Deafblind Resource Services provides ongoing support to students who are assessed as functioning deafblind and residing within the province of Ontario.
Functional Deafblind Assessment Process
The functional use of vision and hearing is assessed through observations and interactions intended to elicit the visual and auditory abilities of the student. These observations are reviewed, along with medical documentation and reported information, to determine whether the student is functioning deafblind. This identification is not a diagnosis and is intended only as an identification for educational purposes.
To request these services, complete a referral package.
Criteria for Assessment
Deafblind Resource Services reviews the student’s medical documentation to determine eligibility for assessment. To ensure a consistent approach, this has been aligned with the medical criteria defined by the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services.
The hearing level must include at least one of the following criteria:
- Hearing level is 41dB or greater at one or more frequencies in the range of 500 Hz – 4000 Hz in the better ear;
- Speech audiometry test demonstrated a word discrimination score of 80% or lower at 60-70 dB; and/or;
- The presence of an auditory dysfunction is strongly indicated.
The vision loss must include at least one of the following criteria:
- Visual acuity of no better than 20/70 in the better eye after correction;
- Visual field restrictions to 20 degrees or less; and/or;
- Reduced visual abilities due to neurological issues including cortical/cerebral visual impairments, delayed visual maturation, or hemianopsia.
Ongoing Consultative Service
Upon identification, an educational consultant is assigned to support the student and their school team. Educational consultants are specialist teachers in the field of deafblindness. Their experience and training has qualified them to address the needs of students with combined vision loss and differentiated hearing levels; where specialized methods and intervention strategies are necessary for learning and development. The educational consultant is available to:
- Deliver ongoing support for educational staff in school settings with frequency of consultation reviewed on an regular basis
- Collaborate with paraprofessionals and other agencies in utilizing consistent specialized deafblind methods and intervention strategies
- Support families by offering information about deafblindness, intervention strategies and other relevant resources
- Provide professional development opportunities through presentations and/or interactive workshops regarding the educational implications of deafblindness
- Create individualized reports which provide recommendations and strategies for educational programming
- Provide clarification of vision reports and audiograms for functional application in the educational environment
- Review the medical reports and the functional use of the student’s vision and hearing; and, if necessary, submit a referral for reassessment
- Attend team meetings and/or case conferences, upon request
- Provide transition support for students