Search

Deaf and hard of hearing (d/DHH) students are often labeled with one or more educationally significant disabilities in addition to their hearing loss. According to the Gallaudet Research Institution's most recent Annual Survey of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children and Youth (2013), almost 40% of d/DHH students nationwide receive special education services for one or more comorbid disabilities. However, relatively few prevalence rate estimates have been published over the last decade. Knowledge regarding the current prevalence of educationally significant disabilities among d/DHH students is therefore limited. The present study surveyed teachers of the deaf and hard of hearing (TODHHs) in a midwestern state regarding the number of d/DHH students on their caseloads with one or more comorbid disabilities. Within the sample population (N = 451), nearly 65% were reported to receive special education services for disabilities other than deafness or hearing impairment.

The purpose of this single case study was to investigate if a functional relation existed between online training and coaching, and early interventionists' use of an approach to practice meant to facilitate family-centered practices. Four professional/family dyads participated in the study. Three of the four professionals demonstrated an immediate increase in fidelity to the approach following online training. Fidelity levels were significantly higher in intervention when supported by coaching than in baseline, although variability was observed. While maintenance data were lower than during intervention, fidelity levels were higher in maintenance than in baseline. Three issues emerged from this study that are worthy of discussion. Change in practice was observed as a result of online training. In addition, online coaching through the use of video recordings was found to be an effective method for impacting practice. Finally, the results revealed that coaching could be effective even between unfamiliar professionals. The study has implications for preservice and in-service training programs in regard to the effectiveness of online technologies for training and coaching.

Introduction: This paper provides a report of social validity and its usefulness in understanding study effects. Social validity data were drawn from a larger single-case study designed to investigate the effectiveness of the Matrix Approach in the practice of early intervention visual impairment professionals. Methods: Qualitative measures were used to assess social validity. According to Wolf (1978), validation of a study should encompass the significance of goals, appropriateness of procedures, and importance of outcomes. Therefore, data sources were created to provide evidence of social validity in these areas including pre- and post-intervention interviews of parents and professionals. Results: Three themes emerged from the social validity data. These are organized under the topics introduced by Wolf (1978) and identified as measures of quality by Horner et al. (2005). The themes are (a) Goals: role of the parent as learner and the professional as expert before using the Matrix Approach, (b) Procedures: helpfulness of coaching and the structure of the Matrix Approach, and (c) Outcomes: personal and professional growth as a result of using the Matrix Approach. Discussion: Evaluation of social validity in single-case research is an important component in a study's design and in interpreting the study's outcomes. Wolf's framework proved valuable in promoting a robust evaluation of study effectiveness, especially when incorporated into the study design. Intentionally planning to measure social validity held the researchers accountable to the practical needs of the participants. In fact, there is value in gathering social validity data at various points in a study. Further, hearing the perspective of stakeholders can provide valuable insights as researchers seek to understand the complexities of change evident in the outcomes of a study. Implications for Practitioners: Collaborative planning is an essential component of early intervention. The Matrix Approach shows promise as a mechanism to foster such collaboration.

The Frank Porter Graham (FPG) Child Development Institute, Early Intervention Training Center for Infants and Toddlers with Visual Impairments and Their Families, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, was a national project that developed resources with the goal of building the capacity of colleges and universities to prepare personnel to serve infants and toddlers with visual impairments and their families. Researchers and leaders collaborated to develop a white paper outlining recommended practices by early intervention and visual impairment professionals in their work with children. It was from this research, practice, and policy base that a new early intervention training program, Early Learning Visual Impairment Services Training and Advancement (EL VISTA), at Illinois State University (ISU) was built. Experts in the field of visual impairment have agreed that training combining early intervention and visual impairment standards and recommended practices requires a specialized set of knowledge and skills. Children with visual impairments or deafblindness from birth through the age of 22 years receive services from trained teachers of students with visual impairments and orientation and mobility (O&M) specialists. Yet teachers of visually impaired students and O&M specialists are typically not fully trained in the developmental patterns of babies and children with visual impairments or deafblindness. The number of infants and toddlers with visual impairments or deafblindness who deserve and require highly skilled teachers of visually impaired students and O&M specialists trained in early intervention points to the need for additional programs that prepare personnel in early intervention. This article sends out an urgent call to the field of visual impairment to prioritize this need and establish a new profession within a profession, teachers of visually impaired students and O&M specialists who are a highly trained subset of the field of visual impairment, in order to meet the unique needs of infants and toddlers ages birth through 3 years who are visually impaired or deafblind. Standards, guidelines, and recommended practices from both the early intervention field and the field of visual impairment could guide the development and implementation of a personnel training program that is focused on providing high-quality training so as to produce new service providers to meet the unique needs of these infants and toddlers. To address the need for trained personnel to serve children and their families, ISU was awarded a five-year Office of Special Education Programs OSEP personnel preparation grant, EL VISTA (H325K140108) beginning in 2014. The primary goals for the project are: (1) to improve the quality of personnel who are fully credentialed to serve infants and toddlers who are visually impaired or deafblind who live in urban and rural areas where there are critical shortages; (2) to increase the number of personnel who are fully credentialed to serve these infants and toddlers who live in urban and rural areas where there are critical shortages; and (3) to create and implement a clear, effective plan for evaluating the knowledge and skills of graduates. One by one, this article outlines each of the three goals and describes plans for implementing and addressing a unique curricular design employed in the EL VISTA project that forges ahead toward recommended practices and personnel preparation curricular standards from both the early intervention field and the visual impairment field toward the creation of a new profession: the early intervention and visual impairment profession.

