TSBVI Coffee Hour: Interactions with Children who are Deafblind: A Conversation and Website Introduction 9-27-21 From Kate Borg (she/her) to Everyone: Good morning everyone!! Let us know where you're joining from! I'm in Austin. :) From Kate Hurst to Host and Panelists: Hello, greetings from Bastrop, TX! From Bailey Gates to Everyone: ATX! From Michelle Urias to Host and Panelists: Pecos, Tx From DeAnn Wells to Everyone: Gilbert, Az From Maurice Belote to Host and Panelists: Hi friends in Texas. This is Maurice Belote from the California project. From Alexandra Driver to Everyone: Good Afternoon! Lufkin here! From Tanni Anthony to Everyone: Colorado for a little while! From Amanda Crayton to Host and Panelists: Albany, NY From Jean Deptolla to Everyone: Hello from Illinois! From Kristin Gartman to Everyone: Houston, TX From Lynn Langille to Host and Panelists: Vancouver Island, BC Canada From Clarissa Ramos to Everyone: Laredo Tx From Heather Hertel to Everyone: Hi! I'm from a little town in Southern Michigan From Kate Hurst to Host and Panelists: Bastrop, TX not Batrop From Malina Lindell to Everyone: Hello from eastern Oregon! (Pendleton) From Charlotte Cushman to Everyone: Welcome everyone! So great to see so many familiar faces here with us! From Alaina Carmel to Everyone: Hi there joining from Massachusetts From Benjamin Davisson to Everyone: Fort Worth From Jennifer Farlow to Everyone: Rhode Island From Barbara Miles to Everyone: Barbara Miles, from Vermont From Julie Maier to Host and Panelists: California! From Patti-Ann Mullally to Host and Panelists: Texas From Laura Elmer to Everyone: TX From Kimberly Kernstock to Everyone: Michigan From Laura Lebre Anccilotto to Everyone: Brazil From Peggy Sinclair-Morris to Everyone: Kentucky From Kate Borg (she/her) to Everyone: So fun! I need to come visit every one of these spots. :) From Dagmar Lippert to Everyone: Copperas Cove Texas From Kate Hurst to Host and Panelists: So good to see so many friends here today. Hello everyone. From Kate Borg (she/her) to Everyone: Coffee Hour site: https://tsbvi.edu/coffeehour From Kate Hurst to Everyone: So good to see so many friends here today. Hello everyone. From Malina Lindell to Host and Panelists: Host: the email for the CEU didn't come after the 8/19 coffee hour (Assessment, Intervention and Outcomes of Young Children with Mild/Moderate Hearing Levels: A Multi-State Perspective & Academic Outcomes and Predictors of Performance in School-Age Children with Unilateral Hearing Loss). I sent several emails, with no replies. To whom do I send an email if this happens again? From Sue Gawne to Everyone: Sue Gawne - Hello Everyone from British Columbia Canada! From Kate Borg (she/her) to Malina Lindell, Host and Panelists: Thanks, Malina. I will let our registrar know. From Julie Maier to Host and Panelists: That was a brilliant demonstration! From Alaina Carmel to Everyone: tone of voice From Kate Borg (she/her) to Everyone: Make sure your chat is set to "Everyone" so that we can all see your comments. :) From Julie Maier to Everyone: You sure caught our attention with that opening, Chris! From Alaina Carmel to Everyone: it was purposeful for sure, now tell me how? From Kate Hurst to Everyone: And we are also communicating with gestures and facial expressions and body language, even object symbols at time. From Kate Borg (she/her) to Everyone: True Kate! So much of our communication happens beyond words. From Kate Hurst to Everyone: Love the picture of Charlie Chaplin and Helen Keller...I don't immediately think of them knowing each other. From Kimberly Kernstock to Everyone: Was there an opening code? From Kaycee Bennett to Everyone: no opening code, only a closing code From Kate Hurst to Everyone: The code comes at the end only. From Alaina Carmel to Everyone: I wonder that all the time! I'd love to know how to meet them even a quarter of the way. From Barbara Miles to Everyone: Great questions, Chris! From Alaina Carmel to Everyone: I've had lots of interactions with those who are deaf and/or blind but this is my second ever experience teaching a child on my caseload. Gosh, I wish there was a curriculum...it's been such a struggle! From Kate Hurst to Everyone: Chris, don't we all want to know exactly what we need to do to be better communicators with individuals who are deafblind? From Emily Perez to Everyone: I would love to understand on ways to build meaningful rapport and interactions with the children and their families From TSBVI Outreach Media to Everyone: To follow along with Chris, please use this link: https://txdeafblindproject.org From Kaycee Bennett to Everyone: It's a good thing it isn't like building IKEA shelves, I'm terrible at that! From Kate Hurst to Everyone: txdeafblindproject.org From Julie Maier to Everyone: IÕve found thatâ the checklist approachâ stifles creativity and dampens curiosityâ I love everything I'm hearing today. From Julie Maier to Everyone: Looks good. From Kate Hurst to Everyone: Good point Julie and this site will not stifle your creativity, for