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Part B (school-age) and Part C (early intervention) systems. Intervener services are
designated as needed in Individualized Education Plans (IEP) and Individualized
Family Service Plans (IFSP); interveners are then hired by USDB, supervised by
deaf-blind specialists, and work under the supervision of classroom teachers.
Intervener Training
Training for interveners is a hybrid of face-to-face, online, and practicum
trainings. Through collaboration with the University of Utah, interveners may elect to
receive university credit for course and field work. The training for interveners has
been approved by the university curriculum committee and a faculty member in the
Department of Special Education at the University of Utah serves as a co-instructor
in the training to ensure university educational standards are met. Through additional
collaboration with NCDB, Utah Deaf-Blind Specialists have been involved with the
creation of the Open Hands, Open Access Deaf-Blind Intervener Training modules.
These modules are in the process of being added to the hybrid training as they
become available. In addition, yearly trainings are provided to all interveners, as well
as teachers and related service providers throughout the state. Many interveners have
used their acquired training as a springboard to get further education in order to
become deaf-blind specialists, special educators, occupational therapists, speech and
language pathologists, and nurses.
Teacher of the Deafblind Endorsement and Preparation
Prior to 2012, most of the deaf-blind specialists at USDB held various special
education teaching endorsements, including vision, hearing, significant disabilities,
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