specialists.
However, the right medical indentif ication of deaf-blindne3S is
a pre-requisite in order to refer the child for psycho-educational-
assessment. Medically spoken deaf-blind children are very complex.
They require services and treatments of many specialists such as
ophthalmologist, otologist and audiologist, pediatrician, cardio-
logist, pediatric neurologist etc. So many deaf-blind children
are not properly indentified because they are the first ones
each specialist meets in his practice.
It still happens in our country too!
Especially ophthalmologists and audiologists are looking for
specific defined definitions of blindness and deafness in these
children. Many children are not able to cooperate during the
traditional assessment procedures and are sent hone. An other
examination will be advised to the parents and child some months
later. Very important time for early stimulation and intervention
are lost from developmental and educational point of view.
-5-
If no coordination tak-e«— place betveen the medical specialists
correct diagnosis of a deaf-blind child does not take place due to
unfamiliarity with the definition of deaf-blindness and due to
lack .of knowledge of deaf-blind children especially rubella children.
Deaf-blind children are easily misdiagnosed as severly mentally
retarded. They will be referred to institutions for the mentally
retarded without proper psycho-educational assessment. Early
identification and diagnosis of deaf-blindness in children and
early referral is urgently requested from all the medical
disciplines in order to start early intervention for child and
parents .
In some countries identification and diagnosis takes place in
special diagnostic centers by a multidisciplinary team of medical
and educational specialists (Curtis and Donlon, 1 9^9 ) or by an
interdisciplinairy approach "using a number of specialists but
arranging for actual inperson exchange between the specialists
and even mutual, simultaneous observation of a child" (Robbins
1975, 1977).
In our country no law exists which doctors oblige to register
a handicapped child. Referrals of children to our deaf-blind
department come from hospitals, audiological centers, parents,
schools for the deaf or hard~of-hearing etc. Usually the children
have been seen by many medical specialists. The medical coordinator
of our Institute, an otologist, collects all the possible information
on medical history of the child and the family. Also the social
worker of our home-training program visits parents and child at
home. She prepares the family for the psycho-educational assessment
at. the deaf-blind department. In some cases the social worker
and I go to the family together to assess the child first in his
familiar environment. I usually videotape the child at home for
eome minutes, The following areas are taped:
1 ) an unstructured situation:
the child is free to accupy himself the way be prefers the most.
During these unstimulated minutes we observe all kinds of
stereotyped or autislike behavior patterns.
2) a parent-child interaction:
the parents are asked to show activities the child likes the
most for interaction.
3) a task orientation:
the parents are asked to introduce new tasks the child which,
he or she had not done before.
4) a self-help skill:
usually drinking or eating.
For more detailed information on a video-tape protocol for
examination of multi handicapped deaf-blind see the publication
of Curtis and Donlon 1972.
Diagnosis and evaluation
One of the most difficult jobs we can encouter in the field of
education is the diagnosis and the evaluation of deaf-blind
children.
Why are diagnosis and evaluation of deaf-blind children so
extremely difficult?
First of all the deaf-blind population itself is so immensely
varied and complicated.
The composition of the group of children who belong to the
education of the deaf-blind is very small and heterogeneous
in comparison to children who belong to the education of the deaf
or the education of the blind.
According to the world wide accepted defintion of deaf-blindness we
consider children deaf-blind as:
".... children who have auditory and visual handicaps , the combination
of which causes such severe communication and other developmental
and educational problems that they can not properly be accommodated
in special education programs solely for the hearing handicapped
child or for the visually handicapped" (Centers and services for
Deaf-Blind children, 1973).
The deaf-blind children have auditory and visual impairments in
great varieties of combinations, namely profoundly deaf- and
totally blind to hard-of-hearing and partially sighted.
Besides the variety of sensori inpairments we meet in our 11 boys
and 17 girls
1) a diversity of etiologies causing the handicaps
2) a diversity of age 3 of onset of the sensori impairments
3) a diversity of additional physical handicaps
4) a diversity of ages of referral to and enrollment into a program
5) a diversity of developmental level of functioning
6) a diversity of intelligence
7) a diversity of behavioral and emotional disturbances
8; a diversity of learning disorders
ad 1. diversity of etiologies:
in our department we find the following etiologies as causes
of deaf-blindness:
- Maternal rubella (7 boys and 8 girls)
- Usher's syndrome (2 boys and 1 girl)
- Rhesusfactor with eevere myopia gravis and amblyopia (2, girls)
- Toxoplasmosis? (1 girl)
- Prematurity and hydrocephaly (1 girl)
- Prematurity with multiple birth-defects (1 girl)
- Braintumor (1 girl)
- Unknown ( 1 boy and 2 girls)
ad 2. diversity of ages of onset:
The age of onset of the dual sensori impaiment in above
mentioned etiologies varies greatly. In maternal rubella,
toxoplasmosis, but also in cytomegalovirus or syphilis, we
are dealing with congenital infections and impairments of
both senses at the same time.
In meningitis and brain tumor the dual sensori impairment
is acquired postnatally and either pre-or post tin gnally.
However, in children suffering from Usher's Syndrome deafness
can be diagnosed quite early in comparison to their progressive
visual impairment.
Only by vory sophisticated screening procedures such as
E.R.G. or E.O.C. one may be sure at the age of 5 - 6 that children<
have tapo to-retinal degeneration.
ad 5« diversity of additional physical handicaps:
besides t. ho hearing and visual impairments many additional
pshysica] handicaps can be registered especially in rubella
children.
The most common additional handicaps are: heartdef ects ,
neurological impairments such as seizures, cleft palate, severe
motor problems due to cerebral palsy , metabolic disorders etc.
ad 4. diversity of ages of referral:
out of the 28 children only A children could be enrolled
before their fourth birthday. Nine children had a been enrolled
between their fourth and fifth birthday. Nine children had been
enrolled between their fifth and seventh birthday.
This groan had either no program at all or they had been in
daycaro centers for the multihandicapped in their local community.
Six children had been enrolled after their seventh birthday
with no adequate education to their specific needs. Almost 50
percent of the population in our department had been referred
before the age of five.
However, many children had not been provided with a hearing aid
and/or glasses or had not learned to wear the&m before entrance.
ad 5. diversity of developmental level of functioning:
due to the sensory deprivation either through late medical
and auditory remediation or through lack of developmental
stimulation we can encounter low functioning children. Some-
times those children function even under half below their
chronological age - on scales for developmental assessment.
Some children score only one or two years below their age level.
ad 6. diversity of intelligence:
as in the normal population we find the scala of spreading
of the intelligence. However, due to the dual sensori
impairments the intellectuel capacity of many children is
difficult to test especially when they show severe behavioral
and emotional problems.
ad 7» diversity in behavioral and emotional problems:
the group of rubella children may show severe behavioral and
emotional problems.
Especially the severely handicapped rubella children may .
show bizarre stereotyped behavior patterns which show resem-
blance of children with autisme. This autistic like behavior or
stereotype behavior may be the result of early infantile
depri vat ion or may manifest itself on the base of brain
damage .
Besides autistic like behavior we may see severe eating and
chewing problems, sleeping problems, suddenly change in mood
without apparent reason etc.
Besides she above described rubella children, we have children
who function much more socially and show much more interest
in the world of persons and the world of objects.
The children with Usher's Syndrome may develop as normal deaf
children, but who after very careful observation show problems
in mobility inside and outside especially at night.
-8-
a.
Tunnelvision and nightblindness make them insecure behavioral
and emotional wise.
ad 8* diversity of learning disorders:
through intensive research by Dr. A. van Uden (1968, 1970)
and Drs.J. van Dijk (1971 ) better insight had been gained
in the learning and communication disorders in deaf and
deaf-blind children. This will be discusses later in more
detail.
It is a fact that the deaf-blind population is so varied and
complex that standardized tests for psycho-educati onal assessment
are not available as such.
Only by very refined and tenuous clinical observation we cah get
an idea where to start for assessment and where to look for
educational planning.
A) the most difficult group of children to assess are those who
are not motorically involved in their environment, who are not
ambulatory either due to physical conditions and/ or immaturity
or to lack of appeal of the outer world. These children exhibit
severe stereotyped or autisticliko behavior patterns. They do
not imitate.
They are not interested in the world of persons, objects, pictures
etc. This group functions at the level of sensation. Their residual
vision and hearing are not yet developed as distance senses as such.
They only use their residual vision and hearing for bodily
sensation and not to get information from the outer world. As a
matter of fact the outer world does not exist for them.
"A personal, f eely-chosen, reflective and conscious connection
of these children with their outer world fails to develop. They
live an auto-erotic life, an unconscious, pathic and bodily life.
On this undifferentiate] pathic level of existence the child's
body experiences things subjectively; it functions in its totality
as a source of pleasure" (Prick 1971 )•
It is very hard to find an element of intentionality in the
behavior of these children - intentionality towards the world of
people and/or the world of objects, Usually ly observing these
children in an unstimulated environment we see a very broad variety
•of stereotyped or autisticlike behavior patterns e.g. stimulation
of the proprioceptive and kinesthetic sense by rolling, rocking,
spinning around, waving their hands, hyperventilation etc.
Other childeren enjoy sensation of all kinds of visual stimulation
such as lightgazing, moving all kinds of shiny objects in front
of their eyes, fingergazing. Other children may enjoy, tactile
stimulation by rubbing their body especialev their genitals,
rubbing objects with their mouth and/or fingers , tactile-auditory
■ stimulation by ear pumping etc.
By close observation and by applying the technique of operant
conditioning we look for the most enjoyable avenue for the
child e.g. vision, vibration, movements. One of these modalities
can be used as reinforcer for further conditioning techniques
either according to the classical or the operant way.
The examiner should by very sensitive to the most tenuous sign of
behavior in the child e.g. sucking movements, vocalization or
any other motor expression.
These slightest and most delicate body expressions should be
used to condition in order to elucite the orientative reflex.
By counting the number of trials until the child develops the
requires response we may get some information on the speed of
learning to develop anticipatory behavior.
The modality the child likes the most e.g. the proprio-
kinesthetic sense or visual sense must become the avenue for
further training and educational prcgi amming.
-10-
.10,
In case no anticipation develops and the conditioning techniques
are too difficult to apply we consider these children too
severely retarded to be enrolled^ in our educational program.
These children will be referred to an institution for the blind
mentally retarded. This group of children will need custodial
care for the rest of their lives. However, they need a very good
stimulating program which focalize upon training especially in
dependent living skills.
>r
To summarize:
in this difficult group of children described above we look fo:
the right reinforcer to be used for operant 01? classical
conditioning.
We carefully observe the speed of learning anticipatory behavior
patterns. Besides these criteria the social maturity should be
assessed e.g. by the Maxfield-Buchholtz scale for preschool blind
children.
If the visual loss is not too severe we use our
developmental scale for young deaf children (v.Uden 1 97 5 ) •
Other early developmental scales for cognitieve development
may be used "as a springboard for crucial observations related
to the child management" (Robbins, 1977) •
- the Gesell Developmental Tests
- the Cattel Infant Scale
- the Bayley Scales of Infant Development
- the Denver Developmental Scale
In order to get better insight in the deviant behavior and the
emotional development of the child we use the following inven-
tories as parameters for further study and guidance:
- an inventory on austistic behavior van Uden 1974> van Dijk,
de Leuw 1975
- an inventory on desolation syndrome van Uden 1969
These inventories will be filled out together with the parents
to discuss and explain the deviant behavior in their child and
their own attitude towards the child. Their attitude may be:
overprotecting or overdemanding their child, as well as spoiling
or neglecting.
By filling out the inventories e.g. one time per year we gain
a better insight in behavioral change of the child over a period
of time.
The inventory on autistic behavior is based on the theoretical
philosophy of autism and infantile autism of authors such as
Kanner, Prick, Rimland, Rutter and others, but has been
modified to over deaf-blind children.
The inventory lists 100 items on all kinds of observable deviant
behavior such,- as rocking, eyepoking, compulsive behavior such as
sameness, closing/opening doors, interest in mechanical toys etc.
The inventory on desolation syndrome had been develop by van Uden
(1969» 1973) «He prefers the term "desolation-syndrome" instead
of neglection of affection or maternal deprivation.
These terms may give the impression that the parents are the
cause of the child's behavior, which is not true in so many cases
This inventory deals with the relation and interaction of parents
and child. If the parents accept their child and if the child
feels himself accepted.
•11
11.
B) An other group of children iunctions on a higher developmental
level. They are motorically and socially more matured. They
are more able to cope v/ith newly introduced
stimuli.
They have established some intentionality r towards their outer
world,, towards the world of persons and objects . .Stereotyped or
autisticlikejbehavior patterns may be also observed in this
group, however the patterns are not so severe. They are more
easily to be interfered.
By close observation of the behavior and by play with the child
we find some good reinforcers which can be used for condioning
techniques either the operart or classical way.
These children develop the required response after 2-3 trials
and learn to develop anticipatory behavior much quicker.
Most of these children like a flash light or another light
source. In some ca:;es the use of slides can be applied even
when no pictoral representat ion had been developed. These children
are able to show the beginning of imitative behavior.
The ability to anticipate and to imitate are the most important
critera for the development of the language acquisition
When anticipation and imitation are present the introduction
of natural signs can be initiated as a first step towards language
acquisition (v.Dijk 1965)*
We should be aware of the fact that learning disabilities may
manifest itself already in this group of children.
In imitating body movements we can observe severe problems in
spatial relationships, esp. in the imitation of a— symmetric
body positions. Secondly we may observe dificulties when they
have to imitate a natural sign. They do not remember the
sequence of movements to produce a sign. Thisi© caused by their
problems in intransitive movements.
If intentionality, imitation and attention towards visual
stimuli is present in the child the examiner may use many
more tests during his assessment e.g. tests for cognitive
functioning: - Hiskey - Nebraskatest of learning aptitude
for the deaf
- Leiter international performance scale
- Sni jders-Oomen non-verbal test
- Wechler preschool and primary scale of
intelligence (WPPSl)
- Ontario school ability examination
-12-
12.
C. The last group of children to be discuss 3d is the group of rubella
children in the deaf-blind department wh) develop themselves reia-
tivily very well. Language acquisition s barts to develop. They impress
visitors by their normal intelligence ani good educational potentials
However assessing this group of children they resemble a broad
variety of disorders in language acquisition.
Also congenitally deaf children with progessive visual loss such
as children with Usher's Syndrome or meningitis cases belong to
this category.
Through the intensive research of v# Uden (1968) and v. Dijk ( 1 97 1 )
better insight had been developed in the language and learning
disorders of our deaf-blind children. According to the findings
of v. Uden 20 to 2^°/o of the deaf population of our Institute
do show learning problems ^ which hampers language acquisition
solely orally according to the matenial reflective method (v. Uden 1 968 )
They fail to learn to speak fluently despite normal intelligence,
enormous efforts of the staff and a good educational program.
Clumsiness of behavior or dyspraxia is the basic f
disorder in this group of children.
"Eupraxia can be described as planned behaviour, behaviour
according to planned movements. It entails being able to
find and coordinate one's limbs quickly and correctly, being able
to steer, retain and reproduce movements. This planned behaviour
does not only concern the major, but also the fine motor functions
(articulo-motor function)". (v. Dijk, v.Uden 1 97 6 ) .
We encounter dyspracxialt in practically all our congenitally
deaf-blind children.
Dyspraxia is the result of neurologi cal disorders and the
underdeveloped sensorimotor functions, Due Hthe lack of intentionality
towards the outer world, eye-hand and eye-foot coordination are
poorely developed. Planned movements are poorly coordinated.
Automatization of the sensorimotor functions does not occur-
due to poor training of the sensorimotor functions as such and
due to impairment of eupraxia.
Another aspect wich has an important impact on dyspraxia is
dysrhythmia.
"One can indeed state that eupraxia and eurhythmies form a strongly
integrated function" ( v.Di jk, v.Uden 1976).
Dyspraxia and dysrhythmia are usually the reason why a deaf child
or a. deaf-blind child articulates, speaks poorly.
An additional disorder is its poor memory for successive data
such as in lipreading. On the other hand the child usually shows
a strong memory for vinu.il simul tu^neous data such as pictures,
geometric figures etc.
The right diagnosis of the dyspraxia, dysrhythmia and poor
memory for successive data are being important for proper
educational programming.
Van Uden had developed a whole test battery to diagnose
the dyspractic' problems in the young children. He uses the
following tests.
(For further information see his book 1968)
- The intransitive motor ability test to
test: a) gross motor coordination of arms and legs
b) gross rhythmic movements of the arms
c) fine movements of she fingers
- The Fine Rhythmic movement "est:
(an adaptation of the Stambak rhythm-test)
- Hiskey-Nebraska test:
subtests e.g. visual attention span, bead patterns, picture
identification and memory for colors.-
-13-
Benton-test :
to reproduce geometric figures
13-
-14-
14.
Educational programming
f
Only by early diagnosis and evaluation of the learing profile
of the child, we can set our educational goals in order to
create the best possible educational facilities for each child.
According to our phylosophy we look for the strong side in the
child to start his education and to train his weak aide as much
as possible.
Education and stimulation should not just take place during the
hours the teachers are present, but should occur all the waking
hours of the child.
Also the mother of a normal child stimulates and educates her child
the whole day.
Parents, teachers and houseparent3 have to work very close together
to realize the unity in educational programming and handling.
This is the reason why our house-parents also teach under the
supervision of the child's teacher. Also parents come as much as
possible to work with their child.
It will not be possible to describe the educational programming in
detail but I will elaborate on the most important aspects of the
described categories of children.
A) The low functioning child
For the difficult, the low functioning children it is of
extreme importance that consistancy in educational handling
and programming is guarded.
The number of adults handling the children should be carefully
watched. Also the activities planned for each day should shew
consistancy and structure.
Only by consistancy and structure we can create a safe and
secure world for this group of children who do not show inten-
tionality in their behavior. A good "person-to - person-relationship'
should be the base for sharing all kinds of fainiliair daily
activities such as bathing, dressing, eating, moving etc. Most
children never experienced the outer world mo torically. Therefore
we start moving with the child in close body contact. We use
very simple rhythmical mouvements the child likes the most such
as swaying together, rocking together etc. By moving mutually
"co-actively" (van Dijk, 1965* 1968), we try to develop signal
behavior in the child. See if we can evoke even the s^mallest
signal in the child by which he expresses his joy to continue-
the movements.
By applying conditioning techniques we try to expend the movement:
into series in order to train anticipation and the sequential
motoric memory as much as possible. Children who are usually
able to remember sequential motoric data will develop signal
behavior and are succesful in the use of natural signs.
Co-active movements should be the base towards developing to
imitative behavior.
Imitation can be supported by pictorial representations and
natural signs.
■15-
15.
B) The imj tating child
Children who are able to imitate have acquired a more reflective
attitude towards the outer world. The world of "immediacy" has
altered.
The element of distance - distance in space and distance in time -
has developed in these children. They are able to "look at" or
"listen to" stimuli from the outer world. Residual vision and hearing
are now developed as distance senses.
We all know that imitation is a basic process of lear'ing.
Imitation should he trained in many different ways e.g.
1 Symmetrical and a-symrnetricai body positions.
2 Imitation of body positions from persons, from dolls or
from pictures.
