NCDPI Deafblind Grant

Principal Investigators

Dr. Sandra Warren

Overview

The NC Deaf-Blind Project provides a variety of supports and services designed to meet the needs of families with children who have deaf-blindness, birth through 21 and their educators. All services are provided at no cost.

Project Goals

Goal 1: Increase Capacity through Professional Development

Provide and evaluate, according to the National Center and the NC DPI Statewide Deaf-Blind Project Outcome Performance Indicators (OPIs) or similar indicators, professional development to general and special education teachers, infant-toddler specialists, early childhood providers, and related service personnel.

• Provide universal technical assistance through 1) dissemination of research-based practices, approaches, and outcomes via ECU-TSP-DB website, 2) development of training resources (including possible video) addressing identification of children with deaf-blindness (with emphasis on cultural sensitivity) and registration on the state registration and evidence-based practices
• Facilitate targeted technical assistance through 1) a series of three professional development 1-2 day workshops for teacher-intervener-family teams, teachers serving children and youth with significant and multiple impairments, and related service personnel across the state, and 2) state-wide virtual Professional Learning Communities to expand knowledge base and enhance instructional planning and delivery
• Provide intensive technical assistance to select programs/school district(s) resulting in systemic change in instructional planning and delivery of education for learners with deaf-blindness
• Provide coaching to teams moving forward in capacity-building initiatives
• Evaluate the impact and outcomes of technical assistance utilizing the OPIs or similar indicators
• Provide tuition support to select individuals to pursue the national intervener certification or ECU Graduate Certificate in Deaf-Blindness. Individuals receiving support will be working with a child already identified on the NC State Deafblind Census

Goal 2: Increase Capacity through Technical Assistance

Provide and evaluate the impact of technical assistance as requested to classrooms, centers and other programs and to families as requested or directed by the NCDPI-DB

• Collaborate with NC DPI to conduct needs assessment with agencies/LEAs (via the annual Census Child Count activities). Develop and deliver technical assistance supports as appropriate
• Develop technical assistance plans addressing (but not limited to) communication, literacy, mathematics, self-determination in response to requests received from the NCDPI-DB. Provide technical assistance to support school/program plan implementation
• Respond to requests for information, resources, referrals and training
• Follow-up to ensure that changes in resources and practice are sustained
• Analyze TA and information and referral requests and responses to identify long-term systems change and capacity-building needs and approaches for the NC Statewide Deaf-Blind Project
• Refine work of the ECU TSP Cadre of technical assistance providers throughout the state. ECU will support their release time and/or contract with their employers to cover the cost of substitute release when they are providing technical assistance. Technical assistance providers (TA Cadre and ECU staff) will receive 1) reimbursement for travel costs associated with the TA services and project meetings, 2) professional development support to attend a national meeting addressing learners with deafblindness, and 3) a “TSP Tool Kit” including a variety of instructional and assistive technology resources for use during TA. Project staff will also continue to refine the use of virtual TA to facilitate greater access to TA throughout the state.

Funding

$360,207 supplemental funding