The National Intervener Task Force was formed in 2002 to:
-Provide an open forum for discussion about the use of interveners
-Increase awareness of the role of the intervener with children who are deafblind
-Establish the intervener practice as a credible option of support.

Members of the Task Force met annually for 10 years and included representatives from state deafblind projects, higher education, OSEP, interveners, and parents.

This task force identified five areas on which to focus their efforts:
-Awareness and Advocacy
-Systems Issues and Change
-Parent Education and Involvement
-Training
-Data and Information on Child Impact

This task force worked collaboratively with educators, parents, professionals, lawmakers, and others to address issues in each of these five areas, with the overall goal of establishing the practice of using interveners as a recognized and credible service delivery option for children who are deafblind.

Accomplishments of the National Intervener Task Force:
In 2004, the original Competencies for Training Interveners to Work with Children and Students with Deafblindness were developed and vetted. Competency levels of mastery were defined by both knowledge and implementation, and organized under eight standards.

In 2004, the Recommendations on the Training of Interveners for Students who are Deafblind was developed.

In 2007, Interveners in the Classroom: Guidelines for Teams Working with Students Who Are Deafblind was developed. This 36-page booklet was designed as a checklist to assist interveners, teachers, administrators, and parents in understanding the roles and responsibilities of interveners in educational settings.

In 2012, A Family’s Guide to Interveners for Children with Combined Vision and Hearing Loss was published and disseminated. This 62-page booklet describes deafblindness and the role of interveners, and then guides parents through the components of the IEP process that are most critical to determining the need for intervener services in educational settings.