Educational Programming for Deaf Children with Multiple Disabilities: Accommodating Special Needs

Abstract

Many deaf children have multiple disabilities. In this chapter the concept ‘“multiple disabilities’ disabilities” is explained. Subsequently etiology is discussed, followed by information about deafblindness, deafness and autism, and deafness and intellectual disabilities. Educational accommodations, including assessment, access to communication and language (including cochlear implantation), and curricula for deafblind children, are the subject of the remainder of this chapter.

Autism Spectrum Disorders in People with Sensory and Intellectual Disabilities Symptom Overlap and Differentiating Characteristics

“…Their remaining senses (touch, smell, taste and proprioception) only function in nearby space, giving the impression that deafblind children are ego-centred. This ego-centeredness is however of a different origin than it is in ASD [4].…”

“…Similar behaviours, overlapping symptoms, or even the exact same behavioural characteristics can be found in people with hearing disabilities [4], visual impairments [5], intellectual disabilities [6] and combinations of these impairments, such as deafblindness [7]. All three of the main components of autism that the DSM-IV-TR describes, are also found in non autistic people with sensory and intellectual disabilities.…”

“…Deaf and people with hearing disabilities often show delays in acquiring language, but can also show peculiar uses of words [4]. Even delays in developing sign language are found for this is often not fully learned until children go to a school for the deaf.…”

“…Several authors stress that even though the symptoms are similar, the processes that underlie these symptoms are different for autistic versus non autistic people [4,15,16]. Nevertheless, when behaviours are the same, there is the risk that ASD is either missed or unjustly diagnosed.…”

A Critical Review of Screening and Diagnostic Instruments for Autism Spectrum Disorders in People with Sensory Impairments in Addition to Intellectual Disabilities

“…Although there is a broad range of instruments that can be used for screening for and diagnosing of ASD, these instruments may not be very valid and/or useful when people develop atypically because of motor, sensory, or intellectual disabilities. For instance, ASD typical behaviors are not only seen in people with ASD but also in people with visual impairments (Cass, 1998;Hobson, Lee, & Brown, 1999), auditory impairments (Knoors & Vervloed, 2011), intellectual disabilities (De Bildt, Sytema, Kraijer, & Minderaa, 2005;Matson & Shoemaker, 2009;Matson, Dempsey, LoVullo, & Wilkins, 2008;Vig & Jedrysek, 1999) and also in people with a combination of these impairments (Dammeyer, 2011(Dammeyer, , 2013De Vaan, Vervloed, Knoors, & Verhoeven, 2013; Hoevenaars-Van Den Boom, Antonissen, Knoors, & Vervloed, 2009;Rødbroe & Janssen, 2006). It is the latter group that is the focus of this review, people with an intellectual disability combined with a visual impairment or deafblindness.…”