Children with CHARGE syndrome frequently exhibit moderate to severe behavior difficulties, and are often diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder, attention deficit disorder, Tourette syndrome, and autism. Hartshorne and Cypher (2004) surveyed parents of 100 children with CHARGE worldwide and confirmed the prevalence of behaviors that are associated with these disorders. They also found beh...

This study assessed the reliability of the interRAI Community Health Assessment (interRAI CHA) and Deafblind Supplement (DbS). The interRAI CHA and DbS represents a multidimensional, standardized assessment instrument for use with adults (18 and older) who are deafblind. The interrater reliability of the instrument was tested through the completion of dual assessments with 44 individuals who we...

We conducted an experiment using a vibration system using which a totally deafblind participant, communicating through an interpreter, could directly receive back-channel feedback from a conversational partner. Statistical analysis of the interaction structure showed that the back-channel vibration increased the participant’s turn-taking ability and interactivity during the communication. Moreo...

There has been much research conducted demonstrating the positive benefits of cochlear implantation (CI) in children who are deaf. Research on CI in children who are both deaf and blind, however, is lacking. The purpose of this article is to present a study of five congenitally deafblind children who received cochlear implants between 2.2 and 4.2 years of age. Ratings of video observations were...

The current study assessed the effectiveness of an adapted form of the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) in increasing independent requesting in deafblind adults with learning disabilities. PECS cards were created to accommodate individual needs, including adaptations such as enlarging photographs and using swelled images which consisted of images created on raised line drawing paper...

PURPOSE To characterize the communication and the main mechanisms that facilitate interpersonal relationships of deafblind, especially in relation to communication and locomotion and the impact of these aspects on deafblindness. METHODS Report of a series of cases conducted from semi-structured interviews with questions relating to the functionality of communication, with Usher syndrome patie...

Deafblindness is a unique disability characterized by dual sensory reduction of both hearing and vision. For some Deafblind individuals, communication via touch may be their most accessible channel. Multiple techniques that rely purely on exist within the community. One method interest referred to as “Deafblind Tactile Fingerspelling Alphabet” in Australia or Manual U.K., comprises twenty-six t...