Literacy
Literacy competence is a necessary foundation for building a child’s academic success. Beginning in infancy, the development of communication, language, and literacy skills plays an important part in a child’s success in school. This is true for all children, including a child with deafblindness.
Ohio’s vision is for all learners to acquire the knowledge and skills to become proficient readers.
Ohio’s Plan to Raise Literacy Achievement, 2020

The Ohio Department of Education and its partners view language and literacy acquisition and achievement as foundational knowledge that supports student success. To increase learners’ language and literacy achievement, the Department is urging districts and schools to use evidence-based systems and high-quality instruction, select high-quality instructional materials and employ culturally responsive practices (Ohio’s Plan to Raise Literacy Achievement, 2020).
Developing language, communication, and literacy skills for children with deafblindness presents challenges due to each child’s unique vision and hearing loss. Specialized instruction is needed to support children with deafblindness in the development of communication, language, and literacy skills.
Additional OCDBE Resources and Information

Strategies for Parents to Use in Developing a Foundation for Literacy
Strategies for Parents to Use in Developing a Foundation for Literacy provides parents with strategies with their child to develop a foundation for literacy in the areas of motor, communication, and language. Strategies in the areas of concept development, touch, play, and communication are included to enhance the development of their child’s pre-literacy skills.

Literacy Guide: Building a Literacy Foundation for Children with Combined Hearing-Vision Loss
The Literacy Guide: Building a Literacy Foundation for Children with a Vision-Hearing Loss provides parents, families, educators, and service providers with information related to the development of literacy skills, factors to consider, and resources to support the development of a child’s language, communication and literacy abilities.
English

Interpreting Strategies for Students Who are Deafblind
Students who have a combined hearing and vision loss have unique communication needs. Educational interpreters working with these students need skills and knowledge in order to make the necessary modifications for each student to facilitate clear communication interactions in the classroom, support the development of interpersonal peer relationships, encourage self-determination, and promote equal access to the general education curriculum.
English
This IS Communication! Modules
This IS Communication is an online learning series that focuses on communication intervention for students who do not have a consistent communication mode or who need to expand their current communication mode to engage socially, behaviorally, and academically and benefit from their educational experiences.
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