;
Lorem Ipsum Dolor Spring 2016
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and planned recruitment efforts will concentrate on interveners and students in other
special education licensure programs who may be interested in obtaining a master's
degree and adding deafblindness to their areas of expertise. Finally, in addition to
efforts to train master Teachers of the Deafblind, The University of Utah is a member
of the federally funded National Leadership Consortium in Sensory Disabilities
(NLCSD) and is hoping to have scholars in the area of deafblindness at the doctoral
level who will have the necessary skills help the teacher preparation program grow
and develop in coming years and contribute much needed research to the knowledge-
base in the field of deafblindness.
Collaboration has been central to the development of the comprehensive
program in deafblindness in Utah and has greatly contributed to the achievement of a
state-recognized endorsement in deafblindness. This endorsement has allowed for the
development of sustainable efforts in deafblind personnel preparation and has led to
the rich knowledge base in deafblindness that now exists within the state to meet the
needs of this low-incidence but high-needs population of children and youth.
References
Nelson, C., van Dijk, J., McDonnell, A. & Thompson, K. (2002). A framework for
understanding young children with severe multiple disabilities: The van Dijk
approach to assessment. Research and Practice for Persons with Severe
Disabilities, 27 (2), 97-111
Nelson, C., van Dijk, J., Oster, T., & McDonnell, A.P. (2009). Child-guided
strategies: the van Dijk approach to assessment for understanding children
and youth with sensory impairments and multiple disabilities. Louisville, KY:
American Printing House for the Blind.
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