The Challenge

Currently, the educational system doesn’t recognize the value of an intervener for children who are deafblind. In many situations, a paraprofessional aide or aides are hired for a student without any specialized training or preparation. As a result, the student doesn’t have access, the pay is not appropriate, and there can be high turnover. This is a great concern to NIAA.

Historically, paraprofessionals working with children and youth with deafblindness received no training in deafblindness.  As the intervener practice emerged, it was recognized that these paraprofessionals needed deafblind-specific training.  In some states, paraprofessionals were trained through workshops, conferences, in-service activities, and/or short-term technical assistance.  However, these methods of training were very diverse and did not yield consistency of competence or effectiveness of implementation with children and youth with deafblindness.

Utah State University was the first to provide competency-based higher education training for interveners with consistent standards of knowledge and skills.  To date, hundreds of interveners have been trained through this program. Interveners who complete the program earn the National Intervener Credential, which recognizes them as being above the paraprofessional level.

Another training method for interveners was developed outside of higher education and uses online Open Hands Open Access (OHOA) modules, self-study methods, and the completion of an e-portfolio. However, this training path leads to a certification that recognizes interveners at the paraprofessional level.  

To advance the field of intervener services, interveners need to be recognized as “related service providers” rather than paraprofessionals, and their training must be completed through the higher education pathway, just as other related service providers are educated.  The National Intervener & Advocate Association (NIAA) wholeheartedly supports university training as the path to credentialing.  NIAA recognizes the intervener practice cannot survive and thrive at the paraprofessional level.   The intervener practice must evolve to be recognized and supported similar to the evolution of the sign language interpreter practice.  Experience has shown that higher education training is the only way to have the intervener practice become recognized, valued, and sustained over time.  

Why is Higher Education Coursework So Important?

• Systemically recognized as the foundation for professions (i.e. Interpreter profession). Related services listed in IDEA are based on higher education training
• State and local systems are more inclined to recognize the value of coursework through higher education
• Universities/community colleges have structures in place with checks and balances to ensure the quality and sustainability of a training program with:
  • Approved level of rigor
  • Process for ensuring that instructors and supervisors are qualified
  • Quality controls for the program over time (i.e. ongoing monitoring and evaluation of courses, instructors, etc.)
  • High accountability for learning and performance
  • Consistent measurement of knowledge gained through assignments, tests, discussions, etc.
  • Individualized personal attention from instructors, mentors, coaches, etc.
  • Supervised practicum measuring implementation of intervener knowledge and skills
  • Long-term sustainability
  • Career track to a degree program

An Intervener Training Program is available online through Utah State University that has been training interveners since 2007.