Training Topics
Chris offers training and support for parents, family members, para-professionals, professionals, and others who wish to better understand quality social interaction techniques and models for communication with children who are deafblind. With a philosophy built around a progression that moves from awareness, to becoming an active partner, to how quality interaction and communication build to quality of life. Each topic of training may include additional educational team follow-up on request.
Interaction, Communication and Language
Experiencing the World Through Touch
Through the use of video examples, this training explores the philosophies relevant to the development of touch and cognitive development. We will discuss and show examples of how to initiate and sustain social interaction, share meaningful emotional experiences, and co-create a mutually understood, tactually supported language with learners who are deafblind. Participants will learn how to better recognize and affirm the profound abilities of learners who are deafblind.
Length of training: customizable between 3-9 hours and may be offered as a webinar or as an in-person presentation. On-going distance or in-person consultation with individual teams is also available as a follow-up to teams.
The Five Steps of Interaction
Through the use of video examples, participants will learn about and discuss five essential elements for beginning, maintaining, and closing an interactive conversation through tactile-bodily communication modes.
Resources for learning about brain development, tactile-readiness, tactile-bodily working memory and language learning will be shared.
Length of training: 6-12 hours for in-person training, to be presented as an introduction to the topic. Customizable, on-going distance or in-person consultation with individual teams is available as a follow-up to teams participating in this training.
From Interaction to Communication
The process of human interaction begins the moment a baby is born and a connection is established through touch with their caregivers. Human interaction is the basis for social exchange, the exchange of information, of ideas, of emotions. It is also the starting place for the development of complex language skills.
This topic is explored through the use of video examples and discussion. Resources for learning about brain development and language learning will be shared.
Length of training: 6-12 hours for in-person training. Distance learning options can be broken down into three 90 minute sessions scheduled over a period of days or weeks. On-going distance or in-person consultation with individual teams is also available as a follow-up to teams participating in this training.
Educational Evaluation and Assessment: Tools and Strategies
The Tactile Working Memory Scale:
Introductory Training
The Tactile Working Memory Scale (TWMS) is an assessment and intervention tool for persons who are congenitally deafblind. Published by the Nordic Welfare Centre and written by Dr. Jude Nicholas, Annika Johannessen, and Trees van Nunen, this dynamic collaborative assessment tool evaluates perceptual, cognitive, and social cognitive tactile working memory skills.
Applied appropriately, the TWMS can provide deep insight into the areas of strength and need for congenitally deafblind students. The TWMS is a game changing evaluation for the field of deafblind education.This introductory training is intended to provide practitioners and family members with the necessary background and awareness for the Advanced Study courses in order to meaningfully apply the TWMS.
This 12-hour training can be customized as a two-day in-person event or as a 4-6 session webinar (in-person preferred).
Informal Functional Hearing Evaluation
The Informal Functional Hearing Evaluation (IFHE) was originally developed by Chris Montgomery and Adam Graves, former deafblind education consultants with the Texas Deafblind Outreach team. The IFHE is used as a functional tool for evaluating the hearing of students who are deafblind. This training offers guidance for individuals and teams wishing to successfully apply the IFHE as part of a multi-disciplinary team evaluation approach to develop the IEP and guide instructional strategies.
This training can be presented as a 90 minute introduction to the topic. Customizable, on-going distance or in-person consultation with individual teams is also available as a follow-up to teams participating in this training..
The Tactile Working Memory Scale:
Advanced Study and Training
Participants who complete the Introduction to TWMS training may also access the advanced study course. This training is designed as an in-depth, student specific case-study for educational teams on how to apply the TWMS to develop a meaningful IEP and structure instructional practices for the student who is deafblind.
This training totals 16 hours broken into 6-8 sessions. Applicants to this program must first complete Chris’ training in interaction and the introduction to the TWMS.
Educational Evaluation of Tactile Readiness
Essential Tools of the Trade for Teachers of Students who are Deafblind (ETT-DB): A How-To Guide for Completing Evaluations is a comprehensive tool to assist professionals working with students who are deafblind in completing Functional Tactile-Bodily, Functional Vision, Learning Media, Communication (including the Functional Hearing), and Expanded Core Curriculum Evaluations. This in-depth evaluation is needed to create meaningful IEP’s and provide appropriate programming and support for the student who is deafblind.
This training can be presented as a 90 minute introduction to the topic. Customizable, on-going distance or in-person consultation with individual teams is also available as a follow-up to teams participating in this training..
How To Topics: Practical Teaching Strategies in Deafblindness
How to: Touch and Using Our Hands to Communicate
Based on the teachings of Barbara Miles, this training covers fundamental strategies for how to successfully communicate with individuals who are deafblind and rely on their sense of touch for language and communication. Strategies for appropriate contact, Hand-under-hand, and maintaining personal space while allowing access will be discussed.
This training, which is 3-6 hours in length, is offered as an in-person or distance course and may be delivered in 1-3 sessions.
How to: Designing Calendar Systems for the Home and Classroom
With the use of video examples and pictures of student calendars, we will discuss elements in the design and implementation of calendars as both a dynamic form of communication and a literacy system for students who are deafblind. Tools and evaluations for creating calendar systems will be shared in order to develop an individualized and accessible system for each student.
This training, which is 3-6 hours in length, is offered as an in-person or distance course and may be delivered in 1-3 sessions.
How to: Strategies for Developing Tactile Memory
The re-telling of one’s life story, in order develop time concepts and create a more complete sense of self, is critical to human development. Using video examples and case studies, we will discuss strategies that allow our students the ability to reflect, share and re-tell past events. Strategies for developing memory/experience books and time-line calendars, to promote the development of language, literacy and concepts of time, will be shared.
This training, which is 3-6 hours in length, is offered as an in-person or distance course and may be delivered in 1-3 sessions.
How to: Developing Functional Routines for Experiential Learning
Using video examples and planning tools we will discuss ideas for creating structured functional routines for teaching concepts and language. The importance of “learning though doing” as it relates to embodied cognitive theories will also be discussed. Tools and strategies for developing routines will be shared.
This training, which is 3-6 hours in length, is offered as an in-person or distance course and may be delivered in 1-3 sessions.