Understanding dual disabilities among children

DISABILITY differs with people.

Some have one type of disability while others have two or more. This week, we are going to focus on children who have two or more types of disabilities.

Deafblindness

A child who is deafblind is both deaf and blind. Terms such as dual sensory loss or combined vision/ hearing loss are in some instances used in place of deafblindness.

The time a child becomes deaf or blind makes a difference in relation to the pace at which they develop. If a child becomes deaf at a time when he or she may have learnt a particular type of language, it becomes easier for them to learn a new language like sign language. If a child becomes blind after having learnt to move from one place to the other and learning different things, and understanding certain concepts, it may be easier for them to learn new ways of doing things such as using braille, compared to those who are both deaf and blind from birth.

Being deafblind may happen during pregnancy, through a syndrome or condition that is inherited or a disorder of the chromosomes that may happen during the early days of the development of the foetus, as well as injuries that may affect the foetus while it is in the uterus, or when the woman comes into contact with a certain virus or disease that affects the foetus.

Childbirth processes may also result in one becoming deafblind, when a premature baby is born or due to lack of oxygen.

Some children may become deafblind after they have been born due to direct injuries of the eyes and ears, brain injury or illnesses caused by viruses.

Being deafblind may also happen later on in life due to eye and ear injuries or brain injuries arising from car accidents or the natural process of ageing; some hereditary conditions may not show until later on in life.

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