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Fall 2025
A Quarterly Newsletter to Share Resources With Educational Teams
and Families Supporting Deafblind Learners
Produced by the RI Dual Sensory Impairment Project, Paul V. Sherlock Center on Disabilities
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New Adapted Literature Resources
The Sherlock Center online adapted literature and lessons library is always adding new resources. We’ve added new adapted literature about our area, such as Massachusetts Places and Things Made in Rhode Island.
| | Massachusetts Places title page. | | Massachusetts Places page 1. | | Things Made in Rhode Island title page. | | Things Made in Rhode Island page 1. | | |
Resource Note
All resources shared on the Sherlock Center’s Adapted Literature website are free and can be downloaded and modified to meet a child’s specific visual and learning needs. Many CVI (Cortical Visual Impairment) and VI-Friendlier resources are available in multiple formats (pdf, ppt, mp4) to allow access on many technology platforms.
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Sensory-Friendly Events in Rhode Island
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Chuck E. Cheese in Warwick offers Sensory Sensitive Sundays on the first Sunday of each month, with dimmed lights and reduced noise levels.
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Rough Point Museum in Newport offers sensory-friendly mornings on some Saturdays each month from 9 to 10 a.m., an hour before the museum opens to the public.
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Fun Friday Movie
On Fridays, Miss Tennille hosts a movie event with her students, an enjoyable and functional activity for students with dual sensory impairments.
- First, students watch three different movie trailers.
- Next, a student or staff member asks each student which movie they would like to watch. Students use pictures, objects, or assistive technology to communicate their vote.
- Then, students place their check mark on the graph. The class discusses the graph to determine which movie won the vote.
- Then, the class uses a high-contrast money board for each student to pay for their movie ticket. Students select their movie ticket based on the picture, name, or texture of the ticket.
- Finally, it’s time to enjoy the movie!
| | A graph with checkmarks showing students’ votes for three different movies: Lion King, Mulan, and Monsters, Inc. | | A sign for movie tickets costing $8, with stacks of realistic $5 and $1 bills. | | Pumpkin Pie Dip Sensory Activity | |
- ½ cup plain, nonfat Greek yogurt (Chobani Greek yogurt has the thickest consistency for dips; use vanilla yogurt if you like your dips sweeter.)
| | Recipe Steps and Suggested Sensory Directions | | | Step 1: Gather the ingredients, a mixing bowl, measuring cup, mixing spoon or whisk, and measuring spoons. | TOUCH. What do they feel like? Are their textures rough or smooth? Does the mixing bowl feel warm or cold? Use a metal bowl if the child likes shiny objects.
LISTEN. What happens when you bang the utensils together or against the bowl? Do the measuring spoons jingle when you shake them? | | Step 2: Open the yogurt container and spoon some into your measuring cup. Dump the yogurt into the mixing bowl, scraping the sides of the measuring cup with a spatula. | SMELL. Smell the yogurt. It smells like milk but is tangier.
TOUCH. What does yogurt feel like? Wet? Cold? Put some on the child’s fingertips or dab a little on their lips.
LISTEN. Talk about the smooth texture and how you’re putting the yogurt into your mixing bowl and scraping every bit out of the measuring cup so it’s empty. | | Step 3: Now, measure out your next ingredients and add them to the yogurt. | SMELL. Smell the ingredients. The dips start to smell good as you add each ingredient.
SEE. Is there a visual contrast when you mix a dark ingredient into the white yogurt? The colors swirl together. | | Step 4: Stir the dip with a mixing spoon until well blended. | TOUCH. If the child is interested, allow them to stir the dip. If the child is more hesitant, use the hand under hand strategy and encourage the child to put their hand over yours as you stir. They will feel how your hand and your wrist move up, down, and around the bowl to combine the ingredients until they’re smooth.
LISTEN. Talk about the colors as they swirl and blend together. | | Step 5: Serve the dips immediately with cookies, graham crackers, or fruit, or refrigerate the dips for up to three days. | LISTEN. Whatever your favorite “dunker” is, it also has a texture, taste, or smell you can talk about with the child. Use action verbs to describe how you’re eating the dip. Do you dunk your fruit into the dip? Maybe you spread the dip on a cracker with a spoon.
TOUCH. Have fun fingerpainting with the dip and licking your fingers clean. | | | |
RI Dual Sensory Impairment Project
The Sensory Connection newsletter is one of many ways the Rhode Island Dual Sensory Impairment (DSI) Project can assist students with combined vision and hearing loss. For additional information on the project, to refer a new child, to contact project personnel, or view or additional resources, visit the project website.
The contents of this publication were developed under a grant from the US Department of Education, # H326T230002. However, these contents do not necessarily represent the policy of the U.S. Department of Education, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government, Project Officer.
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Rhode Island Services to Children and Youth with Dual Sensory Impairments (2025, October).
Sensory Connection. Sherlock Center on Disabilities, Rhode Island College
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