National Child Count

The National Child Count of Children and Youth who are Deaf-Blind provides extensive information on the population of children identified with deaf-blindness in the U.S, aged birth through 21. Data includes state and national information on:

• Population demographics (age, race/ethnicity/gender)
• Type and severity of vision and hearing loss
• Causes of deaf-blindness
• Presence of additional disabilities
• Educational setting
• Living setting

The data is collected by each state deaf-blind project in the country, as well as projects funded in the Pacific Trust territories, the Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico, and compiled and reported by NCDB. Each year, every state deaf-blind project updates its annual count by providing information about new children who were identified over the course of the year, updating or confirming information on currently active children, and determining those who have exited special education or are no longer eligible to receive state project services.

The count, which began in 1986, serves as a common vehicle to identify trends and needs within the population. This information is then used to guide the development of technical assistance initiatives and services. It was initially requested by the U.S. Department of Education to examine the discrepancy between the state deaf-blind project child counts and the Department’s Office of Special Education Program’s annual Special Education Child Count, which counts children as deaf-blind only when deaf-blindness is a child’s sole disability. In contrast, the National Deaf-Blind Child Count also includes children and youth who are deaf-blind and have additional disabilities. This is an important distinction because approximately 90% of children and youth on the National Deaf-Blind Child Count have one or more additional disabilities. 

If you are a state deaf-blind project staff member looking for information on how to conduct and report your child count, please visit our Child Count Management page.