Targeted TA

Workshops and Conferences

Targeted TA often takes the form of events such as workshops, day-long trainings, and multi-day conferences for families or families and professionals combined. As noted in the OSEP TA definition, it can also include episodic, less labor-intensive events, such as facilitating a series of conference calls.

Training events for families should be based on needs assessment findings and focus on increasing knowledge and skill development. Example topics include communication, creating a family story, the family’s role in the IEP process, and parent leadership.  Joint family-professional events typically focus on instructional strategies, such as making accommodations to routines or modifying the learning environment. In addition to increasing knowledge and skills, these types of joint events empower families to participate in goal setting and program planning and reinforce to educators that the family is the expert on their child.

For information on adult learning and training practices see Conducting Training in Implementing Evidence-Based Practices for Children Who Are Deaf-Blind: A TA Reference Guide.

Transition Institutes

Some state deaf-blind projects offer opportunities for parents to participate with their child (age 14-22) in regional transition institutes. These occur annually  during the summer in several locations across the country. Their purpose is to help students develop self-determination and leadership skills and make action plans related to college, career, and community living. Families who attend receive tools to be active participants in their children’s action plans. For more information, visit NCDB’s Transition Initiative page.

In addition to training events, targeted TA may include activities to bring families together to support one another.

Recreational Gatherings 

Events where families can have fun and get acquainted—a day at a park, going to a public pool, an adaptive skiing outing—allow families to get to know one another in a relaxed setting where they have time to talk about their lives.

Conference Calls

Some state deaf-blind projects offer regular conference calls where families can ask each other questions and share ideas and resources. Current opportunities that families from anywhere in the country can join include monthly calls for Spanish-speaking families offered by California Deafblind Services and the Family-to-Family Communities project (an opportunity to join occurs in late summer each year).  

Family Mentoring

Family mentoring is direct support from one family member of a child with deaf-blindness to another. Mentors require training (e.g., communication and listening skills, confidentiality, maintaining boundaries) in order to serve in this role (Hall et al, 2015). Connecting parents with children who are the same age or have similar causes of deaf-blindness can be highly effective in helping families feel less isolated and more confident. Examples of the types of support mentors provide include:

• Listening, validating the family’s journey, and helping them realize they are not alone
• Sharing resources their own child has benefited from such as a specific health care provider or recreational program 
• Offering advice such as bedtime routines that have worked for their family

How P2P Matches Work from Parent to Parent USA provides an example model of how mentor parents might be recruited and trained.

Targeted consultation is typically limited to one or two contacts between a state deaf-blind project staff member and a family to discuss the family's needs and develop an action plan for them to use independently. These meetings can be in person or virtual and take place in the context of school or home visits.

The following are examples of topics that might be covered during these types of consultations:

Infants/toddlers 

• The importance of touch and bonding
• The family’s role as their child transitions from Part C (early intervention) to Part B services 

Elementary-school children 

• Understanding quality educational programming for students who are deaf-blind, including having deaf-blind qualified personnel on their team (deaf-blind specialist, intervener)
• Telling the family’s story to an educational team
• Locating inclusive community recreational programs

Middle-school children 

• Volunteer opportunities for a child in the community
• Questions related to puberty and how to manage self-care routines (e.g., shaving, menstruation)

Transition-age 

• Hope and dreams after high school
• Getting connected to adult service agencies
• Connecting to other families with children who have exited school and are employed
• Public transportation options