3 Imitation of seri&i of movements with or without other objects
such as a hat, a bracelet etc.
Children at this level will soon be ready for pictographic conver-
sation. Photo's, pictures and drawings are used to prepare the
child for coming everts. They will be able to point to pictures
or to draw pictures themselves to express their needs.
To develop the right attitude towards language it is very important
to work according to the seizing method( Brown and Bellugi,1 9&4 » v .Uden ,
The base of language acquisition is the exchange of thoughts,
intentions people want to express.
The teacher watches the child very carefully what he wants
to express. At that moment the- teacher gives the correct language
to the child e.g. a sign or a spoken or written language form.
The teacher plays a double role. She says or writes the sentence down
the child is wanting to say in this situation and the teacher
gives her own reaction.
The pictographic conversation will be the base for the spoken
or graphical conversation. (Bell 1884)
-lb-
16.
C) The dispractive child*
The lea ruing profile of the dyspractic child is characterized
by a strong memory for simultaneously presented visual data
and a weak memory successively presented data (v. Uden 1968,
v.Dijk-v.Uden 1976).
This fact is very important for educational programming and the
choice of the communication method. In case we could consist
the oral method for language acquisition, we would always focus
upon the weak side of the childis capacities.
The dispractic child lias problems in lipreading and speech.
However, by using the graphical conversation method we use
the strong side of the dispractic child.
The dialogue between child and adult has to be written down on
paper according to the seizing method described earlier.
The graphical conversation will be the base to develop reading-
speech, lipreading and auditory training. Especially auditory
training needs as much attention as possible.
The degree of auditory loss ad the degree of using residual
hearing will decide if the child will be able to communicate orally
or by f ingerspelling.
Some of the children in this group are able to develop a reading
level of the 4th grade.
For mou? detailed educational programming I refer to the following
publications v. Uden 1968, van Ilijk 1 97 ^ t van LiJK. van Uden 1976.
-17-
17
Conclusion;
According to our phylosophy earle diagnosis, evaluation and
educational planning for deaf-blind children are inseparable.
if the maximum potential of each child is to be realized.
But early diagnosis, evaluation and educational programming
can not bring the sole solution.
In order to be successful in teaching deaf-blind children
there are many more aspects which also are very important such
as:
- good cooperation with the parents and siblings.
- continuity and expertise of the teachers and houseparents .
- very intensive training of the staff especially good theoretical
background of language acquisition and specific learning disorder:
of deaf children.
- school and residential setting should be fully integrated in
order to garantee the unity in the child' 3 treatment.
- good dif f erentiaj. diagnoses of each child to find the strong
side in his learning profile and his individualy needs.
- carefully grouping of children according to their level of the
functioning and the communication method they use.
- good working a thmo sphere among the staff and open communication
with the board of directors which has to support the needs
of its children and staff members.
- provision of enough staffmembers by national and federal
government agencies because deaf-blind children need very
individualized reaching which means that one adult the child
should be available for quite some hours per day and ea.cn
day per week.
iJeaf-blind children are the most handicapped among us. They
are the most dependent human beings. They cannot speak for
themselves. The culture of a country is measured by the care
for handicapped people. The training course for teachers of
the deaf last July in Rio de Janeiro and this First Brazilian
Seminar for the 'Education of the beaf-Blind have impressed me
deeply. I am touched by the big concern of the Brazilian national
and federal government agencies for the field of special.
education. Only by joined efforts of authorities, all available
professional workers and specialists we can be successful in
the very difficult but most challenging field of education, the
education of deaf-blind children.
In Brazil many deaf-blind children are waiting today for
adequate training and education to improve their quality of
life and the lives of their parents.
Selected bibliography;
BELL, A.G.:"Upon a method of teaching language to a very young
congenitally deaf child".
Washington D.C. I8O4.
BROWN, R.and U. BELLUGI:
"Three processes in the child's acquisition of syntax".
Harvard educational Review 34 > 1 9^4 p.131~151.
CENTERS and Services for Leaf-blind Children.
Proposed Rules, Part 121c. 37.
Federal Register, Volume 38, Number 196, October 11,1973.
CHESS, S., S. KORN, P. FERNANDEZ:
"Psychiatric disorders of Children with congenital
Rubella".
New York 1971 .
CURTIS, S. and E. DONLON:
" The development and evaluation of a video-tape
protocal for the examination of mult ihandicapped
deaf-blind children".
Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York Final Report
1972.
DANTONA, R.:
"Demographic data arid status of services for deaf-blind
children in the United States".
in "1900 is NOV/", edited by C. SHERRICK, John Tracy
Clinic, Los Angelos, 1974*
DIJK, J. van:
"The first steps of the deaf-blind child towards
language", in "Teaching deaf-blind children",
Kalundborg, Denmark 19&5«
DIJK, J. van:
"The non-verbal deaf-blind child and his world. His
ougrowth toward the world of symbols", in Verzamelde
Studies, Instituut voor Dover, St .Michielsgestel 1968.
DIJK, J. van:
"/Learning difficulties and deaf-blind children" in
Fourth international conference on the education
of deaf-blind children.
Perkins Scriool for the Blind, Watertown, Mass. U.S. A.
1971.
DIJK, J. van and A. van Uden:
"Problems of Communication in Deaf Children".
The Teacher of the Deaf, March 1976.
EV/ING, I.R. and A.W.G. EV/ING:
"Teaching deaf children to talk", Manchester, 1964.
LEUW, L. DE:
"Theories into Practice. A closer look at the
application of theories on language disorders in
teaching three deaf-blind children".
in Fifth international deaf-blind Seminar, Condover
Hall, 1974.
LEUW, L. DE:
"Tapeto-retinale degeneratie bij prelinguaal dove
kinderen" .
Katholieke Leergangen, Tilburg, 1976.
MYKLEBUST, H.R.:
"The psychology of deafness".
New York 1964.
PRICK, J.:
"Infantile Autistic behavior and experience: a new
clinical picture.
Rotterdam University Press, Holland, 1 971 .
ROBBINS, N. :
"A view from diagnostic arid educational evaluation
services located in a program for deaf-blind students
in a school for the Blind".
Gallandet College, Washington D.C. 1975.
ROBBINS, N.:
"Educational Assessment of Deaf-blind and auditorily-
visually impaired children: a survey".
in "State of the Art" edited by E. LOWELL and C.ROUIN. ^c\}7
UDEN, A. van:
" Le begrippen doofstom, doofstom met gehoorresten,
en slechthorend" .
Ned. T.S. voor Doof s tommenonderwi js , 1951.
UDEN, A. van:
"Een geluidsmethode voor zwaardove kinderen".
St. Michielsgestel, 1952.
UDEN, A. van:
"A world of language for deaf children". Part I,
Basic Principles, St .Michielsgestel 19&8.
UDEN, A. van:
"Eupraxie en spx^aak"
Instituut voor Doven,
Sint Michielsgestel, 1970
VERNON, McCay:
"Overview of Usher's Syndromen. Congenital deafness
and progressive loss of vision".
The Volta Review, February, 1974-
SEMINARIO BRASILEIRO DE EDUCAQAO DE DEFICIENTE AUDIOVISUAL
"REHABILITATION AND HABILITATION
OF THE DEAF-BLIND PERSONS IN THE
FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF GERMANY.
DR. KARL - HEINZ BAASKE
I SEDAV - ABEDEV
"Rehabilitation and Habilitation of the , af-Blind
Persons in the Federal Republic of Germany".
Deaf-fft-ind persons belong to those people, who are bit the
hardest. They lack seeing and hearing. The absence of these two
most important senses leads to an inner isolation and often to a
deviating development of the personality, experiencing is slowed
down decisively, mental and psychic growth is hindered, and
communication is limited. The lack "of seeing and hearing is not
a sum of both factors, but presents' its own form of disability.
Often mental and psychic illnesses appear additionally as
primary or secondary symntoras.
The conceptual world of the deaf-blind person based on his
senses is quantitatively as well as qualitatively different to
the conceptual world of the person's who can se^ and be^r. T'he
sociological development is considerably reduced through an
isolation which can hardly be imagined.
Persons who are born deaf-blind remain mute, unless ve^
specific attention is given to them; mute even in regard to sxptl
language and body language. They lack any form of language
communication with their seeing and hearing surrounding. They
lack the ability to use words in order to take pprt in the
intellectual life of man.
Those persons who were born deaf and blind oanncbt move
around and imitate the behaviour of the people around teem, because,
due to the absence of optical perception thetf do not possess
the stimuli.
All this knov/ledge must not discourage us, but encourage us
to achieve the best that is possible through goal oriented
rehabilitation. It is our task to bring about health, educational,
professional, social, sociological, and personal rehabilitation
and to integrate the deaf-blind persons in 'our country.
We have to take into account that- the visual and auditive
damages of our deaf-blind oersons may involve various combinations.
Besides the kind and the degree of the deprivations of the senses
also the initial stage of the damage to the e/aes and ears i s of
utmost importance in order to take the correct measures for
furthering the deaf-blind. This' results in many different patterns
so that measures for rehabilitation can only he effective if
they are geared seperately to each individual.
Measures are possible via remaining seeing and hearing
capabilities and via haptic, tactile, vibratory:, and
kinasthetical modalities.
The first initiatives to help the deaf-blind children also
in Europe were taken only after the successful education of
Laura Bridp'eman »nd helen Keller before the turn of the century.
In Germany the first deaf-blind child was accepted in 1887 by #>e
director of the Oberlinhaus. Chaplain Foppe . in Potsdam Babel sbere:
and was educated by a teacher for deaf-blind children Gustav
Pi emann. "Around the turn of the century an institution for
deaf-blind persons was created there.
In the Federal Republic of Germany the deaf-blind persons
did not receive any specific attention at first. A few attempts
to provide housing- for them in Stuttgart and. Heidelberg did. not
succeed. As of 1950 I have again and again, called attention to
the fact that the deaf-blind children in our country also have
to be given the chance for an education. But only fen years ag*o
I received the mission to create a department for deaf-blind
students within the School for the Blind in Hannover, however,
after our first efforts it became clear that we could not do
justice to the differentiating assignments of rehabilitation and.
habilifation of the deaf-blind persons in the framework of a
small, annexed department. The number of children who were
waiting in line to be registered for school grew from year to
year, even from month to month. The call of more than S00 deaf-
blind adults for a central, nation-w^-ide rehabilitation center
became louder and louder. Therefore I developped the plan for an
all-inclusive educational home, for a center for deaf-blind
persons. For this center 1 needed a sponsor. The Chairman of the
Bi.indenverband Niedersachsen (Organization of the Blind of
Bower Saxony) accepted this responsibil ity. He founded the
non-profit organization "Deutsches Taubblindenwerk" and he
raised from nublic and private sources the funds for the building
of the Center f or/yDeaf-blind.
In this Center for the Deaf-blind we initiate all steps
and carrv out all measures which are necessary and attainable
-r 3
for the rehabilitation of deaf-blind children and adults.
These tasks are:*
1. Locating the children and adults.
2. Counselling of parents and families.
J). Early care for children below school age and able to attend
school .
4. Education of students in schools.
5. Vocational training of teen-agers.
6. Professional integration.
7. Rehabilitation and continuing- education of adults.
8. Representation of deaf-blind persons in all areas.
From the beginning, these goals were too high for the
Center £or the Deaf-blind; we could not reach back to workable
lesson plans for curriculum planning, we did not have a
sufficiently well trained staff for our educational work, we
had to reduce considerable retardations in our visually and
auditively handicapped children. But ,.we succeeded to increase the
number of students since September 1971 by the factor 5, and
we succeeded to visit continuously additional 150 deaf-blind
children in the Federal Republic of Germany and to counsel their
parents in ten "Mother-Child-Courses" at home.
Deaf-blind persons are reported to us by parents and doctors,
schools for the blind and schools for the deaf, offices of
education, welfare offices, and by organisations for the blind
and deaf. No obligatory reporting of handicapped children is
required in the Federal Republic of Germany.
JX$ September 20, 197? the Deutsche Taubblindenzentrum
(German Center for the Deaf-blind) was inaugurated as a nation-
wide and central educational center andfhome for deaf-blind persons.
The accredited private school for the deaf-blind was founded
as Special Education School already one year earlier, when the
first deaf-blind children from the NiedersachsLsche Landesblinden-
schuleHannover (State School for the Blind of Lower Saxony in
Hannover) moved into the Center for the Deaf-blind.
A subject matter specialist is in charge of pre-school
education.
We offer counselling as a first aid to parents of deaf-blind
children in their own home. The earlier we start this, the
greater is the chance to be able to help the deaf-blind child.
This counselling takes place in cooperation with medical doctors
(specialists). In courses for parents they receive further
suggestions in the Center for earing for their children, dnri^0*
the pre-sohool stage.
Our accredited School for the Deaf-blind is the nucleus of
the Center for the "Deaf-blind. Here we trtf to communicate to the
school- age children a feeline* for our three-dimensional won"1 d
and to at act to this at the same time the language in form of
sound', writing and feeling. Besides we tra to develop the physical
mental., and psychological growth of the students according to
their different talents and we tra to teach them practical skills
and give them room for experiencing.
* Tn our instruction the following principles are valid:
We have to protect t"e deaf-blind child from inner and
outer suffering.
We have to activate and develop all remaining senses of
the deaf-blind child in all aneas.
We have to reduce all behavioural and developmental
disturbances of cfeaf-blind children.
IV e have to familiarize the deaf-blind child with all means
of communication for the deaf-blind and/the technical aids for
the blind.
The education and training of our student-- has to result
in the possibility to carry out a profession w-i ich aereps with
them. Work can give to the deaf-blind person a feeling of self-
assurance and in some cases economic independence.
After the inauguration' of. the Center f>r the Deaf -blind
we had first attempted to train youne' industrial workers. This
attempt failed because of two reasons:
U The first 5 teen-agers were not able to fulfill the
demands of an industrial w -orker and
?. The economic situation had deteriorated to such an extent
that we could not place our deaf-blind, students in industry.
This fact does not release us from the obligation- to gi ve
all deaf-blind persons a vocational or professional training.
Only, satisfying professional work can give the deaf-blind persons
- 5 -
self-assurance and for some of them even economic ind en end ence.
As occupation for- most of the deaf-blind persons certain crafts
for the blind are available. (Weaving, macrame, wicker-work,
brusb making). Since 1975 our deaf-blind are mainly trained in
these occupations in our training workshops. The deaf-blind
person can later practice these acouired skills in workshops for
the blind or at home. When skills and abilities above averse can
be recognised we are trying, naturally, to make additional
professional goals possible.
We agree that we could steroup our students according to
c-ertain criteria, for instance according to the same kind of
^a^iiicFp or the same achievement group or a°e group. We deci.ded
to have family tyre groupings, where each group is guided by
one teacher and four persons with a background in pedagogical
and social science. This team has proven to be effective for the
instruction of deaf-blind students. It presupposes constant
communication, togetherness and. a high degree of human and
professional Qualities. In order to improve the content of
instruction at our school with the differently, talented and
differently handicapped children, curriculum research is done in
cooperation with resoective university professors of the
University Hamburg.
We have in our Center rehabilitation facilities for those
blind persons who became deaf as adults, or those deaf persons
who became blind as adults, or those who lost both senses when
they were adults. We try to give constantly new information and
knowlet'e to some deaf-blind adults. But in the Center for the
Deaf-blind we naturally limit ourself essentially to pre-school,
school, professional and social rehabilitation. However, it has
to be nointed out that we cannot do our work without medical
rehabilitation. It is directed towards functional improvement,
corrective surgical operations, treatment with medicine, and
occupational therapy, physical therapy, or the supply of learning
aids. We carry out this medical rehabilitation in cooperation
with the neighboring School of Medicine (University).
The work with our deaf-blind adults in residence is quite
different than the daily teaching, because we try to create
a homekt our Center for those deaf -blind adults, who did not find
a home anywhere alse upto now. They had to give up their friends
and their familiar surroundings at many places. Therefore we
- 6 -
have developped sponsorships for them with our church community.
Almost half of our deaf-blind persons are employed in the
neighboring workshop for the blind in crafts for the blind.
Others are knitting or "tyey produce artistic wicker work at
home. Letters are folded and put into envelopes, and commissions
from industries in the city of Hannover are carried out.
There is an extended program to fill the leisure time of our
deaf-blind. It includes all areas that are attainable for deaf-
blind persons. Swimmine- and sports, cooking and crafts, reading
Hand games, hiking and sightseeing, celebrating and prayers. In
a cafeteria managed by our Center items for daily needs are for
sale.
The building of our Center for the "Deaf-blind has been
designed such that the whole ground floor is on the same level
and the individual wings are arranged very functionally with
each other.
It is diA/idpd in 5 building parts :
a) 8 pavilions with classrooms and living quarters for male
and f ea^l e students.
b) Entrance Fall, administration, subject matter classrooms
and counselling rooms.
0) Training workshops, vocational school, living quarters for
ex.
^d.ults in residence, and pre-school nursery.
D) living quarters with apartments for deaf-blind youth and
adults .
E) Gymnasium and swimming- pool, bowling alley, arid rhythm room.
We have adjusted our Center to the needs of the deaf-blind
also from a technical point of view. Railings have been installed
in and around, the Center for better orientati/n. A vibration
ledge in front of the elevator indicates the opening of the
elevator door. Several vibration buttons are arranged within the
elevator and indicate on which floor the elevator stops. Rotatinp-
fans replace thepell in the rooms. In every apartment are a
number of electrical outlets to which additional electrical
equipments can be connected and also the Braillomat, a communication
machine for the deaf-blind. Every deaf-blind person can control
from his bed an alarm signal for emergencies. Amplifiers and
induction bands (wireless amplifiers) for increasing the volume
of the sound are in the pavilions, in the gymnasium and rhythm
fcoom.
- 7 -
For accreditation and approval or our school v/e had to
submit/a general draft for our program of instruction. This draft
could onle be a guideline for the daily work with our so
differently talented and handicapped children and does not
suffice on the long run for comprehensive educational work.
Due to the suggestion of the Niedersachsische Kultusministerium
(Ministry of Culture of Lower Saxony) v/e therefore enriched tine
content of instruction at our school through curriculum research
in cooperation with the respective University professors of the
University Hamburg. In order to perform the instruction at the
school more effectively the following committees have to work
out new projects:
1. Committee "Snorts"
2. Committee "Natural Science"
3. Committee "Pre-school and Early Education"
4. Committee "Religious Festivities"
5. Committee "Special Edration Courses" (For children who need
specific additional help)
6. Committee "Manual work in Education"
The School has world-wide contacts with institutions which
educate deaf-blind children just as we do. Representatives of
these schools attended the following international conferences
or seminars:
•1971 US, 1972 Holland, 1973 Austria, 1974- England,
1975 Holland, 1976 Australia.
The Deutsche Taubblindenva?k is in charge of the next
world conference for the education of the deaf-blind in 1980
in H^annover. We know with what kind of expectations the parents,
teachers and educators of deaf-blind children will come to
Hannover. V/e therefore want to show them how hard we try to
further the rteaf-blind child in thelbest possible way.
