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Early Intervention Program

Program History

In 2003 the BC Chapter’s “Early Intervention Program” started with one family. It has grown to become one of the strongest and most highly-regarded deafblind Early Intervention Programs in Canada. A program that remains family-focused, providing families and their teams with the understanding of the child’s unique deafblindness, communication, and deafblind Intervention strategies required for the journey through the early years of development into kindergarten.

A young boy in a wheelchair wearing a black shirt is smiling while resting his hand on an adult’s hand, using hand-under-hand technique to press a large red switch.
Fun with Switches at Daycare

About the Early Intervention Program

The Early Intervention Program supports children with deafblindness as they developed their true learning potential during the crucial time of learning in their early developmental stages. Early Intervention can also eliminate the family’s feelings of social isolation, stress, frustration and helplessness; as well as enhance their knowledge of deafblindness and Intervention, providing them with the skills to more effectively interact with their child.

Who It Supports

The Early Intervention Program supports children with deafblindness (birth to age five), their families, and teams. It offers family-focused support at home, daycare and preschool.

What Our Consultants Do

Our consultants introduce children with deafblindness, their families, and teams to the world of deafblindness and help establish communication methods and Intervention techniques. 

How the Program Helps

This program supports children with deafblindness in developing their true potential, helping their family to enhance their knowledge and skill for teaching their child from birth to kindergarten.

A young boy with hearing aids is in his wheelchair looking at a book with pictures of yellow and green objects. The boy has his hand resting on an adult’s hand, while they point out the objects, using hand-under-hand technique.
Hand Under Hand Reading at Preschool

Program Resources & Benefits

To further support the program, the BC Chapter has developed a number of resources including an information library, tele and video conferences and informational worksheets.

What makes this program unique is our ability to service the province of British Columbia with a qualified team that helps alleviate some of the stress and isolation that comes with discovering you have a child with complex needs.

Research

Research in child development has established that the rate of human learning and development is most rapid in the preschool years. Therefore, timing of Intervention becomes particularly important when a child is at risk of missing an opportunity to learn during their state of maximum readiness. If the most teachable moments or stages of greatest readiness are not taken advantage of, a child may have difficulty learning a particular skill at a later time. Through Early Intervention, we can help the child develop their true potential.

These services also have a significant impact on the parents and siblings of a child who is deafblind. Families often struggle with disappointment, social isolation, stress, frustration, and helplessness. Early Intervention supports parents and helps them have improved attitudes about themselves and their child. It also provides them with information and the necessary skills to teach their child

A young boy with dark hair in a blue and white striped shirt and blue shorts is sitting on a bed. He is wearing leg splints with cartoon pictures on them. The boy is holding a hand-held blue picture communication device and looking at it
Enjoying his device at home

Our Consultants

Our Early Intervention consultants bring years of experience to the families they support. They meet with the families and their teams, introduce them to the world of deafblindness and establish communication methods as well as techniques for Intervention. These techniques include a ‘Total Communication Approach’, Hand Under Hand, Waiting Time, Calendar Systems, ‘start to finish routines’ and ‘AMCC’ to use with their deafblind child. Our consultants provide training to daycare and preschool staff, the child’s Intervenor, and supports transitions to kindergarten. Our consultants are also available to attend medical or other agency meetings as required or requested by the family to offer their support and expertise.

Contact

Other Programs

For almost three decades, the CDBA Chapter in BC has been dedicated to providing support and services to the individuals who are deafblind and their families. Some of the support and services provided include:

A laptop shows a picture on its screen of a boy with short dark hair in a long-sleeved white shirt looking forward. To his left is his mother with a long-sleeved black shirt pointing her hand in front of him and also looking forward. In front of the laptop is a hand holding a ball of dough, holding it up to the computer to show the boy and his mother. To the left of the computer is a yellow bag of Robin Hood flour.

Intervention Program

Children and youth with deafblindness, ages 2-19 years, are supported to interact within their home and community environments during the spring, summer and winter school breaks. We provide funding for the family to hire an Intervenor to work with their child.
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A young girl in a walker wearing a mauve shirt and a bone conduction hearing device is with a laughing woman with long hair and a green, blue and purple striped shirt. They are looking to the left for the photo and standing at a chain-link fence in front of a brown horse.

Summer Recreation Program

Provides opportunities during the summer months for our members to explore new activities and venues and to develop social relationships with other individuals who are deafblind. This program is available to all members.
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A girl wearing a blue shirt and scarf is sitting in her wheelchair. On her right is a woman with long brown hair wearing a black hair band, black shirt and white apron. She is smiling while watching the young girl paint. On the girl’s left is a woman with black hair in a pony tail wearing a black shirt. Her hand is under the girl’s hand while she holds a pink ball dipped in yellow paint. They are using the ball to paint a white board that is on a yellow tray. A large black tent with silver streamers in the doorway is behind them.

Sensory Clinics

Our sensory clinics range from an afternoon to a weekend and provide a sensory-loaded experience for children with deafblindness, as well as training and information for their families and Intervenors.
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"Your insight on the deafblind world was a game changer for our whole family. Early intervention was the key to success, thanks a million."
Carly Crocker
Parent