Remarkable Conversations

Barbara Miles

Description

This book addresses the needs of children of all abilities, from those who use nonlinguistic forms of communication such as objects or body movements to those who use linguistic forms such as sign language or writing.

Sujets

• Nonverbal Communication
• Social Science
• Sociologie, société et politique
• Body Language

Informations

• Publié par: eBookIt.com
• Date de parution: 28 mars 2019
• Nombre de lectures: 1
• EAN13: 9781947954854
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 15 Mo

Extrait

Reading Remarkable Conversations is like having a series of engaging conversations with experienced teachers. The personal style makes the book highly understandable and useful to families, teachers, and anyone who wants to learn more about communication and deafblindness. The authors celebrate the diversity of people who are deafblind and give practical approaches for creating communication-rich environments for them. Through well-developed case studies and photographs, readers have the opportunity to meet a wide range of children and young adults who are deafblind. These children and young adults teach us much about the ever evolving process of communication development.
This book addresses the needs of children of all abilities, from those who use nonlinguistic forms of communication such as objects or body movements to those who use linguistic forms such as sign language or writing. Remarkable Conversations is invaluable to aspiring teachers, to teachers in special and regular education settings, to families, to clinicians, and to all who advocate for quality programs. The authors clearly establish that it is indeed a privilege to work with and to know people who are deaflblind.
~ Barbara A. B. McLetchie, Ph.D.

Published by Perkins School for the Blind
175 North Beacon Street
Watertown, Massachusetts 02472
Edited by Barbara Miles and Marianne Riggio
Copyedited by Anne Warren Smith
Design: Nieshoff Design, Lexington, Massachusetts
Cover photo: Carol Benoit
©2018
ISBN # 0-9657170-1-1
This publication was made possible by a grant from the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, Reno, Nevada.

Contents
Contents
Acknowledgements
Foreword
Introduction
CHAPTER 1 What is Communication?
Pre-Linguistic Communication
Communication That Uses Language
Importance of Communication for People Who Are Deafblind
Meet Jason
Meet Vivian
Meet Mary
CHAPTER 2 Understanding Deafblindness
Defining the Population
A Changing Population of Children
Why a Categorical Definition?
Challenges Shared by People Who Are Deafblind
Importance of Assessment
Impact of Sensory Losses on Attachment, Communication, and Concept Development
Importance of Diagnosis and Assessment
Cultural Attitudes Toward Deafblindness
CHAPTER 3 Developing Partnerships With Families
Learning From Families of Children Who Are Deafblind
The Importance of the Family: The Constant Thread
Changing Attitudes, Roles and Needs
The Challenge to Educators
Parents: The Most Enduring Team Members
The Difficult Transition Into Adulthood
Systems for Ongoing Family Support and Training
Establishing Networks Among Families
CHAPTER 4 Conversation: The Essence of Communication
Elements of a Good Conversation
Equal Participation
CHAPTER 5 Environments That Encourage Communication
The Broad View of Communication
Characteristics of the Environment That Encourage Communication
CHAPTER 6 Assessment of Communication
Methods of Assessment
What Do We Assess?
A Teacher’s School-Based Assessment: Fatima
Recommendations for Fatima
Assessment Activities
Assessment of Infants and Toddlers
Clinical Assessments of Communication: Are They Appropriate?
Assessment: An Ongoing Process
CHAPTER 7 Selection of Communication Modes
Selecting Natural and Practical Modes
Working Toward Maximum Fluency
Nonverbal Communication Modes
Verbal Communication Modes
Case Studies
Who Selects the Communication Modes?
CHAPTER 8 Developing Early Communication and Language
Beginning Stages of Communicative Competence in Children Who Are Not Disabled
Guidelines for Encouraging Interaction
Early School Experiences
Strategies for Developing Nonverbal, Gestural Communication
Strategies for Increasing the Child’s Exposure to Words
Strategies for Developing Oral Language
CHAPTER 9 Developing Basic Language Forms
Special Considerations in Developing Language with Students Who Are Deafblind
What Does the Child Need to Learn?
Increasing Vocabulary
Language Activities
Integrating Language Learning into Other Subject Areas
Specific Language Lessons
Literacy as Part of Language Learning
Writing and Language Learning (for Learners with Useful Vision)
Learning Braille
CHAPTER 10 The Development of Complex Language
Developing Language and Concepts
Developing English Language Structures
A Suggested Process for Language Development
How Do We Teach Transformations?
Using Concept Units
Special Considerations for the Child Who Is Totally Blind
Julia’s Story
CHAPTER 11 Adolescents With Multiple Disabilities
Overview of This Population
Challenges Faced by Educators
Communication Challenges
Meeting the Challenges: Fostering Good Communication
Additional Supports to Build Good Communication
Paperwork Challenges
The Challenge of Innovative Living and Work Settings
CHAPTER 12 Looking Toward Adult Life
Communication: Central to Planning for Transition
Communication: Central to Preparing the Individual
Looking at the Bigger Picture
CHAPTER 13 Meeting the Needs of Individual Children
CHAPTER 14 Building a Vision of Quality Services
Quality Education for All Children
Essential Elements of a High Quality System of Services for Children Who Are Deafblind
Ways to Create a Responsive System
Index
Editors
Contributing authors
Photo Credits

