This book presents varying assessment purposes, procedures and analytic approaches for professionals who are involved in making examinations and assessments of cognition in cases of congenital deafblindness in both children and adults.

People with congenital deafblindness often have hidden cognitive potential that those around them fail to detect. This can lead to missing out on communication, or not even having the opportunity to develop a tactile language. A professional assessment of the cognition may reveal latent abilities and with suitable strategies the person with congenital deafblindness can develop their full potential.

The book is aimed at professionals who are involved in making examinations and assessments of cognition in cases of congenital deafblindness in both children and adults. It is also an important contribution to further research in this area.

Psychological assessment can be used as a tool for promoting learning, health, and development in children with congenital deafblindness. If the psychologists detect and describe the child’s developmental level, possibilities as well as difficulties, it gives information about what kind of interventions can optimize development.

This publication gives insights to the complexity of the psychological assessment process in the field of deafblindness, deepen the knowledge in the field and expand the clinical use of psychological assessment. This report is intended to help psychologists assessing cognition – and thus be able to elaborate adapted strategies so that people with congenital deafblindness can develop their full potential.

The authors of this report are all psychologists and members of The Nordic network on Cognition in Relation to Deafblindness, which aims to promote professional competency in understanding cognitive development and identifying cognitions and their relation to learning and everyday functioning of individuals with congenital deafblindness.