sure. From Charlotte Cushman to Everyone: I agree, Julie! I have always gravitated towards lists of bullet points and this approach is a welcome shift! From TSBVI Outreach Media to Everyone: To follow along with Chris, please use this link: https://txdeafblindproject.org From Kate Hurst to Everyone: Barbara Miles, you helped teach me what a great conversation is. From Tanni Anthony to Everyone: Yes we quote you all the time, Barbara! From Charlotte Cushman to Everyone: Yes, Barbara! From Peggy Sinclair-Morris to Everyone: I love the way you've broken down all the components of a good conversation From Kaycee Bennett to Everyone: "good conversations aren't about giving directions" I love that, Chris! From Kate Hurst to Bernadette van den Tillaart, Host and Panelists: Hello dear Bernadette! This was a long time coming, right? From Laura Lebre Anccilotto to Everyone: The same in Brazil! We quote Barbara a lot! One of our "popes"! From Kate Hurst to Everyone: Love that Laura! From Bernadette van den Tillaart to Everyone: So happy to join you again in deafblind land xxx From Kate Hurst to Bernadette van den Tillaart, Host and Panelists: I have missed you so very much. Your ears should be almost continually on fire because we talk about you every week when we work on this site. From Kate Hurst to Everyone: That is human dignity. From Kate Hurst to Everyone: And we are so lucky to have Bernadette with us today! From Kate Hurst to Everyone: Lots of "remarkable conversations", right? From TSBVI Outreach Media to Shakira Stein, Host and Panelists: Hi there, if you have a question/comment, feel free to post it to the chat From Kate Borg (she/her) to Everyone: Thanks for keeping after him, Kate! From Kaycee Bennett to Everyone: If anyone can get things done, it's Kate and Charlotte! From Julie Maier to Everyone: Thank you, Kateâ how brilliant to bring Charlotte on as your second enforcer to nudge Chris! From Tanni Anthony to Everyone: a great team for sure From TSBVI Outreach Media to Everyone: To follow along with Chris, please use this link: https://txdeafblindproject.org From Maurice Belote to Everyone: WeÕre launching a new technical assistance model this month and all TA begins with linkages to great resources. This new website is just remarkable. I can see that this will be a very necessary first step in that process. From Kate Hurst to Everyone: It also, I think, has some relevance for individuals who aren't congenitally deafblind. From Charlotte Cushman to Everyone: Thank you, Maurice! WeÕre so glad youÕre helping us to get the word out! From Kate Borg (she/her) to Everyone: Thanks, Maurice! It's a WIP for sure, but it's coming together just beautifully. From Tanni Anthony to Everyone: Agree, Maurice - I just wrote a blurb on it for my next newsletter! From Laura Lebre Anccilotto to Everyone: We work hard to explain that when we give courses here in Brazil. CDB and ADB. From Kate Hurst to Everyone: Oh, I hope it is useful, Maurice! From Charlotte Cushman to Everyone: Thank you, Tanni! WeÕre so grateful to all of you for helping to spread the word! From Kate Hurst to Everyone: Yes, thanks Tanni! From Alaina Carmel to Everyone: but how do you do that with limited resources in a classroom? From Kate Hurst to Everyone: Alaina, that is our challenge. And we don't have all the answers for sure. I think there is a way of sharing the experience that acknowledges you experience and the child's experience when you walk outside. It is not a quick process and it is something that can only happen in the moment. From Charlotte Cushman to Everyone: Which part are you wondering most about, Alaina? Having a conversation in general or other aspects? From Alaina Carmel to Everyone: incorporating the much-needed tactile portion of the conversations. From Kate Hurst to Everyone: Good point, Chris. I think being present, being a good observer, ready to affirm, etc. From Julie Maier to Everyone: Good points, Kate. And Chris. I think for classroom teachers this points to the need to ensure the child has a trusted partner nearby and observant to engage in the conversationâ that may be an intervener or para with the teacher having some of the conversations, but someone is consistently available. From Maurice Belote to Everyone: In addition, quality interactions donÕt have to be between adults and deafblind students. Classroom peers can learn how to do this too. Slowly, with patience and resonance. From Alaina Carmel to Everyone: I can totally appreciate these answers. Yes, itÕs so hard within a busy classroom and especially with all the restrictions these days. I'm practically covered in PPE all day due to guidance in our district a lot of times I'm not even providing those skin on skin hand on hand moments that I want to be. It's also very hard because my students are K-3 and non-verbal From Barbara Miles to Everyone: I have seen some lovely interactions between students if they are in close proximity with each other. From Kate Borg (she/her) to Everyone: And work with your families. They