Team Players
From Teach SSD
The motto of the National Center on Severe and Sensory Disabilities (NCSSD) is together, we can do more! This motto comes from a high value of collaboration inherent within the fields of visual impairments, deafness, deaf-blindness, and severe disabilities. The successful education of children with severe and sensory disabilities requires a team approach. Team members who work together to meet the unique needs of students with severe and sensory disabilities are more likely promote the success of children across school, home, and the community. The following provides lists of potential team players who can contribute to the educational success of children with severe and sensory disabilities. These lists are not intended to be exhaustive. If you would like more information regarding some of these careers opportunities, please visit the National Clearinghouse for Professions in Special Education.
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A Team for Students who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing
Parents/Guardians
No team would be complete without the participation of parents or guardians. To help parents/guardians become advocates for their children with severe or sensory disabilities, the National Center on Severe or Sensory Disabilities created the Pop-Up IEP for Students who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing.
These pop-ups were developed by parent organizations with support from the National Center on Severe and Sensory Disabilities. Each Pop-Up IEP contains phrases that parents have experienced during their child’s Individualized Education Program (IEP) meetings. Each phrase has several courteous, yet assertive responses parents can make when faced with certain challenges. Additionally, sections of the special education law, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA, 2004), are included to supplement responses. Resources and information are given where appropriate. The information contained here may also be a resource for professional training.
Deaf Educator/Teacher of Students who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing
Special Education Administrator
A Team for Students who are Blind or Visually Impaired
Parents/Guardians
No team would be complete without the participation of parents or guardians. To help parents/guardians become advocates for their children with severe or sensory disabilities, the National Center on Severe or Sensory Disabilities created the Pop-Up IEP for Students who are Visually Impaired.
These pop-ups were developed by parent organizations with support from the National Center on Severe and Sensory Disabilities. Each Pop-Up IEP contains phrases that parents have experienced during their child’s Individualized Education Program (IEP) meetings. Each phrase has several courteous, yet assertive responses parents can make when faced with certain challenges. Additionally, sections of the special education law, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA, 2004), are included to supplement responses. Resources and information are given where appropriate. The information contained here may also be a resource for professional training.
Teacher of Students who are Visually Impaired (TVI)
Orientation and Mobility Specialists
Assistive Technology Specialists
Special Education Administrator
A Team for Students with Significant Support Needs
Parents/Guardians
Special Educator
Adapted Physical Education Teacher (APE)
Assistive Technology Specialists
Special Education Administrator
Support from Mentor Teachers
Mentoring Programs
For those wishing to join the fields of severe and sensory disabilities, limited formal mentoring programs are available. Teachers of students with severe and sensory disabilities often find themselves alone or having a limited number of peers who are performing their same role. This makes finding support from other professionals with similar experiences and who are familiar with the unique educational requirements of youth with severe or sensory disabilities challenging.
It is recommended, even if through informal networking, that new teachers of students with severe and sensory disabilities have two mentors: one to help guide them through a new district, and one who is familiar with their position as a severe or sensory disability specialist.
Within the field of deafness, a national mentoring program has been established to support new teachers of students who are deaf or hard of hearing. For more information on mentors within the field of deafness, visit the Mentor Teacher Project.
Unfortunately, formal mentoring programs within the field of blindness, deaf-blindness or severe disabilities are not currently available. It is recommended that teachers of students who are deaf-blind connect with their State or Multistate Deaf-Blind Project. A list of State and Multi-State Deaf-Blind Projects is maintained at DB-LINK at the National Consortium on Deaf-Blindness State Deaf-Blind Projects.
Valuable networking may also be accomplished through various professional listservs.
- AERnet Digest (Visual Impairments and Deaf-Blindness)
- To subscribe, send an e-mail message to aernet-request@lists.aerbvi.org. Type ‘help’ in the subject or body of the email. You will receive a message that you have been added to the list, and be given instructions on how to send messages, etc.
- National Braille Literacy Mentor Project: brl-help
- To subscribe, send an e-mail message to majordomo@afb.org. Leave the subject blank, and place "subscribe brl-help" in the body of the message (without quotation marks). You will receive a message that you have been added to the list, and be given instructions on how to send messages, etc.
