Key Points
Does the child have a way to communicate about the abstract?
Abstract–the past, the future, people who are not present, etc.
An important benefit of a well-designed communication system is that it allows the child to share past experiences, future plans, and their feelings. Nonsymbolic forms of communication do not typically allow for this; they are effective mainly for communicating about the present, such as immediate wants and needs.
Does the child have opportunities to be a passive observer of other people communicating using the same system that the child uses?
Children with sensory impairments may not realize that those around them are also effectively communicating, and communication is not always directed to/from the child. The child might not only find amazement in this discovery, but it may be an important component to her or his learning.
Has the child experienced success and found joy in the ability to be clearly understood by others?
Communicating effectively should be a wonderful experience and should not be
stressful, at least at the start. Think about the way you communicate under stress: a job interview,
an awkward social situation, a foreign language in which you are just marginally proficient.
Choose a system that doesn’t require too much learning—at the beginning—to be successful. As
much as you can, build in success.
Does the child have access to the communication system at all times?
A communication system must be accessible in each of a child’s environments—home, school, transit, workplace, recreation sites, etc. The system, or at least a component of the system, must therefore be
portable. A point to remember about access: the child might communicate something over and
over as she or he relishes this newfound power of communication. During this time, access to the
system cannot be denied simply because the system is annoying. Validate the communication
even when you can’t honor the specific request.
Does the communication system meet everyone’s needs?
A well-rounded system must not only include what adults would like the child to communicate about. It must also allow the child to talk about their interests— no matter how repetitive or peculiar the topics may be. The system must also consider what others of the same age are interested in communicating about, so that the child who is deafblind is seen as an interesting potential communication partner to nondisabled peers.
Is the child’s communication system documented?
The system can be documented with videotape, written descriptions such as a personal communication dictionary, or a combination of these and other methods. Without documentation, some children are forced to learn new ways of communicating every time they move to a new school, agency, foster home, etc.
There may be someone on the child’s educational team who is uniquely suited to maintain this documentation, such as a speech and language specialist who doesn’t feel qualified to provide direct instruction to the child. There is probably an important role for any service provider who is written into the child’s educational plan.
Is the child given opportunities to make choices throughout the day?
There are many ways to build in choice making, even in structured situations. In school, if the child is required to complete a number of tasks, is it possible to allow the child to choose the order of these tasks? At home, is it possible to allow the child choice in clothing, food, mealtimes, etc.? To help with this
process, try making a mental list of all the choices you make from the time you get out of bed in
the morning. You may be surprised to discover how significantly your day might be affected if
opportunities to make simple choices were taken away, e.g., having to wear an uncomfortable
pair of socks all day, or being forced to drink too much at breakfast knowing that a bathroom
will not be available during a long commute to work.
Citation:
Adapted from “Strategies for Creating Communication-Rich Environments
for Children who are Deafblind” by Maurice Belote (revised August 2022).
Available online from California DeafBlind Services Fact Sheets