Karl-Heinz Baaske
Deutsches Taubblinden-Zentrum
Albert-Schweitzer-Hof 27
3000 Hannover 71
Karl-He inz B a a s k e
born 1921,
Studies at the University of Hamburg (pedagogics, pedagogics for
the deaf and blind, phonetics, science of language, psychology,
otology, ophtalinology).
From 1952 on teacher for the deaf and blind and the deaf -blind,
Prom 1965-1971 Dorectpr pf the Deaf-Blind Department of the
School for the Blind of Lower Saxony in Hanover
Initiator of an educational program for deaf-blind children of
the De feral Republic of Germany.
Since 1971 Director of the School for the Deaf-Blind as well as
of the G-erman Deaf -Blind Center in Hanover.
Vice-Director of the G-erman Deaf-Blind Association gGmbH
(Deutsches Taubblindenwerk g.GmbH),
Vice-chairman of the I.A.D.D.B. ,
Board Member of the G-erman Association for the Rehabilitation
of the Handicapped (Deutsche Vereinigung fur die Rehabilitation
Behinderter),
Adviser to the Serman Parity Welfare Association (Deutscher
1 aritatischer Wohlf ahrts-Verband ) ♦
** ** ** **
<y**
Centers and Services for Deaf-Blind Children in
the United States? Their Organization and Operation
fey
Robert Dantona
Coordinator, Centers and Services for Dea-Blind Children
Bureau of Education for the Handicapped, U.S. Office of Education
The devesting and catastrophic force of maternal rubella is well
known throughout the world. Rubella epidemics in Australia, the
United Kingdom and the United States has resulted in countless
thousands of children horn with handicapping conditions and numer-
ous infant deaths due to miscarriages and stillbirths.
In the United States, the savage force of the 1964-65 rubella
epidemic afflicted an estimated 50,000 women during their early
months of pregnancy. Some 20,000 of these pregnancies resulted in
miscarriages or stillbirths, and 30,000 resulted in children born
with one or more handicaps. These handicaps included visual
impairments, hearing impairments, mental retardation, and a
variety of other physical disabilities.
Many of these children v/ere born with two or more of these
disabilities. The Center for Disease Control in Atlanta, Georgia,
had predicted that some 2,500 children would be born deaf -blind as
a result of this epidemic and that the total economic cost for the
education and institutionalization of these children would be over
37 million dollars per year.
Prior to the rubella epidemic there was an estimated 600 deaf -blind
children of school age in the United States. Of this number,
approximately 100 children were enrolled in deaf -blind programs in
seven residential facilities scattered throughout the country. Be-
cause combined deafness and blindness has occurred so rarely
before 1963, very few educational services were available at the
time of the epidemic. The significant increase in the deaf -blind
population anticipated as a result of the rubella epidemic and the
awareness that rubella was not the only contributing factor to the
combined loss of vision and hearing in children, created great
/.
- 2 -
concern to educators, administrators, and government officials in
the United States,
Other contributing factors toward the increase of the number of
children with multiple birth defects evidenced over the past ten
years, are infectious diseases such as encephalitis and meningitis
genetic anomalies, congenital debilities and malformations irradia-
tion, and the improper use of drugs during pregnancy. Ironically,
the advances of medical science have also contributed to this
increase of multiple birth defects by reducing the infant mortality
rate and extending life by greater control of those infections and
diseases which in the past killed many children.
The degree of impairment suffered by deaf -blind children ranges
from profoundly deaf and blind, to hard of hearing and partially
sighted. To further compound the problems, these children often
may have a high proportion of other physical and/or mental disabili-
ties. Because of the severe probleras resulting from these
multiple disabilities and the overwhelming communication problems
that resulted, the deaf -blind child required specialized education
as well as training programs to meet their unique needs. Such
severely miltiple handicapped children cannot be accommodated in
special educational classes developed solely for the hearing handi-
capped or visually handicapped child,
It was estimated by Federal Government officials that in addition
to the 2500 deaf -blind children predicted as a result of the rubella
epidemic, that another 2 500 deaf -blind children would be found
throughout the Ration resulting from other causes. It was evident
that these 5000 children could not be served by the limited number
of deaf -blind programs available in 1963. In fact, it was estimated
that if existing facilities for the deaf -blind wore expanded to their
maximum capacity, they would be able to enroll fewer than 450 of
these children by 1972,
The increase in the deaf-blind population, especially the antici-
pated rubella group as they reached school age in 1970-71, would
place a tremendous burden on prevailing educational programs leaving
/.
- 3 -
thousands of these children without appropriate educational services,
The impending educational crisis was further aggravated by the lack
of trained professionals available-teachers, aides, ans support
personnel to •tuff the special programs needed for these children.
Because of this lack of specialized facilities and professional
staff it seemed inevitable that many of these children would be
inappropriately referred to state institutions for the retarded
and thus be given inadequate educational services.
Only a handful of educators and administrators involved with the
education of deaf -blind children aware of the impending rubella
epidemic urged and pleaded in early 1964 for prompt action and
intervention by the Federal Government to prevent the predicted
educational crisis awaiting these children and their families.
These deaf -blind children, like all children were entitled to the
same opportunity to develop to their maximum capabilities. The
longer such a severely handicapped ~hild goes without meaningful
educational intervention, the more certain it is the child's
potential will be reduced and the need for institutionalization
increased.
Since existing programs and facilities would not be able to handle
the educational needs of the vastly increased numbers of deaf-
blind children and because of their scattered geographic
distribution throughout the United States, it was essential that
all resources available be coordinated and work cooperatively at all
levels - State, local, and Federal to deal with this catastrophic
problem. A national effort would be essential and support from
the Federal Government would be necessary to create the new
resources required to meet the special needs of these children.
In the mid 1960's educators, parents, professionals, and concerned
lay people appealed to the United States Congress for assistance
for these children. Thanks to their endless efforts and to a
s, mpathetic and responsible Congress Public Law 90-247, Part C,
amending Title VI of the Elementary P' Secondary Education Act,
was approved and signed into law by P. ssident Johnson in January
of 1968. This law provided for the establishment of centers and
/.
and services for all deaf -"blind children in the United States, with
a million dollars "being appropriated for this purpose in 1969. On
April 13', 1970, this law was amended "by Public Law 91-230, Part C,
Section 622, Title VI of the Education of the Handicapped Act,
The intent of Congress was to provide model centers through this
law " ... designed to develop and "bring to hear upon such children,
"beginning as early as feasible in life, those specialised profes-
sional and allied services, methods, and aids that are found to "be
most effective to enable the children to achieve their fall potent-
ial for communication with, and adjustment to, the world around
them for useful and meaningful participation in society and for
self fulfillment."
The Bureau of Education for the Handicapped is the Federal Agency
responsible for managing and implementing the deaf -blind program.
The Bureau's goal was to establish ten Regional Centers. This
program would include all 50 states and the Trust Territories. The
regional centers would be established at, or as near as possible,
to the existing programs for deaf -blind children around the United
States in an effort to maximize the use of these limited resources
as well as their expertise so that increased benefits to new and
developing programs would result. The regional areas were establish-
ed on the basis of the State's willingness to become involved and
to work cooperatively with other States while gradually developing
their own programs for deaf -blind children.
In June of 1969, eight regional centers were funded with one million
dollars by the Bureau of Education for the Handicapped. The eight
agencies funded to operate these centers included four schools with
established programs for deaf -blind children, t iree State Education
Agencies which had established programs for deaf -blind children in
their State, and a private agency which had in operation a model
program for deaf children. In June of 1970, two additional regional
centers were funded by the Bureau. Of these, two, one was a State
Education Agency which had no established program for deaf -blind
children and the other was a State Department of Public Welfare
which had an established program for deaf -blind children.
/.
The ten agencies funded to develop and operate regional centers
for deaf -blind children were selected on the basis of their
demonstrated interest in and their ability to implement the
Bureau's program. The amount of funding received by each region
depended upon the number of deaf -blind children who could be
provided immediate services in that geographical area. Federal
appropriations have increased each year from one million dollars
in 1969 to sixteen million dollars in 1977.
The regional center concept is based on the administration, organi-
zation, and coordination of existing resources and the development
of additional resources as needed t/; specialized center staff, to
assure that diagnostic and educational services are provided for
deaf -blind children in their regionc Those states uniting
together into one region designated a sponsoring agency to serve
as the coordinating unit responsible for implementing the regional
center programs. To achieve greater effectiveness per dollar
expended, the emphasis in all centers is on direct services to
children in the belief that individual services and specific
programs will increase the deaf -blind child's potential for
independence and thus reduce the total expenditures over that
person's lifetime.
The initial efforts of the regional centers required no construct-
ion of new facilities with Federal monies but this does not pre-
clude the possibility that special facilities may someday have to be
built to meet the exceptional needs of this group - especially as
they approach young adulthood. Building plans must be considered
by each State as they plan for the total service needs of the
deaf -blind individual. However, the initial emphasis of the
centers focussed on their ability to provide adequate educational
services for these children as quickly as possible in order to
reduce the possibilities of these children being institutionalized.
Each regional center has a coordinating staff responsible for
administering the center's regional plan e:-& program as approved
by the Bureau. Under contract agreements with participating
educational or institutional programs, the centers make certain
that comprehensive diagnostic and evaluative services are provided;
"iat there are programs for the adjustment, orientation, and
education of all deaf -blind children and that in these programs all
necessary professional and allied services are integrated; and,
that effective consultative services are provided for parents,
teachers, and others who have direct roles in deaf-blind children's
lives *
In order to identify and meet the full range of special needs of
the children and their parents, the centers are also involved in
research, the development or demonstration of new educational
programs, inservics training for parents and professional and
allied personnel, and the dissemination of materials and information
about practices found effective in working with deaf-blind children.
Since the start of the program ir 1969, the ten regional deaf-
blind centers have carried out intensive casefinding efforts in
order to identify and locate all deaf -blind children in each region.
Each State within a region has established procedures for locating
these children and for obtaining specific information for planning
the most appropriate services and for ensuring efficient use of
available resources. This information is reported to the regional
center and organized by the center staff for region wide planning
of services to these children and their families.
tfhen a child is located, arrangements are made by the center staff
to provide diagnostic and evaluative services by agencies partici-
pating in this program. Lata on the child's degree of hearing and
vision impairment, degree oi functional sensory ability, and degree
of additional handicaps must be obtained and assessed to provide
an adequate program for the child's individual needs. The goal
in all cases is to determine each child's capacity for growth and
development,, Upon completion of diagnostic and evaluative services,
children are placed in a variety of educational or training programs,
including residential schools, training institutions, tutorial
/.
- 7 -
■programs, public school classes, and preschool programs. The
objective is to provide an individualized educational program
designed to meet the specific needs of each child.
The centers also provide techn: jal assistance directly to the
State Education Agencies through their own staff or through
consultants in order to develop State plans which will assure the
provision of meaningful and continuous services through the
educational lifetime of the deaf-blind child. The centers also
conduct inservice training for parents, teachers, aides, and
others working with deaf -blind children on a continuing basis at
the local service program level, and state or regional levels.
Inservice training is a critical program activity carried out oy
the Centers in an effort to supplement the skills of teachers and
aides so they could more meaningfully and productively work with
deaf -blind children. Because the number of programs for deaf-
blind children have expanded faster than professionals could be
trained, continuous training of professionals is essential.
Since 1969? the ten regional have located and identified some
5,600 deaf -blind children. These children are to be found in all
50 States and the Territories. In 1974, some 4,478 children are
receiving direct educational services in more than 250 programs
around the United States. Today, each State has one or more
programs for deaf -blind children compared to only seven programs
available for these children in 1968. The goal of the deaf-blind
program is to provide all deaf -blind children who can benefit
from them, appropriate educational services by 1978.
Nearly 13 years have passed since tie rubella epidemic. We are
now .able to measure some of the consequences and evaluate how the
regional center concept has worked in response to the severe
educational crisis created by this epidemic. This crisis was not
the epidemic, for, as we have learned since that time nearly half
the deaf-blind children located by the centers were a result of
other causes. The crisis was the lack of available facilities as
well as the manpower with essential expertise in the areas of
/.
education, medical diagnosis, and educational assessment. These
skills are critical and "basic for planning appropriate educational
and training programs for these children. Because the trained
human resources were not available at the critical tine when they
were needed, many of our deaf -blind children are in institutions
today. Because the United States and other Nations delayed in
developing a rubella vaccine (although the relationsxhip between
rubella and congenital disabilities was known since 1941) thousands
of children were needlessly born with disabilities.
We have learned that when an epidemic strikes, leaving a large
segment of the population disabled, and the country at large is
without resources or the trained manpower to oope, a regional type
program is needed. Through a regional program effort the needs of
the affected population con be more readily identified, limited
resources can be used more efficiently, and professionals can be
trained more rapidly to provide the services essential for this
population. In the United States, all States worked together in
a 'joint partnership with the Federal G-overnment and the regional
centers to achieve the common goal of delivery services to these
children no re quickly than might have been possible if each State
worked alone. The regional center concept did not tear children
away from their families or isolate then. It developed programs
as close to these children and their hones as possible.
Through the cooperative effort fostered by the regional centers
over the past 8 years, each State has been independently
strengthened and has now developed its own resources to serve their
deaf-blind children. The resources of each State will continue to
be developed by the regional centers until every State can provide
for itself. As the needs of the States and the deaf-blind
population they serve change the role of the regional centers will
alsc develop to meet new needs.
Increased emphasis by the Centers will be placed on the develop-
ment of prcvocational and vocational programs which will assure a
meaningful transition for deaf -blind children fron educational
programs to rehabilitation services. Increased community based
- 9 -
programs such as satellite homes, foster hones services, and
community resicb programs will he developed cooperatively with
the States in an effort to facilitate the deinstitutionalization
process e Basic and applied research will he developed in order
to assist in long rang© e&uoational planning, Demonstration
models to validate assessment techniques and educational methodolo-
gies will he established. And, increased technical assistance
programs by the centers will provide the States with the necessary
expertise to assit them in planning, staff training, curriculum
development, child assessment, child find, .and program evaluation.
To meet these new efforts, a new State-Federal partnership will he
developed by mid 1978, drawing upon State and Federal resources to
achieve a common goal which will he realized by 1980s to provide
a full continuum of services which will assure not only equal
educational opportunity for all deaf -blind persons 5 but also, their
right for a full and meaningful life in society,
A Teacher -Training Program
for the
Deaf-Blind
(Paper for the First Brazilian Seminar
for the Education of the Deaf-Blind
November 6-12, 1977)
Crist:! na S. Castro
Principal, Deaf -Blind Department
Perkins School for the Blind
Watertown, Massachusetts, USA
Cristina S. Castro is the principal of the Deaf-Blind Department
at Perkins School for the Blind in Watertown, Massachusetts, U.S.A.
She holds a Masters Degree in Speech and Hearing from Central Institute
for the Deaf which is affiliated with Washington University in St. Louis,
Missouri. She took the Perkins Teacher-Training Program for the
Deaf-Blind in 1960-61 and stayed to teach in the Deaf>Blind
Department until 1969. For two years after that, she was supervising
teacher of the department until 1971 when she became principal.
A Teacher Training Program
for
Deaf-Blind Children
Two years ago I was observing a student teacher in one of my classrooms
and discovered a glaring shortcoming in her professional preparation as a
teacher of "academic" deaf-blind children. She was working on addition with
a student and had given a worksheet on adding numbers in the hundredth place.
Example: 348 Unfortunately, the student she had could only count to 30.
+269
When I .isked the student teacher what her teaching objective was for the
seatwork, she answered that it was just to see if the student could do it.
She proceeded to show me that she was really only taking each column at a
time because the student cannot count to a hundred yet. This was a seriously
misleading procedure, to say the least, since the student was not learning
appropriate place values and was picking up wrong number concepts from the
lesson. A teacher does not skip sequences of learning even with a child
having normal hearing and vision, or test the child on a concept that has
not been previously taught. This is a very basic and realistic principle
of teaching.
What I'm trying to point out is that the student teacher did not have
the necessary general background for her student- teaching placement. And while
it is impossible to prepare a teacher- trainee for every problem that might
arise in the classroom, there is a general body of knowledge about normal
child development and curriculum planning that should be an integral part of
teacher training programs. This type ol background information is imperative
1
for either the teacher of the low-funct ioning or the educable group.
I can cite only a few years of direct involvement in planning, organizing,
and lecturing in a teacher- training program for the deaf-blind. However, I
have worked with the deaf-blind for 17 years and I have worked with numerous
teachers and student teachers. I have often wished that their preparation had
included development of all the competencies that would meet the needs of the
particular deaf-blind students in our department. Consequently, I have begun
Lo develop definite ideas of what teacher- training programs should include
in order for their graduates to be able to work effectively with deaf-blind
children. They are experience-based ideas, quite general in nature, and I
would like to share them with you.
, Not knowing what is available in your area, I can only speak in very
broad terms. Much of what I have to say are practical ideas thay may have
already occured to you. In that case, my presentation would help reinforce
them.
For those of us who have worked with the deaf-blind, we are aware of the
unique problems of this special group oi children. Their education and eventual
realization of their optimum potential jn society depends so much on well-trained
and effective personnel. This is why wt should direct a great deal of attention
towards organizing, and implementing a 1 ruly good teacher-training program.
In starting a teacher-training pro;, ram, it is essential to consider:
1. Specific needs of the pari icular students you're serving
2. Availability of appropriai e teaching personnel
3. Accessibility of support services in local area
4. Availability of funds
Elioseff, Jane. "Educable" - any hi Id who promises to be able to learn
language with 'appropriate1 instruction and sensory aids, whether or not he
also is considered capable of eventual, significant academic accomplishment."
- 3 -
Specific Needs of Students
The deaf-blind population has a wide range of needs and disabilities.
One has to focus on the particular needs of the group in your program. If the
existing program involves low-functioning children, a background knowledge
of mental retardation and methodologies in teaching mentally retarded can be
helpful in developing eating, dressing, and toileting skills. If you have
children with good language potential, knowledge of appropriate techniques
for teaching language to the deaf would be imperative. In the deaf-blind
population, one can also encounter language disorders, autistic characteristics,
and many other learning disabilities which equally merit special attention
in a teacher preparation program.
Availability of Appropriate Teaching Personnel
A program for the deaf-blind needs good, qualified and experienced
teachers in order to be effective. One can spend hours on theories, but
there is no substitute for experience. I find that teacher- training programs
based in colleges and universities where the courses are taught by professors
without direct involvement with deaf-blind children are helpful as far as
theories go, but sadly lacking in practical suggestions for actually dealing
with the real situation. Experience, no doubt, is beneficial; but, by itself,
limited within its own realm. Obviously, theory should not be learned in
isolation of experience or vice versa, but the two should complement each other
in a teacher-training program.
You have made initial steps towards f or nal teacher preparation in the
deaf-blind field, by sending two of your teachers to be trained at Perkins.
They, in turn, can assume responsibility for in-service training for the
staff in your deaf-blind program, or start y.mr own professional teacher-
training program here. However, they cannot Jo the work alone. They will
need the help and support of personnel in related fields, e.g., audiologists ,
ophthalmologists, psychologists, social workers.
Another way of training teacher personnel is to invite people who
already have the expertise in deaf-blind education to come here and teach
the necessary courses for future teachers of tie deaf-blind in this country.