may have great ideas and/or be open to some coaching as well. From Kate Borg (she/her) to Malina Lindell, Host and Panelists: You'll be getting an email soon. Thanks for letting me know there was a problem. From Kate Hurst to Everyone: Oh yes, peers can be terrific communication partners! Sometimes much better than adults. From Charlotte Cushman to Everyone: Yes, thanks to all of you who are pointing out that the interactions and conversations donÕt have to be the staff. Families and other students are wonderful options too! From Tanni Anthony to Everyone: While we want to offer broad general principles, I always think it is helpful to hear student-specific stories of meaningful exchanges - and then to have an opportunity to learn why it worked. From Kate Hurst to Everyone: Family members generally have these conversations all the time. They KNOW the child and see so much more than others. From Julie Maier to Everyone: I absolutely about the peers and the motivation they provide. From Kate Borg (she/her) to Everyone: Agreed Kate! That's why they make great coaches. :) From Julie Maier to Everyone: Great point, Tanni! From Kaycee Bennett to Alaina Carmel, Host and Panelists: If you're in Texas we would love to support you and your team! If you're outside of Texas, your state deafblind project would be a great resource for you on this journey! You've asked such great questions! From Heather Hertel to Everyone: I absolutely love this coffee hour. It also makes me think about how I can be a better communication partner with my nonverbal students with autism. From Charlotte Cushman to Everyone: WeÕre so glad to hear that, Heather! We hope you'll explore the website. From Kate Hurst to Everyone: Heather, the more I dive into this the more it makes me think about my communication interactions with everyone. From Heather Hertel to Everyone: So true Kate! From Kate Hurst to Everyone: The co-creation of language is such a new and wonderful concept for me. From TSBVI Outreach Media to Everyone: To follow along with Chris, please use this link: https://txdeafblindproject.org From Peggy Sinclair-Morris to Everyone: Thank you for including the section on stress and resiliency! From Kate Hurst to Everyone: These 5 steps are as close to a "how to" as we have to offer. From Laura Lebre Anccilotto to Everyone: One problem that I see a lot here is that people try to "translate" what the child says using their knowledge of language and not hearing the child. From Charlotte Cushman to Everyone: Yes, Peggy, it's such an important issue! From Sue Gawne to Everyone: David Brown says, Follow the Child - From Julie Maier to Everyone: Laura, that is such an important observation! From Kate Hurst to Everyone: Yes, Laura, we can't translate easily or at all, because we will have always such a different life experience because of our sensory differences. We have to build a language between us in our interactions. From Kate Borg (she/her) to Everyone: Spend some time in the site. There are great videos of students interacting. From Barbara Miles to Everyone: One of my supervisors early on said to me that the best time to use a word (naming) is when you think the child has that in mind. From Kaycee Bennett to Everyone: I love that so much, Barbara! From Julie Maier to Everyone: This is such a treasure chest. IÕm so excited to dive into this website! Thanks TX DB Outreachâ especially Chris, Kate and Charlotteâ and of course, to your inspiring mentors. From Maurice Belote to Everyone: Yes please! From Peggy Sinclair-Morris to Everyone: Thank you all for this wonderful resource! From Laura Elmer to Everyone: Thank you, Chris. From Laura Lebre Anccilotto to Everyone: Thank you all! I love your coffee/dinner hour! From Michelle Urias to Host and Panelists: Thank you! From Charlotte Cushman to Everyone: Thanks for joining us today, everyone! From G Cathy Byrne to Host and Panelists: Thank you! From Kimberly Kernstock to Everyone: Thank you! From Tanni Anthony to Everyone: thank you so much From Kate Borg (she/her) to Everyone: TodayÕs code: 092721 Coffee Hour site: https://tsbvi.edu/coffeehour From Kate Hurst to Everyone: Great to visit with folks! I hope we get to do more on this topic in the future. From Lisa Jacobs to Everyone: What a great coffee hour! So well done and inspiring! From TSBVI Outreach Media to Everyone: TodayÕs code is: 092721 From Renae Allemann to Everyone: thank you! From Kate Borg (she/her) to Everyone: TodayÕs code: 092721 Coffee Hour site: https://tsbvi.edu/coffeehour From Maurice Belote to Host and Panelists: I screenshotted that old photo of Chris with his band so I can enjoy it in perpetuity! From Kate Borg (she/her) to Everyone: LOL@Maurice. Maybe a t-shirt? From TSBVI Outreach Media to Everyone: Once again, todayÕs code is: 092721 From Barbara Miles to Everyone: So wonderful, all you people in Texas. The children are and adults with deafblindness are smiling, I am sure. From Kate Hurst to Everyone: Happy trails everyone! From Chris Montgomery to Host and Panelists: Happy Trails!