Below is an organized list with links to resources, tools, and organizations with services for children and youth who are deafblind.
Deafblind Assessment Resources
National Center on Deafblindness: Info Topics: Assessment Webpages
Assessment Approaches
Appropriate Assessment Strategies National Center on Deafblindness, 2020. (Practice Guide)
What Does 'Follow the Child' Mean? D. Brown. 2014. California Deafblind Services. (Article)
Authentic Assessment National Consortium on Deaf-Blindness, 2010. (Article)
Capacity vs. Deficit. The Lens We Use to View Students Does Make a Difference J. Maier, 2014. California Deafblind Services. (Article)
Communication
Language Systems (ADAMLS) Blaha & Carlson, 2007. (Guide)
Communication Matrix C. Rowland. (Tool)
Communication Matrix: What is it and how do I to use it? Texas School for the Blind & Visually Impaired Outreach Programs. S. Kitchen. (Fact Sheet)
Holistic Communication Profile,2nd Ed. Susan Bruce, 2025. (Tool)
Identifying Interests and Motivators
Finding a Student’s Likes and Dislikes Guide (FactSheet)
Likes and Dislikes Form (English) (Planning Tool)
Likes and Dislikes Form (Espanol) (Planning Tool)
Literacy Assessment
Literacy Skills Checklist.Purvis & Steele, 2016. National Center on DeafBlindness. (Checklist Tool)
Sensory Assessment
Individual Sensory Learning Profile T. Anthony, 2005. (Checklist Tool)
Early Tactile Learning Profile Texas School for the Blind & Visually Impaired. (Checklist Tool)
Informal Functional Hearing Evaluation (IFHE) TSBVI Outreach Programs, 2017. (Checklist Tool)
Deafblind Fact Sheet: Functional Vision Assessment. Toper, I. Colorado Dept. Of Education. Colorado Services to Children and Youth with Combined Vision and Hearing Loss Project. (Fact Sheet)
Multiple Disabilities Assessment
Assessing Communication and Language in Young Children who are Deafblind or Have Multiple Disabilities Oregon Health and Science University, C. Rowland, 2009. (Guide)
Assessment of Biobehavioral States: Supporting the Availability for Learning for Students with Multiple Disabilities including Deafblindness &Profound Intellectual & Multiple Disabilities C. Russell, 2020. New York Deafblind Collaborative. (Tool)
A Tool for Identifying Vision and Hearing Loss in Children with Multiple Disabilities West Virginia SenseAbilities. (Guide & Tool)
Orientation and Mobility Assessment
O&M Assessment: Early Years of Birth through Three Years T. Anthony, 2004. (Checklist Tool)
Environmental Checklist for Developing Independence C. Brown. (Checklist Tool)
Inventory of Purposeful Movement Behaviors T. Anthony, 2004. (Checklist Tool)
Programs and IEP Assessments for Students Who Are Deafblind
Classroom Observation Instrument for Educational Environments Serving Students with Deafblindness Taylor, Stremel, and Steele. 2006. National Center on Deafblindness. (Tool)
IEP Quality Indicators for Students with DeafblindnessTexas School for the Blind & Visually Impaired. 2009 (Tool)
Syndrome Specific Assessments
CHARGE Non-Vocal Pain Assessment (CNVPA) Stratton & Hartshorne, 2012. (Checklist Tool)
CHARGE Syndrome Checklist: Health Supervision Across the Lifespan Trider, Arra-Robar, van-Ravenswaaij-Arts, Blake. CHARGE Syndrome Foundation.
A Checklist of Educational Needs for Individuals with CHARGE Syndrome Slavin, L. (2019). CHARGE Syndrome Foundation. CHARGE Syndrome Foundation.