I heard that this was done in the field of the deaf and multi-handicapped in
Rio de Janeiro last July, and perhaps a similar arrangement can be done for
the deaf-blind in Sao Paulo.
Exchanging teachers between countries is exciting and professionally
prof itable--provided the right people are chosen for the exchange. There
must be a careful selection of exchange teachers so that participating
countries can contribute to as well as benefit from each other.
The choice you decide to make to acquire trained personnel will depend
on available funding and, of course, finding people genuinely interested in
taking and pursuing the training.
Accessibility of Support Services in Local Area
Whether one is starting a program or has one already established, it is
advantageous to be within easy access of support services such as clinics,
hospitals, colleges or universities, and rehabilitation centers. It is
impossible for a training center to provide all the necessary services; and
it is important to identify and utilize community resources.
Availability of Funds
Available monies will dictate, to a large extent, the scope of your
teacher-training program. Instructors in the program need to be paid,
materials bought and activities pertinent to the training program financed,
such as professional visits and practicum placements in other related traininj
centers. It is only realistic to assume that a teacher- training program
cannot survive on love and dedication alone.
After exploring the above considerations, let vis now address ourselves
to the selection of applicants for the program.
Screening and Selection of Applicants for a Teacher-Training Program
It is important to get the right kind of person into a training program--
someone who is sincerely interested and will be committed to educating deaf-blind
children. A screening procedure and selection of applicants should be devised
and followed; personal interviews should be required and conducted. While
personal interviews cannot always be objective, there are certain kinds of
information that should be consistently obtained from an applicant.
1. Educational Background
Although teacher- training programs for the deaf -blind in the
United States do not usually require a background in elementary education
from their applicants, I personally prefer those which do. I have
observed that the teacher-trainees with a background in elementary
education can, without too much ingenious modification, make use
of their knowledge of curriculum for normal children; and with minimal
guidance, adapt certain Instructional materials to the level of the
deaf-blind group they're teaching. It is an accepted fact that
deaf-blind children follow a normal sequence of growth and develop-
ment, but at a much slower rate and with limitations set by their
handicaps. The general principles of teaching normal children con-
cerning repetition, reinforcement, lesson planning and individualized
programming are also applicable to handicapped children. Therefore,
it is not surprising that someone with an elementary education background
coming into a teacher-training program for the deaf-blind would be a step
ahead technically because of that background.
2 . Personal Experience and Interests
A person who has had experience volunteering services for, or
working with the handicapped, is naturally preferable over another
applicant who hasn't. It seems highly unlikely that someone who has
nevery shown interest with the handicapped before applying for the
program would remain in the field for long. We need people who will
be committed to the education of our deaf-blind children and become
advocates for them.
I know quite a number of people who are teaching the deaf-blind
now who came with seemingly unrelated fields of experience such as music
engineering, philosophy, fine arts and library science. However,
their interest in the handicapped had been sparked by having a deaf
or a blind family member or relative; by having volunteered services
with the handicapped, or by encountering some special event in their
lives involving a handicapped person. It is rare that a person who has
had no previous idea or exposure !:o working with the handicapped, would
make a dedicated and effective teacher for our deaf-blind children.
It becomes an unfortunate incident, indeed, when some people who are
not quite sure of what they want to do, use teaching the handicapped
as a testing ground. I strongly believe that no endeavor succeeds
unless your heart is in it.
-*• Special. Talent and Hobbies
Most everyone has a special interest and talent. It is helpful
to discover what the applicant's area of strength is in order to
encourage it and capitalize on it. In the event that a team-teaching
situation is warranted, an individual's particular expertise can
be used to advantage in that arrangement.
- 7 -
4 . Results of Formally- Administered Tests
College or university-based teacher training programs usually
require successful completion of formal tests. You may elect to
include this in your overall criteria for choosing quality applicants.
Sometimes, though, it is not always the person getting the highest
marks on a test that make the best teacher. A student teacher with
average grades can evolve into a model teacher and come up with a
great deal of useful, practical ideas for his/her children in the
classroom. I think it would be interesting to include a period of
assisting in the classroom as part of a screening and selection
procedure. It might prevent unjustifiable elimination of a student
with only average academic achievement but otherwise have very good
potential for teaching handicapped children. This potential, or what
can be recognized as a natural affinity for teaching, can be observed
only with the applicant working directly with the children.
Teacher Competencies and Teaching Strategies for the Deaf-Blind
With the appropriate applicants to che program selected, there needs to
be a well though out curriculum foi their professional preparation. Nowadays,
there is a definite trend towards a competency-based curriculum for teacher
training programs. A simple definition of a competency-based program is "one
that specifies the objectives for training of teachers in an explicit form
and then proceeds to hold the prospective teachers accountable for meeting
these objectives."
What are the competencies required for a trained teacher of the deaf-blind?
Those of you who have been in the field will probably say that with the diverse
and complicated problems of the deaf-blind population, a teacher should be a
" jack-of -all-trades ." While it seems facetious, : t is only another way of
saying a teacher of the deaf-blind should be vary flexible and ready to
assume several roles besides teaching. Because of the wide range of develop-
mental abilities among our deaf-blind children, it is important for the
teacher-training program to provide courses dealing with general as well
as specific competencies for the future teacher. What follows is a listing
of general competencies that should be included in a curriculum for teacher-
training programs for the deaf-blind.
1. Demonstrate knowledge of normal child growth and development.
As has been mentioned before, all children follow the same sequence
of growth and development. Deaf-blind children, although going through
the same developmental sequence, will vary in their rate of growth.
Some: deaf-blind children may remain longer at a particular stage of
development and it is not yet completely .understood why some stay longer
at one stage than another.
A teacher of the deaf-blind should hive a working knowledge of
the different sequential steps of growth and learning so that unnecessary
demands are not made before the child is ready for them. It is of the
utmost importance that the teacher introd ice appropriate activities
or concepts at the right time--and the opportune time is when the child
has matured to the point of readiness for them. Tnerefore, the teacher
should have the ability to observe behavior accurately or use other
informal procedures in order to determine a child's developmental level.
2. Demonstrate knowledge of atypical child growth and development.
In addition to the knowledge and abiLity to determine a child's
stage of development for instructional purposes, it is necessary to know
deviations from the normal growth pattern. Anyone working with the
deaf-blind should understand how the combined sensory deficits plus
other developmental disabilities affect their manner of learning and
retention of learning.
3. Demonstrate knowledge of normal language development and language
deviat ions .
Since development of language and communication skills is of paramount
importance to the deaf-blind, the area of language acquisition occupies
a place all its own. Again, it draws a parallel to how a child with normal
vision and hearing learns language. A teacher should^ be familiar with
the different phases of language acquisition and be alert for the right
moment to teach appropriate language principles.
A concurrent knowledge of deviations from normal language learning
is necessary in order to be able to adapt a specific language teaching
technique to remediate the problem. Being familiar with these atypical
language learning patterns would lessen frustrations on the teacher's
part and enable her to help the student more effectively.
4. Demonstrate knowledge of vision and hearing.
This does not mean only the psysiological aspects of vision and
hearing, but more importantly, the educational implications of the
combined handicaps. A prospective teacher of the deaf-blind should not
have separate courses for vision and hearing and then be expected to draw
their own conclusions. The course should be tailor-made to point out the
unique and complicated problems of deaf-blindness.
5. Demonstrate knowledge of psychological and social implications of
deaf-blindness .
In addition to a formal course in this area, it is extremely helpful
to have first-hand information about how deaf-blind adults react to social
problems and how they managed to cope with the problems. At Perl ins, we
-10-
did invite adult deaf-blind to visit and "talk" with our sti
teachers in the training program.
6. Demonstrate knowledge of curriculum and methods of teaching
functional elementary school subjects.
I added the work ''functional" to the. subjects because that is exactly
what is needed by deaf-blind children. Even when the program has academically
inclined deaf-blind students, the subject content should be useful to
everyday life. It is good to stop and reflect on every lesson presented
and ask oneself, "Why am I teaching this? How can the child use it in
his daily activites?" The teacher- training program should stress this
fact so that the deaf-blind cl ild's valuable time in school is used to
the best advantage.
7. Demonstrate knowledge of j arent-teacher interaction.
The teacher-parent relationship is a vital one during the deaf-blind
child's education. The manner in which a teacher interacts with a parent
should be on a positive, supportive, and professional level. Very often
teachers get so involved with their students that their relationship
with parents tend to be too emotional. The teacher- training program
should help prepare a teacher for a professionally acceptable interaction
with parents.
8. Demonstrate a knowledge of total programming for a child.
A teacher of the deaf-bliad should have, the ability to plan for
the child's total program: academics, (if called for), motor development,
social behavior and emotional development, and development of independent
living skills. Most programs for deaf-blind children are in self-contained
classrooms where the teacher is responsible for planning and teaching
all aspects of learning. Therefore, the teacher- training program should
prepare the teacher for this particular function.
- 11 -
9. Demonstrate knowledge of pre- vocational and vocational preparation.
The young deaf-blind we enrolled seven or eight years ago are now
young adolescents needing a diffetent type of programming. They are
ready for some pre- vocational training activities and teachers need to
direct their thoughts towards prepar these teenagers for some type
of gainful employment in the world outside of school. Taacher-training
programs should be alert to the changing needs of our deaf-blind popu-
lation and include necessary courses in their program to meet these
needs .
10. Demonstrate knowledge of administration and supervision of
special programs.
It is not uncommon that a small program for the deaf-blind in
some regions may require a teacher to assume responsibilities other than
teaching because of the fact that it is a special program within another
school program, or it is a special project of an agency which is not
knowledgeable about the deai-blind. The teacher, therefore, becomes
a liaison-person, a supervisor of his/her aides and even an adminis-
trator of his/her budget for the year. In some instances, because of
the shortage of trained personnel for the deaf-blind, fresh graduates
of teacher- training programs have been hired as supervisors or coordinators
I think it is a good idea to familiarize teachers with administrative
and supervisory roles and functions even though they will only be in
the classroom. It will, hopefully, give them more insight and under-
standing of administrative and supervisory problems.
- 12 -
Specific Skills
In addition to the general background knowledge are skills specific
to teaching the deaf-blind:
1. Knowledge and skill in different strategies for language teaching.
2. Knowledge and skill in braille.
3. Knowledge and skill in sign language.
4. Knowledge and skill in developing and remediating speech.
5. Knowledge and skill in making appropriate instructional materials.
6. Knowledge and skill in writing individual educational plans.
7. Knowledge and skill in writing lesson plans and plan evaluations.
8. Knowledge and skill to utilize local and national agencies and
services for the deaf and for the blind.
9. Knowledge and skill in behavior management procedures.
10. Knowledge and skill in task analysis.
11. Knowledge and skill in diagnostic teaching and assessing deaf-blind
children.
Qualities of a Teacher of the Deaf-Blind
Besides the skills and competencies that will be developed in the
training program, a future teacher of the deaf-blind needs to have the
following qualities:
Sincere interest in working with children
Patience
Flexibility
Understanding
Reliability
Sense of humor
Willingness to invest time and energy
Ability to interact effectively with people
Creativity
Enthusiasm
Sense of personal security and emotional maturity
- 13 -
Webster defines patience as being able or willing to bear pain or
trials calmly or without complaint. I don't think we should expect our
teachers to be martyrs. However, there is a certain degree of patience
and tolerance required. There should be the abiLity in the teacher to wait
calmly and be contented with little progress on the child's part over a
long period of time. There should also be the willingness to tolerate lack
of response or feedback from many of oar deaf-blind children.
The rest of the list of qualities sound like any list you would want
for just about any work position. I would like zo emphasize them to a
greater degree for any teacher of the nandicappei.
Teacher-Training Courses
The courses offered in the teache r- training programs will necessarily
depend on meeting the required teacher competenc .esc There should then be
general courses dealing with child growth and development, language and
communication, vision, hearing, mental retardation, functional academic
subjects, parent teacher interaction, administra : ion and supervision.
Additional courses should cover the specific comietencies pertaining to
educating the deaf-blind and be geared to the teacher trainees' preferred
professional placement in the deaf-bli id populat on; whether it be with the
low functioning or the educable group.
- 14 -
* The following is an e cample of the courses currently offered at
teacher-training program for the deaf-blind in the United States:
MULTIHANDICAPPED (DEAF-BLIND) PROGRAM
Course Title
Biological Origins of Multihandicapping Conditions
Language Acquisition
Visual Handicaps and Education
Introduction to Audiology
Multihandicapped Education Seminar
Educational Assessment of Children with Learning Problems
Braille, Deaf-Blind
Interpersonal Relationships I
Educational Psychology
Research Methods in Education
Interpersonal Relationships II
Manual Communication
Problems in the Education of Visually Handicapped Children
Remedial Strategies
Introduction to Language Disorders
Student Teaching: Handicapped
Infant and Pre~School: Exceptional Child
Infant and Pre-School Practicum
Working with Parents
Behavior Management Strategics
Teaching the Multihandicapped Child
Clinical Practicum: Multihandicapped
* Boston College
- 1.5 -
The above courses lean heavily towards programs for low- functioning
deaf-blind children. If the trainee decides to work with the educable group,
he/she should have additional courses in different strategies in teaching language,
I feel very strongly about the tremendous value of student-teaching and
take the pragmatist view of education in this area. My own experience has taught
me that a teacher can only acquire confidence and effectiveness through working
directly with the children. Observation is not enough. One does not learn to
swim by just watching. There should be as many and varied student teaching
opportunities as you can provide.
The length of practicum periods vary from training program to training
program. Some require eight weeks; others, a full semester. Whatever length of
time is chosen, there should be a definite plan for the entire period of the
practicum. One college which sends student teachers to our Deaf-Blind Department
requires a "contract" for that practicum period. The following is an example
of an eight-week "contract."
Contract for: , Student Teacher
, Cooperating Teacher
Practicum Period:
WEEKS ONE 6< TWO:
The student teacher will observe and work in different academic
areas to become familiar with the children and their programs.
Eash task area will first be observed; then implemented by the
student teacher, with assistance and supervision fiom the
cooperating teacher.
During the second week, she will plan a "Center" activity.
WEEK THREE:
The student teacher will he responsible for planning; and carrying
out a unit in a cognitive area of either science or social studies
and for planning language and writing activities for all 3 children.
16
WEEK FOUR:
The student teacher will be responsible for the above and for
speech lessons for two of the students.
WEEK FIVE:
The student teacher will be responsible fcr planning and carrying
out unit work in a cognitive area and for planning and carrying out
math and writing lessons for all three students. The student
teacher will be responsible for planning and carrying out the
"Center" activity.
In addition, she will assist the teacher in completing student
progess reports.
WEEK SIX:
Student teacher will plan all activities except speech lessons.
She will carry out her ideas by assigning the execution and/or
planning of some of the lessons to the assistant teacher.
WEEKS SEVEN AND EIGHT:
The student teacher will be responsible for planning all areas of
children's programs, for corresponding witu parents and for arranging
trips and special activities. She will assign some portion of her
plan to the assistant teacher to carry out.
Evaluation of Student Teaching
There should be a close observation and evaluation of a student-
teacher's performance throughout the practicum period. This is a learning
experience that can be made challenging and rewarding for both the student
teacher and the cooperating teacher.
* An example of an evaluation sheet that I have had to fill out for
a college on their student teachers doing practicum Ln our Deaf-Blind Department
follows :
* Boston College in Boston, Massachusetts
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14,
1.
2.
PERSONAL SKILLS
Responds sensitively to
children and youth
Shows enthusiasm for
teaching.
Punctual in attendance
Flexible, inventive
and resourceful
Aware of strengths
and weaknesses.
Analyzes effect of his/
her teaching behavior.
Maintains consistency as
to what is expected of
students .
Demonstrates required com-
petence for subject areas
to be taught.
Demonstrates decision-
making ability.
Meets communication stan-
dards.
Can apply theoretical
knowledge in generating
possible solutions to
teaching problems.
Follows through on
assignments .
Works cooperatively with ■
other teachers.
Identifies the needs for
value clarification
lessons .
PLANNING
Develops immediate and
long-range plans
for total class, which
take into account needs
Selects content appro-
priate for level of
students .
OUTSTANDING
EXCELLENT GOOD
FAIR
POOR
UNABLE
TO JUDGE
1.
|
2
3.
4.
5„
r
.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
;
12.
13.
1 14*
|
1.
2.
!
i
3.
4.
Incorporates student
date obtained during
instruction in plan-
ning subsequent acti-
vities .
OUTSTANDING
EXCELLENT
GOOD
="AIR
POOR
UNABLE
TO JUDGE
Designs learning
experiences which develop
inquiry, decision-making
problem solving, discovery
and experimentation.
4.
States goals in
clear behavioral
objectives .
5.
Arranges differen-
tiated assignments
to meet needs and
abilities of
students.
6.
*■
Develops instructional
units and strategies
in terms of learning
theory.
7.
J
Organizes for small
group and individual
instruction.
8.
Groups flexibly for
special needs.
9.
Involves students in
planning.
10.
Plans with cooperating
teacher and other
teachers.
11.
CONDUCTING & IMPLEMENTING IN
Demonstrates in at
least three different
lessons, factual
opinion and evalua-
tion questions.
STRUCT ION
1.
•
Conducts lessons that
result in student
mastery of specified
objectives .
2.
Varies teaching
strategy in accor-
dance with changing
factors as time, ma-
terials, space, etc.
3.
Copes with unexpected
interruptions .
4 .
Supplements lessons
with relevant assign-
ments .
5.
UNA3LE
OUTSTANDING EXCELLENT GOOD FAIR POOR TO JUDGE
6. Avoids punishment for
incorrect responses.
7. Provides necessary
amount of structure
to prevent confusion.
Provides continuous
feedback.
Establishes atmosphere
to stimulate interest.
Leads discussions
effectively.
Listens to students
Gives directions which
are effective.
Uses appropriate
audio-visual mater-
ials.
Causes students to
be more self-directed
rather than teacher
directed.
ADMINISTRATIVE DUTIES
Demonstrates under-
standing on room
records, reports, etc.
Assists with lunch,
playground activi-
ties, etc.
Assists in making
classroom attractive
and interesting.
Participates in
school meetings and
functions .
Deals with behavioral
problems in such a
way to minimize
effect on students
learning.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
*~
14.
1.
2.
3.
.
5.
E. ASSESS ING-EV ALU ATING
1. Uses a variety of evalua-
tive techniques to assess
all aspects of learning.
2. Formulates and implements
daily as well as long
range program goals and
assess progress toward
their achievement.
3. Uses standardized tests
in classroom.
4. Constructs pre and post
teaching diagnostic
instruments.
5. Identifies learning
handicap in student.
6. Discriminates learning
styles of individuals.
7. Evaluates student perfor-
mance according to stated
objectives.
8. Prepares and administers
four objective instruments
of evaluation.
S. Provides activities
whereby students
evaluate their own
program.
10. Recognizes causes of
unsatisfactory progress.
OUTSTANDING EXCELLENT GOOD
UNABLE
TO
FAIR POOR . JUDGE
1.
2-
1 3-
*
!
\ 4.
i 5.
6.
7.
8.
1
i 9*
' 10.
