Identification
Deafblindness is a very rare disability, particularly in children. Deafblind children have both a visiual or hearing impairment. These impairments can be of any type or degree. Most children who are multi-sensory-impaired have some useful vision and/or hearing. Some children with multiple disabilities are very slow to learn to use visual or auditory information. They may initially appear to be deafblind, but later learn to use one or the other sense. Other children may have fluctuating visual and hearing levels, or the results from testing may be unclear. Sense works on behalf of these children, and for those with multiple disabilities and single sensory impairments, as well as for children known to have deafblindness.
Early assessment of the child's needs will be carried out by a range of professionals working with parents. This should (but may not always in practice) be done in a co-ordinated way, and should lead to a Family Service Plan which details
- the child's needs
- the early intervention to be provided.
Help may be offered by an early years specialist or health visitor in the child's home or at specialist centres. Parents should be fully involved in deciding what form of help is most appropriate.
However most people who are deafblind are elderly and have lost sight and hearing in later life (opens a new window).
Assessment and intervention
For children who are multi-sensory-impaired, early intervention is vital. Appropriate intervention requires:
- early identification of deafblind children
- accurate assessment of their needs
The introduction of the NHS Newborn Hearing Screening Programme (opens a new window) in which all babies are screened for hearing impairment soon after birth, will help with early identification.
Further information on special educational needs assessment and statementing is also available on this website.
