;
Lorem Ipsum Dolor Spring 2016
6
the staff's own histories of interest and dedication to working with students with
deafblindness. Out of this mutual desire to explore and define this specific role, the
"Teacher of Deafblind" pilot was born.
It was decided that all teachers in the districts identified as TDB's for the pilot,
have either (or both) endorsement in auditory impairment or visual impairment.
Complementary to the TDBs, teams were formed around them that included either a
TVI or TDHH (depending on the TDB's background – TDHH or TVI), and O&M.
Other team members were included in the training sessions and outreach as
appropriate.
In addition to the two districts in the Houston area, the Texas School for the
Blind and Visually Impaired (TSBVI), Comprehensive Programs, was also
approached to be included as part of the pilot. The deafblind student population at
TSBVI typically fluctuates between 15-20 students annually. The model is different
than that of most local districts, with self-contained, deafblind specific classrooms,
low teacher to student ratios, and residential programming. It was felt that TSBVI's
"center-based" model would be complementary to the local district model and could
function as a resource of practice for other pilot participants.
From June 2011 through May 2013, seven TDBs and their administrators met
with our project staff to define the unique skills and practices for serving students
who are deafblind. Our model for training was made up of a series of seven training
workshops. The workshops were then immediately followed by direct on-to-one
consultations between the TDBs, Regional Service Center 4 consultants, and
Outreach staff. The follow-up consultations were meant as a way to more directly
apply the ideas and concepts of our training sessions to the TDB's deafblind student
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