- 17 -
Evaluation of a practicum is usually done by the cooperating teacher
and the supervisor of the department. Some colleges also require self-
evaluation by the student teacher herself. Self-evaluation using a check-
list provided by the school is not always an easy thing to do. A person either
underestimates himself because of modesty, or overestimates himself due to
a super ego. Videotapes, I find, are good tools for evaluating a student
teacher's classroom experiences. They can see themselves and analyze them-
selves more critically using this medium. The videotape tan be done twice
during the practicum period. Once at the beginning; and again at the end
of the period for comparison. Has there been any improvement in the student
teaching performance?
Efforts should be made to make the contents and procedures of a teacher
training program as relevant as possible to the functions that the future
teacher will perform in his/her everyday day. Deaf-blind children need
well-trained and committed teachers to realize their maximum potential.
A good teacher-training program can do much towards the making of an effective
teacher. Just as a teacher is accountable for her work with the children,
so is it the teacher-training program's responsibility to do their best to
produce the most competent teachers for our deaf-blind children.
REFERENCES
Corrigan, Dean. The Study of Teaching, Commission on the Implications
of Recent Research in Teaching, The Association for Student
Teaching, 1967
Elioseff, Jane. Training of Personnel for the Education of Deaf-Blind
Children, Proceedings of the Fourth International Conference on
Deaf-Blind Children, 1971, Perkins School for the Blind, Watertown,
Massachusetts ^
Franklin, Barbara. Multiple Handicapped (Deaf-Blind) Teacher-Training
Program, San Francisco State College , Proceedings of the Fourth
International Conference on Deaf-Blind Children, 1971, Perkins
School for the Blind, Watertown, Massachusetts
Hart, Verna. Training of Personnel , 1977, State of the Art, Perspectives
on Serving Deaf-Blind Children
Sarason, S., Davidson, K. , and Blatt, B. The Preparation of Teachers
1962, John Wiley and Sons, Inc. New York
Stenquist, Gertrude. Social Problems of Deaf-Blind Children. Proceedings
of the Fourth International Conference on Deaf-Blind Children, 1971,
Perkins School for the Blind, Watertown, Massachusetts
Watkins, Keith. Training of Personnel for the Education of Deaf-Blind
Children, Proceedings of the Fourth International Conference
on Deaf-Blind Children, Perkins School for the Blind, Watertown,
Massachusetts.
CRISTINA S. CASTRO
EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND
1950
1954
High School Diploma
B.S.E. (English major; library
science minor)
1957-1959 M.S. in Speech and Hearing
Far Eastern University
Manila, Philippines
University of the Philippines
Quezon City, Philippines
Central Institute for the Deaf
Washington University
St. Louis. Missouri
1960-1961 Perkins-Boston University Course
for Training Teachers of the
Deaf-Blind
1960-1975 Courses Taken:
1960-1962 27 credits towards a Doctorate's
degree in Special Education
1967 Summer course in use of
Cuisenaire riethod in Math
Boston University
Boston, Massachusetts
Natick, Massachusetts
1968 A Positive Approach to the Problems-
of the Perceptually Handicapped
1972 Fall Semester
Ed. 259 - Supervision I
1973 ' Human Development Seminar
(Institute for Continuing
Studies in Psychology
1972-1973 Basic Course in Sign Language
1974-1975 Intermediate Course (I) in
Sign Langua ge
1975-1976 Intermediate Course (II) in
Sign Language
MACLD
State Headquarters
Waltham, Massachusetts
Boston College
Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts
Newton College of the Sacred
Heart, Newton, Massachusetts
Perkins School for the Blind
Watertown, Massachusetts
Perkins School for the Blind
Watertown, Massachusetts
Perkins School for the Blind
Watertown, Massachusetts
EMPLOYMENT
1954 (1 semester) - Substitute English
teacher. Classes of 4-5 deaf
freshmen and senior students
School for the Deaf & the Blind
Pasay City, Philippines
1955 (1 semester) - Substitute English
teacher. Regular classroom of 28
freshman students
1956 (1 semester - Substitute Librarian
Responsible for managing the high
school library
1956-1957 English Teacher. Classes of 3-4 blind
or deaf freshmen, juniors and seniors
1959-1960 Consultant for the Deaf
Responsible for following up five
deaf teenagers integrated in five
different high schools
1961-1969 Teacher of 2-3 deaf-blind children
with additional handicaps of develop-
mental disability and language disorders
1969-1971 Supervising Teacher
Supervisor of 59-69 students and 40-44
staff with major involvement in the
Teacher-Training Program
Part-time lecturer
1971-
present
Principal
Shares in administrative responsi-
bility for 71 students and 43 staff
with Head of the Department, and
supervises 31 students and 18 staff
members with involvement in super-
vising student teachers from several
colleges.
SUMMER EMPLOYMENT
1956 Tutor in English and Biology
1957 Camp Counselor
1960 Speech Teacher for the deaf
1967 Tutor for a deaf-blind teenager
in high school
19 69 Language Curriculum
Project for Deaf-Blind Department
- Lepanto High School,
Mountain Province, Philippines
- Lepanto High School,
Mountain Province, Philippines
- School for the Deaf and the Blinci
Pasay City, Philippines
- Grand Rapids Board of Education
Grand Rapids, Michigan
- Deaf-Blind Department
Perkins School for the Blind,
Watertown, Massachusetts
Deaf-Blind Department,
Perkins School for the Blind
Watertown, Massachusetts
Boston College,
Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts
Deaf-Blind Department
Perkins School for the Blind
Watertown, Massachusetts
- Lepanto High School,
. Mountain Province, Philippines
- St. Louis, Missouri
- Bay Cliff Health Camp
Upper Peninsula, Michigan
- Perkins School for the Blind
Watertown, Massachusetts
- Perkins School for the Blind
Watertown, Massachusetts
PUBLICATIONS
1973
1974
'Communication"
"Three Methods of Teaching
Language: Fitzgerald Key,
Rhode Island Sentence Pattern
<5c Monsees Structured Language"
Workshop Proceedings of Southeast
Regional Workshops for Teachers of
Deaf-Blind
Ellisville, Mississippi
Part of a Language Module
South Central Regional Center
Service to Deaf-Blind Children
NON- PUBLISHED MATERIAL
1969 Chapter 19 - Planning Special
Experiences Appropriate for
Concept Development and Con-
versational Opportunities for
Partially-Seeing, Hearing Im-
paired
CONFERENCE PARTICIPATION
1971 Panel member for discussion period:
"Program for Verbal Deaf-Blind Children'
Fourth International Conference on
Deaf -Blind Children
1973 Speaker at the Southeast Regional
Workshop for Teachers of Deaf-Blind
Topic: "Communication of Deaf-Blind
Children"
•Perkins School for the Blind
Watertown, Massachusetts
- Ellisville, Mississippi
LECTURES
1969-1971
1970 -
present
- Language Course I and II
Teacher Training Program
- Internship Courses I and II
Two lectures annually on language
teaching and development. Training
course for Child Care Workers and
Houseparents .
■ Boston College
Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts
• Perkins School for the Blind
Watertown, Massachusetts
Perkins School for the Blind
Watertown, Massachusetts
CERTIFICATION
1961
1968
Certificate received upon completion of Teacher-Tra hi I »*
Program to teach deaf-blind
Perkins School for the Blind
Watertown, Massachusetts
( Perm^ner\f Academ'C)
Working with Parents of School-Aged
Deaf-Blind Children and Youth
Pape : presented by: Elizabeth Banta
At the: Brazilian Seminar on Education
of the Deaf-Blind
Held in: Sao Paulo
Date: November, 1977
Working with Parents of School-Aged Deaf-Blind Children and Youth
Who are these parents?
By the time a deaf-blind child is ready for school placement, whether
the cause of the impairment is congenital or adventitious, the parents have
had a unique experience, indeed. There is no specific prior training for
becoming the parent of a disabled child. It could happen'' to anyone. It is
usually an unexpected role and one which most often is assumed in the midst
of a life crisis with no prior experience nor models to draw upon in order
to cope with the situation. Meidcal, diagnostic, child rearing, education
and training needs of multi-impaired chii Iren are special. The event of a
child into the family unit has a sagnificant effect on total family dynamics;
so much more so when the child has many special needs. Since parents are
people, first, adapting to the situation can vary according to the many
different variables which make up and effect any of us as individuals.
Reality factors such as how severe the child's disability is and the quality
and quantity of resources available to them will also be determiners in how
well parents adapt to their circumstances over the years.
What are their needs?
Parents have needs, especially related to their disabled child.
Expression of those needs should be encouraged. Conscientious attempts
should be made to help meet those needs. Rather than focus on them in depth
at this time, I will refer you to two papers which I wrote which particularly
relate to parent needs—continuous , immediate and future needs. Those papers art
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1. "Parents of Deaf-Blind Children: Some Immediate and
Continuing Needs." Found in the Proceedings of the 1971
International Conference on the Education of Deaf-Blind
Children. This paper places more emphasis on the pre-school
years and the diagnosis and evaluation period.
2. "Parent Education in Families of Teen-Aged or Young Adult
Deaf -Blind Persons." Found in the Proceedings of the 1976
International Deaf-Blind Seminar. This paper places emphasis,
2
then, on the older child.
These papers are only a beginning attempt to document parent needs and
are meant to bring attention to the importance of recognizing and working
toward meeting parent needs.
Although needs differ for different individual parents at different times
some exa-ples of continuous needs or concerns which can frequently be seen in
groups of parents over extended periods of time include:
1. for support in meeting crisis and developing strong but
healthy coping mechanisms.
2. to understand the disability, its effects, its combined effects
and its limitations.
3. for a feeling of accomplishment in their own parenting of a
disabled child and his siblings.
4. to support their child in and relate positively to agencies
which provide an education or tr< ining program over an extended
time period and perhaps at some distance from home.
5. for management of feelings related to the disabled child.
6. to be an advocate for their child.
Many concerns related to the future often revolve aiound the question
of what will become of the child when the parents can no longer care for him.
Immediate needs often relate to the specific growth and development level the
child has reached. The parents will usually exhibit a need to become more
competent in his parenting role. We must become more sensitive to all of these
needs. There may be openness and great dependency on the professionals.
Parents can be very vulnerable at such times. Professionals must be aware of
the responsible position that vulnerability places them in.
Too frequently, once the child enters a school program and the years
wear on, family contact becomes less frequent. Needs may not be so obvious.
Parents may appear to be coping and asking little. It is a mistake to overlook
the importance of continuous work with the family. Programs which do not take
into account parent needs, automatically set up barriers, particularly in the
ongoing school/home relationship and in the future possibilities for that
child.
What are the parent' s rights ?
I have read many lists which differ from author to author. However,
if we remember that children are first the responsibility of their parents,
that parents can be the child's greatest resource and perheps his strongest
and most consistent advocate, that the home environment car 't really be
duplicated, and that with the disabled child more time may be spent at home
than any other place during his lifetime, the importance of respecting the
parent and his rights is obvious.
Certainly, parents should have the right to such things as information
relative to their child's disability; information about anc assistance from
education and training facilities, medical services and other community
resources; hope, reassurance and human consideration as they try to meet
the challenge of raising a child v/ith special needs; opportunities for them-
selves and their child which are equal to those in which there is no disability
in the child; chances to have dialogue with other parents of children with
similar needs; and the opportunity to actualize their own personal rights as
growing, unique individuals, apart from their children. This list could
easily be expanded. If we ask ourselves what rights would we like if we were
the parent of a disabled child, we can take a beginning strep in understanding
this question. Too often parent's rights are lost in the shuffle, even by
well-meaning persons who have focused full attention on a disabled child to
the exclusion of all else.
Clearly, it is time for us, in educational settings, to realize that
we can provide and are responsible for comprehensive services to families
of impaired children enrolled in our progams . Why shouldn't problems which
arise from the presence of a disabled child in the family be as much of an
appropriate concern of an organization or person serving the child as the
problems of education and medical treatment for that child? Parent services
should not be seen as peripheral service but as an equal and integral part of
education services. They need support at every level, including the adminis-
trative level. A concerted effort to increase awareness and to offer competent,
comprehensive services is a present but also a future goal.
Why Use the Term "Working With"?
Those words appear in the topic of this paper for serveral reasons.
Among those reasons are:
- professionals must remember that they have something to offer
to the child, to be sure, but that most of us effect that life
in a temporary way. We do not carry primary responsibility for
the child.
- these multi-impaired children are complex. In order to better
comprehend the child's situation and to assist the child in his
growth and development, a group or team effort has distinct
advantages .
- if we are working along with each other for the common good of
the child, cooperation is implied. Attitudes such as superiority
or competition with each other should not interfere. No one need
pretend to be what he is not. Energies can then be given more
fully to the task.
The concept of "working with" parents is a useful one in the effort we
must all make towards more positive attitudes related to families of the
disabled.
What are some of the services which can be offered in ari educational setting?
Up to this point, I have only said that parents of disabled children
have some common but also unique needs, that they have rights, that it is
important for educational settings to offer services and that the attitude
of wishing to "work along with parents" is a productive one.
If we move now to the educators point of view and question what our roles
should be, it seems that most of the functions would fall under the two major
categories of an advocacy role and a direct interaction role. Critical periods
such as the time of referral; diagnosis and evaluation; school entrance; early
school years; later school years; or other family crisis not related to the
child all have concerns specific to those periods. The skills of parent
interviewing, parent counseling and parent education can be appropriately
used by the educator. Of course, in cases where there are extreme emotional
disturbances, the role is more appropriately referred to and assumed by a
therapist associated with an outside agency specifically available for more
in depth assistance.
However, a large portion of the educator's role is related to the use of
parent education in meeting family needs. Parent education, a broad social
movement in our own culture which has appeared as an outgrowth of the mental
health, adult education, and family life movements since the 1880's, is seen
as more than information giving. It aims to increase the understanding of
parents at many levels of learning and through many kinds of educational
experiences so that they will achieve individual growth and develop greater
3
competence in dealing with their children. Obviously this kind of an approach
has supportive as well as preventive possibilities.
4
Barsch states that one of the greatest obstacles to widespread and
significant advancement in the field of special education is the failure to
find a way to incorproate the parent of the child with special needs into a
reinforcing role of value to the child's learning advancement.
Barsch and Fellendorf and Harrow conclude that a new discipline, Parent
Counselor, might offer more knowledgeable, appropriate, available, adaptive
and entitled services to parents, especially parents of disabled children. A
function of the counselor would be to effect change in the "affective and
techincal" aspects of the parent role while at the same time become a liaison
person and a conductor of required services. Presently, we can find a number
of persons fulfilling such a role from lay persons to professional persons
across a breadth of fields of specialty. The role descriptions for a parent
counselor vary greatly. Semantic differences complicate its understanding.
So that then, the orientation, the job description, the role perception and
certainly attitudes, personality types and so forth are additional determinants
in how a so called "parent counselor" would function.
If, in addition to the administrators and the teachers in an educational
setting, it were possible to have someone on staff in the parent counselor/
parent consultant role, what objectives Jrr a parent program might be developed?
Major objectives, which might be included in a comprehensive parent
program where the children are multi-impaired, the setting is an educational
one, and a person has been designated to coordinate such a program are:
1. to provide effective services to parents of the children actually
enrolled in the program including such strategies as:
a. assisting in the immediate intake of any child who is a
candidate for the program and where the parents and financial
agents have agreed to make application.
b. working out a plan whereby immediate and ongoing parent needs
and wishes may be diagnosed and recorded.
c. actively supporting the educational program by a program for
parent education and information.
d. providing for ongoing individual parent counseling, including
crisis intervention and referral to other community agencies,
in order to meet both parent and school program needs.
e. interacting and/or facilitating ccmmunication with various members
of the school staff in order to provide ongoing consultation
and follow up on aspects which involve families and where the
focus may be on administration, ecucational, social, psychological
vocational, recreational, or cottage living needs and programming;
travel arrangements; financing; health; appropriate keeping and
dissemination of records; evaluations or re-evaluations; reports
of progress; program changes; termination; or referrals.
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f. providing for members of the school staff and for other interested
professional or professionals in- training, in-service education
related to families of deaf-blind children.
g. providing and receiving consultation services from other agencies
in order to support or deliver effective services in behalf of
families .
2. to participate as a member of the Educational Evaluation Team including
such activities as: r
a. being alert to case-finding and referring any child whose parents
or parent substitutes come to her attention to the appropriate
persons in order to facilitate scheduling as well as assisting
in data collection for that purpose.
b. participating in re-evaluations or screenings as well as initial
evaluation processes. Parent interviewing, interpretation, support
and education as well as participation in group decision-making
are important aspects of this process.
c. reporting, interpreting and active follow up related to the
outcome of the evaluation would also be involved.
3. to assist in the task of public information in behalf of deaf-blind
children and their families. Strategies include:
a. giving of information, either during a single contact or in
more prolonged dialogue, on the availability of education and
training resources, on the value of disabled children and services
appropriate to their needs, on procedures which are used in seeking
out such services, and the like.
b. participating on committees, writing articles for publication
or conference presentations, or consulting with other agencies
in order to increase understanding of the disabled child and
his family .
c. supporting the parent, as his advocate, especially in legislative
considerations or in meetings when they might be absent.
d. initiating investigations or scientific research which would
yield information toward better understanding and support
of deaf-blind children and their families.
If we don' t have a lot of resources, can we offer service to families?
Yes, we can and should because no matter how small our educational program
is for children, there are still occasions when, for instance,
1. someone must act in the capacity of parent advocate such as in
administrative planning, in staff planning, and in numerous informal
ways .
2. decreasing psychological distance between the parent and child
and the parent the the school is critical.
3. increasing parent competency, especially in the communication
aspect of child management and parent-child interactions is of prime
concern.
4. there is need for support of the total educational service via
maximizing parent roles.
5. we wish to encourage a caring, respectful, involved, reality-based
attitude in staff toward parents.
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What are some of_ the things which interfere in developing adequate parent services'
We have already mentioned some:
1. lack of awareness of parent feelings, needs and rights.
2. lack of appreciation for the role the educator can take.
3. lack of positive attitudes toward a working relationship with parents.
4. lack of administrative support (including provision of time, staff,
monies , e tc . ) .
5. lack of specialized personnel.
Others might include:
1. failure to establish rapport with parents.
2. failure to examine our own feelings and thoughts related to working
with parents including fear of failure or fear that parents will
not appreciate nor participate in any activities which might be planned.
3. lack of confidence and imagination in how to work out services to
families of disabled children.
4. lack of planning based upon realistic alternatives and lack of
flexibility in the service program which will allow for responses
according to changing individual parent needs.
5. lack of competence, including preparation and experience, on the
part of staff. More specifically, perhaps lack of good communication
skills on the part of both the school personnel and the families.
Who, from an educational se tting, has much to offer in the role of working
with families?
At this period in time, few programs have parent counselors, as previously
described. Additionally, not all of the direct work with parents can or should
be done by a person in such a role. There are other staff persons who also have
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vital relationships related to families. It is the responsibility of the
existing staff to try to fulfill the existing needs. Services should be
based upon actual needs. Some responsibilities naturally fall to those
heading children's programs. However, the teacher role looms large. It
particularly does so because the teacher shares some of the parenting functions
and her expertise in daily direct contact with the child is seen as important
to the child's growth and development and subsequent level of future functioning
Surely, the teacher is a key figure in the interaction that occurs during some
major adjustment periods such as when the child is separated from his home*
when substitute parenting roles are assumed by some of the school staff* when
parent/child experience omissions must, in some way, be made up for; when there
are parent/child communication differences' when there are home re-entry
si tuations^ when the concern is over the disabled child's progress or future
possibilities .
