The document discusses the history and development of the intervener profession for children who are deafblind. It describes how early efforts focused on establishing common terminology, defining the intervener role, and developing national competencies and training standards. Over time, these efforts led to the formation of the National Intervener Task Force and establishment of the intervener specialty within the Council for Exceptional Children. The goal is to professionalize the field and establish interveners as related service providers to improve support and outcomes for children who are deafblind.

2. We all must have information about the world
2
What is Deafblindness?
With typical vision and hearing, this information comes
through our eyes and ears automatically without much effort

3. Hearing loss or vision loss alone has
great impact
 A child with a vision loss . . . .
must rely more upon hearing to
compensate for the lack of visual
information
3
 Hearing must compensate

4.  A child with a hearing loss . . . .
must rely more upon vision to
compensate for the lack of auditory
information
4
 Vision must compensate

5.  For children with both vision and hearing loss, neither sense can
adequately compensate for the lack of the other.
 Natural flow of visual and auditory information doesn’t occur
 Does not usually refer to total deafness and total blindness; degrees
of loss vary greatly
 Pieces of information may be:
• Incomplete
• Distorted
• Unreliable
 Complete information cannot
be accessed in a clear and
consistent way
5

6. Deafblindness is a disability of
access - access to visual and
auditory information about people
and things in the environment
6

7. Children who are deafblind are diverse
with unique needs
All share:
 Similar learning and communication challenges
 Isolating effects of combined vision and hearing loss
7

8. 8
Typical
Learning
Incidental
Occurs automatically
without much effort
The way most
information is
learned
Secondary
Listening to a person
teach or present
information
Direct
Hands-on
experiences

9. Deafblind
Learning
9
Incidental
Usually does not occur
and is not effective
is difficult
Secondary
Hands-on experiences
are essential.
The best way to learn.
Direct
The learning needs of children
who are deafblind are different
from those of typical sighted
and hearing children. This
poses unique challenges to
most educational settings,
because they are not generally
designed to provide intensive
amounts of direct, hands-on
learning.

10. 10
Receiving
Attending
Generalizing
Remembering
Gathering
Interpreting
Synthesizing

11. 11
Receiving
Attending
Generalizing
Remembering
Gathering
Interpreting
Synthesizing

12. 12
A Delivery System

13.  Connect them to the world
 Provide access to clear and
consistent visual and auditory
information
 Provide support for the
development and use of
communication
 Provide support for social
and emotional well-being
13
Intervention for children
who are deafblind must:

14. 14Helen Keller & Annie Sullivan

15. A person who:
 Works consistently one-to-one with a child who is
deafblind
 Has training and specialized skills in deafblindness
15
Intervener

16.  To facilitate access to environmental information usually
gained through vision and hearing
 To facilitate the development and/or use of receptive
and expressive communication skills
 To develop and maintain a trusting, interactive
relationship that can promote social and emotional
well-being
16
Role of the Intervener

17. 17
 Access to information
 Communication
 Social and emotional well-being
Process of Intervention
• Academic work
• Self-care routines
• Specialized therapies
• Social activities

18. Sandra Harbaugh (Iowa)
Interveners at Work

19. Tricia Houlihan (Texas)
Interveners at Work

20. • The use of one-to-one supports for children and youth who are
deafblind is not a new practice.
• There have been individual efforts in individual states since the 1970’s.
• National efforts have focused on establishing:
• Common terminology
• Consistency of definitions
• Clarity of the role of Interveners
• Recognized competencies for Interveners
• Standards for training Interveners
• Guidelines for implementing the practice
• The efforts to date have been focused on establishing a national
practice and what has been accomplished has been the result of many
people working collaboratively together.

21. On January 17, 2002, the first official meeting of the National Intervener
Task Force was held at the Project Director’s Meeting in Washington, DC.
Purpose of the Task Force:
 To provide a forum for an open discussion of issues, concerns, and
needs
 To provide an opportunity for information sharing
 To establish a common vision
 To collectively identify goals to guide ongoing efforts
 To develop resources and materials
 To provide support for the efforts of states, families, and individuals
 To promote unity
National Intervener Task Force

22. 22
Awareness
and
Advocacy
Systems
Issues and
Change
Parent
Education
and
Involvement
Training
Data and
Information
on Child
Impact