Dedication
To all of the children and their families who have been our teachers.

Acknowledgements
We would like to thank the many people who have given us personal and professional support throughout the learning process of preparing this book:
Michael Collins, Director of the Hilton/Perkins Program, for his patient guidance through the evolution of this text, and for reinforcing the value and significance of this book to the field of deafblindness
Kevin Lessard, Director of Perkins School for the Blind, for his generous support and trust in this project
The staff and students of the Deafblind Program at Perkins School for the Blind, for their good humor and generosity during the whole process
Tom Miller, for his guidance and encouragement, and to the staff, volunteers, families and children from the Infant/Toddler Program at Perkins School for the Blind, for sharing with us many joyful images
Nancy Hogan, for her skill and good humor in helping us revise and revise and revise
Betsy McGinnity and Steven Davies, for being so generous with the services of DB-Link as we explored for references and resources, and especially for Steven’s keen proofreading eyes
Barbara McLetchie and Sara Gaar, our expert reviewers from whom we have also learned so much of what we have expressed here
Steve Perreault, Hilton/Perkins Latin American Regional Coordinator, for his cheerful support and for taking Rosie out for cheeseburgers and walks while we labored away
Kimberly Emrick, who made the final production phase so pleasant
Pat Nieshoff, for designing a book that is more beautiful than we had ever imagined possible
John Kennard and Carol Benoit, who helped us to capture the images that so beautifully support our words
Anne Warren Smith, for helping our words flow more smoothly
All of our family and friends, for cheering us on
The Hilton Foundation, for their generous support which has allowed this document to become a reality
Our profound thanks to the many teachers, parents and caregivers of children who are deafblind throughout the world who continue to enlighten us about successful teaching methods and who inspire us with their day-in-and-day-out dedication to the children.

Foreword
The field of deafblindness has long been in need of a comprehensive book about fostering communication. While a great deal has been written on the subject, much of the literature emphasizes specific aspects of communicating with children or young adults, or focuses on specific age groups. By contrast, this work presents a professional analysis of all aspects of communication, from the earliest communicative interactions between mother and baby to the more sophisticated needs of the advanced academic learner. The full spectrum of human dialogue is represented.
From the time that Laura Bridgman and Helen Keller were first educated, to the present day, we have seen a great deal of documentation in the literature of the needs of the deafblind learner, and how these needs are unique and special due to the learner’s combined sensory disabilities. Nevertheless, there is sometimes a tendency to overlook the particular approaches that can make learning possible and most efficient for a person who is deafblind. Even advanced-degree special educators will sometimes pose the question, “Exactly what is so unique about this deafblind child’s learning needs?” We see many children who are deafblind educated without much thought being given to the adapted communication and instructional techniques necessary for the child to achieve his/her communicative potential.
This book helps us examine teaching. What significantly sets the book apart is that it is written by teachers, for teachers. In this thoughtful text, the authors succeed magnificently in making the reader aware of the wide-ranging impact of deafblindness upon learning and upon life. Through crisp and concise practical examples of their work, and a very personal writing style, they clarify the child’s needs and how to address them in the classroom. Sound educational philosophy and theory combined with pragmatic examples of ind