The 2011 Deaf-Blind Child Count has just been published to the NCDB Website. You can find the report at: http://www.nationaldb.org/TAChildCount.php
This
year’s report marks the 26th annual report published by NCDB and
its’ predecessors on behalf of the state deaf-blind technical assistance
projects. It is the first and longest
running registry and knowledge base of children who are deaf-blind in the
world. Begun in 1986 on behalf of the
U.S. Department of Education (Baldwin, 1993), it represents a three decade collaborative effort between the National
Consortium on Deaf-Blindness (NCDB), its predecessors, and each state deaf-blind
project throughout the country, as well as those projects funded in the Pacific
Trust territories, the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.
Over
time the child count has been collaboratively designed, implemented and revised
to serve as the common vehicle to meet federal grant requirements for both the
state/multi-state and national technical assistance projects. It also has served as a common data
collection and reporting mechanism for use across the country and to help identify
national and state technical assistance needs for children and youth who are
deaf-blind, their families and the service providers and systems which serve
them (Killoran, 2007). Today, the Deaf-Blind Child Count summarizes, by state,
information related to vision and hearing loss, etiology, age, gender,
additional disabilities, education placement, participation in state assessment
program, living setting and other variables providing a comprehensive picture
of children and youth who are deaf-blind.
The
child count was initially requested by the Department of Education to examine
the discrepancy between the state/multi-state child counts and OSEP’s annual
December 1 counts (Baldwin, 1993). The child count is conducted each year to
supplement OSEP’s Federal Part C and Part B Child Counts (Special Education
Child Count), which include children as deaf-blind only when deaf-blindness is
their single disability. In contrast, the December 1 Deaf-Blind Child Count
data is collected for children with deaf-blindness in isolation, as well as
those with additional disabilities (Muller, 2006). This is an important
distinction in that nearly 90% of the children and youth on the Deaf-Blind
Child Count have one or more additional disabilities. Consequently, a majority
of children who are deaf-blind or have deaf-blind intervention needs are not
identified as such on OSEP’s Special Education Child Count. For 2011, a total of 9,387 children and youth
are included on the December 1 Deaf-Blind Child count.
In
contrast, WESTAT (2012) reports that 1,587 students (3-21) were identified as
deaf-blind on OSEP’s 12/1/11 Part B Special Education Child Count. Due to the
non-categorical nature of Part C, no infants or toddlers are reported as
deaf-blind since they are all reported as developmentally delayed or at-risk by
their state Part C lead agencies (WESTAT, 2008). This 83.1% discrepancy between
Part B and Part C reporting of children and youth who are deaf-blind and this
nation Deaf-Blind Child Count is significant. State Deaf-Blind Project directors consistently indicate that most Part
C lead agencies and State Education Agencies report their children and students
with deaf-blindness as being developmentally delayed, multiply disabled, visually
impaired or hearing impaired, rather than identifying them as deaf-blind. Concerns
about the under-identification of deaf-blindness and its resulting unique
intervention requirements has been a consistent problem and one which results
in a lack of, or delay in receiving, appropriate intervention and instruction
critical to children’s early development (Muller, 2006). The opportunity for early identification,
intervention and the provision of instructional services aimed at the unique
needs of young children and students who are deaf-blind is a critical component
that cannot be lost.
In reviewing the child count data
submitted over the years, it is clear that no single portrait can be painted to
represent a typical child with deaf-blindness. Children who are deaf-blind are
as varied as the number reported and the nature and extent of deaf-blindness in
children is often misunderstood (Malloy & Killoran, 2007). These children represent one of
the lowest incidence, yet most diverse group of learners receiving early
intervention and special education services. They are an extremely
heterogeneous group whose sensory losses may be accompanied by additional
physical or cognitive disabilities, complex medical needs and/or behavior
challenges (Muller, 2006).
While you are on the Deaf-Blind Child Count page,
also take the time to access the data maps that visually present state – by –
state data on selected variables.
Mark Schalock, NCDB
Mark Schalock, NCDB
References
Baldwin, V. (1993) Proceedings of
the national symposium on children and youth who are deaf-blind. Reiman, J. and Johnson, P., Editors, Monmouth,
OR: DB-LINK, The Teaching Research Institute, Western Oregon University.
Malloy, P. & Killoran, J.
(2007). Children who are deaf blind. Practice Perspectives - Highlighting
Information on Deaf-Blindness. Monmouth, OR: National Consortium on
Deaf-Blindness (NCDB), Teaching Research Institute, Western Oregon University.
Available at: http://nationaldb.org/NCDBProducts.
Mueller, E. (2006). Deaf-blind child counts: issues and
challenges. Alexandria, VA: Project
Forum at NASDSE. Available at: http://www.projectforum.org
WESTAT. (2012). Part B annual report tables. Retrieved September 2011
from http://www.IDEAdata.org
WESTAT. (2012). Part C annual report tables. Retrieved
September 2011 from
http://www.IDEAdata.org