Included in some of the teacher's activities related to the parent
might be:
1. reporting of the child's experiences, progress and problems.
According to the nature of the program, reporting might, for example,
be done via frequent letters to the home, extensive bi-annual progress
reports, notebooks describing the daily or weekly experiences of those
children who will go home that frequently, written explanations and
recommendations for carry-over for those children going home for
occasional weekends or extended vacation periods, and phone calls
whenever written communication isn't sufficient or in place of
written communication when the child lives in the local area and
parents are easily accessible.
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2. Making home visits, whtn possible, to establish rapport and
attempt to bring the experiences of the home and school together
and/or inviting parents to be totally involved in the child's
school program on the campus for a few hours, a day or more days
at a time.
3. Attending meetings in which parents are involved such as school
staffings* state-education plan monitoring meetings', conference
times set up specifically by school administration or supporting
staff which are designed to involve parents in a team approach
in sharing information related to the child's progress or problems*
or conference times related to a specific problem being worked on
between the parent and others such as the administrator or parent
consultant. Teachers might also attend parent organization meetings
and be available for parents when open house days are scheduled.
4. Referring requests for services made to them by parents or referring
concerns related to parent problems which have come to their attention
to other appropriate persons on staff.
We have given some attentiDn to attitudes such as wishing to better
understand the parent situation and to try to work with them as well as being
aware of the need to know ourselves related to such interaction. We have also
listed some opportunities for taacher-parent interaction. That list can be
extended according to specific circumstances in each of our settings.
Now, what about skills? Trie primary skill, of concern here, is skill
6
in communication. Goolsby maces some basic suggestions which might help
to facilitate school/parent com uunica tion such as:
1. Assume that the other person acts in good faith. In our case, we
must assume that parents are concerned about and involved with what
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happens to their child.
2. Permit the other person individuality and some imperfection. We
must remember that there will be differences due to such things as
personality, culture, and life situations. The disabled child's
needs are only one aspect of a parent's total life situation; he
has other concerns as well.
3. Agree upon specific, mutual goals. Remembering to do so will avoid
the situation which is too often seen in which the parents are
considered to be negative influence because they are not doing
things according to the profession's idea of "my way."
4. Develop and maintain a feedback system. Make a mutual plan for
when and how you will interact, even if it is only to say things
are going well .
5. Work at improving communication skills. This includes practicing
non-defensive honesty, learning more through reading or course
work about how to communicate better, and making opportunities
for communication to take place.
In the list of practices that commonly take place in parent/teacher
communication, there were several large areas which might be briefly focused
upon now, for our purposes, and which can easily lend themselves to in-service
training sessions in our own settings. For example:
1. Reporting of experiences, progress and problems. The content of
direct contact situations as well as written communications can have
a significant impact. In addition to conscientiously attempting to
increase our own awareness of our message as we are in each interaction
occasion and asking parents directly for feedback, it can be helpful
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to our own learning to do some reviewing in a retrospective way.
We can call upon our peer group to read samples of written reports
or recall a dialogue they witnessed. Together it is possible to
discover language used, misconceptions, need for clarification,
double meanings or subjective interference, and the like and to
find ways to improve those communication occasions.
2. Making home visits. Teachers are often more comfortable in the
classroom; they are oriented to functioning in the classroom and
it is also "their territory." Some assistance may be useful in
such things as in learning how to be a teacher-guest in the home;
in learning how to deal with family dynamics, especially siblings
(because, after all, a total family unit is effected by any one of
its members); in learning to resepct the parenting role and their
learning/teaching styles rather than imposing our teaching style
and objectives upon them; or in learning how to assist adaptation
of materials and opportunities found in the home to teaching
objectives .
3. Inviting parents/families to visit at school. By thinking about
it ahead of time, it is possible to turn classroom visitation time
into a positive and valuable experience for all concerned. This
would include preparation of the children, of the parents, of
ourselves, and the classroom. Evans has some ideas which are
helpful related to this item.
4. Attending/leading meetings. The thoughtlessness of omitting parents
from meetings concerning themselves and their child or of neglecting
to prepare parents for such meetings should be overcome. Additionally
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we often need to be better prepared ourselves in such things as
being ready and willing to share information and concerns; being
open to asking parents for their ideas; or knowing more about being
a group leader or member.
5. Referring parents to others for services. It is important to take our
responsibility for working with parents but it is also important
to know when a concern is more appropriately referred to someone else.
This is especially so when the parents needs are too great and call
for psychiatric help. However, there remains a supporting role in
making referrals which should not be overlooked.
All of these activities require that the teacher be sensitive to family
members and their needs, especially as they relate to the impact of the multiply
involved child has made and continues to make upon them all. Beyond that, the
requirements include an honest intent to communicate and a real effort in
improving competency in communication skills.
Conclusion:
There is no way to deny the fact that advent of a severely disabled child
has a tremendous impact on the lives of all his family members. The educational
setting is one which has a great opportunity to reach out to that family's human
needs. Even if, at this time, personnel do not exist in a particular setting
with the primary responsibility being directly to families of the disabled
children they serve, much can be done. The teacher/parent relationship is
one which very naturally lends itself to a positive, productive partnership.
At a time in history when time, money and energy has been spent on
almost every frontier, the frontier of interpersonal relationships remain
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relatively untouched. We need to pour our resources into increasing
competency in reaching this valuable objec tive--direc t assistance to
individuals. In this case, we ur" c".f':rriny, \'> \.\,n '!•-■.-><- m :• .-: ' ■ i \-: o-,.-j
his family. It is an interesting and exciting challenge.
ELIZABETH M. BANTA
Elizabeth Banta's educational background includes licensing as a R.No and a
B.S. in School Nurse Teaching; a M„S„ in Education; a C„A0G.S. in Maternal
and Child Health; and present enrollment in a Doctoral Program in Special
Education. Work experience related to the deaf-blind includes: Coordinator
of Preschool .Services at Perkins; Assistant Coordinator of the New England
Regional Center for Services to Deaf-Blind Children; Member of the Educational
Evaluation Team for Deaf-Blind Children; and Parent Consultant at Perkins
School for the Blind for parents of children in both the Blind and Deaf -Blind
Departments.
References :
1. Banta, Elizabeth. "Parents of Deaf-Blind Children: Seme Immediate
and Continuing Needs." Paper presented at the International Conference on
the Education of Deaf-Blind Children, U.S.A., August, 1971.
2. Banta, Elizabeth. "Parent Education in Families of Teen-Aged or
Young Adult Deaf-Blind Persons." Paper presented at the Sixth International
Deaf-Blind Seminar, Australia, September, 1976.
3. Auerback, Aline. "Trends and Techniques in Parent Education"
New York: A Child Study Association Publication, 1960.
4. Barsch, Ray. "The Parent ot the Handicapped Child" Springfield:
Charles C. Thomas, Publisher, 1968.
5. Fellendorf and Harrow. "Parent Counselling 1961-1968" Reprint No. 929
Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf, Inc., 1970.
6. Goolsby, Elaine. "Facilitation of Family-Professional Interaction"
Rehabilitation Literature, Vol. 37, tfo . 11-12, Nov-Dec . , 1976.
7. Evans, Joyce (ed.) "Working with Parents of Handicapped Children"
Reston, Vriginia: Council for Exceptional Children, 1976.
I SEMINARIO BRASILEIRO DE EDUCAQAO DE DEFICIENTE AUDIOVISUAL
THE PROGRAMME FOR THE
MULTI-HANDICAPPED BLIND AND
DEAF/BLIND CHILDREN AT
CONDOVER.
SEDAV - ABEDEV
THE PROGRAMME FOR THE MULTI-HANDICAPPED BLIND AND
DEAF/BLIND CHILDREN AT CONDOVER.
Condover Hall School is divided into three units to
cater for the special needs of the children.
a. A former Sunshine home that has become the infant
section for twelve deaf/blind children whose ages
range from three to eight.
b. "Pathways" the part of the school where 29 deaf/b
blind pupils, ages ranging from nine to sixteen or
seventeen attend.
c. The main school for some 77 multi-handicapped
blind children, in the age group 11+ to seventeen.
The catchment area for the school is the British
Isles. Children come from Scotland, Northern Ireland
The Irish Republic, the Channel Islands and from areas
and counties over the mainland.
To work with, and look after the children, there is
a staff of 17 teachers and 58 child care staff, 4 nurses
and all the maintainance, housekeeping, cleaning and
sundry people vital to running the establishment.
Before a child is admitted to the school there is
always an assessment period of a week, for the main school
children, and 2 weeks for deaf/blind children. During
this period we try to see if the child would benefit from,
and could cope with being a pupil at Condover.
The younger children are nowadays nearly all brought
to our attention through firstly being visited by Advisers
employed by the Royal National Institute for the Blind.
If an adviser feels that a youngster ought to come to our
school a recommendation is put into the report odf the visit
continued.
and then it is the responsibility of the Local Authority
to make the initial approach and request the period of
assessment.
The Main school programme differs from the Overley and
Pathways set-up in that because of the more communicative
children, the numbers in the groups are generally larger.
The whole school is based around a secure family unit and
froto here all things follow. The children go to school
from their "family" and return afterwards. This way we
try to make a distinct break between the school situation
and out of school.
A great deal of work is however done in the family unit
and, in out of school hours. There is a self-care and
independence scheme of training that the children follow.
It is almost a form of programmed learning and enables each
child to work and succeed at its own level of ability in
self-care, social skills and skills leading to social
independence. In addition to succeeding, motivation is
added by awarding prizes known as "competence prizes" at
each stage of success.
ORGANISATION OF MAIN SCHOOL IN THE CLASSROOM.
In the main school there are nine classroom groups,
three of which are for 24 physically handicapped children
and one for a group of eight disturbed children who benefit
from a more controlled situation.
Apart from swimming, mobility, handwork and homecraft
the latter groups remain in their own classrooms for lessons.
The other children move to specialist areas during the
morning sessions each in a different classroom. Emphasis
is placed on numeracy, oracy literacy (braille and sighted)
and handwork. Each child also has two periods of swimming
per week and two periods of physical education. In
addition there is pottery, homecraft, music, creative work
and handicrafts.
continuec1
page 3
In the afternoon the work is less "formal" and
teachers will follow a course of environmental studies,
outdoor activities and study group work.
Children are put into a classroom group where it is
felt they will get the most benefit. Selection is made
based on age, intelligence and amount of vision and
degree of mobility.
The intelligence of our pupils measured on the
Williams test for defective vision shows the following
break-down:-
I.Q Below 50 40%
50-70 32%
70-90 21%
90-100 2%
100+ 5%
"D" DEPARTMENT
The physically handicapped blind children are placed
in three classes.
a. The more able intellectually (with a high
proportion of spina-bifida children).
b. Children having communication problems.
c. The E.S.N. (S) children who are in need of much
care and have a special programme for very slow
learners.
NUMERACY
We have our own number scheme and the children follow
this. The more able who complete it go on to an advanced
course tailored to their personal meeds. This is connected
with mobility and town experience. The less able work on
pre-number schemes sorting and matching shapes and using
sand, water, lego etc. We work on new words and concepts
making each exercise as completely practical as possible.
continued
COMMUNICATION
Communication involves oracy and literacy skills. We
work with tapes, print, and braille. The recording of
work, interests and projects is considered highly important
and is done each day.
An advanced group is taking a course which consists of
literature, the natural sciences and social studies. It is
envisaged that this group, using tapes, cassettes and print
will take part in C.S.E. Mode 3 or even integrate in certain
subjects with a nearby comprehensive school to take the exam.
It must be borne in mind that a considerable "back-up" team
will be needed.
Group "B" concentrates and works mainly in oracy in
every lesson. It is hoped to develop meaningful use of
words at their level in everyday situations. The Speech
Therapist is greatly involved with this group as many of
the children have poor speech and/or speech defects.
Group "C" concentrates on vocabulary at a lower level
on words used in every day living, prepositional phrases
and listening techniques.
CRAFTWORK AND WORKSHOPS
All children are involved in a specially devised
programme of work structured in such a way that children with
poor hand function can participate. A special "work day"
is set up where the youngsters can operate as they will be
expected to when they leave school. They work at making
link mats, sawing, cutting, drilling and sorting materials
plus, assembli&g items.
There is a course in home economics which works closely
with the child care scheme and using the specialist aids
available .
MOBILITY AND SWIMMING,
Most children receive physiotherapy each day or are
involved in exercises. They also receive mobility training
on an ongoing basis. One young man has a sonic aid fitted
to his wheelchair and, although completely blind has full
mobility around the hall and extensive grounds. He uses
the lifts and navigates himself without help*
continued
All take part in swimming and many use the pool for hydro-
therapy.
OVBRLEY HALL
Overley Hall is situated about ten miles from Gondover
Hall and caters for twelve young deaf/blind children
between the ages of about five to ten. Some then go on to
Pathways. We also take the assessment children which
recently have averaged about three a term.
The children are divided into three school groups.
The reception class is looked after by two National
Nursery Examination Board Nursery Nurses: the middle group
with a teacher and an N.N.E.B. nursery iiurse, and the top
group with a teacher and a helper. The children are grouped
by ability rather than age.
In the first group the children sometimes show marked
withdrawal symptoms, they may lie for long periods just
gazing at the light and they may be very unaware of the
presence of adults or the other children. It may be
difficult to achieve eye contact with them. The programme
therefore is devised to stimulate them as mueh as possible.
They have a great deal of individual attention and human
contact with rocking on one's lap in time to the singing of
nursery rhymes; finger and hand games; encouragement in
copying such as clapping etc. Percussion work is carried out
usually every morning. Sand and water play are also
necessary activities.
Another essential part of the programme for the children
in this group is what we call"circuits". This is part of the
physical education programme and involves following through an
obstacle course varying in length and suited to each child's
capabilities. Each child is encouraged individually to
complete the course, which may be crawling under one table,
stepping on and off a low box, crawling over another table
and then sitting on a chair ready for the reward. This is
usually a sip of drink. The circuits may be followed through
as many as five times a session. Once the child realises
continned
what he or she is doing that particular circuit is not
repeated. We have had excellent results using these
methods.
In the intermediate group the children are all aware
of the difference "between people and objects. They are now
ready to copy gross "body movements and music and movement
now takes the place of the "circuits11 . This activity takes
place every day and the child is encouraged to follow the
helpers activities to the music. Also during the day the
child is encouraged to copy and use some of the basic Paget
Gorman signs.
The children have also to be taught to co-operate and to
sit at a table and make up simple jig saw puzzles, play snap
with help from an adult, pellmanism, dominoes and other games.
When they can do all these things happily and enthusistically
they are ready for the top group.
In this group all those activities can be carried out
withojtt individual attention and the games can now be played
between the children from choice and no longer needing an
adult's help.
In both groups great attention is paid to getting the
child to the "naming stage" by using as many Paget Gorman
signs as possible. In the middle group the teacher uses
the picture Ladybird series for shecking that her children
can recognise a basic vocabulary of common objects. There
are six books that are particularly suitable. One book is
cut up and the picture stuck on to cardboard and then
covered with plastic and the corresponding book is left intact.
The child then has to find the corresponding picture and at
a later stage to hand over the correct card when the sign is
made. Later he will sign it himself. The words he can
sign are kept in his "tidy box" which he would have made at
an "art and craft" time.
continued
Art and craft and modelling, cooking are all very-
important activities.
All the children to whom it would be of use go
swimming and pony riding. The latter activity has proved
to be extremely worthwhile. Some of the children can now
trot unaided and will follow directions without being led.
We are delighted with the results.
In the top group the children are all managing simple
printing, reading and number.
We have been able to have an "individual" time of the
day between H.ooarn and mid-day and this has proved of
enormous benefit. This is going to be tried again this term
as we again have enough st%ff to cope with it. The most
spectacular breakthrough in the last individual programme
was achieved by our laundry lady. She took one of the
older girls and instructed her in washing by hand, rinsing
and spinning with the machine, and using the dryer. The
child was supervised all the time and became very reliable.
She could sort out the dirty clothes, fold up the clean
clothes and knew where to take the clothes back to the
nursery. She started to use words much more clearly than
before and suddenly really "came alive". We were surprised
and delighted by the excellent results.
On the hpuse side we have two family groups each with
six children and the etame family always has the assessement
child. Each family has a family mother, assistant mother
and two juniors. Of course as it is residential not
everyone would be working at the same time.
The accent is on self-care as far as is possible and
every effort is made to encourage the children to do as
much for themselves as possible. The best in the families
can set tables, wash up and put away, be taken down to the
kitchen and put the appropriate plates of food on the trolleys;
continued
help with some of the sweeping and putting chairs on tables
for sweeping under; making their own beds; going round after
tea and turning down the covers on the beds. The less able
children can all do something such as going down to the
kitchen and helping to push the trolleys down to the playrooms
where the children eat their meals. They also do a little
towards dressing themselves.
As far as mealtimes go the children are split into
abilities for lunch, the top and middle groups eat together
in one playroom and the little ones and the assessment child
unless he or she is of a very high standard, go into another
nursery. For breakfast and tea the children eat in their
own family groups but still in the two playrooms.
PATHWAYS
Pathways is situated within the grounds of Condover Hall,
and caters for 29 deaf/blind children between the ages of nine
to sixteen or seventeen.
Initially the children need to be cared for. They often
need to be fed by staff to ensure adequate nutrition. They
need to be washed, dressed and led through the routines of
the day.
Secondly, the children are taught self -care leading to
independence in household duties so that they could live in
a hostel under supervision, but without help. Some are able
to cook for themselves and clean their rooms, so that they
could "keep house" for limited periods if parent were at
home in the evenings. The programme of training is like
that of the main school.
The school programme is designed to help the child
become more and more aware of his environment through a wide
variety of experiences. Understanding of the changes which
take place as, for instance, a seed is sown and grows to a
plant, is harvested, prepared, cooked and eaten, or clay
continued
"becomes part of a house, underlies the language teaching.
The language teaching scheme is "based on a minimum
outline of sentence structures and a limited vocabulary of
the most frequently used functional words - pronouns,
prepositions, conjunctions, adverbs - rather than verbs and
adjectives and nounti.
Natural language is taught as it is needed, but the
sentence structures are checked to ensure that progress is
made. The vacabulary taught is not limited, but by ensuring
that the most used functional words are checked we can tell if
progress is being made in vocabulary. The method of
communication does slightly affect the order in which words
are learned. Signing a fully inflected system, learning to
finger spell and learning speech are all part of learning
language .
It is essential that the children have interesting
happenings to talk about, new events and new things. At
the same time repetition of activities ensures revision
and recall and the extension of ideas. Children recall
stimulating and exciting events best, so therr life needs
colour. Annual events help to establish concepts of time,
so that they can look forward and reflect, and thus learn
to use tenses with understanding. By moving things and
by going to places the children acquire concepts of physical
relationships such as 'over a bridge1 'along the road' fup
the hill1 'far away* 'a little way' 'round the corner' 'through
the tunnel ♦ .
