Interviews with 23 itinerant teachers of students with visual impairments in Colorado gathered information on their views of the position, the challenges they face, and ways to improve the training of future itinerant teachers. The results offer insights into the positive and negative aspects of itinerant teaching, detail essential skills for successful itinerant teaching, and provide recommendations for improving the preparation of future itinerant teachers.The Education of All Handicapped Students Act (P.L. and the subsequent Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA; P.L. 105-17) serve as statements of national policy to guarantee all students with disabilities a free and appropriate public education. Under the least-restrictive-environment stipulation of IDEA, public agencies must ensure, to the maximum extent possible, that students with disabilities receive education with their nondisabled peers. This provision also establishes that students with disabilities are to be placed in special classrooms or schools or removed from regular educational environments only when the severity of their disabilities prevents them from being educated in general education classes with supplementary services.

Research on deafblindness and families is scant. The few available studies, in combination with research in the areas of visual impairment, hearing impairment, and significant support needs, help paint a picture of the services and other assistance required by families, including siblings of a child with deafblindness. In the present article, the authors synthetize the literature related to families of students who are deafblind and the supports needed by these families. The article also addresses the impact of the diagnosis on the family, supports needed by the family, including the contributions of siblings of the child who is deafblind, and considerations of cultural, linguistic, and economic diversity within the deafblind population. Online resources for professionals who work with students who are deafblind and their families are listed.

This qualitative case study investigated the nature of social experiences and opportunities for communication among students who are deaf-blind, their sighted peers with no hearing loss, and adults in inclusive settings. Strategies used by adults to promote interaction were also observed. Implications and suggestions for future research are provided.

The purpose of the study reported here was to identify the needs of educators in the field of visual impairment who work with students from diverse backgrounds. The 204 participants reported areas of need, including culturally responsive teaching and practicum opportunities. Additional findings, recommendations, limitations, and suggestions for future research are provided.

This study reports the results of interviews conducted with families from Hispanic backgrounds who have children with visual impairments receiving special education services. Families were recruited in two states within the United States. A total of 11 Hispanic mothers participated in the study. The interviews were conducted to learn about family needs and perspectives to inform personnel preparation. Four major themes emerged from the interviews: quantity and quality of services, communication issues, need for resources, and cultural differences. Discussion provides insights learned by the researchers when working with culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) families, including considerations for data gathering, cultural rapport, and recruitment of participants.Literature suggests that best practices for working with exceptional students from culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) backgrounds, and their families should include the use of techniques to enhance effective communication with families, use of culturally relevant teaching, and awareness of one's personal beliefs (Araujo,