1. (1) Definitions.

   1. (a) Dual sensory impairment is defined as the presence of both hearing loss and a visual impairment, or an etiology or a medical diagnosis that indicates a potential dual sensory loss, the combination of which adversely affects the student’s educational performance. The term includes congenital deafblindness, congenital visual impairment with acquired hearing loss, congenital hearing loss with acquired visual impairment, and acquired hearing loss and visual impairment including blindness, as defined in Rules 6A-6.03013(1)(a) and (b) and 6A-6.03014(1)(a), F.A.C. If a student is found eligible for both deaf or hard of hearing and visual impairments as primary or other exceptionalities, then the student must be made eligible for dual sensory impairment.
   2. (b) Teacher of the deaf or hard of hearing means an individual who is certified in the area of deaf or hard of hearing in accordance with Rule 6A-4.0172, F.A.C.
   3. (c) Teacher of the visually impaired means an individual who is certified in the area of visually impaired in accordance with Rule 6A-4.0178, F.A.C.
   4. (d) An intervener specialist means an individual who provides specialized services and is trained in deafblind education and intervention strategies to ensure consistent access to instruction, communication and environmental information via one-to-one support for individuals who are deafblind.
   5. (e) An educational interpreter means a highly trained professional who facilitates communication between a student and others by interpreting spoken language into American Sign Language and vice versa, providing communication access by conveying classroom instruction, teacher and peer interactions, and other relevant sound information, such as schoolwide announcements, to ensure the student has equal access to educational opportunities comparable to their peers.
2. (2) A full and individual evaluation must be conducted by a school district to identify a student with a dual sensory impairment as eligible for exceptional student education and consider the individual needs of a student with a dual sensory impairment when developing, reviewing or revising an individual educational plan (IEP) in accordance with Rules 6A-1.09401(1)(k), 6A-1.09414, 6A-6.03028, 6A-6.0331 and 6A-6.03411, F.A.C.

3. (3) Eligibility determination. For a student who has, or who is suspected of having, a combination of a hearing loss and a visual impairment, or a medical diagnosis that indicates a potential dual sensory loss, the evaluation for eligibility must be conducted as described in Rules 6A-6.03013(3) and 6A-6.03014(3), F.A.C., unless one or more of the assessments is waived as provided in paragraph (3)(c).

   1. (a) Deaf or hard of hearing evaluation. An evaluation for eligibility must include an audiological report, a functional listening assessment, and a communication and language assessment as described in Rule 6A-6.03013(3)(b)-(c), F.A.C.
   2. (b) Visual impairment evaluation. An evaluation for eligibility must include a medical report, a functional vision assessment, a learning media assessment, and an orientation and mobility screening as described in Rule 6A-6.03014(3)(b)-(d), F.A.C.
   3. (c) Assessment waiver. If one of the assessments described in paragraphs (3)(a) and (b) provides sufficient information to determine a student who has a dual sensory impairment is eligible for exceptional student education, the other assessments will be waived for the purpose of determining eligibility. However, the assessments that were waived must be conducted during the IEP development process.

4. (4) Once a student with a dual sensory impairment is determined eligible for exceptional student education, the district must conduct the following assessments:

   1. (a) Any assessment waived for the eligibility determination as provided in paragraph (3)(c); and
   2. (b) A special skills assessment. A special skills assessment evaluates skills aligned with content knowledge as described in Rule 6A-1.09401(1)(k), F.A.C. This assessment must be conducted by a teacher of the deaf or hard of hearing and a teacher of the visually impaired and may include a range of team members to include an intervener, interpreter and other related service providers to evaluate the special skills areas for both the hearing loss and the visual impairment.
5. (5) Once a student has been determined eligible under both deaf or hard of hearing and visual impairments, the eligibility category must be updated to dual sensory impairment. The student is then required to receive support and services from both the teacher of the deaf or hard of hearing and the teacher of the visually impaired for identified needs.
6. (6) The school districts are required to include students with a dual sensory impairments in the state’s annual census report for the national child count of children and youth. These students must be registered with the American Printing House (APH) for the Blind by the appropriate Ex-Officio Trustee. Parental consent is required for registration with APH. These students must also be registered and included in the National Deaf Blind Census Registry.

7. (7) Reevaluation. Reevaluation of students with dual sensory impairments must comply with Rule 6A-6.0331(7), F.A.C., and must include:

   1. (a) An audiological report and evaluation of all skills, described in paragraphs (3)(a) and (4)(a) and (b), known to be impacted by the hearing loss and as required for determining specially designed instruction. The audiological report may be waived by the IEP team, including a teacher of the deaf or hard of hearing or an audiologist, or both, if the team agrees that there is no suspected change in hearing.

   2. (b) A medical report and an evaluation of all skills, described in paragraphs (3)(b) and (4)(a) and (b), known to be impacted by a visual impairment as required for determining specially designed instruction. The medical report may be waived by the IEP team, including a teacher of the visually impaired, if:

      1. The team agrees that there is no suspected change in visual functioning; or

      2. The team is provided a physician’s written recommendation to waive the medical report for students with bilateral anophthalmia.

8. (8) Supportive services. The district must make available referral forms, links, and technical support contacts for services to students with dual sensory impairments and their parents. These resources include:

   1. (a) Auditory-Oral Clarke School and Bridge to Speech Clarke School;
   2. (b) Auditory-Oral University of Miami (UM) Debbie School and Bridge to Speech UM Debbie School;
   3. (c) Critical Initiatives in Visual Impairment Project Florida State University (CIVI-FSU);
   4. (d) Educational Interpreter Project (EIP);
   5. (e) Florida Division of Blind Services (DBS);
   6. (f) Florida Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (VR);
   7. (g) Florida Instructional Materials Center for the Visually Impaired (FIMC-VI);
   8. (h) Florida Low Vision Initiative (FLVI);
   9. (i) Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind (FSDB); and
   10. (j) Resource Materials and Technology Center for the Deaf/Hard of Hearing (RMTC-DHH).

Rulemaking Authority 1001.02, 1003.01, 1003.57, 1003.571 FS. Law Implemented 1003.01, 1003.57, 1003.571 FS. History–New 7-2-79, Formerly 6A-6.3022, Amended 10-3-91, 12-15-09, 12-23-14, 8-19-25.