Many special education teachers lack experience and skills when it comes to working with students who are deaf and blind. Teaching deaf-blind students requires some specialist teaching skills, as well as the confidence to teach students with significant needs.
Aurora School is a specialised education organisation based in Victoria, Australia. The school was established after several schools - the Princess Elizabeth Junior School (which specialised in education for deaf children), Caronbank School (which specialised in teaching children who are both deaf and vision impaired) and The Mornington Centre, were combined together. It provides services and support to children who are deaf-blind and who require specialist intervention and teaching. Children are able to attend Aurora for both:
- early intervention (from birth)
- early education (from the age of three years)
- school based programs (up to the age of eighteen years)
There is a strong focus within the teaching programs on strategies to develop both receptive and expressive communication which will assist children to function as independently as possible, and to use their communication with a range of communication partners in different settings and situations. Particularly with the early intervention programs, the goal is to provide parents with the skills and techniques needed to assist their children to develop functional early communication methods appropriate to the needs, family environment and disability requirements.
Teaching at Aurora School gives special education teachers the opportunity to develop some highly specialised skills in communication development. There is a need to work as part of a multi disciplinary team and to work closely with families.
The establishment of communication systems varies depending upon the individual needs of the child, as well as their learning style and particular characteristics. For some students, augmentative communication methods such as the use of pictographs, or concrete objects may be the preferred option. For some students, the use of Makaton signing, Auslan or other signing systems may be desirable either alone or in combination with other communication methods. Some students may use Braille as part of their communication strategy.
Obviously the communication strategies required for children who have a hearing impairment, but who do not have a vision loss are quite different from those needed for a child who have a dual sensory loss of both vision and hearing loss.
For further information about services and education for children who are deaf-blind, the contact website for Aurora School in Victoria is listed here.