NCDB Support for State Deafblind Projects
NCDB's primary role is to provide technical assistance (TA) to state deafblind projects. We encourage you to contact us at any time to discuss your needs and priorities.
This page describes the services NCDB provides to state deafblind projects to assist them in achieving their goals. Included are an overview of NCDB’s TA processes and details on the types of assistance NCDB offers such as resources, consultation, and connections to colleagues at other state deafblind projects.
Note: You do not need to read and understand all the information on this page in order to contact us. Instead, it's a resource to return to over time and use as a reference during consultations with NCDB staff.
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NCDB's TA Processes
Levels of TA Support
NCDB's TA is aligned with OSEP's definitions of technical assistance—universal, targeted, and intensive. NCDB's universal TA involves independent review of publications or participation in short-term events like webinars or topical meetings. It’s easy for state deafblind projects to engage in universal TA, requiring no long-term commitment and minimal preparation (if any). NCDB's targeted and intensive TA activities are more complicated, requiring increasing amounts of time, effort, and commitment.
Levels of TA build upon one another. Before participating in a peer learning community (targeted TA), we typically ask you to review selected materials on the topic the community will address. Before participating in intensive TA, we require you to have already made some progress toward your goals via participation in targeted TA.
Examples of NCDB TA:
Universal – Resources (e.g., publications, modules, tools) on the NCDB website, a Basecamp group for state deafblind project communication, a monthly update, and webinars
Targeted – Consultations with NCDB staff to discuss state deafblind project needs and goals, peer learning communities, and connections to peer mentors
Intensive – Ongoing support from NCDB that requires in-depth commitment of time and resources from the state deafblind project
Readiness
OSEP requires NCDB to assist state deafblind projects in making decisions about their readiness to participate in TA activities. Considering your project’s readiness for targeted or intensive TA starts with an initial consultation to
- Determine whether specific services are right for them
- Assess whether they have the time and resources to participate
- Learn how they should prepare
Readiness for intensive TA also involves assessing whether NCDB has the capacity to effectively support a project given its current needs. Because readiness can change over time, project readiness is ongoing.
The following documents outline key readiness factors, such as time commitments and other expectations, for targeted and intensive TA:
These documents can be used in combination with consultation from NCDB staff to determine the type of support that best meets your project's needs.
Measuring Global Outcomes
NCDB collects data (e.g., via surveys, interviews, and artifact review) to measure global outcomes of its TA including increases in
- The number and quality of qualified personnel for children who are deafblind
- The identification and referral of children and youth who are deafblind to state deafblind projects
- The adoption of high-quality TA practices by state deafblind projects
- The adoption of high-quality personnel development practices within personnel development systems
- The adoption of programs, policies, procedures, and practices (e.g., related to customized employment, intervener regulations, inclusion of deafblind practices in EI training systems) by state systems
Types of Technical Assistance
Child-Specific TA
Child-specific TA is an important service that many state deafblind projects deliver to early intervention providers, school-based teams, and families. Its main purpose is to help practitioners and families implement high-quality practices that improve educational results for children who are deafblind and prepare them for adult life.
NCDB provides support to assist state projects in determining whether they want to make changes to their child-specific procedures and processes and, if so, what those changes should be.
Universal TA
Resources for NCDB's child-specific universal TA include
- Implementing Evidence-Based Practices for Children Who Are Deaf-Blind: A TA Reference Guide
- Providing Technical Assistance to Families: A Guide for State Deaf-Blind Projects
- Self-Assessment Documents
- The Info Center on our website
NCDB also has librarians who can help you find information to meet the needs of specific children and teams (send requests to support@nationaldb.org).
Targeted TA
NCDB's child-specific targeted TA begins with a consultation to discuss your current processes and changes you would like to make. This may lead to additional short-term individual or group consultations (typically a few sessions).
A peer learning community for child-specific TA brings together state deafblind project personnel who wish to focus on defining and implementing their projects' child-specific TA.
Intensive TA
NCDB's targeted TA is usually sufficient to address most state deafblind project child-specific TA needs, but some projects may opt child-specific intensive TA, which provides in-depth, individualized consultation and support.
Intensive TA follows the recommendations in Implementing Evidence-Based Practices for Children Who Are Deaf-Blind: A TA Reference Guide and Providing Technical Assistance to Families: A Guide for State Deaf-Blind Projects. Specific activities vary depending on your project's needs, but common areas include:
- Identification of your project's current processes and procedures
- Goal setting
- Review of existing processes and documents
- Resources and advice on best practices
- Feedback as processes and documents are revised
Child-specific intensive TA typically takes about a year when comprehensively addressing all of a project's child-specific processes. Less time is required for more focused needs.
Systems TA
Systems TA conducted by state deafblind projects involves activities that address the needs of numerous children and families and lead to more sustainable services. These activities can range from fairly simple (e.g., implementing an instructional practice in a school district) to quite complex (e.g., developing an intervener training program).
Common systemic challenges include a lack of deafblind content in state personnel development plans, a limited supply of qualified interveners and teachers of the deafblind, and limited capacity of organizations to serve families of children who are deafblind.
NCDB's assistance related to systems TA is primarily focused on the following national initiative areas:
NCDB also offers support for state projects interested in developing or strengthening partnerships within their states' low-incidence infrastructures.
Universal TA
NCDB resources for systems TA include
- Changing Systems: Moving Beyond Child-Specific Technical Assistance
- National initiative resources on our website
NCDB also has librarians who can help you find information specific to your needs (send requests to support@nationaldb.org).
Targeted TA
NCDB's targeted systems TA begins with a consultation to identify your project’s needs, capacity, and what you would like to accomplish. This may lead to additional short-term individual or group consultations (typically a few sessions).
Peer Learning Communities
We offer a number of peer learning communities related to systems TA. They bring together state deafblind project personnel (and sometimes experts from outside the Deafblind TA Network) who are working on similar systems-change projects. Topics vary depending on the initiative area, but often focus on
- Learning about existing organizations and resources to support systems-change efforts
- Learning about model policies, practices, and programs
- Identifying and setting professional development goals to increase knowledge of a national initiative area
- Identifying opportunities for partnerships
Participants learn from each other as they share expertise, resources, and insights that they can apply to their own systems-change efforts.
Intensive TA
Targeted TA may be just what many state projects need to support their systems-change work. Others may want more in-depth, individualized consultation and support.
Intensive TA requires a long-term commitment (typically two to three years) and extensive planning. It follows the process described in Changing Systems: Moving Beyond Child-Specific Technical Assistance and focuses on the development and implementation of systems-change activities. Support is individualized for each project and may include:
- Assistance in planning and conducting needs assessments
- Assistance locating or developing resources, processes, policies, and other documents
- Training (typically distance, but potentially onsite) for a state's stakeholders
- Strategic planning
- Facilitation of advisory or planning groups regarding specific areas of need
- Development of state and national partnerships in the service of systems goals