Resources

        DB-LINK, (1999, July). The National Information Clearinghouse on Children who are Deaf-Blind. [Online]. Available. http://www.tr.wou.edu/dblink/assess2.htm
 

        Mar, H. (1996). Psychological evaluation of children who are deaf-blind: An overview with recommendations for practice. Monmouth, OR: U.S. Department of Education.

        McInnes, J. M., Treffry, J. A. (1982). Deaf-blind infants and children: A developmental guide. Toronto, Ont.: University of Toronto Press.
 
 

Synthesis of Information
 
 

Cognition is a term which refers to the development of a child’s intelligence or thinking processes. The word encompasses a variety of definitions, including: The ability to reason and solve problems; creativity and play; the concepts and ideas a child has about his or her world; and the ability to adapt to changes in his or her life. Cognition or learning is a developmental area which is greatly impacted by dual sensory impairment. Since perceptual interaction with the environment is necessary for normal cognitive growth, the child with deaf-blindness will not naturally develop learning skills such as object permanence. This child will also have difficulty learning about cause and effect, spatial relationships, and the properties of objects. Simple daily living skills will be difficult to master. He or she will not learn through imitation. For the child with deaf-blindness, that which is not taught or touched will not be learned (McInnes, 1982).

Many infants and toddlers who are deaf-blind are mistakenly identified as being severely developmentally handicapped because they have not been given the opportunity to interact with his or her environment or understand the results of those interactions. And in fact, their intellectual capacity may far exceed the limits indicated by their label.

Because children who are deaf-blind are so diverse in sensory capabilities, there is no "best" approach to assessing their cognitive abilities. However, all evaluation tools must be guided by pragmatic and relevant concerns; such as an individual’s ability to communicate, acquire new information, interact with others, carry out meaningful routines, and solve problems. There are many different assessment approaches:

• Psychometric – The psychometric approach involves the use of formal tests which yield quantitative scores such as IQ, mental age, percentile ranking, and grade level. Two of the most common tests of intelligence are the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children and the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale. However, a psychologist would have to adapt these tests for use with children who are deaf-blind. If a test is adapted, the psychologist must be extremely cautious interpreting the results. Scores may not be valid once there is departure from standard procedures (Mar, 1996).

• Developmental – Developmental assessments focus on the quality of a child’s interactions with persons and objects. This approach is most appropriate for assessing infants, toddlers, and young children. The Bayley Scales of Infant Development is a popular developmental instrument. The Callier-Azusa Scale – G by Stillman (1978) is a developmental tool specifically designed for use with children who are deaf-blind. These assessments can be administered by teachers, caregivers or parents.

• The Battelle Developmental Inventory by Jean Newborg et. al. (1984)
• DASI-II: Developmental Activities Screening Inventory by R. Fewell & M. Langley (1984)
• Developmental Programming for Infants and Young Children Vol. 1: Assessment and Application by S. Rogers & D. D’Eugenio (1977)
• Developmental Teaching Guide by S. Bornstein & R. Zimmerman
• Early – LAP: The Early Learning Accomplishment Profile for Developmentally Young Children, Birth to 36 Mos. by M. Glover et. al. (1978)
• Ecological Interview Form for Infants and Preschoolers by E. Lynch (1984)
• HELP Checklist: Hawaii Early Learning Profile by S. Furuno et. al. (1984)
• Infant Temperament Questionnaire by S. Carey & S. McDevitt (1977)
• Toddler Temperament Scale by W. Fullard et. al. (1978)
• Minnesota Child Development Inventory by H. Ireton & E. Thwing (1974)
• Minnesota Infant Development Inventory by H. Ireton & E. Thwing (1980)
• Observation of Vision Problems by T. Anthony (1992)

Transdisciplinary Play-Based Assessment by T. Linder (1994)

Parents should have an active role in the assessment of their child. Parents can provide information and insights about their child that might not be observed within the limited time frame of an evaluation.
 
 

Insights

It seems, from all of the information I have read that children with dual sensory impairments possess unique challenges all unto themselves. Most of the developmental assessments are not specifically designed for this population. There needs to be extreme care taken when administering adaptive evaluations in order to accommodate any special needs the child may have, in turn allowing for as accurate a result as possible.

Regardless of the evaluation tool, it is more important that the classroom teacher, parent, or caregiver be able to interpret the results of either a psychological and/or developmental assessment. Adequate assessment, followed by a comprehensive intervention program, should lead to improvement in an infant’s use of residual senses for communication, cognitive, mobility, and social-emotional development.
 
 

Bibliography

        Linder, T. (1995). And you thought they were just playing: A transdisciplinary play-based assessment. Baltimore, MD: Brookes Pub. Co.

        Siegel-Causey, E.(1992). Assessing young children with dual sensory and multiple impairments: Ages birth to five. Columbus, OH: GLARCDB

        SKI*HI Institute. (1993). A resource manual for understanding and interacting with infants, toddlers, and preschool age children with deaf-blindness. Logan, U.T.: H.O.P.E., Inc.
 
 
 

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