Fall 2017 (Vol. 22, No. 1)   In this issue: • What Can CDBS Do For You? - by Maurice Belote, CDBS Project Coordinator • Promoting Literacy for All: Thinking Beyond Just Reading & Writing - by Julie Maier, CDBS Educational Specialist • Early Tactile Communication: Touch, Cues, and...

  Brian writes: We held our fourth-annual Deaf-Blind Symposium for teachers participating in the Deaf-Blind Specialization Program at San Francisco State University (SFSU). It was a celebration of learning, sharing experiences, and of course – the children, parents, and educational teams we...

Include all of the senses: What senses can your child use to explore pumpkins both inside and out, or masks and costumes, or dry leaves and hay bales and Halloween decorations? Explore the senses of touch, texture, movement, smell, and taste together with your child with these seasonal items in...

by Graduates of the Specialization Program in the Education of Students Deaf-Blindness at San Francisco State University In the fall of 2014, the Moderate-Severe Disabilities Program at San Francisco State University received a four-year federally-funded personnel preparation grant to prepare...

Right about this time last year we were chatting at a CDBS staff meeting about how we were moving into graduation and summer wedding season. I remarked to Maurice—wasn’t it interesting, and a little ironic, that at a time of big accomplishments and new beginnings, what inevitably happens is the...

This week will be my last day at work with CDBS after almost 15 years. Working for CDBS has been a journey of growth and service alongside the most amazing people. This is what happens when you work in the field of deaf-blindness. Everybody involved gives their best, from the children who are...

I was recently reminded that too much "structure" around children who are deaf-blind may prevent them from growing further in their capabilities. This can sound counter-intuitive because in the field of deaf-blindness we recommend all kinds of strategies that will give "structure" to the student...

The Communication Matrix has been an invaluable tool to assess expressive communication for individuals who are at the earliest stages of communication. It was first published in 1990 and soon it was accessible online, making it an online product that could be accessed from anywhere in the US...

Classrooms provide a poor acoustical environment for many students who have a hearing loss or a combined hearing and vision loss. The three environmental factors that account for a decrease in hearing ability are: 1) Distance – Since sound decreases as distance increases, speech discrimination also...

Myrna Medina and Gloria Rodriguez-Gil: At California Deaf-Blind Services we are fortunate to have the opportunity to follow students who are deaf-blind from birth to age 21. Throughout our experience, we have observed how transitions in the educational programs are often difficult for parents. This...