VIDBE-Q Volume 67 Issue 4
15. Would you be interested in any of the following?
Receiving training about interveners and what they do - 42 (39%)
Participating in advocacy efforts on a national level - 44 (41%)
Summary: Forty-two participants said they would like more training and
information on interveners and what they do. Thirteen of those report having
questions about interveners and the services they provide, even though their child
already has an intervener. Related to advocacy efforts, of the forty-four
respondents who want to be involved, half report having an intervener for their
child and the other half do not have an intervener for their child.
Conclusion
In summary, interveners are perceived by parents to be a critical support for
their children who are deafblind. The consensus is clear that interveners must be
recognized as an integral member of the IEP team, and be trained and paid
appropriately. Additional themes emerged in the survey, and are summarized
below.
Short Survey Response Time
The survey was open for 10 days, and it represents a relatively short
snapshot in time. The short turnaround time reduced the opportunity to find parents
of children who are deafblind and to invite them to participate. The results of the
survey show that the majority of these parents not only know what an intervener is,