Usher Syndrome Screener for Use by the Teacher of Students Who Are Deaf/Hard of Hearing Texas Deafblind Project (Checklist Tool)
Blind/Low Vision Resources
APH: Connect Center (Website)
Active Learning Space (Website)
CVI Now Perkins School for the Blind. (Website)
CVI Scotland (Website)
LilliWorks; Active Learning (Website)
Paths to Literacy Perkins School for the Blind & Texas School for the Blind & Visually Impaired. (Website)
Strategy to See (CVI Website)
Deafblind Fact Sheet: Functional Vision Assessment. Toper, I. Colorado Dept. Of Education. Colorado Services to Children and Youth with Combined Vision and Hearing Loss Project. (Fact Sheet)
Braille Courses Hadley School for the Blind. (PD Courses)
Dear Colleague Letter on Braille Office of Special Education Programs. (Resource)
Hive American Printing House for the Blind. (Professional Development Resources)
Communication Resources
ASL Connect Gallaudet University (Webpage)
ASL Nook (Webpage)
DeafBlind Kids: Empowering through Protactile DeafBlind Kids (Organization)
Family Sign Language Video Series Described and Captioned Media Program (Resource)
Haptics Video Series Helen Keller National Center (Resource)
Project Core Center for Literacy and Disability Studies (Website)
Deaf/Hard of Hearing
American Society for Deaf Children (Website)
ASL Connect Gallaudet University (Webpage)
ASL Nook (Webpage)
ASL American Sign Language ASLU, Bill Vikars. (Website for self-study ASL Instruction)
ASL Sign Language HandSpeak. (Website for self-study ASL Instruction)
Family Sign Language Video Series Described and Captioned Media Program (Resource)
Just in Time, National Center for Hearing Assessment and Management (webpage)
Early Intervention
Teaching Children Who Are Deafblind: Professional Development for Educators: Early Intervention for Children Who Are Deafblind, National Center on Deafblindness (Learning Module)
Overview of Early Intervention,Center for Parent Information & Resources (Webpage)
Transitioning from Early Intervention to Preschool, National Center on Deafblindness (Webpage with external resources)
How to Engage Your Child in the Early Years, National Center on Deafblindness (Webpage with external resources)
Intervener Resources
California Deafblind Services: Interveners (Informational webpage with external resources)
Tools to Employ and Support Interveners National Center on Deafblindness (Informational webpage with external resources)
Literacy Resources
Literacy National Center on Deafblindness (Informational webpage with external resources)
Book Share (Tool)
Braille Tales American Printing House for the Blind.
CVI Book Nook (Tool)
Literacy for Children with Combined Vision and Hearing Loss National Center on Deafblindness (Website)
Marvin Story Time Recordings Wisconsin Deafblind Technical Assistance Project (Interactive Story Read Aloud Resource)
National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled (NLS) Library of Congress.
Paths to Literacy Perkins School for the Blind & Texas School for the Blind & Visually Impaired. (Website)
Seedlings Braille Books for Children (Organization)
Seedlings Free Braille Book Programs (Free book program)
Tar Heel Shared Reader Center for Literacy and Disability Studies. (Curriculum Resource)
Socialization and Recreation
Ideas for Recreation and Leisure California Deafblind Service (Fact Sheet)
Making Friends and Developing Social Skills National Center on Deafblindness (Webpage with external resources)
OHOA Module: Social Skills and Peer Relationship National Center on Deafblindness (Learning Module)
Positive and Supportive Peer Relationships Webinar presented by CDBS staff for Wisconsin Deafblind Technical Assistance Project (Recorded webinar)
Tactile
DeafBlind Kids: Empowering through Protactile DeafBlind Kids (Website)
From Active Touch to Tactile Communication – What’s Tactile Cognition Got to Do with It? Nicholas, J. (2010). Danish Resource Centre on Congenital Deafblindness
If You Can See It You Can Support It – A Book on Tactile Language Nordic Welfare Centre
Protactile Language Interpreting Western Oregon University (Website)
Protactile Language Interpreting Modules Described and Captioned Media (PD Courses)
Tactile Learning Strategies National Center on Deafblindness (Website)
Transition Planning
CDBS Transition Toolkit Padlet (Webpage with links to resources and tools)
Department of Rehabilitation (Webpage)
The READY Tool (Readiness Evaluation of Transition to Adulthood for DeafBlind Youth National Cnter on Deafblindness, 2017. (Checklist Tool)
Person-centered Planning National Center on Deafblindness (Webpage with external resources)
Using Person-Centered Planning to Prepare for the Future California Deafblind Services. 2024. (Slideshow with links other than resources)
Using Person-Centered Planning to Prepare for the Future California Deafblind Services. 2024. (Recorded 30-minute webinar)
MAPS Guide (English) California Deafblind Services. (Guide)
MAPAS Guide (Spanish) California Deafblind Services. (Guide)
Workforce Innovation Technical Assistance Center George Washington University