Creating a Communication Plan

Children with combined vision and hearing loss may use multiple modes of expression. These may include speech, sign, gestures, and/or icons. In order to develop a systematic plan to support growth across communication modes it is helpful to collaboratively discuss:

1. Current skills in each mode
2. Current instructional approaches for each mode
3. Contexts/communication partners with whom the child uses each mode
4. Goals for each communication mode

Some children with combined vision and hearing loss have complex medical needs that impact their overall levels of alertness and engagement. For children with varying levels of alertness it can be helpful to create a communication plan that identifies strategies to be used when the child is demonstrating different levels of alertness. The key elements to outline as a team are:

• Describe what the child looks like in each state
• Describe what kind of instructional accommodations and adaptations will be provided in each state
• Describe what kind of communication input will be provided to child in each state
• Describe what kind of communication output will be expected of the child in each state