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State of Illinois
Department of Human Services
29th Annual
Opening Doors to parents and their young children with vision loss
Parent/Infant Institute
June 6-9, 2012
at the
Illinois School for the Visually Impaired
Jacksonville, Illinois
What is Opening Doors?
The Opening Doors conference is a four day event for parents/guardians and their children with a visual impairment ages birth to five.
Cost
· Housing—FREE
· Food—FREE
· Transportation—Families will be provided with travel expense assistance to be paid after Opening Doors.
Keynote by Kevin O’Connor
“Their Future and Yours Too: Getting Ready for the Next Right Step”
Kevin is a professional speaker, author, and teacher who is the father of a 23-year-old son who is visually impaired.
“While we plan and work together for our children’s best interest, we can too often neglect to put ourselves in the plan too...to know how we need to grow, adjust, and change as our child does the same. We are both experts teaching the child...but so too is our child daily teaching us! The traditional partnership between parents and professionals can be transformed with a new model of our leadership that can lead to a transformed development in our work together...and in improved outcomes for our children. Join us for a discussion about what we can do with our right next step together.”
Register by May 15, 2012
Doors to Education
Session Topics:
· Orientation and Mobility
· Physical Therapy/Positioning
· Developmentally Appropriate Learning Media Assessments
· Early Literacy
· Sports for Children with Visual Impairments
· Ask the Doctor
· Cortical Visual Impairment
· Expanded Core Curriculum
· Embedding Goals in Everyday Routines
· Learned Helplessness
· Transition from Early Intervention: IFSP to IEP
· Parent Emotions
· Low Vision
· Dining Skills and Your Child
· Parent/Student Panel
· Moms Only and Dads Only Discussion Groups
New Mission Statement:
The Mission of Institute is to provide support to families of infants and toddlers who are blind or visually impaired, to assist them in making informed decisions on behalf of their child, and to provide information on their child based on observation and assessment.
Doors to Exploration
· Choices of break out sessions/topics
· Small child peer groupings with an Educator
· Evaluations available in Functional Vision and Orientation & Mobility
· Each family assigned to a Developmental Therapist-Vision as a Case Manager for the event
· ISVI Campus tours available
· Free family meals and comfortable on-campus housing
· Evening child care and recreational programs
· Optional evening workshops and group discussions for parents
· Programming for siblings ages 5 and under on limited basis
Who Should Attend?
Illinois parents or guardians and their children with visual impairments and additional disabilities who are 5 years old or younger.
When and Where?
Wednesday, June 6, 2012 12:30 p.m. through Saturday, June 9, 2012 1:00 p.m.
Illinois School for the Visually Impaired
658 East State Street
Jacksonville, IL
How to Register?
For registration forms or more information, contact:
Janet McGovern
Illinois School for the Visually Impaired
658 East State Street
Jacksonville, IL 62650
Voice—217-479-4437
TTY — 217-479-4401
FAX — 217-479-4412
Toll Free — 1-800-919-5617 (V)
www.isvi.net
The final day to register: May 15, 2012
New Program Goal Statements
1. To provide parents with information and resources on issues related to young children with visual impairments
2. To provide parents with opportunities to interact with other parents raising children with visual impairments
3. To provide the opportunity for participants to be involved in evaluations in specific areas of development
4. To provide children an opportunity to interact with peers
For directions to ISVI and a virtual campus tour, visit www.isvi.net
The Illinois School for the Visually Impaired (ISVI), established in 1849, is a residential/day school for students who are blind or visually impaired. Located in Jacksonville, ISVI provides accredited educational and related services for children from birth to twenty-two years of age through preschool, elementary and high school.
All educational and social programs are designed to prepare students for successful living as independent self-supporting citizens.
Programs, activities and employment opportunities in the Illinois Department of Human Services are open and accessible to any individual or group without regard to age, sex, race, sexual orientation, disability, ethnic origin, or religion. The department is an equal opportunity employer and practices affirmative action and reasonable accommodation programs.
DHS—Illinois Department of Human Services
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Illinois
School for the Visually Impaired
