A Guide to Planning and Support for the Congenitally Deafblind

Ian W. Toal is a registered nurse in Barrie, Ontario.

Four groups of individuals are recognized as being deafblind. This book
focuses on the group of people who were born with or who acquired the
disability at an early age. While the individuals in the other groups
are not without problems, the congenitally deafblind face special
challenges: they have not had the opportunity to develop the language,
communication skills, or cognitive and conceptual base on which to build
an understanding of themselves and the world around them.

Written by experts in the field, this collection of essays examines
such diverse topics as the neurobiology of deafblindness, social
relationships of the deafblind, residential versus community schooling,
and how to maintain a support system. The essays provide an
international perspective on the subject, yet retains an overall
Canadian focus. A long chapter on resources to access (e.g., Web sites)
is included. Although the target audience appears to be professional
caregivers for deafblind people, this excellent resource is accessible
enough to be used by family caregivers as well.