"Do with, Not for."

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An Intervener is a person who has received extensive training and education to work 1-on-1 with a student who has both hearing and vision loss.  From an education perspective, any child who has combined hearing and vision loss that severely affects their ability to communicate, learn, and succeed in school (including classrooms for deaf OR blind students), is considered "deaf-blind."  Most of these students are not totally blind and profoundly deaf.

 

The intervener's job is individualized to the student they work with, depending on the amount of vision and hearing the child has, whether their vision and/or hearing will progressively deteriorate, and the cognitive level of the child.  With the specific student in mind, interveners will require skills and abilities from the following:

 

• fluency in American Sign Language or Signed English

• contracted and uncontracted braille skills

• skills in tactually modifying print material

• an understanding of proper Orientation and Mobility techniques

• the ability to facilitate communication between their student and adults around them

• the ability to facilitate communication and relationships between their student and peers

• the ability to encourage and foster their student's independence

• the ability to provide access to visual and auditory environmental information

• the ability and desire to develop a relationship with the student so that the student knows s/he is safe and included 

• the ability/desire to consult with and take direction from the Teacher of the Blind/VI, Teacher of the Deaf/HH, Orientation and Mobility Specialist, classroom teacher, etc.  

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Properly trained Interveners are rare, and in demand.  A person who has a true understanding of deaf-blindness has to almost see the world through their student, so that they can determine what the child is missing due to their hearing and vision loss.  The Intervener can then begin to develop a plan as to what their job should be to fill in those gaps.  This requires an intense relationship with and respect for the student.  We are all born to do different things, and some things cannot be taught.  Rather, they need to be a part of who you are.  A part of who Interveners are, without the necessary training, includes this ability to observe, learn, and want to communicate with the deaf-blind child.  For me, I thrive on these great interactions.  I look into a student's eyes and believe they understand so much more than they can demonstrate to us in the format we give them.  We need to step out of our comfortable box, and be willing to take the lead from the student.