Providers
Most special educators are aware of Public Law 94-142, Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). This is the federal law which ensure that all children with a disability will receive a free and appropriate public education. What many people don't realize is that the school aged services (ages 3-21) are only part B of this law. Part C of this same law ensure similar services to children birth to 3 years of age. We call these services Early Intervention.
There are five types of providers in the areas of Deaf and Blind in the Illinois Early Intervention system. Click on the links below to learn who these providers are and what qualifies a person to become such a provider. To find these specialized providers that serve your geographical area, please contact us at Hearing and Vision Early Intervention Outreach.
Developmental Therapist/Hearing
Deaf Mentor
Developmental Therapist/Vision
Orientation and Mobility Specialist
Becoming A Credentialed Evaluator
Developmental Therapist/Hearing
Developmental Therapist/Hearing (DTH) were added to the Illinois Early Intervention system in January of 2001. To be a DTH you must have a Special Education Teaching Degree in Deaf and Hard of Hearing. You must also be credentialled in the Illinois Early Intervention system.
In the Early Intervention system, a DTH works with families who have a child with a hearing loss. The DTH helps the family address the areas of 
development that are affected by the child's hearing loss. Typically this includes five main areas:
1. To help the family and other providers understand the child's audiological evaluation.
2. To educate the family on the wide variety of communication options that are available. And to respect and support the families choices, whatever they might be.
3. To help the family develop expressive language skills in their child according to the communication decisions made by the family.
4. To help the family develop receptive language skills in their child according to the communication decisions made by the family.
5. To help the family use and care for any amplification systems that the child might be using.
If you are a Teacher for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, please consider using your skills to work with some young children in your area. There is a great need for more DTH's in the state of Illinois. To find out more please contact Nancy Scott at Hearing and Vision Early Intervention Outreach. You may also contact Nancy if you need to find a DTH in your geographical area.
Considerations for Service Delivery to Families of Children with Hearing Concerns
Listed below are areas to discuss/assess with the family to determine the need for an outcome and support service on the IFSP.
Language Acquisition
- Vocabulary
- Receptive language
- Expressive language
Communication Skills
- Speech: breath control, voice-duration, pitch, intensity; articulation
- Audition: awareness, localization, recognition, discrimination,
- comprehension
- Manual Skills: visual development, tactile awareness, gross motor skills,
- fine motor skills, imitation
- Print: book readiness, symbol recognition, sight words, hand dominance,
- grasp, eye hand coordination
Amplification
- Proper placement
- Consistent use
- Awareness of function
- Independence
Social/Emotional
- Family: education, support, resources
- Child: peer interaction-typical and accessible
- self esteem-identification, role model
After identification of areas of need, the team must determine what interventions/strategies will provide the family with the information they need to maximize their child’s development. Samples of intervention may include:
- In home sessions with family by a DTH, SLP, Audiologist, and/or Deaf Mentor.
- Family participation in a playgroup with typically developing peers.
- Family participation in a playgroup with children who have similar communication needs.
- Consultative sessions with primary caregiver in childcare setting by DTH, SLP, Audiologist, and/or Deaf Mentor.
- Ongoing monitoring of hearing and amplification by Audiologist.
- Family participation in parent support group facilitated by a DTH, SW, SLP, Audiologist, and/or Deaf Mentor.
- Individual session in acoustically appropriate environment to focus on auditory discrimination by DTH, and/or Audiologist.
- Individual session focusing on oral motor skills specific to articulation by SLP, and/or DTH.
- Family participation in community based services: Deaf Club activities, Sign language classes, Library storytime, etc.
- Siblings/extended family participation in Sibshops, Grandparent support group, etc
Intensity and duration of services are determined by the team based on the family’s level of understanding of the techniques and strategies to assist their child in maximizing his/her developmental potential. Families of children with additional concerns may need additional supports and services.
Deaf Mentor
The Deaf Mentor program is a part of the state's Early Intervention System. Families who have an infant or toddler who is deaf or hard of hearing can request a mentor under the family support service category. Deaf Mentors are adults who are deaf or hard of hearing and have attended a 2 day training by Hearing and Vision Early Intervention Outreach to become enrolled in the system. They attend the IFSP and determine the amount of in home service the family needs/wants. They are responsible for their own travel expenses and any materials they use during their sessions. They are responsible for billing the CBO on a monthly basis and turning in reports to the Service Coordinator every 6 months as well as attending all required meetings.
