Memo Text
The Division of Elementary Secondary Education (DESE) Office of Special Education Deafblind Project for Children And Youth with Sensory Impairments (CAYSI) is disseminating the annual federal census of children in Arkansas, birth to age 22, who have been identified as having deafblindness. The purpose of this Commissioner’s Memo is to assist CAYSI staff in the identification and reporting of children in the state who are deafblind. CAYSI is required to submit this report to the U.S. Department of Education each year.
Please consider all of the children served by the district to determine those individuals who might qualify. If a district is unsure about a child’s eligibility, CAYSI staff will review the child's information and make the final determination as to his or her eligibility. Eligible students do not have to be completely deaf and blind, nor do they have to have been identified as deafblind on the district’s December 1 child count. Often these children are counted on the December 1 report as having other primary disabilities such as an intellectual disability, multiple disabilities, or other health impairments. For consideration for CAYSI, the child must have some degree of both vision and hearing loss, or have cognitive impairments that limit the use of both senses.
Districts will receive an email from CAYSI through “Service Provider Portal Link'' for any children in the district who have already been identified and are listed on the deafblind registry. New to LEAs is the electronic data review and update submission through CAYSI’s new SI2 database system. No paper copies of each child’s census will be mailed as in years past. Instructions on how to submit electronically with a one-time password protection will be included in the email. For each child that the district believes may qualify as having combined hearing and vision loss, and is not currently on the deafblind registry, please make a referral online or contact CAYSI at 501-682-4222.
Cooperation by the district is appreciated in assisting CAYSI efforts to identify and maintain accurate information on children with deafblindness across the state of Arkansas. No response is required if the district does not have children with dual sensory impairment.
CAYSI is supported through a federally funded grant administered by the DESE Office of Special Education. CAYSI provides technical assistance through on-site consultation, training, and other resources for teachers, agency personnel, and families who have children identified and listed on the deafblind registry.
For additional information or questions, contact Jennifer Walkup or Jana Villemez at 501-682-4222 or by email to jennifer.walkup@ade.arkansas.gov or jana.villemez@ade.arkansas.gov