ISVI's 26th Annual
Opening Doors Conference
June 4-6, 2009

This year ISVI served 28 children from 27 families. One family brought their twins while ten siblings accompanied their parents as well. There were 54 parents, grandparents, aunts or other care givers.

Goals for the conference:

1. Provide parents with information relative to the special needs of a visually impaired child

2. Provide opportunities to receive information and observational feedback from developmental therapists/vision specialists within a natural setting for their individual children

3. Give parents and children an opportunity to interact with peers

Parents attended sessions which included the following topics:

"Orientation and Mobility"
     Jim Strader and Josh Dugan

"Ask the Doctor"
     Dr. Derrald Taylor and Dr. Michael Zost

"OT and Sensory Integration"
     Yvonne Cosentino

" Assistive Technology to Try"
     Diane Wayne and Dan Thompson

"PT for Little Ones"
     Dr. Glenda Hooker

"Sports for Children with Vision Impairments"
     Jim Raabe & Dr. Christine Clark

"Behavior"
     Diane Wayne and Tamie Pool

"Location, Location, Location...Low Vision and the Environment"
     Patricia Langdon

"Early Literacy and Make-n-Take Book"
     Sue Sullivan

"Joyce’s O & E--Odds and Ends"
     Joyce Schmidt
 

While parents were busy attending sessions the children went to classrooms with developmental therapists/vision specialists, teachers, orientation and mobility specialists, ISVI high school students and college students who are completing coursework in the Special Education and Vision fields.
 

Other highlights were:
Playgroups
Separate Moms' and Dads' discussion groups
Panel Discussion
Socialization & relaxation in the ISVI Teen Center

It was a very busy and informational time for all!

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