A DEAF MENTOR'S ROLE IS:
- to provide a language model in the communication modes chosen by the family,
- provide information on the local Deaf community,
- be a resource for assistive technology,
- share person experiences as they relate to the family's situation, and
- offer support as the family develops their understanding of their child's hearing loss.
Currently, the Early Intervention system is not recruiting or training new Deaf Mentors. Those who are already enrolled
in the Early Intervention system may continue to provide Deaf Mentor services.
For more information about Deaf Mentors for Illinois Early Intervention contact Hearing and Vision Early Intervention Outreach, at gail.olson@illinois.gov or (217)479-4320.
Developmental Therapist/Vision
Developmental Therapist/Vision (DTV) were added to the Illinois Early Intervention system in January of 2001. To be a DTV you must have a Special Education Teaching Degree in Blind and Visually Impaired. You must also be credentialled in the Illinois Early Intervention system.
In the Early Intervention system, a DTV works with families who have a child with a Visual loss. The DTV helps the family address the areas of development that are affected by the child's vision loss. Following are major areas of development and a general overview of how a loss of vision can affect development.
Cognition - We learn about our world by observation. We listen to sounds and use our vision to assign meaning to that sound. Without vision we must have a tactile experience to make sense of what we hear and smell. We must experience our environment rather than being casual observers. Babies must be encouraged to reach out and explore. To learn that there is an exciting world beyond their finger tips.
Language - So much early language is accomplished through gestures and eye contact. Young children see their pacifier across the room. They are reminded that they want it. Then they begin to cry until Mom
figures out the need. Later children see the cookie on the counter and point and grunt. We take interpret this to mean," I would like a cookie, please." And we respond. Without visual input, verbal communication can be slow to develop. A DTV can employ some specific techniques to encourage turn-taking and gestures to facilitate communication development.
Gross Motor - When a child grows he is encouraged to hold his head up to view he environment. He is encouraged to roll to get to his toy across the blanket. He in encouraged to crawl to reach Dad across the room. He desires to walk to get to the toys more quickly. A lack of vision can severely inhibit a child's motivation to move. A DTV can help a family find motivating activities to get their baby to moving.
Literacy - Our children learn about words at an early age. We fill their environment with fun and colorful books. They see words on food labels, street signs and at McDonald's. How many of our 18 month olds squeal with delight when they see the Golden Arches. They know this means french fries!!! Without vision this idea that symbols have meaning cannot be developed incidentally. We must provide these kids with an opportunity to access words in a form they can take in. A DTV will help provide families with Braille books . Books with tactile pictures or attatched objects bring pictures to life for a child. Making books accessible is of primary importance for a young child with a vision loss.
These are just some of the ways that vision can affect development. I hope that, if you know a child with a vision loss, you will takes steps to get a DTV involved in that child's development.
If you are a Teacher for the Visually Impaired, please consider using your skills to work with some young children in your area. There is a great need for more DTV's in the state of Illinois.
Orientation and Mobility Specialist
An Certified Orientation and Mobility Specialist (COMS) must have a degree in Orientation and Mobility. They must also be credentialled in the Illinois Early Intervention system as an Orientation and Mobility provider.
While the DTV works on overall development of a child. The COMS works specifically on the gross motor development and mobility of a child with a visual loss.
Orientation deals with understanding where you are in space. For a child without vision, this is a difficult skill to develop. Before a child can move safely in his environment, he must have some understanding of where he is. This requires that he gain some understanding of size and shape beyond his finger tips. He needs to understand spacial terms like up and down, left and right, on and under.
The ultimate goal of mobility is to move safely and independently in the environment. This first requires muscle development and muscle control. As the child learns to sit and then stand, safe mobility becomes a big issue. Many techniques for safe travel have been developed. It is easier to teach these techniques right at the beginning rather than trying to break bad habits later down the road.
If you are a Certified Orientation and Mobility Specialist, please consider using your skills to work with some young children in your area. There is a great need for more COMS in Early Intervention in the state of Illinois.