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12) See below for The End of this reflection! 

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12) See below for The End of this reflection! 

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It is important to understand that students with specialized health needs, mobility, and positioning & students with Deaf-Blindness have a wide degree of learning styles existing on an almost endless spectrum. The possible accommodations needed for students with multiple disabilities and Deaf-Blindness are diverse, distinct and yet often easy to accomplish (NETAC, 2001). Proceed with compassion, patience and careful observations, as these tools will lead teachers of these students to better understanding, engagement, and learning outcomes.

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2) Key topics in my observations for specialized health needs, mobility, and positioning

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2) Key topics in my observations for specialized health needs, mobility, and positioning

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- Lifting and positioning techniques being used

- Organizing a safe environment for all students

- Utilizing information from individualized health care plans to support a safe environment and specialized health care procedures

- How federal, state, and local policies relate to observed specialized health care in educational settings

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10) Sensory deficits can often mislead even experienced educators into underestimating or overestimating, of intelligence (National Center on Deaf-Blindness, 2021).

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10) Sensory deficits can often mislead even experienced educators into underestimating or overestimating, of intelligence (National Center on Deaf-Blindness, 2021).

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7) Utilize information from the student's individualized health care plans and specialized health care procedures to develop and maintain the least restrictive environment.

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7) Utilize information from the student's individualized health care plans and specialized health care procedures to develop and maintain the least restrictive environment.

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In the video AAC Talks 2019 - Accessing AAC: Competence through the Lens of Activity and Engagement, the lecturing therapist advocates for looking at the position of the head first, before considering any other parts of a student's body. The reason for this consideration, especially concerning students with complex bodies, is that the head is the first extremity to demonstrate control from pelvic weight-bearing; pelvic stability is the control of mobility, and thus this positioning consideration directly relates to a students ability to activate parts of their body and mind to focus and engage with people and their environment.

When working with students with multiple disabilities, the Center For Parent Information and Resources emphasize how important it is for teachers to know the needs of the students, and play to their strengths (2019). The therapist advocates for looking at the head to determine if the student is in the initial position for task performance. This consideration can help teachers collaborate with their students that have multiple disabilities and complex bodies, by playing to their strengths to deliver truly individualized instruction in the least restrictive environment. This positioning consideration supports the learner's autonomous development.

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Center for Parent Information and Resources (April, 2019). Multiple Disabilities.

https://www.parentcenterhub.org/multiple/

National Center on Deaf-Blindness (2021). Deaf-Blindness Overview. https://www.nationaldb.org/info-center/deaf-blindness-overview/#education

NETAC (2001). NETAC Teacher Tipsheet, Considerations when Teaching Students Who are Deaf-Blind. https://webapps.ou.edu/ods/cds/MADTools/print/pdf/tpshtdb.pdf

Weiss, N.R. & Knoster, T. (2008). It May Be Nonaversive, But Is It a Positive Approach? Relevant Questions to Ask Throughout the Process of Behavioral Assessment and Intervention. Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions Volume 10(Number 1). http://jpbi.sagepub.com

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The observations made from OHOA Module: Intervener Strategies, Learning Activity 4: Take Your Time: Pace, Process, Wait, advise those working with students that have Deaf-Blindness to think of all the steps involved in the process of receiving and responding to messages when we need to understand. For most of us these steps happen in an instant, but for many students who are deaf-blind, processing and and responding to messages can be a laborious task.

To learn students' preferred learning style, especially students with Deaf-Blindness, teachers must start by carefully reading these students movements and facial expressions to determine how they pay attention. Once this understanding is established, teachers will find that making accommodations and modifications to the curriculum is much easier because they understand the whole student (NETAC, 2001).  By keeping an open line of communication with their students with Deaf-Blindness, teachers will ultimately create a positive learning and teaching atmosphere for invidualized student learning to take place (NETAC, 2001).

Once a teacher has observed and processed their students preferred learning style, “pace”, or the rate at which you do something (how fast or slow an activity, interaction, or conversation proceeds) can be established. Because many students with deaf-blindness are not able to set a pace for themselves, it is the responsibility as a teacher/intervener to observe students carefully and adjust the instructional pace to match the students ability to process the learning material. It is important to acknowledge that teachers/interveners are also continually processing information. By carefully observing and analyzing students, teachers/interveners can adjust their own pace accordingly to make accommodations with as little change to their teaching style as possible (NETAC, 2001).