Introduction: The foundational concepts of early intervention are: family-centered and relationship-based practices, natural environments, child learning, adult learning, and quality team practices (Pletcher & Younggren, 2013). In this literature review, the authors consider the application of these concepts to services provided to families of infants and toddlers with visual impairments (that is, those with blindness or low vision) by vision professionals. Methods: Three databases (ERIC, ProQuest, and PsychINFO) were used to search for articles from 1997 to 2016, focusing specifically on infants and toddlers with visual impairments. Twenty-seven articles met the criteria for inclusion in the review. Results: Family-centered practices are valued by virtually all researchers in the field of visual impairment. Practices that promote parent-child relationships are especially important, given the specialized needs for early communication and the development of strong social relationships. Concerning the natural environment, commentators from the field of visual impairment are critical of federal definitions of natural environments; however, a broader definition of natural environments is supported. Child and adult learning are viewed as important for the promotion of positive outcomes for children and families who receive early intervention services, as is practice that promotes the formation of quality teams. Discussion: The foundational concepts of early intervention (Pletcher & Younggren, 2013) have applicability to professionals working with infants and toddlers with visual impairments and their families. Research supports these concepts as beneficial in achieving positive child and family outcomes. Implications for practitioners: Pre-service and in-service training programs for visual impairment should include early intervention principles and concepts in a manner that prepares the workforce to address the unique needs of this population.

Introduction: Professionals working with infants and toddlers with visual impairments (that is, those who are blind or have low vision) were surveyed regarding their preservice training and their awareness and use of 29 resources related to young children who are visually impaired. Methods: Early intervention visual impairment professionals (n = 109) from 11 states completed a survey called the "Early Intervention Visual Impairment Self-Efficacy Evaluation." The online tool was distributed to all professionals in each target state. Results: Thirty-eight percent of respondents indicated that the preservice program at which they received training as teachers of visually impaired students or orientation and mobility (O&M) specialists did not include content or experiences related to infants and toddlers with visual impairments. In addition, given three types of resources including books and curriculum (n = 12), websites (n = 5), and online or "eLearning" courses (n = 12), websites were rated as most frequently used, and eLearning resources were least frequently used for professional development. Resources on the topic of cortical or cerebral visual impairment (CVI) were more frequently rated as used, compared to resources on topics such as multiple impairments. Discussion: Results demonstrate that some training programs for teachers of visually impaired students and O&M specialists do not include content that prepares professionals to work with infants and toddlers with visual impairments, leaving professionals with a need for additional training to serve this population. In addition, workshops and web-based resources were respondents' preferred means of professional development. Implications for practitioners: As they consider future professional training efforts, individuals responsible for workforce preparation and development in the field of visual impairment need to take into account the training needs and preferred training formats of early intervention professionals.

Early intervention visual impairment services are built on a model that values family. Matrix session planning pulls together parent priorities, family routines, and identified strategies in a way that helps families and early intervention professionals outline a plan that can both highlight long-term goals and focus on what can be done today. This paper describes matrix session planning, followed by a discussion of the advantages and challenges scholars experienced as they used the matrix session planning method with families. This model is likely to prove helpful for others seeking change toward family centered practices when working with visually impaired infants, toddlers, and school-aged children.

Introduction: Anthony cautions that the training of teachers of students with visual impairments (i.e., blindness and low vision) and orientation and mobility (O&M) specialists covers a broad age range, which may result in limited curricular content essential for those who will work with very young children with visual impairments. The current study focuses on the self-efficacy of vision professionals regarding their work with infants and toddlers in using evidence-based approaches found in the early childhood literature. Methods: Teachers and O&M specialists (n = 109) from 11 states participated in a survey of perceptions of self-efficacy and working with infants and toddlers with visual impairments. Correlates of preparedness, experience, vision-specific self-efficacy, and early intervention self-efficacy were investigated. Results: Participants indicated that they felt inadequately trained to work with infants and toddlers. Self-efficacy measures regarding motivation to implement vision-specific recommended practices were higher than motivation to implement early intervention practices; however, self-efficacy measures for early intervention confidence and practice were higher than vision-specific confidence and practice. Although participants' ratings of the vision training program they attended were not correlated with their own self-efficacy measures, the amount of early childhood education content reported by participants was significantly correlated with all self-efficacy measures. Further, experience was correlated with self-efficacy. Discussion: Results support the need for a greater emphasis on early intervention content in visual impairment training programs. Additionally, the fact that half of the respondents in this study were over 50 years of age suggests that a turnover in personnel is imminent. Inevitably, this new workforce will lack experience. Information for practitioners: Professional preparedness that includes a strong foundation in recommended practices in early childhood will strengthen the workforce and should ultimately improve services to infants and toddlers with sensory disabilities and their families. Practitioners may need to seek out this specialized training.