Real activities are reflected in the classroom using
models and making them, acting and pretending. General
knowledge and specific areas of knowledge are all dependant
on language and add to the vocabulary and comprehension.
Reinforcement is necessary, and certain activities provide
useful drills e.g. 'hide and seek' hunt the slipper' help
reinforce prepositions.
Many 'school' subjects are preparatory to real learning.
Stomes may have to drop into water and the concentric rings
continued
page 10
seen, or ripples sensed in time, before words such as
concentric are found to relate to reality and not just to
apparatus provided for a purpose.
But none of these activities is useful if not related
to helping a child to be a good companion and a pleasing
person. This is the real aim of the Unit.
One of the recent and very worthwhile additions to the
staff has been that of an "After-care Officer". After a
preliminary pilot scheme a full time appointment was made
in 1973. This means that we can offer Local Authorities a
great deal of help in the placement of our school leavers.
PUPILS LEAVING
About 18-24 months before a pupil leaves school a full
educational and social assessment is undertaken together with
a brief medical history. There are so few objective tests
available that this assessment takes the form of written
reports by teachers, housemothers, physiotherapists, speech
therapists and nurses which, when collated forms a four page
report. An informal interview takes place with a Careers
Advisor, Placement Officers from the Royal National Institute
for the Blind, the pupil's teacher and housemother being present.
Recommendations are formulated and added to the assessment
report which are then forwarded to the pupils Local Authority.
The recommendations of the interview vary, but the
majority of pupils are recommended for placement at Adult
Training Centres, Residential Care and a few for further
vocational training. An important aspect of the After Care
work concerns the parents. It is so easy to evaluate a
pupils' potential, and recommend placement, that after the
pupil, the most important persons to be involved can be
overlooked, namely the parents. We must be careful not to
fall into the trap of being the experts and forget the parents
who are deeply concerned, and often extremely worried about
the future of their offspring. In our after care service
parents are consulted at a very early stage, either when they
visit school or at home.
continued
Placement
The continued education and/or vocational guidance
of our pupils is generally undertaken at the Hethersett
Assessment and vocational Guidance Centre at Reigate, or
Queen Alexandra College, Birmingham and latterley at some
other centres e.g. The National Society for the Mentally
Handicapped, and the Spastics Society etc.
Placement at Adult Training Centres is proceeded by a
visit and discussion with staff of the possible difficulties
to be encountered in the initial introductory period.
Where necessary the After Care Officer arranges to be present
for the first couple of days, but inevitably finds that the
staff soon become intrigued by the different approaches and
techniques necessary to formulate work and educationally
stimulating environments. Mobility within the centre presents
the biggest problem to be overcome but with some little thought
and "planning, it has been possible to produce a scheme of
basic training allowing access to the work area, educational
area, toilets, cloakroom and dining area.
Follow-up
A follow-up visit to the home area is attempted during the
first year, and a review of the placement enables an evaluation
to be taken. Those pupils who undertake further education at
vocational guidance centres, and are recommended for placement
in industry or sheltered workshops are normally placed by the
Royal National Institute for the Blind Placement Officers, but
occasionally are referred back for placement, but a follow up
visit for information is always undertaken.
Referrals.
After some 3 years of full time placement, former pupils
placed at A.T.C. are now being referred back for consultation
for extended training for sheltered workshops. These are
generally those pupils who were boarderline cases for rec-
ommendation for vocational guidance, and have taken full
advantage of the facilities offered by the A.T.C.
continued
Observations
Of the 1976/77 leavers, the following facts emerge
which indicate the trend of the future pattern :-
Number leaving school 29
Number requiring residential care 11 (3 who are
in care, 5 with home deficiencies, 3 require
hospitalization)
Number recommended for Adult Training Centre.. 17
Number recommended for further training 3
Number for full assessment because of physical
handicap. . . .1
TOTAL 32.
These totals do not agree as included in further
training is a pupil who will finally require residential
care, and one would benefit from further training but
included in total of 17 for A.T.C. and one pupil for
further physical assessment is included in residential
care.
CONCLUSION
The main problem has been what to omit from the paper
rather than what to put in. A work programme cannot succeed
without caring, humane staff who create the vital atmosphere
necessary for learning and happiness. How can one express
emotion? I can only trust I have conveyed something that
gives an impression of our work and life at Condover.
CONDOVER HALL SCHOOL FOR THE BLIND
{Conducted by the Royal National Institute for the Blind, 224-8 Great Portland Street, London, WIN 6AA)
Telephone: BAYSTON HILL 2320 (S.T.D. code 0743-72) CONDOVER HALL
Station: SHREWSBURY
Principal: ANTHONY JARVIS CONDOVER,
SHREWSBURY,
SHROPSHIRE, SY5 7AH
CURRICULUM VITAE ANTHONY JARVIS.
Age ,...44 years.
Educated Oswestry Boys High School.
Served in the Royal Air Force 2 years.
Teacher training at Chester College and Loughbrough College,
Honours diploma in Physical Education.
Schools;-
Ellesmere Modern.
Faraday School (Head of P.E. Dept)
Condover Hall
Passed College Of Teachers of the Blind examination 1966 gaining
the Arthur Pearson prize.
Appointed Deputy Headmaster. . .1968
Appointed Headmaster 1971
► I serve on the examining panel of the College of Teachers of
the Blind, and on a working party set up by the Physical
Education Association of Great Britain and Northern Ireland to
study physical education for the handicapped.
Hobbies
Reading, Squash, Golf, Football, Malt Scotch,
I SEMINARIO BRASILEIRO DE EDUCAQAO DE DEFICIENTE AUDIOVISUAL
SOCIAL-PROFESSIONAL
INTEGRATION
by ROBERT J. SMITHDAS, LHD, Litt. D.
I SEDAV - ABEDEV
SOCIAL- PROFESSIONAL : 'ITEORATION
By
Robert J. Smithdas , LHD, Litt.D.
Director of Community Education
Helen Keller National Center for Deaf-Blind Youths and Adults
Integration of deaf-blind persons into the social and professional activities
of modern society is a relatively new aspect of the progress being made in recent
years in overcoming the severity of the dual handicap of deafness and blindness.
It lias only been daring the past twenty-five years that a small group of deaf-
blind individuals in the United States have established themselves as outstanding
examples of success socially and professionally, thus setting new goals in the
education and rehaLi litation of the deaf-blind and stimulating an accelerated
interest in the welfare of the deaf-blind on an international level.
There is no doubt that the combined disabilities of deafness and blinds ss
constitute one of the most severe handicaps known to educators and workers in
rehabilitation. The loss of both sight and hearing poses unique problems of
communication ,and mobility and other personal skills that are generally con-
sidered as essential and necessary for intelligent and active participation
in the normal interchange of evevydt-iy affairs. Sight and hearing are the- two
primary senses through which an individual gleans knowledge of his environment
and its activities; and when these two senses are drastically curtailed or
completely lost, the individual's learning processes are inhibited, and the
world he lives in literally shrinks. To overcome the limitations thus imposed
requires maximum use of remaining faculties, and a greater effort on the part
of both the deaf-blind individual and those who live and work with him. In a
majority of cases, deaf-blind individuals either lack speech or have very limited
use of it, and this added limitation makes it difficult for them to express
their wants and needs spontaneously.
Human beings are social beings, and despite loss of sight and hearing,
deaf-blind people have as great a need for social interaction as anyone else.
(2)
Skill in mobility and a variety of communication methods are definite assets
in improving social contacts and in broadening participation in social activities.
Early and continuous exposure to social situations help to enlarge the deaf-
blind person's perspectives on what is required of him by society, and also help
to develop confidence and acceptable behavior patterns. Such expos. ■ should
include as many facets of social participation as possible, including recreational
and creative activities, and should be an integral part of the education and
rehabilitation processes for the deaf-blind. A wide range of social activities
assists in emotional growth and the development of initiative and motivation.
Because of the unique nature of this handicap and the problems associated
with it, deaf-blind people have a greater dependence on the assistance of others
for acquiring information and- establishing standards for personal initiative.
independence for a deaf-blind person, however well adjusted, is relative; for
most effective living, he will often require the assistance of other people
to overcome the daily problems peculiar to deafness and blindness. Services
must often be on a one-to-one basis, particularly in communication. Although
today there is a growing number of aids and devices which deaf-blind people
can use to attain a measure of independent living, and a greater supply of
available reading materials to keep them informed, even the most highly trained
and motivated deaf-blind person frequently needs the services of volunteers,
interpreters, and guides in order to function at the maximum degree of efficien-
cy, whether on a domestic, vocational, or professional level. In the United
States, during the past thirty years, there has been a marked increase in the
number and quality of services being provided for the deaf-blind, which has been
reflected in a corresponding 13 umber of deaf-blind persons jwho have developed
their abilities to a high degree--some of whom have already attained college
diplomas and entered professional careers, and others who are currently studying
..at the college level. This should make it apparent that improvements in educa-
tional, rehabilitation, '..and other services has a direct effect on upgrading the
deaf-blind population as a whole, and of increasing possible opportunities Cot-
self-expression and assimilation into society. But, as I have already indicated,
even the most successful deaf-Mind persons who are presently employed in various
professional areas, cannot Function at their best without relying on the assistanc
of others.
(3)
Currently the range of professional opportunities for the highly trained
deaf-blind in the United States is limited, chiei'ly because potential areas for
employment have not as yet been fully analyzed. We now have dear-blind, persons
employed as computer programmers, program analysts, educators, and counsel :>r: .
It' should be noted that all these professional workers have secretaries, assist-
ants, or coworkers who assist them in their daily work. It is very probable
that this will always be necessary because of the limitations imposed by the
loss of sight and hearing.
There is no doubt that successful deaf-blind persons in professional
careers are socially more adaptable than most deaf-blind persons, because of
their greater knowledge and versatility, and the broader perspectives of life
they acquire in their work. But they are not wholly free from occasional
feelings of isolation caused 'by their dual disabilities. Feelings of isolation
and loneliness are common to all deaf-blind persons, but the well-adjusted
individual experiences this less than others because he is more flexible in
his attitudes and can adjust to using his mental and intellectual capacities
to the fullest.
1 believe that integration of the deaf-blind person on the social and
professional levels depends for success on a combination of factors: the
individual's overall personality; flexibility to adjust to changing conditions
and situations; and whether the individual lives and works in a compatible -
social climate that has a realistic understanding of his needs and an appreci-
ation of his abilities. it is important for the deaf-blind individual to
know his limitations as well as his potentials; and it is equally important
that people who associate with him have a similar understanding.
In summary, from .my own experleno , I would like to make the following
suggestions for the integration of deaf-blind people:
1. During formative years, every effort should be made to develop the
deaf-blind person's total personality through education and exposure to a
variety of social experiences.
(h)
2. Deaf-blind persons should learn as many methods of coimmi.iication as
possible so that they can adapt themselves confidently to situations which may
arise.
3. Deaf -blind- persons should be encouraged to exercise their own initiative
whenever possible. Independence of thought and action should be encouraged.
In the final analysis, integration will depend largely on individual
attitudes. The deaf -blind person should be willing to reach out to the public
and assert his individuality. The individual's personality and adaptability
is still the primary key to successful integration into any given situation.
Work with Deaf -Blind Children in Brazil
Neusa Bassetto
First of all, I would like to express my happiness and my
emotion in again meeting many friends, from other countries
and from Brazil, who honour us with their presence at this
Seminar.
I also would like to thank all of those who have encouraged
me to continue my work with the deaf -blind.
The education of the deaf-blind person is not only a science
or an art, but, most of all, it is an act of love, of dedication
to a human being deprived of certain senses - hearing and sight -
and who, before the community, before man and before God, deserves
our care, our constant attention and dedication. This is
necessary so that the bearer of these deficiencies will not be
pushed aside not only by society, but also by his own family, as
being useless, incapable of receiving special care and taking
advantage of it. - Care that has proven effective in its good
results.
Therefore, this necessity is the objective of my presentation,
and I am convinced that the cases that I will report on, cases
that I have experienced myself as a teacher and which have been
experienced by my dear pupils, will be beneficial, not only to
other teachers, but also to other deaf -blind children.
I will try to comment on and demonstrate each individual case,
with both the corresponding records and with photographs, so
that you may analyse and come to the conclusion that a basic,
but well planned and specialized system should be established
for the education of the deaf -blind.
Experience has already shown that the specialized education of
the deaf -blind cannot be handled either by a specialist in the
education of the deaf or by a specialist in the education of
.pg. 2,
the blind, since the deaf -blind person has essential and well
defined characteristics, entirely different from those of the
deaf or of the blind.
Not less important is the need, a very urgent need, to begin
the technical-professional training of people who can dedicate
themselves to this difficult, but extremely involving activity.
Prior to speaking about the cases that I would like to report
on, may I give you a little of our past history in this
fascinating field which is the education of the deaf -blind.
Back in 1971, when I started to work at the so called "Escola
Residencial para Deficientes Audiovisuais" (E.B.D.A.V. ), in Sao
Caetano do Sul, in the State of Sao Paulo, Mrs, Thereza Adelina
Barros Tavares was acting as a teacher, along with our dear
teacher Mrs. ITice Tonhozi de Saraiva.
Thereza, at that time, was handling the teaching of two students,
who were Romualdo S. and Jefeson S. My assignment was to
initiate the work with a deaf -blind child who came from the
State of Parana and who, unfortunately, had to leave the school.
In 1972, two additional students came to the E.R.D.A.Y.s Roberto
E. and Paulo Cesar S. Thereza began to work with both of them,
and I continued working with both Romualdo and Jefeson. At this
time, another teacher of the program for hearing-impaired
children, Mrs. Dalvaniee Farias Duarte, became interested in our
work, and, later on, she also joined our program. Theresa left
E.R.D.A.V. in 1973 and both Dalvanise and I began to work with
the following cases:
Romualdo S. - He used to attend our school in the morning and,
during the afternoon, he was sent to a regular
school. We used to keep very close contact with his teacher at
this school, so that Romualdo could integrate and follow the
regular school program. Romualdo has completed the 4th grade
of elementary school, and, since he was now 18 years old, he
started to work at an industry on the outskirts of Sao Paulo.
Pg»3.
tfrom there on, Romualdo should have received speech maintenance
classes with a speech training specialist. Nevertheless, we
believe that this has not occurred for lack of his financial
possibilities.
Jefeson S. - This student was able to attain some progress
during 1973 although he was not using any type
of language. He lived with his grandparents, who were already
old and incapable of stimulating him and providing for the
necessary examinations. So, they sent him back to his parents1
home in the city of Presidente Prudent e, deep in the State of
Sao Paulo •
Roberto B. - Born May, I960. He came to the school in June,
1972.
Diagnosis
Sight : congenital cataract, strabismus and
nystagmus. He was submitted to a
cataract operation in January, 1974 o
Hearing? deafness due meningitis at the age
of 3 months with hypoacusis resultant
from meningoencephalitis.
Boberto presented great progress when he started school, showing
great interest in all the activities, reacting very well to all
the stimulation that he was exposed to. He also showed great
progress in comprehending his environment, and most of all, an
interest in expressing his feelings, when he learned Braille.
The world began to have meaning for Roberto; he could do things
and, obviously, he wanted to communicate what he felt and noticed,
When his cataracts were operated on, in 1974, Roberto showed new
and greater progress. He rejected Braille, since he could now
perceive enlarged letters and the world surrounding him. His
hearing gained the most, in spite of the faot that his audio-
metric test remained unchanged, Presently, Roberto does not
present greater progress due to evident neurological problems
and to emotional difficulties that have occurred. He does not
pg. 4.
tolerate any physical contact which, in terms of obtaining oral
language, prevents him from proper articulation, thus making
compreehensive speech impossible. His vocabulary is limited,
but he can express and understand through finger spelling,
enlarged writing and drawings. His gestural language is not
comprehensive. Roberto accepts and tolerates finger spelling
since this is the only means that he utilizes to communicate,
besides enlarged writing and drawings.
Paulo Cesar S. - Born August, 1969* He came to the school in
August, 1972.
Etiology : perinatal suffering; H.H. genetic
factor.
Diagnosis
Sight : The examination conducted under
general anesthesis reported:
"...he does not present organic
lesion, anamnesis being the
possible central cause" •
Hearing : 500Hz 1000Hz 2000Hz 4000Hz
Db loss 40 50 50 60
Neurologic: "... he does not have either
hearing or sight disturbance;
perhaps it is a defect of
perception related to brain
damage" •
yaulo Cesar was sent to us because, according to his parents:
, . The child could not see or hear". We began the stimulation
e "ound out that Paulo Cesar really did not respond to visual
stimulation but he could follow the teacher in her lullabies.
We asked for medical examinations and found that the child also
did not ha^ either hearing or sight problems, but neurological
problems, and his behavior problem was being characterized by
autism. We worked with this child twice a week, during the
years of 1973, 1974, and 1975. In 1976, I explained to his
parents that the continuation of our work would be fruitless if
£>£>• ->•
both the child and his parents would not receive treatment in:
ludotherapy for the child
parent therapy for the parents
By the end of 1976, family resistance was tremendous, and they
stated that the "Child would never learn, so the best thing to
do would be to give up". That is what they did at the beginning
of this year, Paulo Cesar is no longer with us.
Maria Aparecida S. - Born May, 1964. She came to the school
in the latter part of 1975 upon great
insistence by a friend of her family who already knew our work.
But, her parents did not believe that something could be done
in terms of education. When Maria Aparecida came to the school,
she was wearing eyeglasses, but not hearing- aid. We only had
contact with her mother as her father took no part in the problemi
This girl was 11 years old when she was sent to the school and
was not toilet trained (she still wore diapers), and she was
usually fed liquids and soft baby-food. In order to eontrol her
behavior, the family used to give her tranquilizers. So, her
daily life was:
- to wake up at 2:00 HK;
- to have lunch, and play on the couch or in
bed until supper time;
- supper at 7:00 PMj
- back to bed at 8:00 PM;
She did not have any other type of activity. Her glasses she
used only when going to school, since ..."with them, Maria Apa-
recida sees things and she wants to touch them, giving me a lot
of work", said her mother. In order for the child to start
classes in the beginning of 1976, we asked her mother to train
her in:
- toilet use
- eating
- the reducing of sleeping time, giving her some
activity at home
In February, 1976, Maria Aparecida was a more mature child and
after some training she was "being able to work for, at least,
two consecutive hours. She began to accept the company of
other children; she started to show preference for certain
activities; she has acquired greater independence and sureness
in walking, in eating, in dressing and in her hygiene. She was
able to associate hearing stimulation to movements, as well as
to respond to simple gestures. The "new" Maria Aparecida was
emerging and asking for attention, and it seemed to us that she
jsras becoming "heavy" for her family, who began to say that it
was becoming difficult to take her to school. So, they took her
away from our school at the end of 1976.
Cizino S» - Born April, 1967. He came to the school in
April, 1976.
Diagnosis:
Sight s Hypoplasia papilla (probable)
Secondary converging strabismus (?)
Amblyopia
Hearing: "... he did not respond to 4000 Hz;
little response at 2000Hz and normal
response at 1000Hz".
Neurological: mental retardation (?)
Cizino *s parents lack rudimentary instruction, and they lived in
very poor conditions in a slum. Therefore, Cizino' s medical
examinations were conducted in the indigent sector of a hospital.