23. • Agreement on a definition of
Interveners
• Clarification of the role of interveners
• Meetings of the National Task Force
• Ad Hoc Committee meetings
• Materials and resource development
• Conference presentations
• Information available through
NCDB website
• Intervener Community
of Practice
Awareness
and Advocacy
Children
and Youth
Who Are
Deafblind

24. • Ongoing collection of qualitative
data
• VIP Study 1989-1992
• Collection of child outcome data
• Ongoing efforts to fund research
studies
Data and
Information on
Child Impact
Children
and Youth
Who Are
Deafblind

25. • Development of materials for parents
• Information disseminated through
SPARKLE
• Collaboration with PTIs and other
parent groups
• Ongoing efforts of the National
Intervener Parent Group (NDBII)
Parent Education
and Involvement
Children
and Youth
Who Are
Deafblind

26. A National Intervener Parent Group was formed in 2006. They call
their efforts the National Deafblind Intervener Initiative.
Mission Statement
“The purpose of the National Deafblind Intervener Initiative is to establish
the use of qualified Interveners as an accepted practice for individuals
who are deafblind (ages birth to death), to emphasize the need for
competency-based training for interveners, and to support the recognition
of interveners as related service providers under IDEA laws and
regulations and as service providers under adult services.”

27. • Establishment of
National Intervener
Competencies
• Validation of Competencies
• Recognition of standards for training
interveners through the CEC Specialized
Professional Association
• Development of University Training Programs
• Requirement by the Office of Special
Education Programs for State Deafblind
Projects to address training for interveners
• Establishment of a National Intervener
Credential through the National
Resource Center for
Paraprofessionals
Training
Children
and Youth
Who Are
Deafblind

28.  In 2008, the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC)
approved Intervener Competencies and established
an Intervener SPA (Specialized Professional
Association) within CEC.
 The Intervener SPA is listed in the CEC Red Book.
 This recognizes the knowledge and skills needed by
Interveners and establishes standards for training
programs.
Intervener Training

29. 29
National Intervener Competencies

30. 30
 Online training program to prepare paraprofessionals to work as
interveners with individuals who are deafblind
 Coursework plus practicum experience utilizing distance
technologies
Courses:
• COMD 4660 Introduction to Deafblindness (4 credits)
• COMD 4840 Vision and Hearing Loss (4 credits)
• COMD 4250 Practicum Work Study
 Program Options:
• Certificate of Completion
• Associate of Science Degree in General
Studies with a Focus in Deafblindness
Intervener Training
Utah State University

31. http://nrcpara.org/
The need for Intervener training programs has long been recognized in the field of
deafblindness. Although some local, state, and regional programs have been developed
to address this need, there is a general lack of common standards, competencies, and
practices among these training programs. The National Intervener Credentialing
Program, administered through the National Resource Center for Paraprofessionals and
Related Service Providers (NRCP), establishes common standards, competencies, and
practices in a way that is both rigorous and affordable. Administrators of local and state
education agencies can be assured that students who have completed the NRCP-approved
training, practicum, and credential process, have met standards that are rigorous and
recognized beyond their local school, district, and state.
National Credentialing for Interveners Through the
National Resource Center for Paraprofessionals

32. The requirements for obtaining the National
Intervener Credential include:
• A minimum of 10-credit hours of coursework from an Institution of Higher
Education (includes a 2-credit hour practicum experience)
• A practicum experience (minimum of 2-credit hours) under the supervision of
the course instructor and the guidance of a trained Intervener Coach
• A completed Intervener Portfolio based on the National Intervener
Competencies which provides documentation that the intervener has acquired
the knowledge and skills needed to be an effective intervener
Once the intervener has met all the requirements for credentialing, the Portfolio and
other documentation is submitted to the National Resource Center for
Paraprofessionals, along with a $100 processing fee. If all requirements are met, the
credential is awarded to the intervener.
The National Intervener Credential is good for 5 years.
32

34. 34
• Recognizes the unique knowledge and skills that an intervener must have
• Establishes the level of training needed to be considered an intervener
• Supports a standard of excellence for interveners
• Promotes systems change at local, state and national levels
• Facilitates recognition of interveners that results in improved conditions
such as higher pay
• Facilitates improved outcomes for
individuals who are deafblind
• Supports the professionalization
of the intervener practice
Benefits of the
National Intervener Credential

