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New England Center Deafblind Project

The New England Center Deafblind Project (NEC) provides technical assistance to children who are deafblind in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts and New Hampshire, as well as to their families and educational programs. Perkins is the sponsoring agency and assumes overall responsibility for this multi-state project, which was founded in 1969. NEC's central office staff is housed on the Perkins campus, with satellite offices and staff located in each of the other states.

There are currently close to 400 students ages birth to 22 who have been identified in this four-state region and are being educated in a large variety of school settings. NEC maintains a child census of these students and provides technical assistance to professionals working with these children. Resource information, workshops, consultations, and in-service training are provided on a local, state or regional level by qualified NEC staff.

The project also assists families of children who are deafblind by providing access to valuable information addressing issues across a broad age range. This is especially important as parents plan and respond to the developmental and educational needs of their children. Parents are active participants in helping NEC assess the needs of families in the four-state region.

Available Technical Assistance/Consultation

• On-site, regional and multi-state training relative to "effective practices" in deafblind education
• Child-specific consultation to team members working with children who are deafblind
• Consultation specific to family issues, particularly in the area of advocacy training and self-determination
• Community resource & evaluation referral
• Information dissemination

This project is funded by the United States Department of Education, Special Education Programs, under the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA) and through project discretionary funds earmarked specifically for programs and projects working with infants, children and young adults who are deafblind to assist State Education Agencies in developing their capacity to adequately serve children and youth who are deafblind.

For more information about regustering a child with the center please contact the project at NEC@Perkins.org. 

Please check New@NEC for a list of updates, changes, and additions.

Mission Statement: To build and strengthen a collaborative system that enables infants, children, and youth who are deafblind to participate meaningfully in their homes, schools, and communities in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire.

A project of the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education and Rehabilitation Services in cooperation with Perkins School for the Blind.

the website was most recently updated on March 7, 2008.