This detailed fact sheet (PDF format) from the New York State Technical Assistance Project includes strategies for children who are deafblind.
Source: New York State Technical Assistance Project
Motor Skills Resources
In this section, families and educators can explore the importance of touch in bonding and communicating with a baby who is blind or visually impaired. Touch and movement are integral to development of fine and gross motor skills, encouraging young children to reach out and to actively explore the world around them.
These presentations offers basic principles and strategies for providing O&M services to visually impaired people whose additional disabilities include cognitive, hearing, physical or health challenges.
Source: Dona SauerburgerMelvin Marx modifies applications in the foundational blue textbook, Orientation and Mobility Techniques, in order to serve his first encounter with a deafblind student.
Source: Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired (TSBVI)Collection of resources compiled for use in a three-year study on parent-child physical activity intervention among families of children with visual impairments.
Source: American Printing House for the BlindTSynopses of current research findings, with links to further information and full texts.
Source: Sensory Processing Disorder FoundationThis site offers links to numerous articles, including "Preemies and Sensory Integration", "Adoption and Sensory Integration", and more.
Source: Come UnityOccupational Therapist Linda C. Stephens provides an overview of some of the ways sensory integrative problems manifest themselves, including sensory defensiveness, activity levels, and behavior.
Source: Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired(TSBVI)This article provides specific suggestions to help children develop eating skills and independence at mealtime.
Source: FamilyConnect for Parents of Children with Visual ImpairmentsTraditional Orientation and Mobility assessments for children may not take into account hearing loss and deafness. Tanni Anthony describes a Transdisciplinary Play-Based model for children who are deafblind which can more thoroughly assess developmental milestones.
Source: Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired (TSBVI)Peggy Freeman's comprehensive program of care for parents of babies who are deafblind with multiple disabilities includes sections on relationships, routines, vision, touch and touching, development of communication, moving/being moved, play, and signing. Each section offers numerous concrete suggestions for activities to enjoy with your child.
Source: National Center on Deaf-Blindness (NCDB)This special issue of Future Reflections is devoted to the first years of a child's life. It includes sections on learning at home, movement and mobility, touch, literacy, and formal education.
Source: National Federation of the Blind (NFB)This article explains the critical importance of establishing a predictable sequence of activities in the lives of children who are blind or visually impaired.
Source: FamilyConnect for Parents of Children with Visual ImpairmentsThis checklist is divided into separate domains and arranged in developmental sequence from birth to six years. Skill areas include cognitive, language, compensatory, self-help, fine motor, and gross motor (requires Adobe Acrobat Reader).
Source: Southern Oregon Education Service DistrictA rehabilitation program in Brazil that fosters collaboration between the home and school to teach children daily living skills.
Source: International Council for the Education of People with Visual Impairment (ICEVI)A simple listing of developmental expectations for orientation and mobility, and environmental supports for reaching these goals.
Source: Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired