2011 ISVI Parent Infant Institute-June 2-4, 2011
The unique needs of a child who is blind or visually impaired are historically under-served or not served at all. Services are limited in number and scattered throughout the state. Often parents faced with rearing a child whose development is being impacted with vision problems do not know how or where to access such services. The Illinois School for the Visually Impaired in an effort to assist these families as they struggle to meet the special needs of an infant or toddler with a visual impairment hosts a Parent-Infant Institute each year.
The Institute, with an additional name, Opening Doors is a two-day residential program, offered to parents of children who are visually impaired. The Twenty-eighth Annual Parent-Infant Opening Doors was held on the ISVI campus in Jacksonville, Illinois, June 2-4, 2011. Given last minute cancellations, this year=s Institute served seventeen children and their families. Two siblings accompanied their parents as well. There were twenty-nine parents, grandparents, aunts, or other care givers. Our goals were:
- Provide parents with information relative to the special needs of a visually impaired child;
- Provide opportunities to receive information and observational feedback from developmental therapists/vision specialists within a natural setting for their individual children; and
- Give parents and children an opportunity to interact with peers.
Parents attended sessions which included the following topics: "Your Child’s Best Mobility Instructor: You" by Jim Strader, "Ask the Doctor" by Dr. Michael Zost, “Assistive Technology to Try" by Dan Thompson, "Sports for Children with VI" by Jim Raabe and Dawn Chambers, "The Expanded Core Curriculum: What is it and why is it so important to my child?” by Sue Sullivan, “Developing Dining Skills for the Child with Visual Impairment, A Sensory-Motor Perspective” by Yvonne Cosentino, “Developmentally Appropriate Learning Media Assessments and Learning Media Assessments” by Sheila Walker, “IFSP to IEP Transition to School Programs” by Jane Redmon, and “Cortical Visual Impairment” by Mindy Ely.
While their parents were busy attending sessions the children went to classrooms with Developmental Therapists/Vision Specialists, Teachers, Orientation and Mobility teachers, ISVI high school students, and college students, preparing for work in the Vision field. Other highlights were: Playgroups, separate Mom's and Dad's discussion groups, and a Panel Discussion. It was a very busy and informational time for all! |
Illinois
School for the Visually Impaired