Here are some tips on how to set an appropriate pace of interactions and activities for your student:

Continually observe the student’s rate of processing and responses to information.

Respect the student's pace and follow their lead.

Slow down and offer plenty of pauses. This gives the student time to anticipate and respond. This is also an opportunity for teachers to utilize this time to recognize their students' responses.

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6) Know the needs, play to the strengths (Center for Parent Information and Resources, 2019).

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6) Know the needs, play to the strengths (Center for Parent Information and Resources, 2019).

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11) Slow down and apply compassion as a learner yourself when working with students with Deaf-Blindness. Not getting to know the whole student and their learning style would be a big mistake!

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11) Slow down and apply compassion as a learner yourself when working with students with Deaf-Blindness. Not getting to know the whole student and their learning style would be a big mistake!

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To better support this understanding, it is critical that families and educators have access to training and support regarding the education of children that are Deaf-Blind. Each state has a federally-funded deaf-blind project that provides information and assistance (National Center on Deaf-Blindness, 2021).

One training recommendation noted in the OHOA Module: Intervener Strategies, Learning Activity 4: Take Your Time: Pace, Process, Wait, is to consider and observe how all individuals process information when communicating. Knowing the steps involved in the process of receiving and responding to messages when we communicate with others is a great way to for teachers and families to build the necessary compassion to support students with Deaf-Blindness. Most experience these steps in an instant, but for many students who are Deaf-Blind, this can be a laborious task. Don't underestimate or overestimate a student's abilities, simply proceed slowly and take care to learn how the student is receiving, processing and responding to communication.

Here are the 7 steps involved in the process of receiving and responding to messages when we communicate with others:

- Step 1: Recognize that someone is attempting to communicate or interact with you.

- Step 2: Physically receive the message (e.g., feel or see a sign, symbol, facial expression, or body language; hear the sound of the other person’s voice).

- Step 3: Mentally process what the person has communicated.

- Step 4: Think about what you want to communicate in return (the content of our response).

- Step 5: Deliver your response (e.g., via speech, symbols, gestures, signing, facial expressions, body language.)

- Step 6: Wait for your communication partner to process  your message.

- Step 7: Receive acknowledgement that your message was understood.

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In the video, " AAC Talks 2019 - Accessing AAC: Competence through the Lens of Activity and Engagement", the presenter reviews how to approach a student in a wheelchair.

Consider how people are always coming at students in wheelchairs with complex bodies - we are always coming at them, which can have strong, underlying authoritarian tones. How does it feel when someone comes straight at you? It might elicit feelings of imminent, physical danger, leading to a triggered fight or flight response.

This is why people should approach from the side of the student in their wheelchair, as it creates less pressure from the interaction. When you sit beside someone, it shows "we are on this journey together." The recommendation is given to ask certain questions before engaging with a student in a wheelchair, such as: "Where is your body in relation to the child's body?", and, "How do you bring the activity to the child in a wheelchair?"

This very act of how to approach students in wheelchairs in a collaborative way supports the necessary power students need to be an equal participant in their own edification (Weiss and Knoster, p.74, 2008). All individuals working with students in wheelchairs with complex bodies organize and maintain a safe environment for their students when making this simple yet inclusive adjustment of approaching from the side.

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3) Key topics in my observations for students with deaf-blindness

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3) Key topics in my observations for students with deaf-blindness

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- Providing individualized instruction in academics, functional, and social skills for students who have deaf-blindness

- How observed instructions are age-appropriate, functional, and meaningful for students

- How observed instructions support a communication-rich environment for students who have deaf-blindness

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8) Given students' preferred learning style, teachers can make accommodations with as little change to teaching style as possible (NETAC, 2001)! 

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8) Given students' preferred learning style, teachers can make accommodations with as little change to teaching style as possible (NETAC, 2001)! 

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4) Power should reside with the person receiving support (Weiss and Knoster, p.74, 2008).

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4) Power should reside with the person receiving support (Weiss and Knoster, p.74, 2008).

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Follow the posted numbers on each post, sequential order, to review the reflection on Specialized Health Needs, Mobility, and Positioning & Students with Deaf-Blindness.