RELATED RESOURCES
What It Is
Although deaf-blindness and multiple disabilities occur at relatively low incidence rates, practitioners involved with children and youth with significant support needs are typically challenged by the question of how best to provide services for these learners and their families.
Nationwide, more than 10,000 children and youth, ages birth through 21 years, experience deaf-blindness. Of this number, approximately 90 percent experience other disabilities (intellectual, physical, and/or emotional) in addition to their vision and hearing losses.
What We're Doing
In the State of Kansas, approximately 750 children and youth are reported as having significant support needs (i.e., severe multiple disabilities); approximately 125 are included on the state's deaf-blind census.
Dr. Susan M. Bashinski, a researcher affiliated with the Beach Center, is currently involved with three projects targeted to improve services and information resources for children and youth who are deaf-blind and their families.
- Related Resources
The primary goal of the Student Support Service Homepage is to provide support, and improve the outcomes of exceptional children. This department provides leadership and support for special education services to all schools throughout Kansas.
The National Consortium on Deaf-Blindess is a cooperative project funded by the U.S. Deparatment of Education's Office of Special Education Programs.