35. Comparison of A System of Training through Institutions
of Higher Education and Inservice
Intervener
TrainingThrough
HigherEducation
atUniversityor
College
In-serviceTraining–
Workshops,
Conferences,
MonthlyTraining
Sessions,etc.
Has checks and balances in place to ensure the quality of the program X ?
Approved level of rigor X ?
Process for ensuring that instructors and supervisors are qualified X ?
Quality controls for program over time (i.e., ongoing monitoring and
evaluation of courses, instructors, etc.)
X ?
Provides Intense individualized study of content X ?
High accountability for learning and performance X ?
Consistent measurement of knowledge gain through assignments, tests,
discussions, etc.
X ?
Individualized personal attention from instructors, mentors, coaches, etc. X ?
Supervised practicum measuring implementation of intervener knowledge
and skills
X ?
Portfolio development documents attainment of CEC intervener
competencies
X ?
Possible long-term sustainability X ?
Can provide a career track to degree programs (i.e., teachers of the
deafblind)
X ?
Has checks and balances in place to ensure the quality of the program X ?
SKI-HI Institute, Utah State University, 6500 Old Main Hill, Logan, UT 84322-6500

37. • Goal:
S To provide national visibility, clarity, and
understanding of the practice of using
trained interveners with children and
youth who are deafblind
S To establish the practice as an
acceptable, credible and enduring option
of support for children and youth who are
deafblind
S To establish interveners as a related
service under IDEA
• Recognition of interveners by CEC
• Requirements from OSEP
• Inclusion of the Intervener
Communities of Practice in
the TAcommunities
Systems Issues
and Change
Children
and Youth
Who Are
Deafblind

38. “The power of effecting changes for
the better is within ourselves, not in
the favorableness of circumstances.”
Helen Keller

40. The mission of the National Intervener Association is to:
• Promote quality intervention services for individuals with deafblindness
• Promote recognition of interveners at local, state, and national levels and
acceptance of the term “Intervener” as a unique occupation requiring
specialized training in deafblindness
• Promote awareness of the impact an intervener can have on a child’s learning,
communication and overall development
• Provide support for interveners and a place for interveners to talk with other
interveners in the field, share learning experiences, brainstorm, and
collaborate.
National Intervener Association (NIA)
40

41. Professionalizing the Intervener Practice
• www.Intervener.org and Facebook
• Establishing a national intervener organization,
National Intervener Association (NIA)
• Establishing Interveners as related services under
IDEA
41

42. National
Intervener
Association
(NIA)
Interveners: The Building of a Profession
National
Intervener
Taskforce
It’s like putting together a big jigsaw puzzle. The pieces have to be created
over time.  The form of the pieces is variable.  The sequence of putting the
pieces together as they’re being formed is variable.  It’s not totally clear as to
how the final big picture will look.  We’ll just know when it’s completed.  But
even then, it will continue to evolve.
It’s like putting together a big jigsaw puzzle. The pieces have to be created
over time.  The form of the pieces is variable.  The sequence of putting the
pieces together as they’re being formed is variable.  It’s not totally clear as to
how the final big picture will look.  We’ll just know when it’s completed.  But
even then, it will continue to evolve.
It’s like putting together a big jigsaw puzzle. The pieces have to be created
over time.  The form of the pieces is variable.  The sequence of putting the
pieces together as they’re being formed is variable.  It’s not totally clear as to
how the final big picture will look.  We’ll just know when it’s completed.  But
even then, it will continue to evolve.
It’s like putting together a big jigsaw puzzle. The pieces have to be created
over time.  The form of the pieces is variable.  The sequence of putting the
pieces together as they’re being formed is variable.  It’s not totally clear as to
how the final big picture will look.  We’ll just know when it’s completed.  But
even then, it will continue to evolve.
It’s like putting together a big jigsaw puzzle. The pieces have to be created
over time.  The form of the pieces is variable.  The sequence of putting the
pieces together as they’re being formed is variable.  It’s not totally clear as to
how the final big picture will look.  We’ll just know when it’s completed.  But
even then, it will continue to evolve.
It’s like putting together a big jigsaw puzzle. The pieces have to be created
over time.  The form of the pieces is variable.  The sequence of putting the
pieces together as they’re being formed is variable.  It’s not totally clear as to
how the final big picture will look.  We’ll just know when it’s completed.  But
even then, it will continue to evolve.