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Implementing Evidence-Based Practices for Children Who Are Deaf-Blind: A TA Reference Guide
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Wrapping Up

At the conclusion of a TA relationship, it's important to help the team and school/agency make plans to:

  1. Sustain and share the knowledge and skills they have gained
  2. Continue to evaluate and respond to the child's needs

Use evaluation data to assist the team in identifying strengths and needs

Evaluation data can be used for a variety of purposes at this stage, including to (a) determine if additional TA is needed, (b) guide recommendations for future professional development for team members, and (c) work with team members to identify new or continuing needs of the child and make plans to sustain progress made.

The type of evaluation conducted depends upon needs identified in your evaluation plan but may include:

  • The fidelity and quality of your technical assistance (31)—either your own self-report or feedback from team members
  • Service provider/family member knowledge and skill change (12)
  • Fidelity of service provider/family member implementation of practices (1)
  • Child outcomes (1)

Help the team organize information about the child that can be used moving forward

One difficulty many children who are deaf-blind face is adjusting to new teachers or other team members at the start of a new school year or when there are personnel changes. (28) Information about the child's vision, hearing, communication, preferences, learning style, response to interventions, and much more can be organized in a portfolio or online archive for use by both current and future service providers. Having a good archive of information: (21)

  • Lessens the negative impact of frequent changes in teachers and other personnel
  • Promotes consistency in routines between home and school

If the team has been archiving information all along as described in Employing Skill Development Strategies, this would be a good time to review it and update as necessary. 

Share success!

Feelings of success provide motivation for sustaining the use of new skills and practices. (1)

  • Communicate accomplishments to everyone involved in the current effort (e.g., team members, administrators, family)
  • Encourage team members to present what they have learned during professional development events in their schools or districts
  • Invite team members you’ve worked with to present with you when you conduct subsequent training events for other teams
  • Include examples of successful TA as part of your dissemination efforts to raise awareness of the important role of your deaf-blind project within the state