The examinations are not concluded thus far, because during the
second half of 1976 until today, his father has been sick in a
hospital and his mother is also sick at home, making it impossible
to give continuity to his examinations. He does not take any
medicine. He came to the school already trained to go to the
toilet and able to eat by himself, but he does not chew his food
yet. He also has some independence in dressing. He responds
very well to hearing, visual and gestural stimulation. He has
learned basic gestural communication, such as:
- come here
- sit down
- get up
- go to the toilet
- go wash your hands
- go to eat
He has great interest in people, and, when somebody gets close
to him he tries to find out, through touch, whther they are using
a hearing aid. He likes hearing training and appreciates the
teacher's voice, trying to imitate simple words of the oral
communication, but without understanding them. He is showing
great interest in visual environment and tries to cope with it.
He presents general motor difficulty and a certain lack of tactile
perception. He has good ability in transferring classroom
learning to other situations.
Paula Andrea A. - Born April, 1975. She came to the school in
August, 1976,
Diagnosis
Sight 2 retrolenthal fibroplasia
Hearing j 200Hz 500Hz 1000Hz 1500Hz 2006Hz
Db loss 70 90 100 80 ?
Her parents try to do everything that may lead to good training
for Paula. Her mother receives orientation given by a
Physiotherapist regarding the motor development of the child.
Paula is very sensitive to certain foods which cause her allergies
and which require constant medical control. She does not take any
medicine.
Feeding :- she is able to drink: liquids by herself, holding the
glass or cup. She does not use a spoon yet, and she
needs help in order to eat. She eats well, accepting
any type of food.
Toilet s- she is not trained yet.
Dressing:- she is able to take her shoes off and her socks.
Social behavior:- she distinguishes between the activities given
either by her father or her mother and those by other
persons. In other words, she has become used to eacb
■P3«
individual type of play or contact, and only accepts
them from those whom she has become used to.
Body imitation:- she does not imitate, "but does understand when
mother makes gestures on the child's "body,
Heaction to speech:- she shows interest when someone speaks close
to her ear or when she is using the hearing aid, although
she does not voice when using the aid.
Gestures
Receptive: she reacts to signs made on her arms, hands
and "body:- to eat
- to drink
- get up
- come here
- let's take a bath
- let's go to the toilet
- let's go to sleep
- push
- it is finished
- no
- yes
Expressive:- to eat
- to push
- no
- yeas
Visual, reaction: she shows reaction to very intensive light.
She does not perceive any other visual stimulation,
Reaction to sound: she does not imitate. She only voices when
she is playing and is not using the hearing aid.
Toys : she is able to manipulate. When she is playing, she
does not give objects to anybody and, should
the object fall from her hands, she looks for
them with her hands, in front of her and on
both sides. She enjoys intensive physical
activities.
Motor development: she holds small objects with one hand
and uses both hands for bigger objects.
She climbs up and down chairs and stairs t
She does not walk alone, but is abllfe to do so
if supported by a wall*
This year, Paula Andrea is not attending school because State
Law does not allow children to attend school prior to being 3
years old. There are not specialized clinics dedicated to the
whole care of the child. They propose speech-hearing training,
assistance in visual problems, etc., but there is no integration
in these areas.
Maria Amelia L. - Born February, 1969* She came to the school
in March, 1977.
Etiology: maternal rubella.
Sight: congenital cataract in the right eye
Hearing: 250Hz 500Hz 1000Hz 3000Hz
Db loss 35 45 75 75
Congenital heart disease (she was operated
in the latter part of 1975).
Maria Amelia also came to the school without any toilet and feeding
training. Her parents needed proper orientation so that this
training could be given. Maria Amelia's present conditions are:
Sight : good perception and she gets very interested in details.
She does not make visual contacts, even to the point of
systematically avoiding them.
Hearing : she does not respond to any sound stimulation, whether
using a hearing aid or not. Nevertheless, she likes
to use the hearing aid.
Social behavior: Maria Amelia likes the company of other children,
although she prefers to be among adults.
pg. 10.
Communication:
Gestures - receptive language:- come here
- stand up
- sit down
- close the door
- go wash you hands
- let's eat
- it is finished
expressive language?
she does not make any signs or gesture,
but, when she wants something, she takes
the hand of the adult and takes him to
the desired object.
Motor "behavior i good walking, but with a poor general balance.
Her overall and specific coordination is deficient,
Emotional behavior: low frustration level; low resistance to
fatigue in school work; very dependent.
These are the most significant cases that I thought would be of
interest to this audience, I have also attended other cases of
children from other cities in our country, but they cannot
attend our school, because this institution is not a residential
school and the moving of their parents would result in upsetting
de family dynamics.
There is no doubt that we urgently need to establish a well
planned, realistic, scientific and well coordinated program for
very specialized care and treatment of the deaf -blind. The
efforts of everyone involved and/or concerned with these problems
should be duly concentrated in order to establish a logical,
consistent and humanitary program.
This is, I am sure, one of the main reasons for our being here
at this Seminar. And, as one of the participants in the very
recent I World Conference on Services to Deaf-Blind Youths and
Adults, held in New York City, last September, I think that it
would be needless for me to add more comments in addition to what
I have presented to you today. So, I would ask you to remember
the Declaration of Rights of Deaf -Blind Persons, adopted "by that
very important Conference, and which was sent to us "by our dear
Dr. Hi chard Kinney,
Before ending my presentation, I would like to inform you that
the "Escola Residencial para Beficientes Audio vi suai s" , which
was a State school, in September of this year became a Foundation,
named "Fundacao Municipal Annie Sullivan", We are very happy
with this decision, and we all are waiting for the next school
year (February 1978) to start our work there, with our deaf -blind
children©
Thank you very much.
** *** **
I SEMINARIO BRASILEIRO DE EDUCAQAO DE DEFICIENTE AUDIOVISUAL
ATTEMPTS TO IMPLANT DEAF-BLIND
EDUCATION IN BRAZIL
PROF. NICE TONHOZI SARAIVA
I SEDAV - ABEDEV
ATTSLIPTS T0 IMpLAI^p DEAP-BUKD EDUCATION
III BRAZIL
Prof. Nice Tonhozi de Saraiva
It is an arduous task, through at the same time, exciting to face
the challenge of initiating a new enterprise in the field of
specialized education.
Allow me to present to you this new effort in our country. In 1950,
during my specialized course on teaching the blind, I had the
opportunity to read about the life of Helen Keller, the famous deaf-
blind American woman, and her teacher, Annie Sullivan, In 1953,
Helen Keller visited Brazil and impressed us very much by her ex-
traordinary personality which, although so limited, conquered all
obstacles, acquiring vast culture, becoming the syz&bol of the fight
for the benefit of the blind and deaf -blind.
In my thirty- two years of teaching, my most emotional moment was
when I got to know Helen Keller. I realized that she was exactly
as I &ad read in her books and, without exaggeration, her life story
was not fiction. I cannot describe my emotion when her hand touched
my face and she understood what I said. At that moment, I remember-
ed Annie Sullivan and all I had read about her endeavors to liberate
Helen Keller from the isolation in which she lived. At that moment,
I decided that I had to be a teacher for the deaf -blind.
Once a professor of the blind, I studied a course of specialized
education of the deaf in Rio de Janeiro, whose directress was Dona
Ana Maria Eimoli de Faria Doria^fwhose presence in this course
honored her students.
With these two special studies, I felt more sure in my realization
of my ideal. Having entered in contact with the Perkins School
for the Blind in Watertown, L'lassachusetts, in the United States,
I was able to obtain a scholarship in Special Education for the
Attempts to Implant Deaf -Blind. Education in Brazil Pg.2,
the deaf -blind - through Br, Edward Waterhouse, who is honoring us
today with his presence.
With the authorisation of the Governor of Sao Paulo and US$50,00
monthly from the Itamarati, in I960, seven years after Helen Keller's
visit to Brazil, I went to the United States. I classified for my
certificate and thus, in June of 1961, one might say I officially
"began the education of the deaf -blind in Brazil.
Soon after my return to Brazil, from the then existing National
Campaign for the Education of the Blind, 1 succeeded in obtaining
an appropriation for the creation of a division of the Education
of Audiovisual Handicapped in the Foundation for the Bookjof the
Blind in Brazil, whose president, B. Borina de G-ouvea Ncwill, gave
me free liberty in this function. B. Borina is also participating
in our seminar «
THE HJiST SPECIALISED CLASS POE BEAP-BLIHD
This class lasted for one and a half years with two students: one
of ten years of age, deaf with 0.1 vision, and the other, completely
blind and no one knew her level of deafness and intellectuality.
The first showed great possibilities of education, while the
second remained a question mark as to intellectual and hearing levels,
After some time for observation and with a medical diagnosis in
severe mental deficiency, the girls, was interned in a special
institution for her case.
While I worked with these two girls, I could see how many, things . they
assimilated. It seemed nothing had been given them. However, we
know, for the deaf-blind, a little is a lot: learning to chew, to
dress, to move freely, to have independence in physiological needs
and principally, to have a means of communication. For any human
being, this is as important as any school routine.
Attempts to Implant Deaf -Blind Education in Brazil ■ pg.3,
TEACHERS TRAINING IN BRAZIL
In this period, during a speech at the Foundation for the Book of
the Blind, two teachers of blinds, Thereza Adelina Barros Tavares
and Dinah Soega Badra, became interested in this field of study*
D. Borina gave them authorization to specialize in the education
of deaf handicapped, and at the same 'time received training in the
education of the deaf -blind*
A regular teacher, D. Nely de Paula, with experience in teaching
the blind, received training in the classes for the deaf -blind, <
working with us until the end of the classes*
THE I'JID 0? THE FIRST CLASS TOR DEAP-BII&D
In November of 1963, one and a half years after its beginning, by
requirements of the Institute for the Blind "Padre Chico" , the
class was closed. At this time only Thereza stayed at lay side,
dedicated to fight with me, sharing the frustrations and heart-
breaks* A ja±> which we started so enthusiastically seemed to be
falling apart. And we could seem to do little or nothing.
After our discouragement, we resolved to continue our fight because
the Division remained confident, counting on the support of the
Foundation for the Book.
The two girls were' sent to specialized institutions in the
interior of the State of Sao Paulo. Bona Abgail Calera, founder of
the Lar Nosso ITinho, in Araraquara, accepted one of the girls, and
the other, with severe mental problems, lives in an institution in
Atibaia, which is spe dalized in under--, id children without any
possibility for education.
And we are still looking for a place to install a school, or at
least a class. Leaf -Blind children still have no school - but not
all our work is' lost; in the end, education is not always classified
by its losses* It is a fight we continue. One day the planted seed
Attempts to Implant Deaf -Blind Education in Brazil pg.4o
will give fruit, even if it is we that cannot make this harvest.
This is not important. Others will.
THE SECTOR 0? EDUCATION FOB THE AUDIOVISUAL HANDICAPPED - SE3AY
The first and most difficult step had already been made: to conquer
the public interest for a work on Education of the Deaf -Blind.
The principal aims were;
- Orientation of the school or special class;
- Researchs for the proper localization of the cases;
- Guidance for these localized cases;
- Heading abilities and communication for adults;
- Training of teachers;
- Information and instructive speeches for the community.
TBANSPEKEHCE OP THE SECTOR TO THE STATE
After sometime with the 8EDAY, we considered it wiser to transfer
the new service to the control of the State, in order to consolidate
the beginning taken which was of a personal character.
the
The Sector of Education and Assistance forA Audio visual Handicapped
was created, Law n2 75, of May 21, 1964, under the existing service
of Education for the Deaf; at that time, the Director was Mr. Jorge
G-adig, greatly interested in our work* Dona Dorina agreed with the
transference of the teachers. One of these, Dona Dinah Zoegra,
preferred to continue with the blind, and stayed with the Foundation.
We are continuing with the education of the public, and also assi^bing
with home care of two adults in 3ao Paulo, a child in Sao Caetano
do Sul and another in Santo Andre. One child dn Belo Horizonte
continued to correspond with us in the hope of a "place in the Sun".
Attempts to Implant Deaf -Blind Education in Brazil pg.5,
Until today she stays living in a dark world, silent, caused "by
her double deficiency, without any hope of orientation. Her oral
language is incomprehensible* She communicates by Braille and
manual alphabet. She still hopes for some orientation to this day.
And the porpaganda to the public, to clarify the difficulty of
these people, continued. Prom those who heard us, we received
emotional applause. But they could not do anything to help us in
this beginning of a class or a school*
<
A SCHOOL FOE AUDIOVISUAL HA3TOICAPFED
One day, we received a process coming from the Legislature* It
contained the Law of Representative Oswaldo Massei, of Sao Caetano
do Sul* dealing with the creation of a school for the handicapped
in that city, to join together children with all the mental and
physical handicaps. In order to justify our point of view to the
contrary, but recognising the humane feelings of this Representative,
we clarified that each problem child needs specialised care and
technical attention* We took advantage of this opportunity to
divulge our plan to create a special school for audiovisual
handicapped, since, until that time, we had not been able to open
a class or a school to attend deaf -blind people* The Representative
promised to make (-very effort and to approach the Mayor of Sao
Oaetano do Sul to bring to realisation such a plan. And thus,
thanks to the comprehension of Mayor Heraogones Salter Braido -
Municipal Law nfi 170, of August 9, 1968 - of Sao Caetano do Sul -
was created in Brazil the First Eesi&encial School for the Audio-
visual Handicapped - EltDAV*
line school attended four types of deficiencies:
1. totally deaf and blind
2. totally deaf - partially blind
3* totally blind - partially deaf
4. partially deaf and blind
Attempts to Implant Deaf -Blind Education in Brazil pg.6,
and also aimed to prepare technicians for the decentralization
of teaching in Brazil and the creation of a Center for Studies and
Scientific Investigation, Me to administrative exigencies, EEDAV
attended only students with auditive handicaps* EHDAV operated in
colabo ration with the Municipality and the State through an agreement:
The lamicipality would be in charge of
1. Ceding a school building
2. I£aintenance of the building
3. Material and equipment
4. Salary of the caretakers
5. Salary of the workers
The State would be in charge of giving
1. Technical staff
2. Pedagogical material and special equipment
3* Technical and bureaucratic orientation
Since the beginning of 1969, I have ^oeen separated from the Service
for Special Education of the State and from the Institute for the
Blind "Padre Chico" and was put to the disposition of the Municipality
of Sao Oaetano do Sul, in accordance with Clause V of the agreement,
to install and put to work the EEDAV* The officer in charge of the
Service for Special Education of the State, D. luisa Banducci Isnardi,
transferred Professor Theresa Adelina Barros Tavares, obeying the
same Clause, to serve the PEDAY.
In 1970, Professor Heusa Bassetto was chosen for specialized studies
on education for the deaf-blind in the United States 0 At our appeal,
P. Maria do Canao ae Abreu Sodre, at that time Pirst Lady of the
•State of Sao Paulo, colaborated in helping with the costs during
Heusa' a stay in the United States. Dona Maria do Carmo colaborated
also with the school, guaranteeing food for students and workers
during a certain period.
Attempts to Implant Deaf -Blind Education in Brazil pg, 7,
In August of 1970, it was arranged for a directress of a municipal
school, Professor Vitalina Manrique, to be responsible for the
administration of the School.
In 1971, I retired from EEDAV, tranquil, as I left in my place
Neusa Basse tto and Thereza Adelina, two highly qualified persons to
continue the work I had started* But I did not abandon my work.
As I said before, Education is not only the lessons we give,
Voluntarily, I continued my contribution, staying close to the
movement in the field of education of deaf -blind people.
When I left ERDAV, the technical sector was composed of: doctor,
phonoaudiologist, psychiatrist, social worker, occupational
therapist, teachers of deaf handicapped and deaf-blind, and an
auxiliary in kindergarten. Ten temporary classes were created,
taught by teachers of deaf -blind, deafs, physical education,
Ho
industrial arts, music, social workers and a phdau&iologist* Six
teachers were commissioned to take care of the administrative
functions, one being a teacher specialized in the education of
deaf -blind and another one trained in the field. This teacher,
Dalvsnise, took her training in 1975-76,
Due to political-administrative implications, the convention was
denounced by the State* This "fceing the case, the EEDAV became
extinct, having created five classes joined to the State School
of 1st and 2nd degree in Vila Santa Maria in Sao Caetano do Sul,
Of these five classes, four are, dealing with auditive deficiencies
and one for deaf -blind children.
In 1974, Professor Thereza Adelina Barros Tavares moved from Sao
Paulo, thus leaving the teaching of the deaf -blind to the
responsibility of Professor Neusa Bassetto. At the same time,
having finished her term, the Administrative Directress, Vitalina
Manrique, also left the school. Dr. Ruth Delic took over the direction
and spared no efforts to reorganize the school. It was necessary
Attempts to Implant Beaf -Blind Education in Brazil pg.8,
to continue the school*, A job started with so much profit
could not die, This is what thinks the President of the Brazilian
Association for Education of the Visually Handicapped, Professor
Geraldo Sandoval de Andrade. Shanks to the movement promoted by
the ABEDBY, the program for the education of deaf -blind people is
being reactivated* his important seminar is a proof of this.
Bringing technicians and deaf -blind people from other countries,
the Brazilian Association for the Education of the Visually
Handicapped - AB'EBEY, is giving us an opportunity to up-date our
knowledge, to hear marvelous testimonials of life experiences of
great leaders who are deaf-blind, and in this way, through facts and
methods, to demonstrate to* the Brazilian community 1*he possibility
for social-professional recuperation of the de;;f -blind.
The Municipality of 3ao Oaetano do Sul is actively colabo rating
in the resurgence of this program, creating situations and juridical
structure for the Besidencial School for the Blind - EEBAV, in such
a way that it can continue its mission without having to run the
r5rV r-r "being doubted and questioned and seeing its activities
being interrupted.
The 'seed planted in I960 begins to fruit seventeen years later.
It is BBBAV which is being reborn to care for the deaf -blind and
where they can look for an opportunity to educate themselves, freeing
themselves from the barriers of their doube handicap and shewing up
to what point the human being can react and grow facing the most
terrible of limits which nature, at times, put in his way. The
vital energy of a person may throw him into the future and give him
the possibility of acquiring equipment and mechanisms of personality
so that he can conquer the hostilities of every day life.
to Paulo, October, 1977.
**# -*** **#-
CUBEICULUM VITAE
NICE TONHOZI DE SARAIVA
1945 - Teacher for Elementary School "by the Institute of Education
"Padre Anehieta" - Sao Paulo - Brasil
1975 - Supervisor Teacher, School of Education "Sao Marcos" - Sao Paulo
1950 - Teacher for the Blind, by the Institute of Education "Caetano
de Campos - Sao Paulo
- Teacher for the Deaf by the National Institute of Education
for the Deaf - Rio de Janeiro
1961 - Teacher for the Deaf -Blind by the Perkins School for the
Blind, Watertown, Massachusetts, U.S.A.
Ex-Teacher (retired) of the State for the"Padre Chico" Institute
for the Blind, 1946/1971.
Presently acting as Supervisor Teacher of the Special Branch for
the Education of the Blind and the Deaf at the Municipality of
Sao Bernardo do Campo - SP.
06/29/2012
T 265314 5 1
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