Multiple Disabilities

Boy explores a storybox
Posted by Liamsmom
I adapted Goldilocks and the Three Bears for my 4-year-old son who is deaf-blind.   2 Bears: I wanted to create a story box for my son that was based off of a classic children's story.  My son is beginning to learn ASL.  I chose the...



Teenage boy signs while using brailler
Posted by Steve Perreault
The real purpose of this activity is to create motivation about braille for teenagers who are newly blind and congenitally deaf.   This approach uses  language experience stories written in contracted braille to give the full sense of braille....



Very Hungry Caterpillar story box
Posted by Jaime Brown
The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle is a classic loved by children and adults.  This is a great story for teaching many topics and concepts, including big/little, life cycle, colors and foods.  Teachers can adapt the story to meet varying...



Student using ACC device to write
Posted by Faye Gonzalez
Kids with visual and multiple disabilities often struggle with writing.  Let’s face it, these students often struggle with being effective communicators, much less with being effective writers!   In the maze of challenges our students...



Eating kiwi as co-writing
Posted by Megan Mogan
by Megan Mogan, MS, CCC-SLP, Speech-Language Pathologist In my last post we talked about using van Dijk’s coactive movement strategies to establish meaningful and enjoyable topics for our early communicators. Next I want to share a pretty simple...



Teddy Bear, book and story box items
Posted by Jaime Brown
  This month we are learning about friendship and how to have fun with our friends. We are reading two books in class and many of our activities are based upon the stories.  My students are learning how to participate in parallel and cooperative...



Big and little rings
Posted by Liamsmom
Concept book: My 3-year-old son Liam, who is newly deaf/blind (lost his sight and hearing to Meningitis a year ago) is learning ASL and picking up on sign language very quickly.  The next set of books I wanted to make for my...



Black and white next to color complex page
Posted by Laurie Hudson
  My three-year-old student with Cortical Visual Impairment (CVI) has difficulty finding items unless they have solid, contrasting backgrounds.   I have been using the CVI Complexity Sequences Kit with him, written by Christine Roman and...



Materials for making Valentine's Day cards
Posted by Katie Armstrong
These activities are designed to support fine motor skills, pre-literacy skills, math, and overall independence in the preschool children I teach.  I have been slowly but surely introducing more independent work activities into my classroom and try to...



Mitten matching activity
Posted by Katie Armstrong
Is it Winter or is it Fall?  In Phoenix, Arizona it is hard to tell!  In my classroom it is Winter, however when you look at all the leaves under the tree on the playground you would think it was Fall! Hot and Cold Here are a few ways that we...



Co-Frosting
Posted by Megan Mogan
Megan Mogan, MS, CCC-SLP, Speech-Language Pathologist I’m sure you are a little confused that this is a literacy post and I am stuffing frosting into my face next to a student in the photograph to the left.  Well, I promise you it’s a...



Shape book
Posted by Liamsmom
My son became deafblind a year ago from Meningitis when he was 2 and 1/2 years old.  Before he became sick, one of his favorite things was to be read to and look at books.  I didn't want that to stop just because he lost his sight and...



Girl with glasses uses iPad
Posted by Faye Gonzalez
The iPad can be a great tool to help kids with Cortical Visual Impairment (CVI).  Specific apps can be used to encourage visual attention and visual motor skills, whereas other apps can be used to help develop visual motor integration and fine motor...



Shared reading of braille texts
Posted by Megan Mogan
By Megan Mogan, Speech-Language Pathologist What is "Adapted Adapted Literacy"? Over the years, you may have noticed a shift in the population of students you serve as TVIs, Speech Therapists, Orientation and Mobility Specialists, etc. ...



Holiday storybox
Posted by Jaime Brown
by Jaime Brown and Katie Armstrong, Preschool Teachers at the Foundation for Blind Children, Phoenix, Arizona.  (Editor's note:  Jaime and Katie both teach children who are blind or visually impaired and Jaime's class includes children with...



iPad mounted on a slant board
Posted by Faye Gonzalez
By Faye Gonzalez, TVI & COMS The iPad is an awesome tool for children with disabilities, including those with visual impairments as well as other multiple disabilities (MD/VI).  Now you have an iPad – but how do you and your kiddos get...



Image of portable calendar system
Posted by Charlotte Cushman
What is a Calendar Box or Anticipation Calendar? Calendar boxes provide a way to help children who are deafblind or blind or visually impaired with additional disabilities to anticipate what will happen in their day.  Using real objects from the...



Student explores items in food pyramid.
Posted by Charlotte Cushman
October is Health Literacy Month and, according to their website, it is "a time for organizations and individuals to promote the importance of understandable health information."  For many of the students we teach, it can be difficult to make...



Posted by Charlotte Cushman
Children who are blind or visually impaired need to have access to books, just as other children do.  Because they may not be able to see the illustrations and print, however, books will need to be adapted or modified in order for the experience to be...



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