Why do you think my child is "Deafblind"?
The term "Deafblind" is often very difficult for families to hear. You, as a parent, may think, "My child isn't deafblind; she can see . . . or he can hear." What is important to remember is that there are all types and degrees of vision and hearing loss in children who are deafblind. Very rarely are we talking about a child with total blindness and complete deafness. Deafblindness encompasses a complete range of hearing and vision losses from mild to profound and from low vision to total blindness. In addition, often a child may have an impairment that only effects one eye or one ear or is diagnosed with a progressive loss that currently may not be a problem.
Why use the term "Deafblind"?
The most simple answer to this question is because "deafblindness" is used to talk about a specific disability. It describes any combined vision and hearing losses that are significant enough to require special modifications or supports that go beyond what would normally be needed if the child had just a hearing loss or just a vision loss. When a child can see but is deaf, he or she relies on visual information, such as pictures or sign language for communication. Conversely, when a child can hear but is blind, he or she relies on auditory information, such as speech or sounds in the environment, to help learn about the world around him or her. If the child has both a vision and a hearing loss, some if not all of these methods of gathering information are closed to him or her.
In addition, although using the term "deafblind" may sound overwhelming, it does describe the reality of this disability. Deafblindness is not simply deafness plus blindness. The effect of both vision and hearing loss is more like deafness multiplied by blindness. Missing a little bit of what can be seen and a little bit of what can be heard means missing a lot of what is happening around us. This missing information also may cause miscommunication and misunderstanding. It is important to realize that without the proper support, even a mild vision and hearing loss has a dramatic impact on a child's ability to access information and learn.