Deafblindness is a combination of hearing impairment and visual impairment that affects one’s ability to communicate, access information and get around. It does not necessarily mean that the person is totally deaf or blind. Children who are deaf-blind have some residual hearing and vision.
Signs and Symptoms
Common signs and symptoms include:
• Difficulty in seeing and hearing from a distance
• Delays in reaching or failure to achieve milestones in speech and language development.
Causes
Common causes include:
• Chromosomal/genetic disorders
• Effects of alcohol e.g. Fetal Alcohol Syndrome
• Problems during pregnancy and at birth
• Illness and infection during pregnancy e.g. syphilis, AIDS
• Medical complications during pregnancy
Diagnosis
• Audiological screening
• Optometric screening
• Neurological screening
Intervention
• Tactile sign language